Post by Uncle on Oct 14, 2022 11:52:58 GMT -6
There are some weeks during the College regular season where there's a bunch of really good games on and you just want to put on some pajamas/comfy clothes, crack open a cold one and just be a couch potato for nearly the entire day...especially during the Fall when the weather turns cooler outside and you just don't even want to think about raking up the leaves...Week 7 is one of those weekends.
There are some really big games on Saturday, including the BIG10 Game of the Year 1.0, the BIG XII game of the Year 1.0, the SEC Game of the Year 1.0, as well as other significant games that will have a big impact for the CFP. In all likelihood, there will be some teams eliminated from CFP contention after this weekend.
Whatever your Saturday plans are, break 'em, cause you have a date with your pajamas, the TV, a cold one and the snack/food of your choice...the leaves, laundry and whatever other weekend chore can wait until until Sunday mornng or late Sunday afternoon after the Vikings/Dolphins game is over...
Saturday, October 15th - Early Afternoon Games
#10 Penn St @ #5 Michigan - Noon ET (FOX); "BIG10 Game of the Year 1.0"
Last year it was Penn St traveling to Iowa for the 2021 "BIG10 Game of the Year 1.0" and their season went downhill after that defeat at the hands of the Hawkeyes, who rode that win all the way to the BIG10 Championship game vs Michigan. Penn St QB Sean Clifford was injured in that game and was a significant reason why the Nittany Lions lost, but he's back this year and is seeking that big road win to vault them directly into the CFP mix. It's basically a three-team race in the BIG10 again this year between Penn St, Michigan and Ohio St (all in the East division) and the loser of this game will, in all likelihood, be eliminated from CFP consideration since Ohio St is unlikely to lose outside of either of these teams and no one in the West Division will get into the CFP (even Illinois has that 1 loss to Indiana). There are 2023 Draft prospects on both teams but I would pay close attention to the defensive side of the ball for Penn St CB Joey Porter, Jr (a potential Rd 1 CB prospect) and Michigan DE/EDGE/OLB Mike Morris who played behind Hutchinson last year and is looking for a big breakout game this year.
#19 Kansas @ Oklahoma - Noon ET (ESPN2)
It wasn't too long ago that Oklahoma was the "cream of the crop" in the BIG XII while the Jayhawks were the bottom feeders...but things can turn on a dime in College Football, and the roles have nearly been completely reversed. Kansas is enjoying it's best season since 2007 when they went 12-1, and not even the likes of Charlie Weis, Turner Gill or Les Miles could get the Jayhawks more than 3 wins in a single season since that 2007 season. The Sooners, meanwhile, are in a complete tailspin under first year Head Coach Brent Venables (former DC for Clemson) - losing their last 3 games and getting completely walloped by TCU last week. Oklahoma and Iowa St are the only two teams in the BIG XII without a Confernence win (both are 0-3) and with the Cyclones playing on the road @ #22 Texas, both teams could be winless in the BIG XII after Saturday, too. Kansas has already won @ West Virgina and @ Houston this season so they are battle tested outside of Lawrence, and even if their star QB, Jalon Daniels, doens't play this weekend, their backup QB showed last week vs TCU that he's more than capable of stepping in. This game starts a very tough stretch for Kansas as there are no more easy wins left on the schedule as the BIG XII has many good teams this year and if Oklahoma wants to get into consideration as a "good" team on their opponent's schedule again, a win over a ranked Kansas team would be a good start.
Minnesota @ #24 Illinois - Noon ET (BIG10 Network)
If you like old-school power football featuring a whole bunch of guys on the line of scrimmage, this is the game for you. Both teams feature Top 10 RB prospects in the 2023 Draft: Minnesota's Mo Ibrahim and Illinois' Chase Brown, who leads College Football with 879 rushing yards this season. And with Tanner Morgan having a poor outing vs Purdue last time around and Illinois QB T DeVito not 100% (not sure if he'll play), both teams should be featuring their running game early and often in this one. The advantage goes to Illinois as they are at home and are slightly more well-rounded on both sides of the ball, but if their QB can't go, the upset could be on for the Gophers. Entering this game, the Fighting Illini are the likely team out of the BIG10 West to get into the BIG10 Championship, but if Minnesota wins, they could possibly get back into contention for that spot. If Minnesota loses, they will probably be eliminated from BIG10 Championship game contention with their 2nd BIG10 loss.
Saturday, October 15th - Late Afternoon Games
#3 Alabama @ #6 Tennessee - 3:30PM ET (CBS); "SEC Game of the Year 1.0"
It doesn't get much bigger than this in terms of a bigtime College Football regular season game...Tennesse's #1 ranked offense vs 'Bama's defense...2023 QB prospects Hendon Hooker (Tennessee) and Bryce Young (Alabama) going head-to-head...Nick Saban never losing to the Vols since he's coached Alabama (15 straight wins)...and quite possibly the biggest game in Neyland Stadium since the Peyton Manning/Phil Fulmer era - the atmosphere is going to be electic on Rocky Top for this one. I do think this game will be a high-scoring affair, even if Bryce Young is limited because 'Bama has proved they have a very potent rushing attack behind RB J Gibbs who can take it to the house from anywhere. Tennesssee Hendon Hooker has proven so far this college season that not only can be throw the deep pass downfield, but he can do so with accuracy and not turn it over - he's the only 2023 QB prospect in my Top 30 rankings that hasn't thrown an INT yet. Alabama's defense will be the biggest test the Volunteers have faced all season (on the road @ Pittsburgh and @ LSU weren't nothing to sneeze at though), and he'll need to continue to be aggressive with accuracy as the key for the Vols is to keep scoring and keep ahead of the Crimson Tide on the scoreboard to turn them more one-dimensional and away from their strength on offense (their rushing attack). Hooker is exactly the type of QB that has given Saban fits in the past (QB that can beat you with both his arm and legs) and he's likely to throw every sort of defensive look he can at Hooker with a very talented Alabama secondary. Right now I believe Hooker is in Day 2 consideration for the 2023 Draft, but if he wants any Day 1 consideration at all, winning this one and looking good against a defense with NFL talent is a must, and he should have his top WR weapon Cedric Tillman back for this one, too. Should be a really fun game.
#8 Oklahoma St @ #13 TCU - 3:30PM ET (ABC); "BIG XII Game of the Year 1.0"
Make sure to doublecheck the batteries to your TV remote as you switch back-n-forth between both the 'Bama/Tennessee game and this one, as both should be fun to watch. The Cowboys seem to be on a mission this year to not only get back to the BIG XII Championship, but to win it and get CFP consideration. Outside of QB Spencer Sanders, the Cowboys really don't have too many bigtime stars - they are just a very solid, all-around team that plays solid fundamental football under HC Mike Gundy. On the other side, TCU is all offense, all the time, as they average 46+ pts a game and have the #2 ranked offense behind only Tennessee. If the Cowboys can slow down duel threat TCU QB Max Duggan and WR Quentin Johnston (who had a breakout game last week @ Kansas), they have a real shot at winning a bigtime road win and could setup a bigtime showdown with Kansas St. on 10/29, in Manhattan. Both of these "Game of the Year" games have the potential to be high-scoring shootouts, so keep that remote handy as flip back-n-forth between commercial breaks.
#15 NC State @ #18 Syracuse - 3:30PM ET (ACC Network)
Tennessee will be playing their biggest home game in years and the same could be said about Syracuse, and similar to Tennessee, the last time the Orangeman have been this relevant was the late 90's/early 2000's. NC State QB Drew Leary is questionable in this one and if he doesn't go, the Wolfpack might have some problems moving the ball inside the Carrier Dome. Syracuse features 2023 Draft prospects on both sides of the ball in RB Sean Tucker and CB Garrett Williams and if Clemson loses on the road to Florida St later in the evening, it's very possible that Syracuse could be the top team in the ACC after this weekend at 6-0. A 2nd loss for NC State probably eliminates them from the CFP and quite possibly any chance at the ACC Championship game. If both Syracuse and Clemson win in Week 7, it sets up the "ACC Game of the Year 1.0" next week at Death Valley between the two.
Saturday, October 15th - Evening Games
LSU @ Florida - 7PM ET (ESPN)
A very interesting game between two 4-2 SEC teams - one of these teams could use this victory to vault themselves a very respectable 9-10 win season while the other might take the loss pretty hard. Both teams have first year HC's at their respective schools in Brian Kelly (LSU) and Billy Napier (Florida). This game also features a battle of 2023 QB prospects in Jayden Daniels (LSU) vs Anthony Richardson (Florida), both of whom rely on their legs a bit more than their arms to generate offense. While Richardson is generally viewed as a Round 1 2023 prospect, you could make the argument that Daniels has outplayed him with more passing and rushing yards and less INT's (Daniels has only thrown 1 vs Richardson's 7).
#4 Clemson @ Florida State - 7:30PM ET (ABC)
It seems like Clemson has been the main primetime game a bunch already this season and they get another one when they travel to Tallahassee to take on the Seminoles. Florida St started the season strong with that last second win over LSU in the Superdome but they've lost 2 in a row to good teams in Wake Forest and NC State. As I mentioned earlier, if the Seminoles can pull this off over Clemson, they do create openings for Syracuse and Wake Forest to represent the ACC Atlantic in the ACC Championship game. FSU already has 2 ACC losses and they can't afford to lose another Conference game if they have any hope whatsoever to represent the Atlantic Division, but it's still technicallly possible because wins over Clemson and Syracuse would put them in a favorable position - they would just need Wake Forest to drop another game. Clemson is getting all of their defensive players back and with QB DJ Uiagalelei playing well this season, the Tigers are a tough out. With Clemson's Front 7, the Seminoles are going to need a massive game from QB Travis Scott to stand a chance and they are going to need to see the 2021 version of Uigalelei. I do think FSU has a chance; the home underdog team in these ABC primetime games tend to rise to the occasion to give the Top 10 road opponent at least a scare.
#16 Miss St @ #22 Kentucky - 7:30PM ET (SEC Network)
Another interesting SEC East vs West matchup, but this time it's between teams that have been going in the opposite direction. Miss St had a bad loss @ LSU during Week 3 and everyone sort of wrote them off, but since then, QB Will Rogers and the Bulldogs have reeled off solid wins against Texas A&M and Arkansas and have averaged 42+ pts a game in their last 3 (even against a very stout A&M defense). Meanwhile, Kentucky started off the season strong with that road win at The Swamp, but have cooled off the lst 2 weeks with losses @ Ole Miss and vs South Carolina. Will Levis missed the Week 6 loss to the Gamecocks, but should be back against another matchup between 2023 QB prospects. Kentucky needs this win with big SEC East games remaining @ Tennessee and home vs Georgia, but the Bulldogs have a similarly tough schedule ahead with games against 'Bama, Georgia and Ole Miss remaining. Only one of these teams is going to gain momentum after this one and the loser will be competely eliminated from any hopes of an SEC Championship appearance.
#7 USC @ #20 Utah - 8PM ET (FOX)
If the Utes would have been able to win on the road @ UCLA last weekend, this very well could have been the "PAC12 Game of the Year 1.0", but that will have to wait until quite possibly a USC/UCLA matchup at the Rose Bowl on 11/19 if both of those teams remain undefeated (weekend before Thanksgiving). Utah was an early-season CFP "darling", but with losses on the road at The Swamp and the Rose Bowl, they are out of any CFP consideration. However, they still very much remain in the mix for a 2nd-straight PAC12 Championship if they can run the PAC12 "gauntlet" and it all starts at home vs the high-powered Trojans. USC is known for their Lincoln Riley lead offense, but some of their defensive players are starting to fly up 2023 Draft boards, starting with DT Tuli Tuipulotu. Utah has tried to rely on their Wisconsin-style ground game approach, but QB Cam Rising is a very intriguing 2023 QB prospect IMO, and with Utah's solid TE's, I think it's time they strart utilizing both Rising's arm, but also his legs - he's a surprisingly good QB in space and on the move. Utah has circled this game since the 2022 calendar came out and they are very good at home vs top PAC12 competition (ask Oregon). USC lived on the edge of a loss during their last road game at Oregon St - they're going to need to play much better to pull off this win in Salt Lake City Saturday night.
2023 QB Prospect Machups:
Sean Clifford (Penn St) @ Michigan: Clifford is a UDFA at this point, but a win at The Big House could put him in Day 3 consideration
Bryce Young (Alabama) @ Hendon Hooker (Tennessee)
Drew Leary (NC State) @ Garrett Shrader (Syracuse)
KJ Jefferson (Arkansas) @ Jaren Hall (BYU)
Jayden Daniels (LSU) @ Anthony Richardson (Florida)
Will Rogers (Miss St) @ Will Levis (Kentucky)
There are some really big games on Saturday, including the BIG10 Game of the Year 1.0, the BIG XII game of the Year 1.0, the SEC Game of the Year 1.0, as well as other significant games that will have a big impact for the CFP. In all likelihood, there will be some teams eliminated from CFP contention after this weekend.
Whatever your Saturday plans are, break 'em, cause you have a date with your pajamas, the TV, a cold one and the snack/food of your choice...the leaves, laundry and whatever other weekend chore can wait until until Sunday mornng or late Sunday afternoon after the Vikings/Dolphins game is over...
Saturday, October 15th - Early Afternoon Games
#10 Penn St @ #5 Michigan - Noon ET (FOX); "BIG10 Game of the Year 1.0"
Last year it was Penn St traveling to Iowa for the 2021 "BIG10 Game of the Year 1.0" and their season went downhill after that defeat at the hands of the Hawkeyes, who rode that win all the way to the BIG10 Championship game vs Michigan. Penn St QB Sean Clifford was injured in that game and was a significant reason why the Nittany Lions lost, but he's back this year and is seeking that big road win to vault them directly into the CFP mix. It's basically a three-team race in the BIG10 again this year between Penn St, Michigan and Ohio St (all in the East division) and the loser of this game will, in all likelihood, be eliminated from CFP consideration since Ohio St is unlikely to lose outside of either of these teams and no one in the West Division will get into the CFP (even Illinois has that 1 loss to Indiana). There are 2023 Draft prospects on both teams but I would pay close attention to the defensive side of the ball for Penn St CB Joey Porter, Jr (a potential Rd 1 CB prospect) and Michigan DE/EDGE/OLB Mike Morris who played behind Hutchinson last year and is looking for a big breakout game this year.
#19 Kansas @ Oklahoma - Noon ET (ESPN2)
It wasn't too long ago that Oklahoma was the "cream of the crop" in the BIG XII while the Jayhawks were the bottom feeders...but things can turn on a dime in College Football, and the roles have nearly been completely reversed. Kansas is enjoying it's best season since 2007 when they went 12-1, and not even the likes of Charlie Weis, Turner Gill or Les Miles could get the Jayhawks more than 3 wins in a single season since that 2007 season. The Sooners, meanwhile, are in a complete tailspin under first year Head Coach Brent Venables (former DC for Clemson) - losing their last 3 games and getting completely walloped by TCU last week. Oklahoma and Iowa St are the only two teams in the BIG XII without a Confernence win (both are 0-3) and with the Cyclones playing on the road @ #22 Texas, both teams could be winless in the BIG XII after Saturday, too. Kansas has already won @ West Virgina and @ Houston this season so they are battle tested outside of Lawrence, and even if their star QB, Jalon Daniels, doens't play this weekend, their backup QB showed last week vs TCU that he's more than capable of stepping in. This game starts a very tough stretch for Kansas as there are no more easy wins left on the schedule as the BIG XII has many good teams this year and if Oklahoma wants to get into consideration as a "good" team on their opponent's schedule again, a win over a ranked Kansas team would be a good start.
Minnesota @ #24 Illinois - Noon ET (BIG10 Network)
If you like old-school power football featuring a whole bunch of guys on the line of scrimmage, this is the game for you. Both teams feature Top 10 RB prospects in the 2023 Draft: Minnesota's Mo Ibrahim and Illinois' Chase Brown, who leads College Football with 879 rushing yards this season. And with Tanner Morgan having a poor outing vs Purdue last time around and Illinois QB T DeVito not 100% (not sure if he'll play), both teams should be featuring their running game early and often in this one. The advantage goes to Illinois as they are at home and are slightly more well-rounded on both sides of the ball, but if their QB can't go, the upset could be on for the Gophers. Entering this game, the Fighting Illini are the likely team out of the BIG10 West to get into the BIG10 Championship, but if Minnesota wins, they could possibly get back into contention for that spot. If Minnesota loses, they will probably be eliminated from BIG10 Championship game contention with their 2nd BIG10 loss.
Saturday, October 15th - Late Afternoon Games
#3 Alabama @ #6 Tennessee - 3:30PM ET (CBS); "SEC Game of the Year 1.0"
It doesn't get much bigger than this in terms of a bigtime College Football regular season game...Tennesse's #1 ranked offense vs 'Bama's defense...2023 QB prospects Hendon Hooker (Tennessee) and Bryce Young (Alabama) going head-to-head...Nick Saban never losing to the Vols since he's coached Alabama (15 straight wins)...and quite possibly the biggest game in Neyland Stadium since the Peyton Manning/Phil Fulmer era - the atmosphere is going to be electic on Rocky Top for this one. I do think this game will be a high-scoring affair, even if Bryce Young is limited because 'Bama has proved they have a very potent rushing attack behind RB J Gibbs who can take it to the house from anywhere. Tennesssee Hendon Hooker has proven so far this college season that not only can be throw the deep pass downfield, but he can do so with accuracy and not turn it over - he's the only 2023 QB prospect in my Top 30 rankings that hasn't thrown an INT yet. Alabama's defense will be the biggest test the Volunteers have faced all season (on the road @ Pittsburgh and @ LSU weren't nothing to sneeze at though), and he'll need to continue to be aggressive with accuracy as the key for the Vols is to keep scoring and keep ahead of the Crimson Tide on the scoreboard to turn them more one-dimensional and away from their strength on offense (their rushing attack). Hooker is exactly the type of QB that has given Saban fits in the past (QB that can beat you with both his arm and legs) and he's likely to throw every sort of defensive look he can at Hooker with a very talented Alabama secondary. Right now I believe Hooker is in Day 2 consideration for the 2023 Draft, but if he wants any Day 1 consideration at all, winning this one and looking good against a defense with NFL talent is a must, and he should have his top WR weapon Cedric Tillman back for this one, too. Should be a really fun game.
#8 Oklahoma St @ #13 TCU - 3:30PM ET (ABC); "BIG XII Game of the Year 1.0"
Make sure to doublecheck the batteries to your TV remote as you switch back-n-forth between both the 'Bama/Tennessee game and this one, as both should be fun to watch. The Cowboys seem to be on a mission this year to not only get back to the BIG XII Championship, but to win it and get CFP consideration. Outside of QB Spencer Sanders, the Cowboys really don't have too many bigtime stars - they are just a very solid, all-around team that plays solid fundamental football under HC Mike Gundy. On the other side, TCU is all offense, all the time, as they average 46+ pts a game and have the #2 ranked offense behind only Tennessee. If the Cowboys can slow down duel threat TCU QB Max Duggan and WR Quentin Johnston (who had a breakout game last week @ Kansas), they have a real shot at winning a bigtime road win and could setup a bigtime showdown with Kansas St. on 10/29, in Manhattan. Both of these "Game of the Year" games have the potential to be high-scoring shootouts, so keep that remote handy as flip back-n-forth between commercial breaks.
#15 NC State @ #18 Syracuse - 3:30PM ET (ACC Network)
Tennessee will be playing their biggest home game in years and the same could be said about Syracuse, and similar to Tennessee, the last time the Orangeman have been this relevant was the late 90's/early 2000's. NC State QB Drew Leary is questionable in this one and if he doesn't go, the Wolfpack might have some problems moving the ball inside the Carrier Dome. Syracuse features 2023 Draft prospects on both sides of the ball in RB Sean Tucker and CB Garrett Williams and if Clemson loses on the road to Florida St later in the evening, it's very possible that Syracuse could be the top team in the ACC after this weekend at 6-0. A 2nd loss for NC State probably eliminates them from the CFP and quite possibly any chance at the ACC Championship game. If both Syracuse and Clemson win in Week 7, it sets up the "ACC Game of the Year 1.0" next week at Death Valley between the two.
Saturday, October 15th - Evening Games
LSU @ Florida - 7PM ET (ESPN)
A very interesting game between two 4-2 SEC teams - one of these teams could use this victory to vault themselves a very respectable 9-10 win season while the other might take the loss pretty hard. Both teams have first year HC's at their respective schools in Brian Kelly (LSU) and Billy Napier (Florida). This game also features a battle of 2023 QB prospects in Jayden Daniels (LSU) vs Anthony Richardson (Florida), both of whom rely on their legs a bit more than their arms to generate offense. While Richardson is generally viewed as a Round 1 2023 prospect, you could make the argument that Daniels has outplayed him with more passing and rushing yards and less INT's (Daniels has only thrown 1 vs Richardson's 7).
#4 Clemson @ Florida State - 7:30PM ET (ABC)
It seems like Clemson has been the main primetime game a bunch already this season and they get another one when they travel to Tallahassee to take on the Seminoles. Florida St started the season strong with that last second win over LSU in the Superdome but they've lost 2 in a row to good teams in Wake Forest and NC State. As I mentioned earlier, if the Seminoles can pull this off over Clemson, they do create openings for Syracuse and Wake Forest to represent the ACC Atlantic in the ACC Championship game. FSU already has 2 ACC losses and they can't afford to lose another Conference game if they have any hope whatsoever to represent the Atlantic Division, but it's still technicallly possible because wins over Clemson and Syracuse would put them in a favorable position - they would just need Wake Forest to drop another game. Clemson is getting all of their defensive players back and with QB DJ Uiagalelei playing well this season, the Tigers are a tough out. With Clemson's Front 7, the Seminoles are going to need a massive game from QB Travis Scott to stand a chance and they are going to need to see the 2021 version of Uigalelei. I do think FSU has a chance; the home underdog team in these ABC primetime games tend to rise to the occasion to give the Top 10 road opponent at least a scare.
#16 Miss St @ #22 Kentucky - 7:30PM ET (SEC Network)
Another interesting SEC East vs West matchup, but this time it's between teams that have been going in the opposite direction. Miss St had a bad loss @ LSU during Week 3 and everyone sort of wrote them off, but since then, QB Will Rogers and the Bulldogs have reeled off solid wins against Texas A&M and Arkansas and have averaged 42+ pts a game in their last 3 (even against a very stout A&M defense). Meanwhile, Kentucky started off the season strong with that road win at The Swamp, but have cooled off the lst 2 weeks with losses @ Ole Miss and vs South Carolina. Will Levis missed the Week 6 loss to the Gamecocks, but should be back against another matchup between 2023 QB prospects. Kentucky needs this win with big SEC East games remaining @ Tennessee and home vs Georgia, but the Bulldogs have a similarly tough schedule ahead with games against 'Bama, Georgia and Ole Miss remaining. Only one of these teams is going to gain momentum after this one and the loser will be competely eliminated from any hopes of an SEC Championship appearance.
#7 USC @ #20 Utah - 8PM ET (FOX)
If the Utes would have been able to win on the road @ UCLA last weekend, this very well could have been the "PAC12 Game of the Year 1.0", but that will have to wait until quite possibly a USC/UCLA matchup at the Rose Bowl on 11/19 if both of those teams remain undefeated (weekend before Thanksgiving). Utah was an early-season CFP "darling", but with losses on the road at The Swamp and the Rose Bowl, they are out of any CFP consideration. However, they still very much remain in the mix for a 2nd-straight PAC12 Championship if they can run the PAC12 "gauntlet" and it all starts at home vs the high-powered Trojans. USC is known for their Lincoln Riley lead offense, but some of their defensive players are starting to fly up 2023 Draft boards, starting with DT Tuli Tuipulotu. Utah has tried to rely on their Wisconsin-style ground game approach, but QB Cam Rising is a very intriguing 2023 QB prospect IMO, and with Utah's solid TE's, I think it's time they strart utilizing both Rising's arm, but also his legs - he's a surprisingly good QB in space and on the move. Utah has circled this game since the 2022 calendar came out and they are very good at home vs top PAC12 competition (ask Oregon). USC lived on the edge of a loss during their last road game at Oregon St - they're going to need to play much better to pull off this win in Salt Lake City Saturday night.
2023 QB Prospect Machups:
Sean Clifford (Penn St) @ Michigan: Clifford is a UDFA at this point, but a win at The Big House could put him in Day 3 consideration
Bryce Young (Alabama) @ Hendon Hooker (Tennessee)
Drew Leary (NC State) @ Garrett Shrader (Syracuse)
KJ Jefferson (Arkansas) @ Jaren Hall (BYU)
Jayden Daniels (LSU) @ Anthony Richardson (Florida)
Will Rogers (Miss St) @ Will Levis (Kentucky)
... and neither is this Chris guy.