While last Saturday featured very few marquee matchups, there are a couple of games that still played a large role in the playoff picture. In the highly anticipated duel between No. 13 Northwestern and No. 18 Michigan, the Wolverines proved yet again why they belong among the nation's elites. Michigan trounced the Wildcats 38 to nothing, pulling away early with three first quarter touchdowns. The Wolverines dominated every level of the game, scoring on offense, defense, and even special teams!
This picture is courtesy of Jake Ryan.
Michigan was not the only team to impress Saturday night, as Utah remained unbeaten with a close victory over California, handing the Bears their first loss of the season. The Utah defense forced six turnovers throughout the game, earning five interceptions off a veteran quarterback. Utah is now the only undefeated team from the Pac 12 Conference; they may be the conference's last chance at a playoff bid.
While these games were important pieces to solving the postseason puzzle, this upcoming weekend will host a variety of matchups that will reshape the college football landscape. Iowa and Northwestern kick off the action in a game of Big Ten powerhouses; Iowa could vault themselves into the playoff hunt with a victory. I'm predicting that the Iowa Hawkeyes remain undefeated with a fourth quarter comeback.
Staying in the Big Ten, Michigan will be in the spotlight again as they look to upset No. 7 Michigan State. Featuring two of the conference's finest teams, the loser of this game will most likely fall from the race. Riding their momentum from previous weeks, I'm picking the Wolverines to win yet again by two touchdowns. Watch for Michigan's defense to carry them past the Spartans and knock Michigan State off the list of undefeated teams.
This photo is compliments of Jeremy Rogers.
Turning to the Southeastern Conference, two games will feature battles between top ten teams. No. 10 Alabama will be looking to build its resume with a win over No. 9 Texas A&M, but the Crimson Tide may struggle against the Aggies' high-powered offense. Nonetheless, I'm predicting Alabama will rely on its running game to pull away in the fourth quarter and earn the victory. A little farther east, No. 6 LSU will be hosting No. 8 Florida in a showdown of teams with flawless records. Keep an eye on star running back Leonard Fournette; he will put his team on his back and lead the LSU Tigers to a huge win over Florida.
Last but not least, our own Nittany Lions will enter the national spotlight in an epic showdown with the top ranked Ohio State Buckeyes! Emotions will be high in this rivalry game between two teams that know each other all two well. Penn State's defense should keep them in the game, and rather than jinxing our own Nittany Lions, I'm picking Penn State to pull off the upset over No. 1 Ohio State!
This image is provided by Bryan Benner.
Needless to say, picking Penn State to upset Ohio State is a very bold prediction. However, I believe it is possible as well. I love how you seemingly incorporate every major team into one post. However, I think you should have also commented on the recent suspension of Florida's quarterback Will Grier. How will this affect their chances against LSU?
ReplyDelete