Another college football week is upon us, and the hunt for the college football playoff begins. Several of the top teams have a bye week, but there is still some compelling conference matchups to look forward to. We will see if the unbeaten teams can stay true to form or if upsets will be brewing. My predictions and analysis for the games are listed below.

1 Clemson (4-0) vs North Carolina (2-2)- Clemson 48-24
Clemson has a dangerous offense, and QB Trevor Lawrence has started to find his form. Travis Etienne is still carrying the offense with his legs, and their defense is playing at a high level. Clemson doesn’t have an obvious weakness, and Dabo Swinney is likely to lead his team back to the playoffs once again. North Carolina is on a two game losing streak with both sides of the ball playing inconsistent. They have playmakers like Javonte Williams and Dazz Newsome, but QB Sam Howell has been prone to turning the football over. Their defense was shredded by a far less talented Appalachian State offense last week. I expect Clemson to roll to an easy victory on the road. Mack Brown has improved North Carolina, but the Tigers are too dangerous on offense to be upset this week.

Ole Miss (2-2) vs 2 Alabama (4-0)- Alabama 52-28
The Rebels struggled last week, and QB Matt Corral had a really rough game. Scottie Phillips and Elijah Moore give them threats on the ground and through the air. Their defense has been respectable so far, but they face their toughest test to date. Alabama’s QB Tua Tagovailoa is playing at a elite level, and an early front runner for the Heisman. Najee Harris gives them burst in the backfield, and receivers Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III, and Devonta Smith are one of the best trios in college football. Their defense is very young, and has been relatively untested to this point. I expect the Crimson Tide to dominant at home against a over matched Ole Miss squad. The Rebels have had success against Alabama in the past, but their rosters were much better when those upsets occurred. Nick Saban’s team is too talented across the board to lose at home to Ole Miss.

5 Ohio State (4-0) vs Nebraska (3-1)- Ohio State 49-26
Justin Fields has been unstoppable in his first year as quarterback for Ohio State. He continues to dominant through the air or using his legs in space. J.K. Dobbins is an electric back that should be well rested after a light workload last week. The Buckeyes have deep threats like K.J. Hill and Jameson Williams who can get behind the defense. Ryan Day’s defense has been phenomenal to start 2019, but will face their toughest test so far Saturday. Nebraska is dangerous offensively behind QB Adrian Martinez who has improved as a passer, and has good athleticism along with vision running the ball. They have a couple of standout backs in Wan’Dale Robinson and Maurice Washington that have to play well in order to pull off the upset. Their defense is very thin, and has been picked on all year by opposing offenses. Nebraska’s crowd will be rocking, but Ohio State is too good offensively to be upset. Their defense will give the Cornhuskers problems, and expect the Buckeyes to leave unscathed come Saturday.

Texas Tech (2-1) vs 6 Oklahoma (3-0)- Oklahoma 48-31
The Red Raiders have a good quarterback Alan Bowman who chucks the ball with a lot of confidence. He will look to bounce back after a bad outing against Arizona. Armand Shyne has to take pressure off his QB, and the offensive line needs to open up some running lanes. Texas Tech is improved this year defensively, and Matt Wells will have to coach his unit up against the Sooners. Jalen Hurts continues to play at a Heisman level running the show for the Sooners on offense. He has shown his improvement as a passer, and continues to impress with his running ability. Kennedy Brooks and Trey Sermon are a dynamic one two punch in the backfield. Charleston Rambo, Grant Calcaterra, and CeeDee Lamb are the major receiver weapons for Lincoln Riley’s offense. Their defense is playing better this year, but are still susceptible to giving up big plays down the field. Oklahoma is much more consistent on offense, and the Red Raiders aren’t as electric on offense this year. The Sooners will be tested early, but will likely pull away in the second half.

Mississippi State (2-1) vs 7 Auburn (4-0)- Auburn 31-24
Garrett Shrader is still a work in progress throwing the ball, but has shown some serious wheels on the ground. Kylin Hill is one of the most electric running backs in college football with breakaway speed. Their defense is solid, but will be tested against the run first Tigers. Auburn dominated most of the game on the road in College Station beating Texas A&M. Freshman QB Bo Nix is doing just enough in the passing game to survive, and extending plays with his legs. Their running game is strong behind JaTarvious Whitlow, and Anthony Schwartz is a big play waiting to happen at receiver. Their defense is stingy against the run, but has had issues defending against the passing attack. I like Auburn in this game because their weakness in pass defense is the weakness of the Bulldogs offense. Their defense will slow Mississippi State’s running game, and they should be able to run the ball behind Whitlow. This will be a close game, but Auburn should win at home.

Northwestern (1-2) vs 8 Wisconsin (3-0)- Wisconsin 30-13
Northwestern’s offense is a absolute mess, and QB Hunter Johnson has been terrible. Their offensive line is bad, and Drake Anderson is their only real threat on offense. Their defense is solid, but gave up big plays down the field against Michigan State. They also have been turnover prone which is a bad sign against the Badgers. Wisconsin dominated Michigan, and made it look easy on both sides of the ball. Jack Coan is a solid game manager capable of making smart decisions, and can extend plays with his legs. Jonathan Taylor is a one man wrecking machine on the ground, and looks like the clear best back in college football. Their offensive line has been mauling opponents, and their defense has only surrendered 14 points so far in 2019. The Badgers are too stout on offense and defense for the Wildcats. They are very tough to beat at home, and Northwestern hasn’t shown enough consistency on offense to be trusted on the road.

Towson (3-1) vs 9 Florida (4-0)- Florida 42-21
Towson has a run first QB in Tom Flacco who is best known for being the brother of Joe Flacco. Yeedee Thaenrat has been reliable in the backfield, but Flacco has to make plays through the air in order to win. Their defense was exposed last week not having an answer against Villanova. Kyle Trask was good and bad in his starting debut for Florida. He has shown his ability to make the intermediate throws, but is still working on perfecting the deep ball. They will rely on the run game behind Lamical Perine and Dameon Pierce. Their defense is still playing at an elite level, and forces a ton of turnovers against opposing offenses. Florida is too talented across the board, and Towson won’t have an answer for this top level defense. I expect Trask to have a big day, and the Gators will coast to another victory.

18 Virginia (4-0) vs 10 Notre Dame (2-1)- Notre Dame 34-20
The Cavaliers struggled against Old Dominion, but found a way to win last weekend. Bryce Perkins is still developing as a passer, but is a big time threat in the open field once he gets going. Wayne Taulapapa is small but runs with power, and has the speed to breakaway at times. Their defense can be stingy at times, but will struggle in the secondary more times than not. Notre Dame showed they are for real in a close loss on the road against Georgia. Ian Book struggled, but made some big time plays to keep his team in the game late. He is a gifted rusher, but has improved his passing quite a bit from last year. Tony Jones Jr. has to be more productive in order to take some of the pressure off of Book. Chase Claypool has become a dependable receiver for Notre Dame as well. The Fighting Irish’s defense continued to impress against a solid Georgia offense, but are still having issues stopping the running game. I expect Notre Dame to bounce back with a win at home. They have more talent on both sides of the ball, and I just don’t trust Perkins in terms of protecting the football.

12 Penn State (3-0) vs Maryland (2-1)- Maryland 34-31
Both teams are coming off a bye week so it will be interesting to see if there is any rust this week. Sean Clifford made some plays late against Pitt, but is still developing his overall QB game. Journey Brown showed his ability to change the game with his speed, and they need production from receivers K.J. Hamler and Devyn Ford. The Nittany Lions defense struggled against the pass against Pitt, but have been very stingy against the run. Josh Jackson is coming off a terrible game against Temple. Jackson has proven he can win big games in the past, but has to improve against Penn State. Anthony McFarland Jr. has become a dependable back, and their receiving core is deep with different types of athletes. Their defense has to step up against a solid Penn State offense, and find ways to slow down the running game. I am going with Maryland because they tend to play better at home. I don’t trust Clifford as much as Jackson, and I believe McFarland will be the X factor in this game. Maryland is good enough defensively to keep their team in the game.

Middle Tennessee (1-2) vs 14 Iowa (3-0)- Iowa 45-17
Asher O’Hara is a solid QB, and has the ability to contribute throwing as well as running the ball. Chaton Mobley has to improve this week in order to give Iowa issues against the run. Middle Tennessee’s defense is very bad, and won’t have an answer against Iowa. Nathan Stanley is an experienced QB who seems to make smart decisions with the football. He protects the ball, and finds ways to move the chains working the middle of the field. Mekhi Sargent and Toren Young are a nice tandem at running back, and Ihmir Smith-Marsette gives defenses problems with his speed. Iowa’s defense is tough up front, and A.J. Epenesa is an elite pass rusher who can wreck a game. The Hawkeyes should coast to victory against a underwhelming Middle Tennessee squad. I expect this game to be over soon, and the Iowa backups will get some reps.

Arizona State (3-1) vs 15 California (4-0)- Arizona State 29-26
The Sun Devils laid an egg on defense against Colorado after shining against Michigan State. Jayden Daniels continues to impress at the QB position, and Eno Benjamin has become a real threat in the backfield. Brandon Aiyuk has become a number one receiver and target for Daniels this year. Their defense has to improve in order to compete against a developing Cal offense. Chase Garbers made me eat my words, and played fantastic on the road against Ole Miss. He made several big time throws down the field carving up the Rebels defense. They will likely need more production from Christopher Brown Jr. and Marcel Dancy out of the backfield to beat Arizona State. Cal’s defense continues to impress, and they shut down Matt Corral last week. They have met the challenge against good QB’s and continue to help their offense with their high level of play. I am going with Arizona State on the road in the unpredictable Pac-12. All of the teams are so similar that it is hard to make a right prediction in this conference. I believe Arizona State is a more dangerous on offense, and expect Herman Edwards to have his defense ready to go after a bad showing against Colorado.

21 USC (3-1) vs 17 Washington (3-1)- Washington 35-28
Well USC is taking next man up literally when it comes to quarterbacks. Kedon Slovis was knocked out of the game so third string QB Matt Fink took over and played excellent against Utah. The Junior threw the ball with confidence, and shredded the highly regarded defense despite one interception. He will need to be strong again on the road against a balanced Washington team. They have a star at receiver in Michael Pittman Jr. who went over the 200 yard last week. Don’t forget about Amon-Ra St. Brown who can flat out fly on the perimeter as well. Their defense has to improve against a better quarterback and overall offense this week. Jacob Eason is living up to the hype he had coming out of high school. He has been fantastic since transferring to Washington with only one bad start against Cal. Eason can throw the deep ball, and has shown an ability to work through his progressions and reads quickly. Salvon Ahmed is a home run hitter out of the backfield, and Sean McGrew is no slouch either at tailback. Hunter Bryant and Aaron Fuller have to step up on the outside to help Eason complete passes down the field. The Huskies have a good pass defense, but have struggled to stop the run so far this year. The Pac-12 has been hard to predict this year, but I like Washington at home against USC. They have plenty of tape to decipher Matt Fink, and their offense is more explosive than Utah’s. I expect the Huskies to win a back and forth battle.

Washington State (3-1) vs 19 Utah (3-1)- Washington State 36-29
The Cougars had a collosal collapse against UCLA after leading at one point 49-17, and ended up losing 67-63. Part of their undoing was the fact they turned the ball over six times. Anthony Gordon has been sensational putting up crazy stats through the air. He played a big part in the loss though with multiple turnovers. Their running back Max Borghi is a big play threat and has shown an ability to run and catch. Their best receiver is Easop Winston Jr. who’s coming off a four touchdown performance. Their offense has to take care of the football because six turnovers is simply unacceptable. Their defense showed some serious weaknesses as they were picked apart by UCLA. The secondary and front seven were torched by the Bruins. The offense didn’t put them in good position, but the defense folded against UCLA’s offense. Utah had national championship hopes, but those faded away with a tough loss against USC. After star running back Zack Moss left with an injury the offense shut down. Utah may be without Moss, and starting QB Tyler Huntley this weekend. If that is the case either Drew Lisk or Jason Shelley will be starting at quarterback. Devonta’e Henry-Cole would then take over duties in the backfield. The biggest concern is this highly praised defense was unable to stop a third string QB. Their secondary looked shaky, and had a hard time putting pressure on the quarterback. This prediction could change if Huntley and Moss play, but for the time being I’ll pick Washington State. Mike Leach will get his team back into shape, and Utah’s defense will struggle against this high powered offense. I expect the Cougars defense to rebound against the Utes backups as well.

Rutgers (1-2) vs 20 Michigan (2-1)- Michigan 48-14
Artur Sitkowski has taken over quarterback duties, and played well against Boston College. Rutgers has struggled to run the ball, and their offensive line has their fair share of issues. Their defense is average, but has been exposed against running based teams. Michigan looks to rebound after getting knocked around by Wisconsin. They were bad in all phases, and didn’t have a chance from the opening kickoff. Shea Patterson has been a major disappointment, and has to play better to turn their season around. They need more production out of their running backs Christian Turner and Zach Charbonnet. The only positive on offense is their receiving core, but they haven’t been able to produce due to bad QB play. The Wolverines defense had no answer for Jonathan Taylor, and were mauled at the line of scrimmage all game long. I expect them to have a better performance against a lower caliber team in Rutgers. Michigan will dominate this game against a turnover happy Rutgers team. I expect Patterson to have his best game to date as Michigan looks to turn their season around after a early dip in the rankings.

UConn (1-2) vs 22 UCF (3-1)- UCF 59-28
UCF put up a valiant effort in the second half, but was unable to hold off Pitt last week. Dillon Gabriel looked like a freshman making bad reads, and turning the football over. Their running game should be the emphasis for this team behind Adrian Killins Jr. and Greg McCrae. Gabriel Davis is a big team receiver, and showed out against Pitt. UCF’s defense did not play well last week, and seemed to issues stopping the pass and run. UConn’s offense is bad, and QB Jack Zergiotis has been turning the ball over too much. Their running game is weak, and offensive line is subpar. Their one standout offensive player is wide receiver Cameron Ross. UConn’s defense is mediocre, and has been stuck on the field because of the offenses inability to move the chains. I expect the Golden Knights to dominate against UConn. Their offense should move the ball easily, and their defense will force turnovers. They should be able to rebound at home after an early season defeat.

23 Texas A&M (2-2) vs Arkansas (2-2)- Texas A&M 42-20
The Aggies fought in the second half, but couldn’t recover after an abysmal first half against Auburn. Kellen Mond has been too inconsistent at quarterback, and they have little to no running game. Their offensive line hasn’t been much better, but they do have a solid receiving core headlined by Jhamon Ausbon. Their defense has actually been pretty good this year, but the tough early season schedule has been too much to overcome. Arkansas lost to San Jose State who picked up their first ever win over an SEC team. The Razorbacks are far from the days of their dominance in the SEC. Nick Starkel threw five interceptions basically giving the game away. He had some good moments before last weeks game, but will face a much tougher defense in the Aggies. They have a solid running back in Rakeem Boyd, and their favorite receiver target is Michael Woods. Their defense has been bad this year, and can’t seem to find their way off the field. I expect Texas A&M to win big over Arkansas with their talent alone. They have the advantage in every area, but shouldn’t overlook the Razorbacks who will be motivated coming off an embarrassing loss.

24 Kansas State (3-0) vs Oklahoma State (3-1)- Oklahoma State 38-34
Kansas State had a bye week to prepare for their matchup against OK State. QB Skylar Thompson is throwing at a small rate, but so far has protected the football. The basis of their offense is running the football with James Gilbert, Jordan Brown, and Harry Trotter. Their offensive line is above average, and has been able to open up gaps for the running backs. The Wildcats defense has been good against the pass, but had issues stopping Mississippi State on the ground. Spencer Sanders is a tremendous athlete who can take over the game with his legs. He is a work in progress throwing the ball, and had some crucial mistakes against Texas. Chuba Hubbard is an electric runner with head turning speed, but was kept in check against the Longhorns. Tylan Wallace is a future NFL prospect who can take the top off the defense, and Dillon Stoner has become a reliable secondary option. Their defense can force turnovers, but has struggled to stop the run giving up over two hundred yards on the ground to Texas. I am going with the Cowboys at home against Kansas State. I believe their offense is a little more balanced, and their defense is good enough to get some stops against the Wildcats. This will likely be a Big 12 shootout, but Oklahoma State showed they can compete at a high level against Texas.

Indiana (3-1) vs 25 Michigan State (3-1)- Michigan State 27-23
Indiana has played well to start the year outside of a major blowout loss to Ohio State. Peyton Ramsey rebounded against UConn, and was able to connect consistently with his receivers. Stevie Scott leads the charge for them on the ground, and they have some good athletes at receiver. Their defense has been good other than a terrible outing against the Buckeyes. Michigan State bounced back from a shocking home loss to Arizona State, and took out their frustration on Northwestern. Their defense is very good, and have the ability to force turnovers in the secondary. QB Brian Lewerke has been in a rough patch to start the year, and needs to improve in order for the Spartans to take the next step. Elijah Collins is a quick back who is the focal point of their offense. Darrell Stewart Jr. is one of the best receivers in the nation, and has been putting up big time numbers despite Lewerke’s issues. I expect Indiana to keep it close, and Ramsey is good enough to give the Hoosiers a chance. However, Michigan State has more playmakers, and understand a loss to Indiana would ruin their chances at a Big Ten title appearance. I expect Marc Dantonio to have his team ready to roll, but they better not overlook Indiana with Ohio State on their schedule next week.

Photo Credit: https://www.landgrantholyland.com/2019/9/22/20878179/ohio-state-justin-fields-chase-young-week-4-mvps