By, Cameron Morgan, Staff Writer
#1 Alabama at #16 Arkansas, Saturday Oct 7th, 7:00 PM
This is a big game because of the possibilities it brings. With Alabama going to Arkansas, the home crowd could give Arkansas the boost it needs to carry them to victory. While I personally believe an upset is unlikely, there is always hope. Alabama has a lot to prove; they have defeated a very overrated USC 52-6 and barely got by an average team in Ole Miss. On the other hand, Arkansas has much to prove as well. They’ve gone 1-1 against ranked teams. With this win, they’ll be proven. I don’t expect Alabama to lose. I believe they will beat Arkansas handily.
Prediction: Alabama 42, Arkansas 27
Indiana at #2 Ohio State, Saturday Oct 7th, 3:30 PM
Another decent Big Ten matchup for this week. There is no reason to believe Indiana will win this game due to how Ohio State has dominated teams. But, in recent years, Indiana has been a very pesky little team, which is why I’m including this game in my list in the first place. Last season, they stuck with ranked Michigan until late 4th quarter, and also with #1 Ohio State last season, barely losing to OSU 34-27. I think Indiana is going to cause small issues for the Buckeyes early, as they always do for big teams. Regardless, Ohio State will prove their power once again and take the game away in the second half. I say Buckeyes win this one with ease.
Prediction: Ohio State 49, Indiana 24
#9 Tennessee at #8 Texas A&M , Saturday October 7th, 3:30 PM
Big game, as you can see, this is a top 10 matchup between two teams that are fighting for a spot in the college football playoffs. Tennessee is coming off a win from a Hail Mary, and Texas A&M is coming off a win against Washington. I don’t think Tennessee is a legit contender; they have gotten very lucky up to this point (Hail Mary, Florida had backup QB), but if they win this game, they’ll be solidified as a contender. I am not 100% sure about Texas A&M either, as they haven’t exactly proven their full potential, I expect Josh Dobbs to have a big showing. Although I don’t believe that Tennessee is a playoff caliber team, I think the magic continues here this week.
Prediction: Tennessee 31, Texas A&M 24
LSU at #18 Florida, Saturday Oct 7th, 12:00 pm
LSU has just fired Head Coach Les Miles earlier in the week, and the Tigers are looking to prove that they don’t need to rebuild, and their new coach is looking to show he can win. I think a very fired up LSU team will come out right from the start. Florida is a great team. With only one loss coming from #9 Tennessee earlier in the year, I’m not sure what to expect from LSU this week. I’m not sure if LSU’s new coach will be prepared for this team in such short notice. I will choose this game as my upset pick. I think LSU is gonna come out looking to show what they got, and I think they do just that this week in Florida.
Prediction: LSU 28, Florida 14
