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This is the week of college football I’ve been waiting for! There are some really REALLY good games in this mix and I can see myself being busy from the first kickoff off at 9am pst until well after the sun goes down.

We will begin to see teams separating themself from the field. The pretenders and those that got that dawg in em’.

I’ve laid out my list of games that are intriguing matchups and must see if you have time in your busy schedule to see what real college football is about.

College Football!

“Bad Boys, Come Out and Play-yaaaa”

18 Buffs vs. 13 Ducks -21 | o/u 69.5

My home state team vs. my alma mater

Wait… did you see those cleats the Ducks are about to wear? Shesh!!

I think I might still have a couple routes in me if I can wear these one time for the one time.

Sigh… as I digress.

Make no doubt about it, I’m rooting for the Buffs to win as many games as possible this year, but their next two matchups are arguably against the best teams in the Pac.

The Buffaloes have been rolling, there is no doubt about that. They took care of CSU last week in overtime and should feel good about that. A sloppy win is better than a good loss any day.

The Ducks had no problem rolling through Hawaii with ease last week. Rebounding from their close win down in Lubbock the week before against the Red Raiders.

Beginning conference play with a good foe is always a tough thing to do. Right away, you look to gain control in the league/division with a win setting you off on the right foot.

She. Sanders will look to carry the offense like he’s been doing but without playmaker, Travis Hunter. The Buffs haven’t done too well running the ball or protecting the quarterback and that starts up front.

If they can run the ball efficiently and protect Shedeur, they will give themselves a chance. Too many three and outs, and they will find themselves behind early as Oregon can pour it on in a hurry while simultaneously gassing the defense.

One thing that has plagued the Ducks are penalties and turnovers. They have yet to play a clean game against a challenging opponent and now would be a good time.

I like the advantage they have in the run game. They can hand the ball to a few running backs in their stable and move the chains. With CU’s weakness of their defense in the defensive line, if they can keep them on the field and challenge their depth, this works to their advantage.

Oregon AVERAGES close to 230 yards on the ground per game. Their top 3 rushers average almost 8 yards per carry. They should stick to these two plays early in this game that will set the tone:

• Handoff right
• Handoff left

Look for the receivers to have a big day as well. With Travis Hunter out, that opens up the field and the playbook to be free game. Look for there to be 4-5 shots taken over the top. Oregon will want to see early if this is something they can exploit and put CU behind the eight ball.

CSU ran a lot of cross/mesh/drag/shallow routes against CU and they were unable to sort it out. Playing zone, there were holes that CSU’s quarterback was able to be patient and find throwing the ball short. Look for the Ducks to use a mixture of this and the deep ball to challenge the Buffaloes.

CU has a been playing below average on the special teams side of the ball. Penalties and mistakes aren’t good for special teams because they end up costing you big. Oregon knows this and they will do their best to give themselves an edge whether with a big return, trick play, or blocked kick. The odds of winning a game with either of these improve significantly for the team that can execute.

This game will end close, but it won’t be that way throughout.

18 Colorado vs. 13 Oregon Wrap up

Look for the Ducks to have their way with the Buffs, but they won’t go away easy. As long as #2 is at quarterback for the black and gold, they have a chance. I see Colorado covering the 21 point spread. They put up points and can score touchdowns to answer opposing teams. That has been shown in the TCU and CSU game.

They are still in year one and getting the players they need to win games of this magnitude. If I didn’t mention already, look for the home field advantage of Autzen Stadium to play a factor with the noise and insane fans that flock in.

The Buffaloes are still a step or two away from competing with the top teams in the Pac 12. No shade, but it will show on Saturday afternoon.

Final Score: COLORADO 34 – OREGON 49

22 Bruins vs. 11 Utes -6 | o/u 52.5

The Mighty Bruins and The Utes have always been a good matchup for the last couple years.

It’s still unclear if/when Utah’s QB Rising will play, but the Bruins should pray that it’s not this weekend when they come to visit.

Both defenses for this matchup will be the highlight.

Both the Bruins & the Utes give up less than 300 total yards on the defensive side of the ball. They both possess a very good front seven and make it miserable for the offensive line.

UCLA’s defense is not what it has been in the past. This is a good thing.

UCLA has players that can rush the passer and a scheme where offenses have no clue on where the pressure is coming from. Laiatu Latu is probably one of the most coveted pass rushers in this upcoming draft. He flies around and makes things happen and is the heart of that defense.

Utah’s offense has been stagnant as they try to balance quarterback playing time for their two very different signal callers. This throws off the chemistry with the offense and hasn’t allowed them to be as efficient as I believe they can be.

The young Dante Moore has been a bright spot for the Bruins. Taking over as starting quarterback after the first game of the season. He is a true freshman with great poise and maturity. He’s thrown 7 touchdowns and only 1 interception. He knows where he’s going with the football and isn’t afraid to throw the ball away and live to fight another day.

The Bruins don’t need Moore to do too much (nice little play on words there).

Why?

Because they average 270 yards on the ground! That’s why! They rush for more than they pass! They have a stable of running backs led by Carson Steel & TJ Harden.

If you know a Chip Kelly offense, most people think he loves to pass. Not true.

Chip loves to establish the run 1st! He loves to establish the run last. He loves to run the football, let me just put it that way. The majority of his teams have always been near the top in Pac 12 rushing and also rank high nationally.

Final Score: UCLA 28 – UTAH 24

14 Beavers vs. 21 Cougars +3 | o/u 58.5

Very interesting matchup.

I’ve yet to see either of these teams play this year but I know they both have highly touted quarterbacks.

Oregon State is more balanced where they can run the ball but aren’t afraid to throw it to even out. The Beavers average over 200 yards on the ground rushing but haven’t faced any stiff competition that would curtail that.

The turnaround the Beavers have made over the last 3 years has been a sight to see. Even though they are the little brother up the road from the Mighty Ducks, I still like to see them achieve success so that rivalry game can mean something at the end of the year.

Washington State’s quarterback Cameron Ward is gifted. He can move around in the pocket and find his receivers. He’s thrown for nearly 1,000 yards and 9 touchdowns in three games and the Cougars average over 400 yards passing per game.

There is something tough about playing in the Cougars stadium. It’s not very big, the walk to the locker room is far, they play this annoying ass siren after touchdowns, it’s all around strange. But the fans are hectic and they love their team which is enjoyable.

I can see this going either way but I’m pulling for the underdog here.

Final Score: OREGON STATE 30 – WASHINGTON STATE 37

3 Seminoles vs. Tigers +2 | o/u 55

FSU opened the season strong against LSU showing that they have some talent. They had a nice but sketchy back and forth game against Boston College last week but you’ll hear me say it often, a sloppy win is better than a good loss any day.

Clemson hasn’t looked like the Clemson of old. I’ve only seen one game, that was the first game of the season against Duke (slightly throwing up in my mouth). It was a bad showing. One thing I can say was they don’t seem to have the speed I’m used to seeing from Clemson.

Their defense was a couple steps slow when chasing down players from Duke (this doesn’t even sound right to say). They were two steps away from making most of the plays that they would’ve made in previous seasons. Could it be not buying into the transfer portal? Only time will tell.

Clemson has won their last two, but those games were against Charleston Southern and Florida Atlantic respectively. Not the best measurement of competition but they scored high and held them to a few scores.

FSU should win this handedly on the road but Death Valley is a difficult place to play. If the Seminoles are as good as I think they are, and Clemson is as suspect as they’ve shown on tape, it shouldn’t be close.

Final score: FSU 40 – CLEMSON 24

Weather will be a factor in this game*

17 Rebels vs. 10 Tide -6.5 | o/u 55.5

Here comes the vaunted story of Nick Saban vs. one of his old assistants. Coach Saban has been extremely successful over former coaches on his staff who have been hired away to head coaching positions.

Coach Saban’s record 28-3 (his most recent loss coming two weeks ago against Steve Sarkisian & the Texas Longhorns) is impeccable. Even more impressive is his 195-28 record as Bama’s coach. And if it couldn’t get even more impressive than this, he only has 9 home losses in Tuscaloosa during this time.

So… something has got to give.

Everyone talks about Alabama is falling off and they won’t return to prominence like they once were. Let me be clear here…

TWO LOSSES IS A DOWN YEAR FOR BAMA!

Only one of two Universities have had or could sustain this level of excellence over this period of time… Alabama is one of them.

The college football landscape is changing but looking at how they went on a run with the quarterback position over the last 8 years with Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones and Bryce Young. It’s exceptional in itself. The run of this quarterback foursome dates back to 2016! Not bad.

One drawback about having top level talent at the QB position is recruits may not want to come because it’s clear they won’t play right away (if at all).

Ole Miss comes in with some talent and great play calling coach Lane Kiffin. He knows Bama and they know him. I think this will be a close game and Ole Miss will squeak out a win down in Tuscaloosa.

Handing Coach Saban only his 10th home loss as the head coach of Bama.

Final Score: OLE MISS 33 – ALABAMA 28

6 Buckeyes vs. 9 Irish +3 | o/u 55

It’s been a while since the Irish were this good with a legit quarterback!

It’s been a while since Ohio State hasn’t looked head and shoulders above their early season competition.

This makes for a great game to watch, enjoy, and study.

The Irish are for real in my opinion, and this is the game they have to show up and prove it.

Ohio State began to hit their stride last week. Clicking on offense and getting a rhythm going. But this isn’t a run of the mill Notre Dame team from the past.

Notre Dame ranks 6th offensively in points scored with 50.5, while the Buckeyes defense ranks 2nd with 6.7 points surrendered this year.

I’m surprised that Ohio State is a three point favorite on the road but who am I? Vegas has been doing this for a long time, and they don’t build those casinos because people are winning.

I believe this is a new Irish team that is motivated to finally make that push and show they are the new kids on the block and will be around for a while to come.

Final Score: OHIO STATE 31 – NOTRE DAME 35

Weather will be a factor in this game*

24 Iowa vs. 7 Penn State -15 | o/u 40

Penn State has been a team that has teetered on the line of being good/great the last couple seasons.

With a new QB at the helm, he will try to get them to greatness.

This team shows a lot of promise but Iowa has always been a well coached team that has try hard guys and not as much talent as the teams they face.

Yet, every year they manage to flirt around with 8/9/10 win seasons and throw in a few upsets in between.

Could this be one of those times?

I haven’t watched the two teams play this year, but I see Penn State winning either way.

The big question being, will Iowa sneak in and cover the 15 point spread on the road?

Final Score: Iowa 20 – Penn State 34

Wrap It Up

These are the weekends that make college football worth while. There isn’t any amount of televisions and attention span that could help to soak it all in. I’ll have my channels/streams tuned to Colorado vs. Oregon, Mississippi vs. Alabama, and Ohio State vs. Notre Dame for sure.

All the best for this weekend of wonderful college football,

Uncle Drew

Final Scores Recap

COLORADO 34 – OREGON 49

UCLA 28 – UTAH 24

OREGON STATE 30 – WASHINGTON STATE 37

FSU 40 – CLEMSON 24

OLE MISS 33 – ALABAMA 28

OHIO STATE 31 – NOTRE DAME 35

IOWA 20 – PENN STATE 34

My Winners

OREGON

UCLA

WASHINGTON STATE

FLORIDA STATE

OLE MISS

NOTRE DAME

PENN STATE

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