Texas A&M visits South Carolina in the first ever live game broadcast on the SEC Network. Boise State and Ole Miss tangle in the Georgia Dome. And that’s just Thursday. It gets even better on Saturday.
Penn State and Central Florida kick off the day from scenic Dublin, Ireland. Then we get West Virginia against Alabama, Clemson visiting Georgia, defending national champions FSU take on Oklahoma State in Jerry’s World, and LSU greets Wisconsin in a neutral site game in Houston.
By now you know how this works. I predict the winner of the game, and I throw in a final score, just for fun. Last season was definitely not my best, finishing 82-41 on the year, a correct percentage of .667. I’ll pick at least five games every week. Opening week, Championship Week, and Bowl Season always get more. There are a couple weeks this season that will see more than five games picked. I’m aiming for .750 this season.
For the rankings, I’ll use the AP Top 25 Poll until the first College Football Playoff Selection Committee (CFPSC) poll comes out in late October. So let’s kick off the seventh edition of The Right Wing’s Football Future-see!
| Record | ||
| Week 1 | 7-2 | |
| Week 2 | 0-0 | |
| Week 3 | 0-0 | |
| Total | 0-0 | 1.000 |
The Games:
UPDATE: After nine games I'm 7-2, missing on South Carolina and Central Florida. And How impressive was Georgia in dismantling Clemson? Todd Gurley put on a Heisman caliber display against a Clemson front seven that was greatly hyped in the preseason. Gurley tallied 198 yards on 14 carries, scoring three rushing touchdowns. He also returned a a kickoff over 100 yards. The Dawgs defense played much improved ball under the leadership of new defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt.
21 Texas A&M at 9 South Carolina (Thursday, 6:00pm, SEC Network)
The SEC Network’s coverage of conference play roars to life with the Aggies visiting South Carolina on Thursday night. What can the Aggies do in life after Johnny Football? South Carolina is a much more known commodity than A&M. The Gamecocks are breaking in a new QB, much like almost everyone in the SEC. Dylan Thompson got some playing time last year behind Connor Shaw, but he’s taking the reins this year on a team that should be pretty good. RB Mike Davis is among the best in the conference, if not the nation, and the O-Line should give him plenty of room. We’ll learn about A&M as we go, but South Carolina looks alright. Gamecocks win going away.
Final Score: South Carolina 31, Texas A&M 17 INCORRECT
Boise State vs 18 Ole Miss (Thursday, 8:00pm, ESPN - Atlanta, GA)
The first of two kick-off classic games in the Georgia Dome features a Boise State team that has just replaced its head coach against an SEC team with the most experienced QB in the conference. Ole Miss, led by QB Bo Wallace, went 8-5 last year with wins over LSU, Texas, and Georgia Tech in the Music City Bowl. They were shut out by Alabama but played both Auburn and Texas A&M close. They’re expected to be better this year. Boise State, meanwhile, will be seeking to re-establish themselves as the top non-Power-5 school. Ole Miss, though, will see the Broncos to an early season loss.
Final Score: Ole Miss 30, Boise State 23 CORRECT
Penn State vs Central Florida (Saturday, 8:30am, ESPN2 – Dublin, Ireland)
Every so often an attempt is made to take American sports to the European audience. A year or two ago, Notre Dame played Navy in Dublin, Ireland. This year, the storied program of Penn State makes the trip to Dublin, but their opponent is the not-so-storied University of Central Florida. I’m not meaning this as a slight against UCF, who played great football last season. But if you want to take the game of American college football to Europe, you would usually try to send the programs with the most history (Notre Dame, USC, Michigan, Alabama, etc.). Not Central Florida. Like basically every program playing college football this year, Central Florida is breaking in a new QB, but rumor is their new guy is very much a suitable replacement for the now Jacksonville Jaguar Blake Bortles. This game should be fun…after all; it is James Franklin’s debut as Penn State’s head coach. How he transitions to the Big Ten should be a fun watch all season. Close game, but in the end, UCF by a field goal.
Final Score: Central Florida 27, Penn State 24 INCORRECT
West Virginia vs 2 Alabama (Saturday, 3:30pm, ABC / ESPN2 - Atlanta, GA)
The second kick-off classic game from the Georgia Dome features perennial championship contender Alabama against a West Virginia squad coming off a 4-8 season that included a 37-point loss to Maryland and a mere 7-point victory over lowly William & Mary. Alabama, like basically everyone else in the SEC not named Ole Miss, is breaking in a new QB. It looks like FSU transfer Jacob Coker will take the starting job in Tuscaloosa. Currently taking a break from burning couches, the good fans of West Virginia are currently face-palming over head coach Dana Holgorsen’s comment that “lying to recruits” is simply part of the process. Meanwhile, Nick Saban is chuckling in his office. ‘Bama rolls.
Final Score: Alabama 37, West Virginia 14 CORRECT
Arkansas at 6 Auburn (Saturday, 4:00pm, SEC Network)
This game might get ugly in a hurry. See, Auburn was lucky a lot last year. They got the Prayer in Jordan-Hare to knock off Georgia, and then got a miracle in the form of Nick Saban forgetting how to coach for the span of 35 seconds, leading to a 109-year field-goal return for the game-winning touchdown. Then again, Auburn flat ran over Missouri in the SEC Championship Game and took the mighty Florida State Seminoles (whose average game score last year was about 115-7) to the wire, forcing FSU to require a last-minute TD to win. And Auburn should be even better this year. If Nick Marshall is anything close to what he was last season, then Auburn should exceed last year’s margin of victory over the Hogs (35-17). The Plainsmen War Eagle Tigers win.
Final Score: Auburn 45, Arkansas 13 CORRECT
16 Clemson at 12 Georgia (Saturday, 5:30pm, ESPN)
Both teams are, technically, breaking in new quarterbacks. Georgia’s Hutson Mason is a fifth-year Senior who has played under the same head coach and offensive coordinator his entire career while backing up SEC record-setter Aaron Murray. Clemson will start Senior QB Cole Stoudt, who has a career completion percentage above 70%, with 8 TDs to 1 interception, though he did not see any playing time against Georgia, South Carolina, or Ohio State last year. Georgia’s offense is possibly capable of putting up 40+ points per game. RB Todd Gurley will have a stable of solid backs around him, as Keith Marshall returns from injury and Sony Michel and Nick Chubb join the stable. The defense is still a bit of a head-scratcher, though. New Defensive Coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, fresh off a national championship with FSU, comes to Athens and will look to outdo former DC Todd Grantham…which probably won’t be too hard to accomplish. This won’t be as good a game as last year’s version, but the outcome will be different. Dawgs win.
Final Score: Georgia 35, Clemson 24 CORRECT
Fresno State at 15 USC (Saturday, 7:30pm, FOX)
The last time USC played Fresno State, the Trojans won 45-20 in the 2013 Las Vegas Bowl. Fresno State is, like so many others, breaking in a new QB (are you noticing a trend here?). Former QB Derek Carr has fled for the greener (money) pastures of the NFL. Replacing him will be either Brandon Connette or Brian Burrell. For some reason, I think this game will be closer than the Las Vegas Bowl, though I’m not sure why. The Steve Sarkisian era in Southern California begins with a win.
Final Score: USC 27, Fresno State 21 CORRECT
1 Florida State vs Oklahoma State (Saturday, 8:00pm, ABC – Arlington, TX)
The Saturday night prime time game, and this season’s first ESPN College Gameday, comes to us from Jerry’s World, aka the Death Star, aka The Palace in Dallas, aka AT&T Stadium. Defending national champion Florida State battles Big XII contender Oklahoma State. Florida State is one of the few teams in college football that is not replacing its QB. Jameis Winston, fresh off a national championship and a crab leg extravaganza, looks to repeat as Heisman winner and champion. The beating FSU will lay on Okie State will be a good first step for him.
Final Score: Florida State 38, Oklahoma State 20 CORRECT
14 Wisconsin vs 13 LSU (Saturday, 9:00pm, ESPN – Houston, TX)
One of the bigger nonconference games of week one pits LSU against Wisconsin, from Houston. Given the relative proximity to LSU, this might be a de facto home game for the Tigers. LSU, like Georgia, South Carolina, Texas A&M, and Alabama, is breaking in a new QB. Freshman RB Leonard Fournette could be a huge addition for LSU. Wisconsin meanwhile brings a lot of conference pride for the Big Ten into a match-up with rival SEC. Wisconsin will contend for the Big Ten conference title, but they won’t get past LSU. Tigers win.
Final Score: LSU 31, Wisconsin 21 CORRECT
Miami at Louisville (Monday, 8:00pm, ESPN)
The big ACC conference game of week one is Miami visiting Louisville on Monday night. Miami is trying to claw their way back to the top of the conference. Louisville is looking to make an impact for their new conference. Guess what Louisville is doing? That’s right, replacing their QB. They’ve already replaced their head coach and defensive coordinator. Of course, Miami is replacing their QB, as well. The last time Miami played Louisville, the Cardinals won by 27. I expect this one will be closer, but I think Louisville wins at home. After all, Bobby Petrino knows how to win.
Final Score: Louisville 31, Miami 24
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