The No.2 Crimson Tide squares off with the No.20 Arkansas Razorbacks Saturday afternoon at 2:30 CT at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville. The Tide is coming off a 55-3 shellacking of Vanderbilt last Saturday Night in Tuscaloosa, while the Hogs are coming off a frustrating 23-21 defeat at the hands of Texas A&M at Jerry World last Saturday Night, a game in which Arkansas kicker Cam Little missed a 42 yard field goal with a minute and a half left in the game hitting the top of the right crossbar. College kickers aren’t reliable players. Now Will Reichard, he’s reliable and could be a difference maker for the Tide Saturday if they’re in an SEC slugfest at Ark.

Auburn’s season almost turned more disastrous last Saturday. But thanks to a missed 26 yard field goal by Missouri kicker Harrison Mevis (and Butthead) at the end of regulation, and a fumble in the end zone by running back Nathaniel Peat in overtime, the Auburn Tigers prevailed, 17-14. Peat was inexplicably trying to reach the ball over the goal line from the 1 1/2 yard line. Auburn recovered, and escaped with the W. They host LSU in another pressure cooker game for Bryan Harsin. There are rumors going around that Harsin is already fired, and they could be true. But does Auburn really want to pay the guy $15 million if they fire him before December 31st? Really, Auburn trustees? Are you kiddin me? It’s a disaster right now down there and Harsin’s back is firmly against the wall with the firing squad loading their weapons. He’s not the right fit at Auburn. It Can work for him at Boise State, Utah State, or even a PAC-12 school like Arizona State. But he’s not an SEC coach, much like Derek Mason wasn’t, though that was at Vanderbilt where they don’t win at football much anyway. But Harsin is at a school that CAN win big and deserves better than this. They just haven’t had a good coach since Pat Dye. It would be improbable for Harsin to save his job, but winning over LSU would give him a slight lifeline.

There are some other stellar SEC collisions along with key national games. Let’s get to it.

Last Time

Straight Up, 22-2, Overall, 54-10, 84%

ATS, 17-7, 38-26, 59%

No.2 Alabama (4-0, 1-0 SEC) @ No. 20 Arkansas (3-1, 1-1)

Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville

2:30 PM CT

CBS

Brad, Gary, Jenny Dell

Tide by 17

The Crimson Tide has elite level players. Bryce Young on offense and Will Anderson on defense may be the two best players in the country. Some others are definitely elite level talents. But I’m not seeing an elite team, yet. Actually, I’m not seeing an elite team anywhere in the country. Just too much inconsistency. I’m not seeing a Georgia from 2021, an Alabama from 2020 with the three-pronged elite players Mac Jones, Heisman Trophy winner Devonta Smith and running back Najee Harris. Jones is struggling in New England in his second year, but I think it has more to do with coaching than any other factor. Jones can be elite with proper coaching. Bill Belichick has his former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia as Jones’ offensive coordinator. That doesn’t make a lot of sense. Patricia had a failed tenure as head coach of the Detroit Lions recently, and doesn’t look like the answer at New England. I don’t know if Belichick is any more, either. He hasn’t done anything since Tom Brady and his 6 Super Bowl rings he won for Belichick left. Jones suffered a high ankle sprain last Sunday against the Ravens and looks out for 4-6 weeks at least. But he’s got a shot to be great if he gets good coaching. Devonta is tearing it up in Philly this season. He made two historically superb receptions last Sunday for the Eagles in their 24-8 victory over the Washington Commanders. That could be interpreted as hyperbole, but if you watched the video, it really isn’t. On his first catch, he leapt extremely high over the Commanders’ cornerback at their 1 yard line, pulled in the pass with his right hand, then got undercut, fell to his back and held onto the ball. It was a good as it gets. He then caught a one yard TD pass from Jalen Hurts that was almost as spectacular. The Eagles are 3-0 and they and DeVonta are cookin. Najee is having a solid season for the Steelers, though I don’t see Mike Tomlin taking the Steelers back to an elite level. They’ve just gotten stale under him even in Ben Roethlisberger’s final years. Minkah Fitzpatrick and Najee are huge pieces to the team though. They have quarterback issues and may have to turn to rookie Kenny Pickett, a homegrown product out of the University of Pittsburgh. He could salvage the Steelers’ season. There is plenty of talent on the team. They are 1-2 right now, as are the Patriots. Tua Tagovailoa is having a resurgence in Miami under first year coach Mike McDaniel. He’s getting a lot of help from former Crimson Tide superstar Jaylen Waddle and all pro WR Tyreek Hill, who came over from the 2020 Super Bowl winning Kansas City Chiefs, a team he was a major part of. So Tua has two of the best receivers in the NFL to throw to. So, he has a lot of help. He and his team are @ the Bengals tonight at 7:15 on Amazon Prime. Should be a classic. It’ll be a real test for Tua against Joe Burrow and the returning Super Bowl representative from the AFC, Cincinnati, which is desperate for a victory as they are 1-2.

So the 2021 Dawgs were elite, and the Tide could have been except for injuries to John Metchie III and Jameson Williams and a couple of cornerbacks. The Tide was elite in 2020, LSU and Joe Burrow were certainly elite in 2019, Clemson was in 2018, Alabama was in 2017, Clemson was again in 2016, Bama was again in 2015, and Ohio State was in 2014. So, in the playoff era, there have always been elite teams that have won it all. But the last two years, I’ve seen a lot of inconsistency in teams. There ARE teams that have a shot to be elite this season though. The Crimson Tide is certainly one of them. No.1 Georgia is another, and No.3 Ohio State has a shot. Teams like Clemson, USC and Michigan show possibilities for greatness, but I’m not there with those 3 yet. More with Clemson and USC than Michigan. Michigan hasn’t played anybody substantial, though Maryland and Taulia Tagovailoa gave them a highly competitive game last Saturday at Ann Arbor with Michigan surviving 34-27. Taulia can be elite himself. Just needs to be more consistent. I’m not seeing any bona fide eliteness yet, though those teams listed above have a shot.

So to this game against the Hogs. Bryce Young has completed 83 of 121 passes, 69%, for 1,029 yards with 13 TDs against 2 ints. Jase McClellan is showing some elite ability having rushed for 245 yards and 2 TDs and is averaging 8.4 yards per carry. I’m high on Jahmyr Gibbs as well. His ceiling is quite high. He’s rushed for 172 yards, averaging 6.9 per carry with a pair of 6’s. Bryce has shown a real ability to run this season adding to his incredible versatility. The receivers are still developing, but the numbers are pretty decent. Traeshon Holden has caught 4 TDs. Gibbs, an excellent receiver out of the backfield, has caught 3 TDs. And Ja’Corey Brooks has added 2 TDs. Jermaine Burton has 2 TD receptions as does McClellan. So the body of work is not too shabby. And JoJo Earle and Louisville transfer Tyler Harrell, who are potentially elite talents, are coming back sooner rather than later. The Tide feasted on the inexplicable soft coverage by Vanderbilt last Saturday. The players are very young there, but there was a complete lack of coaching by Clark Lea and his staff last week. They were overwhelmed, which was expected. Will Anderson has 4 1/2 sacks this season and a fumble recovery for a TD. So great stuff from him and the defense. This defense can be an elite unit. Will Reichard is an elite kicker and I know Crimson Tide fans are thrilled about that.

But Arkansas poses a tremendous challenge Saturday. Quarterback K.J. Jefferson, all 6’6”, 255 of him, has completed 67 of 97 passes, 69%, for 941 yards, 8 TDs against 1 int. Raheim Sanders leads the SEC and is 4th nationally with 508 rushing yards and has chipped in 3 TDs. Jefferson has rushed for 4 TDs. There is no excuse for the Hogs losing to A&M last Saturday Night. They were up 14-7 and driving for another score when Jefferson was stripped for an 82 yard fumble return for a TD by A&M safety Demani Richardson, which turned the tables in the game. The Hogs should have prevailed, but A&M won it and you can’t take that away from’em.

I like this to be a close, hard fought, SEC slugfest. Give me the Tide to survive Fayetteville.

Alabama 28, Arkansas 24

LSU (3-1, 1-0) @ Auburn (3-1, 1-0)

Jordan-Hare Stadium

6 PM CT

ESPN

Tess, Gregory, Katie

LSU Tiguhs by 8

I like this game to be closer than anticipated. Auburn has major issues no doubt. Major issues. But being in Jordan-Hare on a Saturday Night is a factor and this game is always an SEC collision. Expecting the same this time around.

LSU 21, Auburn 17

No.7 Kentucky (4-0, 1-0) @ No.14 Ole Miss (4-0)

Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford

11 AM CT

ESPN

Sean, Todd, Molly, McShay

Ole Miss by 7

Kentucky gets running back Chris Rodriguez back from a DUI suspension. It’s his first game back this season after rushing for 1,300+ yards and 10 TDs last season. That’s a factor. But Ole Miss is really running it well this season. Quinshon Judkins has rushed for 429 yards and 5 TDs, and TCU 5 star transfer Zach Evans has added 365 and 4 TDs. They’re an electric tandem. Rebs QB Jaxson Dart is doing a pretty decent job under center completing 62 percent of his passes for 897 with 5 TDs against 2 ints. He’s also rushed for 201 yards, averaging 6.9 per carry. Judkins averages 6.1 and Evans is at 6.2. Wildcats quarterback Will Levis can be prolific at times, but has a tendency to throw untimely interceptions. He’s passed for 10 TDs against 4 ints this year. Overall, he’s solid and sometimes spectacular. But I like the Rebs at home in this one. Lane keeps it cookin. Mark Stoops does a phenomenal job in Lexington and his team should have another stellar season.

Ole Miss 31, Kentucky 23

No.1 Georgia @ Missouri

Faurot Field, Columbia, MO.

6:30 PM CT

SEC Network

Tom, Jrodg, Cole

Dawgs by 28

I know I said kill against Samford a couple of weeks ago, and it wasn’t, and it wasn’t last Saturday against Kent State, but I’ll go back to the well. Kill.

Georgia 45, Missouri 10

No. 17 Texas A&M @ Mississippi State

Davis Wade Stadium, Starkvegas

3 PM CT

SEC Network

Bulies by 4

I like Will Rogers and the Bullies here. A&M’s star wide receiver Ainias Smith is out for the season with a broken leg.

Mississippi State 28, A&M 21

Sunday

Florida 38, Eastern Washington 3

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville

11 AM CT

ESPN+

Florida by 30

Really feeling the state of Florida’s pain after the horrific near Category 5 Hurricane Ian that struck yesterday in the Fort Myers and Naples areas of Southwestern Florida. Thoughts and prayers go out to the state of Florida. Hoping for a healthy recovery from this tragedy.

Tonight

South Carolina 42, South Carolina State 3

6 CT

SEC Network

Dave Neal, Aaron Murray, Andraya Carter

SC by 38

South Carolina gets in their game before the remnants of Ian come their way. Hoping this thing will dissipate and cause no more issues.

Saturday

No.5 Clemson 34, No. 10 NC State 31

Memorial Stadium, Clemson

6:30 PM CT

ABC

Chris, Kirk, Holly

Clemson by 7

I’m expecting Clemson to get by against a highly formidable opponent. The Clemson secondary got torched by Wake quarterback Sam Hartman last Saturday to the tune of 6 TDs in a 51-45 2 OT Clemson victory. Quarterback DJ Ulagalelei did step it up also with 5 TD passes of his own.

No.3 Ohio State 42, Rutgers 14

Ohio Stadium, Columbus

2:30 PM CT

Big Ten Network

Buckeyes by 39 1/2

The Buckeyes keep getting better and better.

No. 6 USC 48, Arizona State 20

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

9:30 PM CT

ESPN

Dave Flemming, Rod, Tiffany Blackmon

USC by 25

I’m a believer in Lincoln Riley’s coaching ability. The question is, has he turned around the Men from Troy into an elite team that can make the playoff in his first year? Need a larger sample size, but he’s brought in super talent on offense through the transfer portal.

Oklahoma 38, TCU 31

Amon G, Carter Stadium, Fort Worth

11 AM CT

ABC

Mark, RGIII, Quint

OU by 6 1/2

My daughter is not going to be happy with me, but as a friend of mine told me, “You gotta be a professional.” Sorry, Sweetie. Expecting a heckuva game though.

UAB 34, Rice 31

Rice Stadium, Houston

6:30 PM CT

ESPN+

UAB by 10

UAB is a tough team to figure out this year as well. I’ll take’em slightly. Rice gave Houston everything it wanted on the road last Saturday losing 34-27.

No.4 Michigan 28, Iowa 14

Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City

11 AM CT

FOX

Gus, Joel, Jenny

Michigan by 11

Probably a yawner of a game.

No.11 Penn State 41, Northwestern 10

Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA.

2:30 PM CT

ESPN

Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky, Kris Budden

Nittany Lions by 26 1/2

Penn State looks legit to me.

No.23 Florida State 35, No.22 Wake Forest 34

Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee

2:30 PM CT

ABC

Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek, Lugues

FSU by 7

Expecting a classic here. Tallahassee looks to have made out OK from Ian.

No.16 Baylor 30, No.9 Oklahoma State 27

McLane Stadium, Waco

2:30 PM CT

FOX

Jason Benetti, Brock

Baylor by 2

Another classic, this one in the Big 12.

No.25 Kansas State 30, Texas Tech 20

Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, KS.

11 AM CT

Big 12/ESPN+

K State by 8

I’m getting pretty bullish on this K State squad. Texas Tech posted a major victory over Texas last Saturday at home, but their coach is doing some chirping right now. That’ll cost you.

No.21 Minnesota 34, Purdue 20

Huntington Bank Stadium, Minneapolis

11 AM CT

ESPN2

Anish Shroff, Brock Osweiler, Taylor McGregor

Golden Gophers by 12

Getting bullish on P.J. Fleck’s squad as well. Row the boat.

Texas 38, West Virginia 35

DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin

6:30 PM CT

Fox Sports 1

Horns by 9

The Mountaineers give Sark and the Horns everything they want.

Friday

Tulane 31, Houston 28

TDECU Stadium, Rocket City

6 PM CT

ESPN

Houston by 2 1/2

Beth Mowins, Kirk “Moon Dance” Morrison, Stormy Buonantony?

The Green Wave went to K State two weeks ago and won 17-10. Give me the upset

Friday

No.15 Washington 34, UCLA 31

Rose Bowl, L.A.

9:30 PM CT

ESPN

Roy, Andre, Carc

Huskies by 2 1/2

Give me the Huskies to keep their excellent undefeated season going.

Tonight

BYU 45, Utah State 14

LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, Utah

7 PM CT

ESPN

Matt Barrie, Louis Riddick, Harry Lyles Jr.

BYU by 24 1/2

The Cougars are awfully good at home.

Week 3 promises to have some more potential upheaval as good teams are still trying to gather their footing this season. The Auburn Tigers host Penn State in a major contest for both squads. The Crimson Tide tries to bounce back from a major scare in Austin last Saturday. Some key conference games, some conference teams with out of conference blockbustuhs and many national contests to take a look at. Here’s this week’s action.

Last week, Straight up, 14-4, Overall 32-8, 80%

ATS, 9-9, Overall 21-19, 53%.

No. 22 Penn State (2-0) @ Auburn (2-0)

Jordan-Hare Stadium

2:30 PM CT

CBS

Brad, Gary, Jenny Dell

Nittany Lions by 3

Tank Bigsby and the Auburn defense give the Tigers a shot, but TJ Finley is a real struggle at quarterback and Robby Ashford doesn’t throw it much better, though he adds the element of running and can throw it a little better than Finley. I like a lower scoring game here. Penn State is a pretty solid team. Not great, but who is right now. Georgia looks like the best team though they struggled in the second half against Samford last Saturday and only won 33-0 when they were favored by 52. Alabama has the talent to be a good team, but have not shown it to this point. Auburn is just not there yet under Bryan Harsin. As good as Tank and Jarquez Hunter are at running back, Auburn is too one dimensional and I see Penn State stacking the box and playing one on one coverage on the perimeter and daring Finley or Ashford to beat their corners. I don’t see that happening. Penn State scores enough against a pretty good Tigers defense and comes out of the Plains with the victory.

Penn State 24, Auburn 20

Lousiana-Monroe (1-1) @ No. 2 Alabama (2-0)

Bryant-Denny Stadium

3 PM CT

SEC Network

Taylor, Matt, Cole Harvey?

Bama by 49 1/2

What to make of the Crimson Tide after that ugly one in Austin last Saturday. I watch the Crimson Tide and Tigers games very closely on Saturdays, and read widely about them both during the days after their respective games, so I usually don’t need to rewatch either team during the week. But I did re-watch Bama and Auburn on Tuesday. Paul Finebaum was blaming it all on Bill O’Brien, and there might be a little truth to that, but there’s a lot more to it than just O’Brien’s play calling. I don’t think it’s that bad really. I think O’Brien is a fine coach. First of all, Texas played a heckuva game. They look like they’re on their way back under Sark. You never know in this inconsistent world of college football the last two seasons, but with the way his team played toe to toe with Alabama last Saturday and the way he is recruiting in the best state in the country for high school football players, you’d think that Texas could be a powerhouse in the future. As for the Crimson Tide, the penalties, 15 for 100 yards, the offensive line, the wide receivers and the secondary were problems last week. There’s a lot to work on, and I’m sure they’ve been addressing those things thoroughly this week. It’s still very early in the season and many teams have a chance to be stellar football teams come November. It’s hard to take a loss. Maybe a team can survive one at most if they want to win it all, but the Crimson Tide came out of Austin victorious and Bryce Young , as usual, really stepped it up when the Tide needed their superstar the most. Another debilitating factor out there was the 120 degree heat on the field. Certainly a factor along with an 11 AM CT kickoff. Those kickoffs are always unpredictable and the heat was brutal. Leads to penalties. Texas was really charged up as well. That last drive with 1:29 left was a thing of beauty, similar to the drive at Auburn last season to tie the game and send it into overtime where the Tide won in the 4th OT. I do think Bryce committed intentional grounding on that near sack in the end zone. The line of scrimmage was the 4 yard line and as he was going down in the end zone he tossed it away and it only reached the goal line, 4 yards short of the line of scrimmage. He was outside the tackle box, but, by rule, intentional grounding in the end zone is a safety if the ball doesn’t clear the line of scrimmage or if the quarterback is not outside the tackle box when he gets pressured and there’s no receiver in the area of his throw. Alabama caught a break there because when Texas’s kicker, named Bert Auburn ironically, kicked the 49 yarder with 1:29 left, Texas should have been ahead 21-17 instead of 19-17, which would have forced the Crimson Tide to score a touchdown. Bryce could very well have engineered a TD drive, but the Longhorns might have stopped the Tide. Would have been interesting. This Saturday, Alabama looks to get its momentum back against LA. Monroe and Terry Bowden. I see them doing that. Then they host Vanderbilt next Saturday in what will be a long night for the Commodores, 6:30 PM CT, SEC Network, then face a real test on Saturday, October 1st @ Arkansas.

Alabama 55, LA Monroe 3

No.1 Georgia (2-0) @ South Carolina (1-1)

Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia

11 AM CT

ESPN

Sean, Todd, Molly.

Georgia by 24 1/2

I thought before the season that this would be a tricky game for Georgia. I still do. The Gamecocks lost at Arkansas last Saturday 44-30, but they were in it for a good while and had some key injures on defense that really hurt their cause. I think they’re a solid team and I like them to play well at a strong home field advantage. Georgia will get by, but I like a close contest for most all of the game.

Georgia 28, South Carolina 14

Mississippi State (2-0) @ LSU (1-1)

Tiguh Stadium, Baton Rouge

5 PM CT

ESPN

Tess, Gregory, Katie

Ms. State by 2 1/2

Bullies QB Will Rogers is prolific most of the time, but he can tend to throw some costly interceptions. I’m going to take Kayshon Boutte and the Bengal Tigers in a slight upset this Saturday Night in Bato’n Rouge.

LSU 31, Mississippi State 30

No. 13 Miami (2-0) @ No.24 Texas A&M (1-1)

Kyle Field, College Station

8 PM CT

ESPN

Chris, Kirk, Holly, McShay

A&M by 6

I like A&M to bounce back. Miami is better under Mario Cristobal, but give me the Aggies at home this week. How about App State and the Fun Belt?

A&M 31, Miami 23

No. 20 Ole Miss (2-0) @ Georgia Tech (1-1)

Bobby Dodd Stadium, ATL

2:30 PM CT

ABC

Dave, Dusty, Lugues

Rebs by 16 /2

Lane hasn’t totally figured out who his starting quarterback is between Jaxson Dart and Luke Altmyer, but maybe he can use this game to decide. Watched a little of Ole Miss and have been impressed, but want to watch them completely this Saturday, so I can give you a more informed opinion on who should be their starter.

Ole Miss 42, GA. Tech 24

Akron (1-1) @ No. 15 Tennessee (2-0)

Neyland Stadium, Knoxvegas

6 PM CT

ESPN+/SEC Network+

UT by 47 1/2

I thought the Vols toughed out a super victory over then No. 17 Pitt on the road last Saturday, a 34-27 Vols overtime victory over the Panthers, now No.23. I like them to keep on rolling at home.

Tennessee 52, Akron 0

Missouri State (2-0) @ No. 10 Arkansas (2-0)

Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville

6 PM CT

ESPN+/ SEC Net+

Hogs by 23

Pretty bullish on the Hogs, though I need to see some more. Like what Sam Pittman and his team are doing. We’ll see how they stack up against A&M next Saturday, 9/24, in Jerryville, 6 PM CT on ESPN, and then the following Saturday, Oct. 1, when they host the Crimson Tide. I’m predicting a 2:30 PM CT CBS game for that one. Bobby Petrino is the Missouri State coach. Unknown whether he’s bringing his bike and his newest affair girl with him.

Arkansas 42, Missouri State 17

Youngstown State (2-0) @ No.9 Kentucky (2-0)

Kroger Field, Lexington

11 AM CT

SEC Network

Dave, Deuce, Andraya

Cats by 25 1/2

Early start like Georgia-SC, but I’m a believer in Mark Stoops and his Cats. They’re for real. All right Bama and Derrick, you guys deserve credit for going with Kentucky over Florida last Saturday.

Kentucky 44, Youngstown State 3

South Florida (1-1) @ No. 18 Florida (1-1)

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville

6:30 PM CT

SEC Network

Tom, Jordan, Cole

Gators by 24

Florida got it handed to’em last Saturday Night by Kentucky. I still think they’ve got a shot to be good, and can be a pretty solid team in November. Need to progress this Saturday.

Florida 38, South Florida 7

Vanderbilt (1-1) @ Northern Illinois? Are you kiddin’ me? (1-1)

Huskie Stadium, DeKalb, IL.

2:30 PM CT

CBS Sports Network

Carter Blackburn, Randy Cross

Huskies by 2 1/2

Derek Mason left Vanderbilt in shambles. Clark Lea is still having to totally rebuild this program in his second season. It might take some time. I know Vanderbilt fans are hoping to be much improved this season, maybe win 6, go to a bowl game and win it and then take it from there. The Dores are better, and I’ll take’em as a road dog..

Vanderbilt 35, Northern Illinois 34

Abilene Christian? are you kiddin me? (2-0) @ Missouri (1-1)

Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field, Columbia, Mo.

11 AM CT

ESPN+

Courtney Lyle, Dave Steckel, Tamara Brown

MIzzou by 33

What kind of game is this? Eli Drinkwitz and his team need to get their act together or it’ll be a long season.

Missouri 45, AC 7

UTSA (1-1) @ No.21 Texas (1-1)

DKR-Texas Stadium, Austin

7 PM CT

Longhorn Network

Horns by 12 1/2

This is a pretty tough opponent for the Longhorns coming off a grueling game with the Crimson Tide last Saturday. But I like Sark and his team to get the job done.

Texas 42, Texas San Antonio 21

Georgia Southern (2-0) @ UAB (1-1)

Protective Stadium, B’ham

2:30 PM CT

Stadium, App on computer, Ipad or Phone

Blazers by 11 1/2

I don’t know what I think about the Blazers, but I really believe in Clay Helton, his Eagles and the “Fun” Belt. Going into Nebraska last Saturday and winning was tremendous.

Georgia Southern 38, UAB 35

Other Scores

No. 12 BYU 38, No.25 Oregon 34

Autzen Stadium, Eugene, OR.

2:30 PM CT

FOX

Jason Benetti, Brock, Alliston

Ducks by 3 1/2

Taking Kalani Sitake and his hard nosed Cougs. Jaren Hall is one of the best QB’s in the country that nobody knows about. They will after Saturday.

No.7 USC 45, Fresno State 31

Memorial Coliseum, L.A.

9:30 PM CT

FOX

SC by 12

Lincoln Riley, Caleb Williams and Jordan Addison have it going on in Hollywood.

No. 6 Oklahoma 31, Nebraska 17

Memorial Stadium, Lincoln. NE.

11 AM CT

FOX

Gus, Joel, Jenny

Sonners by 11

Like OU to take care of business with Nebraska now searching for a new coach after the disappointing tenure of Scott Frost. Never understood why Frost couldn’t win in Lincoln. Seemed like a good coach. Just couldn’t get over the hump in close games.

Washington 31, Michigan State 27

Husky Stadium, Seattle

6:30 PM CT

ABC

Mark Jones, RGIII, Quint

Huskies by 3 1/2

Give me the Huskies at home in a really good football game.

UCLA 35, South Alabama 28

Rose Bowl, Pasadena

1 PM CT

PAC-12 Network

Bruins by 15 1/2

I like the Jags to give UCLA everything they want. The Jags are 2-0 having defeated Nichols, 48-7, and Central Michigan, 38-24. Central Michigan scored 44 points on No.8 Oklahoma State in a 58-44 Pokes victory in week 1.

App State 30, Troy 20

Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone, N.C.

2:30 PM CT

ESPN+

App State by 12 1/2

Love what App State and the Fun Belt are doing after the Mountaineers went to College Station last Saturday and shocked A&M. That, along with Georgia Southern’s victory at Nebraska, and Marshall’s victory at Notre Dame made for an exceptional day for the Sun Belt Conference. There could be a New Year’s Six Bowl team out of this league. But I like Troy, another Sun Belt team, to make it hard for the Mountaineers on Saturday.

No.3 Ohio State 42, Toledo 6

Ohio Stadium, Columbus

6 PM CT

FOX

Buckeyes by 32

Still trying to figure this team out. Will let you know what I think in the near future. Need to get Jaxon Smith-Njigba, their stud receiver back. He could be back this week. He’s a game changer to go along with Marvin Harrison Jr on the perimeter. They’ve got real potential as always.

No.4 Michigan 41, UConn 7

Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor

11 AM CT

ABC

Bob Wischusen, Roddy Jones, Kris Budden

Michigan by 47 1/2

Jim looks like he’s made a decision on his quarterback, as far as I know, going with former 5 star/now sophomore J. J., McCarthy who was 11 of 12 last Saturday for 229 yards and 3 TDs in a 56-10 Wolverines victory over Hawaii. They haven’t played anybody yet, and they won’t Saturday.

Wake Forest 38, Liberty 31

Truist Field, Winston-Salem, N.C.

4 PM CT

ACC Nefwork

Wake by 16 1/2

Like Hugh Freeze and his Flames to give Wake everything they want. Wake is excellent, but the Flames are always a tough out. Just ask UAB.

Friday

Florida State 28, Louisville 24

Cardinal Stadium, Louisville

6:30 PM CT

ESPN

Roy Philpott, Andre, Carc

FSU by 2 1/2

Like Mike Norvell and his Noles to keep their resurgence going.

Morgan Wallen

He’s no “looker,” as Beth might say, but he’s a terrific singer and this is an awesome song. Nothing like young love. Still feel young with Beth. Hope you enjoy.

Sorry, had to throw a little Spanish in there for week 1. Some electric football this weekend starting tonight. My dad took my mother, my sister and me to Madrid when I was in 8th grade and Penny was in 11th. He was writing a book on the Spanish Governor of Florida from 1796-1811, Juan Vicente Folch. He was a Latin American History Professor at UAB and was on sabbatical working on his book. He translated all of the Spanish into English to write the book. It was published after he passed away as my mother worked tirelessly to get it published. He would have written several more had he not passed away at the age of 55. Penny and I went to the American School in Madrid. It was an excellent school, we learned a lot, I played a lot of soccer and ping pong, and learned quite a bit of Spanish. I can “hablo” Spanish fairly competently now, but want to be able to speak it fluently one day when things clear up. I’ve got an app on my phone called Babbel that teaches you how to become fluent in Spanish. So, will get to that at some point.

I was in New York with my daughter, Isabelle, this past weekend. She is working for an advertising firm up there. Wow, keeping up with your 27 year old daughter is quite a challenge. She’s an active one. We went to the Mets-Rockies game last Friday Night at Citi Field. It was a total and complete blast. What an amazing fan experience. There was a DJ playing music, a Max Scherzer Bobblehead, which I am loving. Scherzer is a warrior pitcher for the Mets. He’s been a warrior for a long time. There was entertainment throughout the game. I’ve become a Mets fan. Sorry, Braves fans. Still like the Bravos, but the Amazins are a pretty fun group to watch and Citi Field is terrific. Watched the Mets-Dodgers last night with the great Jacob deGrom on the mound for the Mets. The Mets won 2-1 thanks to one of the greatest catches you’ll ever see by Mets centerfielder Brandon “Captain” Nimmo. NImmo ran all the way back to the centerfield wall, jumped up, reached over the wall on Justin Turner’s blast, and pulled it in. It was spectacular and the Mets fans were going berserk. If you get a chance, look it up. It’s worth the watch. The Mets, the Braves and the awesome Dodgers are looking superb right now. The Mets go to Truist Park in Atlanta, Sept. 30-Oct. 2nd, in what should be a classic with major implications on the line. It was like an October playoff game in Citi last night. The Mets fans remind me of European soccer fans. The Dodgers games have been electric. Another one today, game 3, the finale, at 3:10 PM CT.

Isabelle told me she wants to learn how to play chess, so I’m going to reach back to my days playing with Theo and Watts to teach her. Theo and I are going to start playing again. Theo would play with some of the street studs in Baltimore when he was at Maryland-Baltimore County College, and he was a solid player. Watts was awesome at chess, and T and I were calling him, “Genius.” So, T and I are going to get back at it and teach Isabelle how to play.

Sorry about getting off topic a little, but just wanted to talk about something different before diving into the season. Wow, It’s going to be quite a year. Can the Crimson Tide regain the glory they’ve had for so many years under S? Can Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs sustain greatness? Can Ohio State reach the pinnacle this season? Will Dabo’s Clemson Tigers become a force again? Can the Auburn Tigers overcome some haphazard leadership amongst their leading boosters and have a good season and give Bryan Harsin a chance? The answer to the first four questions are all yes. All 4 teams can win it all and there are others in the mix. I hope the Tigers can have a good year for my Tigers readers’ sake, and all the Auburn fans who just want to concentrate on their football team and not all the politics that is going on right now. I’m going to talk about football for all these teams. NIL and transfer stuff is irrelevant now. It’s football season. Time to talk about the games. That’s what we’re all really interested in.

Here’s a look at the week one schedule.

Record last season

Straight up with bowls, 242-108, 68%

Against the Spread/Bowls, 175-62, 52%

Utah State @ No.1 Alabama

Bryant-Denny Stadium

6:30 PM CT

SEC Network

Tom, JRodg, Cole

Crimson Tide by 41 1/2

The No.1 team in the country is beyond legit. Bryce Young is back to try and win another Heisman and win a national title, but he’s going to get quite a run for his money because outside linebacker/defensive end Will Anderson could very well be the best player in the country. If Will can put up the numbers he did last season, I can see him being the first defensive player since Charles Woodson of Michigan in 1997 to win the award. That would be something else. Then, alongside Anderson, Jr., you have the great Dallas Turner and up and coming star Chris Braswell. S said they will all be in games at the same time. Watch out. That’ll be an unblockable force. The Tide has some stellar transfers, particularly running back Jahmyr Gibbs from Georgia Tech. He looks like he’ll be a 1,000+ rusher for the Tide, and could make it up to 1,500 yards and certainly double digit TDs. I was really sorry to read about Brian Robinson Jr.’s situation in D.C. He was set to be the starting running back for the Commanders, but was shot twice in the lower body last Sunday in an attempted car jacking incident. He’s making an awesome recovery and has such a positive attitude that I expect him to get back to playing next season. What a super player he was for the Crimson Tide last season. Hoping and praying for a speedy and safe recovery for BRob.

So the offense looks stellar, as does the defense. This may be the best defense S has had since 2011 and 2012. It was a little bit of a blow to lose wide receiver JoJo Earle to a leg injury in August, but S expects him back in early October. The receiving corps got a big boost with a couple of transfers, Jermaine Burton and Tyler Harrell from Georgia and Louisville, respectively. I expect Traeshon Holden to have an excellent year. He’s impressed me in the last two spring games. I see him ready to step in and be a playmaker on the perimeter. Ja’Corey Brooks and Christian Leary are two others who can make big impacts at receiver. The offensive line will need to come into its own as soon as it can. The addition of Tyler Steen (6’5”, 315) from Vanderbilt at left tackle should be a positive. I’m really high on right guard Emil Ekiyor (6’3”, 307). Expecting him to have a big season. This line will need to jell quickly.

But I’m highly bullish on this Crimson Tide team in 2022. Utah State is a solid team, but this is tough for them. The Crimson Tide starts the season off well and gets ready to visit Sark and his Texas Longhorns in Austin next Saturday, 9/10, at 11 AM CT on FOX.

Bama 45, Utah State 3

Mercer @Auburn

Jordan-Hare Stadium

6 PM CT

ESPN+, SEC Network+

Mike Corey, Aaron Murray, Nicole Rigoni

Tigers by 31 1/2

I hope the Auburn hierarchy gives Bryan Harsin a chance. He named TJ Finley the starter, and while I was a little surprised by that, I thought he would pick Zach Calzada, he feels like Finley gives his team the best chance to succeed. I know that Calzada and Oregon transfer and former Hoover High product Robby Ashford are ready if needed. Finley can be a pretty good passer, it’s just his mobility that is a concern. We’ll see how he responds. With Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter in the backfield, he may not need to do a whole lot against the Bears. The Tigers need to develop their offensive line and wide receivers. The loss of center Nick Brahms for the season was a tough blow. He was the leader on the line and a stellar player. But there is still good size and talent. The Tigers just need to take care of business in Jordan Hare. I like them to do that. Big game for Harsin even though the Tigers have the superior talent. Every game is big for Harsin this season. Defense has good talent.

Auburn 41, Mercer 7

No. 11 Oregon @ No.3 Georgia

Chick fil-A Kickoff

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, ATL

2:30 PM CT

ABC

Sean, Todd, Molly

Dawgs by 17

Georgia is younger on defense, but there are 4 and 5 stars on the defense even though they’re untested. It might take them a minute before they figure it out. Stetson Bennett is bound and determined to prove his naysayers wrong again and show he can lead the Georgia offense to even greater heights this season. He’s got the offensive artillery around him. Former Georgia defensive coordinator, Dan Lanning, who coordinated Georgia’s historically great defense last season, takes over in Eugene. That’s a tough first assignment for Lanning and the Ducks, but they’ve got some talent that now Miami Coach Mario Cristobal left behind. Still like them Dawgs to get the job done in what is maybe not technically home game but really is. But it won’t be totally lopsided.

Georgia 31, Oregon 17

Sunday

Florida State @L-S-U

Allstate Louisiana Kickoff

Caesars Superdome, N’Awlins

6:30 PM CT

ABC

Tess, Gregory, Katie George

Bengal Tigers by 3

Brian Kelly’s maiden voyage in the SEC will be versus a team that was impressive last Saturday in defeating Duquense, 47-7, even though the opponent wasn’t too stellar. The Noles had three running backs run for over 100 yards. See them as much improved in Mike Norvell’s third season. Kelly didn’t name a starting quarterback between Jayden Daniels and Garrett Nussmeier. Nussmeier is the better passer, while Daniels can make plays with both his arm and his wheels. A lot of people are predicting Daniels to start. I’d say it’s 55-45% Daniels, but I wouldn’t totally be surprised if it’s Nussmeier. I like the Bengal Tigers to get the job done. They still have several studs on their team led by wide receiver Kayshon Boutte. O did recruit well.

LSU 27, FSU 23

Saturday

No.23 Cincinnati @No.19 Arkansas

Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville

2:30 PM CT

ESPN

Dave Flemming, Rod Gilmore, Tiffany Blackmon

Hogs by 6 1/2

Yes, I like this game to be close. Sam Pittman has them charged up in Fayetteville. Quarterback KJ Jefferson should have a stellar year for the Hogs, but Cincy is legit. I like them to give the Hogs a tussle. Give me the Hogs, and I’m bullish on them this year, but I like a close game.

Hogs 27, Bearcats 24

No.7 Utah @ Florida

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville

6 PM CT

ESPN

Bob Wischten, Dan Orlovsky, Kris Budden

Utes by 3

Kyle Whittingham has led his program to great heights. The Utes are for real. They’ve always been a highly physical team, but now they have playmakers to go along with that physicality. Billy Napier is a guy I see doing a very good job at Florida if they’ll give him a couple of years to build. This is a bit of a rebuilding job for Napier.

Utah, 28, Florida 24

Troy @ No.21 Ole Miss

Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford

3 PM CT

SEC Network

Taylor Zarzour, Stinch, Alyssa

Rebs by 21 1/2

Lane brought in the No.1 transfer class in the country. His running back transfer from TCU, Zach Evans, is a former 5 star and has a shot to be terrific. The quarterback situation is another one that is a game time decision. It’ll be interesting to see if Kiff goes with Jaxson Dart, the USC transfer, or sophomore Luke Altmyer, who got some reps in during the Sugar Bowl last season versus Baylor. I like Lane to have a solid team if the transfers can come together. The quarterback for Troy, Gunnar Watson, put up some solid numbers last season. He can have some success against a revamped Ole Miss defense. Kiff has a new OC and DC, so that’ll be interesting. His mastermind, former offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, took the Oklahoma OC job. I like the Rebs, but give me the Trojans to keep it closer than the spread.

Ole Miss 24, Troy 14

Memphis at Mississippi State

Davis Wade Stadium, Starkvegas

6:30 PM CT

Duh U, ESPNU

Clay Matvick, Rocky Boiman, Dawn Davenport

State by 16

I like Mike Leach, his stellar quarterback Will Rogers, and the Bulldogs to have a big game and get some revenge against Memphis, which upset them last season in a very poorly officiated game that cost the Bullies the game.

Mississippi State 38, Memphis 17

Sam Houston @ No.6 Texas A&M

Kyle Field, College Station

11 AM CT

SEC Network

Dave, Deuce, Andraya

Aggies by 29 1/2

Big year for Jimbo, though next season will be even bigger with his high 4 star and 8 man 5 star class becoming sophomores. But this year is important, too. He needs to do better than 8 victories, but as I told a friend of mine, with their schedule, it might be hard to do. Haynes King will get the start. He’s talented, but untested for the most part.

A&M 35, Sam Houston 3

Tonight

Ball State @ Tennessee

Neyland Stadium, Knoxvegas

6 CT

SEC Network

Tom, JRodg, Cole, busy men

UT by 35 1/2

I like quarterback Hendon Hooker and the Vols to start the year off with a bang. UT could have a very fine season.

Tennessee 45, Ball State 7

Saturday

Miami (Ohio) @ No. 20 Kentucky

Kroger Field, Lexington

6 PM CT

ESPN+, SEC Network+

UK by 16

John Calipari was whining as usual this summer about the football program getting a new facility and him not getting anything new. Calipari called Kentucky a “Basketball School.” That’s true, but Mark Stoops has won 10 games twice at Kentucky and that’s tremendous. His teams overachieve, while Calipari’s consistently underachieve. I’m buying Kentucky this season. They’ve indefinitely suspended running back Chris Rodriguez for a DUI, but they’ve got solid replacements. Stoops has recruited very well. Will Levis is looking to have a big year under center.

Kentucky 31, Miami 14

Georgia State @ South Carolina

Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia

6:30 PM CT

ESPN+ SEC Net+

SC by 12 1/2

I love what Shane Beamer is doing in Columbia. Like Sam Pittman and Mark Stoops, he’s got his fanbase ecstatic about what the Gamecocks can accomplish. He also got former Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler in the transfer portal. I like Rattler to return to his form of 2 years ago when he was dynamite for the Sooners. He was a 5 star in high school and played like it his first season starting at OU. Last season was a one off.

Gamecocks 31, Georgia State 17

Tonight

LA Tech @ Missouri

Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field, Columbia, MO.

7 PM

ESPNU

Mike Monaco, Dave Steckel?

Tigers by 20 1/2

Eli Drinkwitz needs to show some progress in year 3. It’s been a tough 2 years to begin his career at Missouri, but not all bad. He’s looking to win 7 games or so this season, and keep building. He had the No.16 recruiting class in 2022, so that’s progress.

Missouri 34, LA Tech 14

Elon @ Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt Stadium, Nashville

6 PM CT

ESPN+ SEC Net+

Commodores by 19

I sure like what Clark Lea did last week in Hawaii winning 63-10. He’s had to kick a couple of freshmen off the team, 4 star linebacker Daniel Martin and high 3 star running back Maurice Edwards. He did that yesterday and has already suspended a couple of others. It’s not known what the guys did. Kind of a blow, but those 2 guys who were expelled weren’t cutting it in practice and were buried on the depth chart. They probably got frustrated and did something stupid. But Lea is running a tight ship, and all the players who played against Hawaii last Saturday are available except for a couple of injured guys, who were backing up the starters. Lea has high goals for Vanderbilt football, and though it’s tough for the Dores to be a juggernaut in the SEC, the competition is too fierce, being like Northwestern, winning 8, and, from time to time, 9 games, and going to good bowl games is attainable.

Vanderbilt 45, Elon 10

National Games

No. 2 Ohio State 42, No. 5 Notre Dame 21

Ohio Stadium, Columbus

6:30 PM CT

ABC

Chris, Kirk, Holly

Buckeyes by 17

Like a kill here. The Irish are way overrated.

Monday

No.4 Clemson 41, Georgia Tech 14

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta

7 PM CT

ESPN

Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek, Lugues

Clemson by 21 1/2

Like Dabo to have a comeback season and be a contender in November and December.

Saturday

Texas 45, UL Monroe 7

DKR Stadium, Austin

7 PM CT

Longhorn Network

Texas by 37 1/2

Sark and the Longhorns get a warmup before the Crimson Tide comes to town next Saturday. Better strap it on then.

No.9 Oklahoma 42, UTEP 10

Memorial Stadium, Norman, OK.

2:30 PM CT

FOX

Jason Benetti, Brock Huard

OU by 30

The Brent Venables era begins in Norman. Will be a very interesting year for the Sooners. UCF transfer Dillon Gabriel takes over at quarterback. He has plenty of talent.

Tonight

West Virginia @ No. 17 Pitt

Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh

6 CT

ESPN

Matt Barrie, Louis Riddick, Harry “Connick” Lyles Jr.

Pitt by 7 1/2

I’m going to take Coach Neil Brown, formerly of Troy, and his Mountaineers in an upset.

West VA. 24, Pittsburgh 21

Tonight

Penn State @ Purdue

Ross-Ade Stadium West Lafayette, Indiana

7 CT

FOX

Gus, Joel, Jenny

Nittany Lions by 3 1/2

I’m going to take another upset. Purdue knocks off a lot of good teams at home. Late field goal wins it for Boilers.

Purdue 23, Penn State 20

Friday

TCU 34, Colorado 20

Folsom Field, Boulder, CO.

9 PM CT

ESPN

Brian Custer, Dustin Fox, Taylor McGregor

TCU by 13 1/2

Like the Frogs to open up the season right under first year coach, the successful Sonny Dykes.

Saturday

Houston 38, UTSA 31

Alamodome, San Antonio

2:30 PM CT

CBS Sports Network

Rich Waltz, Aaron Taylor, Sherree Burruss

Houston by 4

Give me Dana Holgerson and his Cougs. They’re going to be strong this season, but the Roadrunners are a very good team too, so should be an excellent game.