College GameDay hosts Nick Saban, Pat McAfee, Lee Corso, and Desmond Howard predict how the UGA-Alabama game will go.
College GameDay is taking place in Tuscaloosa, watching the matchup between the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs and No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide. In advance of the matchup starting at 7:30, each analyst (not including Rece Davis) decided to take a shot at predicting how the game would go. Here’s what each one of them said:
Desmond Howard
“I have a concern in that Alabama offensive line when I saw against USF. They made some changes in the second half to take over that game, and they just dominated Wisconsin. I love what I’m seeing from the trenches at Alabama. Roll Tide!”
Nick Saban, Terry Saban
Nick & Terry: “Roll Tide Roll!”
Terry: “If I can add to that, I talked to one of the mothers of one of our players and she said ‘Her son said we are confident, and we are ready'”
It’s an expected pick, and it’s classic Saban, who’s been feeding rat poison to Georgia with false prophecies of them being the best team in the SEC.
Pat McAfee
A lot of people were the most excited about this pick, with last year’s being so entertaining. He didn’t disappoint.
“Give me the state that has been phenomenal for college football for so long. Give me the state that has the bear, the goat, and now DeBoer, and from the strip to the quad to the Saban household last night that is absolutely beautiful, there’s only one thing that’s running through my soul, and that is ROLLLLL TIDE!!!! I got Alabama in the Kalen DeBoer era putting a stamp on the SEC.”
Lee Corso
Corso’s pick was super special. He brought a mascot head for the team he picked.
“I’ve picked Alabama 37 times. Alabama’s got a quarterback who has accounted for 14 touchdowns in the first three games, eight of them passing and six of them running. You see his highlights the whole week. ‘Roll Tide.”
‘College GameDay’ analysts state their opinions on the matchup between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Kentucky Wildcats and how UGA looks
“College GameDay” is unfortunately not heading to Athens this week. It instead went to Columbia to see the South Carolina Gamecocks play the LSU Tigers. However, that didn’t mean the matchup between Georgia and Kentucky wouldn’t be brought up. Kirk Herbstreit and former Alabama coach Nick Saban had several things to say about the matchup and the Georgia Bulldogs.
Herbstreit, on what he expects from the matchup:
“One of the big things Nick Saban talked about earlier was playing to a standard. … Steve Sarkisian showed some video about the Notre Dame loss to remind his team ‘Hey, don’t look past your opponent.’ … I think some of these games are that kind of game. … It’s a real test, to me, of the maturity of how teams handle these kind of games.”
Nick Saban answered with confidence on UGA:
“I think that’s what Georgia really has. Georgia has established an identity as a team. They’re physical up front on both sides of the ball. They can make explosive plays. They have a good quarterback. They were concerned about the running back situation. Well, Nate Frazier solved that as a freshman. … They play the same kind of defense they’ve always played. If you’ve ever seen them play in the past, they’ve created that same kind of identity now. That’s what Kentucky has not been able to do. They couldn’t run the ball, the quarterback struggled, they struggled in protection, and they couldn’t stop the run. I think Georgia, right now, to me, is the team that has the best identity of any team in the country.”
It’s strange to see Saban be so optimistic about Georgia after years of tormenting them as Alabama’s head coach, but Georgia looks dominant on both sides of the ball this season, outscoring their opponents 82-6 so far.
Model projects that the Georgia-Kentucky game will be much closer than projected
For people that trust technology more than people when it comes to making predictions, this is for you: SP+, a statistical model made by ESPN (subscription required) has predicted how the matchup between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Kentucky Wildcats will go.
SP+ is a model created by ESPN analyst Bill Connelly to predict the outcome of college football games. “SP+ is intended to be predictive and forward-facing,” according to Connelly. “It is not a résumé ranking that gives credit for big wins or particularly brave scheduling — no good predictive system is.”
“It is simply a measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football. If you’re lucky or unimpressive in a win, your rating will probably fall. If you’re strong and unlucky in a loss, it will probably rise.”
The model has predicted that the Bulldogs will come out of Kroger Field with a 38-26 victory over the Wildcats. Considering Georgia is a 22-point favorite over Kentucky (on BetMGM), it would go just over the spread.
UGA fans that don’t travel to Lexington will be able to watch the game at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
College football analyst Joel Klatt released his updated rankings after Week 1
Fox Sports college football expert Joel Klatt released his top 10 college football teams, and he put an SEC team on the top of the list.
His top nine includes three other SEC schools, three Big Ten schools, one ACC school and one independent school. It goes to show that the top competition this year is coming from the SEC and the Big Ten, and both teams that win those conferences will have a significant advantage in the playoffs.
With the 2024 season including an expanded College Football Playoff, there’s a likelihood that all of these teams could make the playoffs, even if they don’t win their division.
Here’s Joel Klatt’s top 10 teams:
No. 10: Oregon Ducks
Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK
Result: Win vs. Idaho 24-14
Oregon finds themselves down a few rankings from No. 3 in the preseason. This mostly has to do with them keeping it close against Idaho. They’ll have more chances to show they belong in the top 10, but squeaking by a Football Championship Subdivision school does not inspire confidence.
After winning the national championship last year, this year looked to be harder for the Wolverines, who lost 13 players and their head coach in 2024. If their first matchup is any indication, though, they should be fine in the Big Ten; at least, defensively. The Wolverine’s defense sacked Fresno State QB Mikey Keene three times and picked him off twice, one returned for a pick-six near the end of the game.
The Penn State Nittany Lions could be in position to make the playoffs for the first time in school history. They strengthened their case with a dominant win over West Virginia last week. There was a lot of hype for quarterback Drew Allar, and he didn’t disappoint, throwing 216 yards and three touchdowns for a 229.7 passer rating.
Mississippi finds itself moving down a couple of spots in Klatt’s power rankings. This despite Mississippi having the largest margin of victory of the top nine teams. However, some of that may have had to do with its competition: Furman is a Football Championship Subdivision team. Even then, Mississippi dominated on both sides of the ball. Its offense totaled 772 yards and 37 first downs. The defense allowed only 172 yards and seven first downs.
This team was probably the most surprising inclusion into this list. Going up against the Florida Gators, this was expected to be a tossup game that would be close to the end, but it wasn’t. Cam Ward was absolutely dominant, throwing for 385 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception for a 189.3 passer rating.
“@CanesFootball looks like the clear ACC favorite.” said Klatt in another tweet.
In Kalen DeBoer’s first game as new Alabama coach, the Crimson Tide took care of business against one of the weakest FBS teams, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. Jalen Milroe barely passed the ball, but he still threw for 200 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 79 yards and two touchdowns.
When most teams had a softball opponent on this list, Notre Dame had the No. 20 Texas A&M Aggies in prime time on Saturday. It was a grind. Neither team mustered a touchdown in the first half, but Notre Dame pulled through with a touchdown run with 2 minutes left to steal victory away from the Aggies. This inclusion seems purely for the quality of victory, as Notre Dame showed they can beat a good team this week. Their first true test was passed.
Mikala Compton/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK
Result: Win vs. Colorado State 52-0
The Longhorns looked like a strong contender against the Colorado State Rams, who have a former UGA running back on their athletic training staff. Quinn Ewers threw for 260 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, while Archie Manning made his debut with 95 yards and his own touchdown throw.
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Result: Win vs. Akron 52-6
To little surprise, Klatt has the Buckeyes ranked as the best Big Ten team. This is despite only putting up 404 yards against a mid-major school. Their defense was incredible through, racking up five sacks and two picks against three different quarterbacks. Still, you’d be hard pressed to argue that Ohio State, at its best, deserves to be up here.
This comes as little shock for anyone who watched Saturday’s game. While Notre Dame’s win against Texas A&M was impressive, Georgia’s win against Clemson was otherworldly. They took a team that looked like it could compete for the ACC crown and likely third playoff spot and broke them in half. They dominated Clemson completely, allowing only 188 yards (mostly in garbage time) and mustered 447 yards, including 169 on the ground. Joel Klatt said it best when he tweeted this.
NFL expert predicts that former Georgia Bulldogs star receiver could lead the NFL in targets
Former Georgia Bulldog George Pickens has been one of the most electric players since being drafted to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022. However, he has yet to make a Pro Bowl. Steelers and UGA fans are looking for him to achieve that this year, and NFL analyst Kevin Patra thinks he can break through to make his first one in 2024.
“Last season, Pickens collected 1,140 yards alongside Dionte Johnson. With Johnson in Carolina, Pickens is now the clear-cut No. 1 option in Pittsburgh.”
“There are also huge questions behind him in the pecking order, meaning Pickens should see a plethora of targets that will allow him to stockpile stats. The 23-year-old boasts the talent on the outside to win one-on-ones.”
“While used mostly as a boundary field-stretcher, Pickens can feast on all three levels, and I expect new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to use Pickens more liberally all over the field than the previous staff did. Barring an addition to the WR corps, Pickens is in a position to potentially lead the NFL in targets in 2024.”
That’s not to mention that Pickens also led the league in yards per reception with 18.1. He also got 1,140 yards on 63 receptions with the Steelers ranking in the bottom five in passing attempts and bottom ten in passing yards. With two new quarterbacks, a new offensive coordinator, and (as mentioned) not as much competition, Pickens could break out into a truly elite receiver.
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He could be getting some competition soon, however, with the Steelers linked to former Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk from the 49ers. Regardless of the Aiyuk situation, Steelers fans and Georgia fans should be excited to see him make highlight catches again this season.
The highly anticipated USA TODAY Sports predictions for the 2024 NFL season are officially out, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans will have plenty to talk about.
This year’s projections from USAT have the Bucs with a losing record at 8-9, finishing behind the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints, and missing the playoffs for the first time in five years.
Doubts from national outlets aren’t unfamiliar to Tampa Bay fans, considering most expected them to be one of the worst teams in the league last year, only for them to win the NFC South for the third year in a row.
After bringing back all of their key free agents this offseason, don’t be surprised if the Bucs silence the doubters yet again, and end up hanging a division title banner for a fourth straight year.
NFL.com’s Adam Rank didn’t seem to learn from last season’s doubters who thought the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would struggle
It seems like not enough people learned from the mistakes of last year’s doubters who thought the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would tear it all down and suffer through a rough rebuilding year after Tom Brady’s retirement.
While most national predictions had the Bucs among the NFL’s worst teams last year, Tampa Bay responded by winning the NFC South for the third straight year, making a fourth consecutive trip to the postseason.
But that’s not stopping the naysayers from picking the Bucs to be in the NFL basement again this year, including NFL.com’s Adam Rank, who recently projected the Bucs to score just six wins this season:
Anything can happen, obviously, but considering the Bucs brought back all of their best free agents this offseason, and added key players at positions of need in free agency and the 2024 NFL draft, it shouldn’t be a shock if they extend their streak of division titles and playoff appearances this year.
Who will be in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ starting lineup for the 2024 NFL season? Here’s our early projection.
NFL free agency has slowed to a crawl, which means most of the big-impact signings have already happened, and focus is now turning to the 2024 NFL draft.
Now that teams have filled some of their biggest needs with veteran signings, it’s starting to create a clearer picture of who we’ll see on the field when the season rolls around.
While many teams are still looking for fill slots in their starting lineups with highly drafted rookies, the majority of the depth chart should be in place at this point in the offseason, barring a handful of late additions.
So, what could the Bucs’ starting lineup look like on both sides of the ball this season?
The Bucs overwhelming underdogs among expert picks for Sunday’s Divisional Round matchup vs. Detroit.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have played with an underdog mentality all year. It seems like they’ll have no problem evoking that against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
The Bucs were also underdogs against the Philadelphia Eagles at home, and they proceeded to soundly defeat them 32-9 — even then, though, a Bucs pick among experts and pundits was not uncommon. Here, though, Tampa Bay is traveling to Detroit into a fervent home-field advantage, and most pickers on the internet don’t like their odds. The Lions are overwhelming favorites, so the Bucs would have to pull quite the upset to make it to the NFC Championship game.
See how experts and pundits picked Tampa Bay’s Divisional Round matchup down below:
See how experts and pundits picked Tampa Bay’s upcoming Wild Card showdown against Philadelphia in Raymond James Stadium:
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are playing playoff football, and they’ll host a matchup that appears quite controversial among football fans, experts and pundits alike,
The Bucs finished the year 9-8 as a division winner, boasting the worst record of any playoff team in either conference. Despite this, though, they’ve won five of their last six and their opponents, the Philadelphia Eagles, have lost five of their last six. The Eagles are coming in with more injuries than Tampa Bay, but despite that, BetMGM has them favored over the Bucs by three points.
Here are how the internet’s experts and pundits picked this upcoming game, with Tampa Bay hosting as home underdogs:
