Tag: Predictions

No. 7 Oklahoma vs. UCF Knights: Sooners Wire Staff Predictions for Week 8

The Oklahoma Sooners put their undefeated season on the line when they host the UCF Knights. Here are this week’s Sooners Wire Staff predictions.

The Oklahoma Sooners look to continue their undefeated march through the 2023 season. On Saturday, the Sooners look to further fortify their position as the king of the Big 12 realm as they welcome the [autotag]UCF Knights[/autotag] into Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

The Knights are 3-3, losing three straight to open their tenure in Big 12 play, including a 51-22 loss to Kansas in week 6.

The Sooners have a tough assignment ahead of them, with one of the best offenses in the country coming to Norman, but Oklahoma’s defense has been up to the task each week.

To get you ready for Saturday, here are this week’s Sooners Wire Staff Predictions.

Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

The Oklahoma Sooners’ offense is just too much for the UCF Knights’ defense. The Knights rank 119th in rush defense, and while they reportedly are changing some things schematically, it just won’t matter.

Oklahoma’s defense is going to have to play their “A” game because UCF’s offense is no joke, especially with John Rhys Plumlee finally 100%.

I think UCF will have some offensive success early, but Oklahoma dominates the second half.

Sooners 55, Knights 17

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Week 7 picks: Who the experts are taking in Jaguars vs. Saints

The Jaguars are underdogs Thursday, but should they be?

The Jacksonville Jaguars have won three straight on the back of an offense that’s starting to find its footing and a defense that is racking up takeaways at a league-leading pace. The New Orleans Saints have lost three of their last four and will be without both of their starting offensive tackles Thursday night.

Yet, it’s the Jaguars that will walk into the Caesars Superdome as underdogs.

That is almost entirely because of a knee injury suffered by quarterback Trevor Lawrence late in the Jaguars’ 37-20 win against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. While it appears likely that the third-year quarterback will start, that’s no guarantee and his mobility and health, even if he is in the lineup, are in doubt.

But what do the experts think? Here’s a roundup of predictions for the Thursday night contest:

Final Week 7 score predictions for Saints vs. Jaguars

Final Week 7 score predictions for Saints vs. Jaguars on Thursday Night Football

Expectations aren’t very high for the New Orleans Saints going into Thursday night’s game with the Jacksonville Jaguars — dropping a couple of losses in winnable games will do that. With the Saints offense all out of sorts and struggling to put points on the board, it’s fair to ask whether they can compete with a surging Jaguars squad.

Here’s what our staff is predicting for Week 7’s final score:

Predicting the Saints’ wins and losses for the final 11 games

Predicting the New Orleans Saints’ wins and losses for the final 11 games: Do they still have a path to the playoffs?

We’re in a critical phase on the New Orleans Saints’ schedule: a five-game stretch in which they’ll play five games in 28 days leading up to their bye week. The Saints started this series with a loss to the Houston Texans at home, and they’re returning home for a game with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday night. That’s a tough out given their 3-3 record.

But what are the expectations for this Saints team now that we’ve seen them go to work in the first six weeks? How does that change our predictions for the rest of the season? Let’s update that forecast for the final 11 games:

Saints are knocking on the door of another top-10 pick in the NFL draft

Dennis Allen’s Saints are knocking on the door of another top-10 pick in the NFL draft. But if this trend continues, will he be around to make that selection?

Yikes. A lot has changed for the New Orleans Saints over the last year, but not enough to change where they’re projecting to pick in the upcoming NFL draft. After they sent the No. 10 overall selection to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023, the Saints are currently on track to pick at No. 11 overall in the 2024 draft. More losses for Dennis Allen’s team will only push that selection higher.

On paper, the Saints should easily climb out of this hole and put more of their attention on the playoffs than the next draft cycle. They’ve got the league’s easiest schedule ahead of them and many of their upcoming opponents are missing key players. Allen has the coaching staff and quarterback he wanted in place. So why do they keep losing games?

You have wonder if Allen will be around to make the pick for the Saints in 2024 if it ends up being as high as current standings have it (if not higher inside the top 10). General manager Mickey Loomis picked Allen as his head coach over other candidates because he believed Allen had the best chances of keeping their core together and remaining a playoff team.

Instead, they’re on the outside looking in on the NFC playoff standings, and this team has hemorrhaged core players in free agency like Terron Armstead, Marcus Williams, and David Onyemata, among others. Allen has not met expectations through his first 23 games as their head coach. What if he never does?

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Alabama football bowl game predictions are split

Alabama can still reach the College Football Playoff, but experts are projecting the Tide to fall just short.

The second half of the 2023 regular season has begun for Alabama and the College Football Playoff is still within reach despite the early-season loss to Texas at home. Projections, however, have the Crimson Tide just missing the playoffs.

The latest bowl game predictions by ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach (subscription required) are split on Alabama.

Bonagura’s projection has the Tide facing Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl, while Schlabach has Alabama also facing the Sooners, but in the Peach Bowl.

While no reasoning was offered, the fact that both experts predict Alabama to take on Oklahoma is very interesting. The Sooners sit atop the Big 12 through Week 7 and appear poised to compete for a spot in the CFP.

This would certainly be an interesting matchup between two teams with late-season playoff aspirations.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football and postseason projections as the 2023 regular season progresses.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on Twitter @SpurrFM. 

ESPN College GameDay Week 7 picks for Oregon-Washington, Notre Dame-USC, and more

Who are you picking for Saturday’s biggest games?

And we’re off and running on the seventh full college football Saturday of the year.

To start the day ESPN’s College Gameday, which did their telecast from Seattle for the big Oregon vs. Washington game tonight, did their picks for the day’s biggest games.

Who will win out west as Oregon and Washington meet for the final time as Pac-12 rivals?  (They’ll of course take their rivalry to the Big Ten next year)

Who does the show like to win Notre Dame’s clash with rival USC?

And what other games might bring about an upset this college football weekend?

Actor and comedian Joel McHale joined the crew to share his picks as well.

Here is what the College Gameday staff predicted in their weekly picks segment on Saturday.

Watch: Lou Holtz roasts USC

Get ready for Saturday by watching Lou Holtz roast USC

We’ve all heard that USC stands for the University of Spoiled Children, but why did so many USC football players choose to attend USC instead of cross-town at rival UCLA?

Lou Holtz had that answer for you a few years back when he spoke at a pep rally the night before the Notre Dame-USC game. Take a look at this short video to get you pumped, or perhaps even more pumped, as one of the absolute best rivalries in college football once again gets renewed.

Who wins? Notre Dame-USC staff predictions

 

CFB experts unanimously pick Alabama over Arkansas

Alabama is the clear favorite in the Week 7 SEC West matchup against Arkansas.

Alabama hosts Arkansas for a Week 7 matchup that many believe will go the way of the Crimson Tide. USA TODAY college football experts made their weekly picks and all six are rolling with the Tide.

The Razorbacks enter the matchup with a record of 2-4, but that doesn’t mean they can’t put up a fight. Three of their four losses were by a single possession.

USA TODAY college football experts unanimously picked the Crimson Tide to win, which makes some fans uneasy as it could be seen as rat poison, or outside noise that negatively impacts the team.

I’m of the belief that this team’s mindset has completely changed. The goal is to fight for a spot in the College Football Playoff and compete for a national championship. Similar to the 2015 Alabama team, being ranked No. 13 in the nation was a wake-up call.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football as the 2023 season progresses.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on Twitter @SpurrFM.