No. 11 Oregon at No. 3 Georgia: Aidan Gallardo
Final Score Prediction: Georgia 28, Oregon 17
The national champion Georgia Bulldogs kick off the new season with an interesting cross-conference matchup against Oregon at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Georgia lost a handful of their stars to the NFL Draft, and it’ll be interesting to see how the Bulldogs can build on last year’s historic season. Can Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett continue the success he found last season? Will Georgia’s defense still be dominant in spite of key departures?
Georgia is as tough of a challenge as you can ask for, and it’ll be a big test for Oregon’s first-year head coach, Dan Lanning. Lanning, who coached outside linebackers at Georgia from 2019-2021, got the top job at Oregon after Mario Cristobal left to coach at the University of Miami. Lanning is getting tossed straight into the fire for his first game, but don’t let this game define him as a coach.
I expect the game to be close for the first three quarters, but I believe that Georgia will ultimately run away with it. It’ll be a low-scoring defensive battle, but make no mistake, this game is definitely a must-watch for any college football fan.
No. 5 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Ohio State: Ian Sparks
Final Score Prediction: Ohio State 42, Notre Dame 21
The Buckeyes begin their season with an early home test against college football blue-blood Notre Dame. Coming off a season where they went 11-2 with a Rose Bowl win, Ohio State is poised to have another successful season. 2021 Heisman candidate C.J. Stroud leads the way for the Buckeye offense, looking to replicate the season he had last year. Stroud threw for over 4,400 yards and 44 touchdowns while also leading the nation in quarterback rating. Joining him in the backfield is sophomore running back TreVeyon Henderson, who rushed for more than 1,200 yards last season. Even after losing receivers Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave to the NFL, Stroud won’t be short of weapons as the Buckeyes begin the season.
Beginning the season ranked No. 5 overall, the Fighting Irish have much to prove this Saturday. It will take a near-perfect effort to knock off the No. 2 ranked Buckeyes. Sophomore Tyler Buchner won the quarterback battle and will trot out as the starter this weekend, looking to prove himself to head coach Marcus Freeman. Freeman, a Buckeye alum and former player, is eager to prove the doubters wrong this weekend with an upset in Columbus.
I think Ohio State will win quite comfortably and cover the -17.5 point spread with ease. This isn’t saying that Notre Dame will play poorly or won’t be good enough to win, but I can’t see the Irish shutting down Stroud and Henderson. Additionally, a sophomore quarterback making his first start at a place like the Horseshoe isn’t necessarily easy, so expect some struggles there.
No. 23 Cincinnati vs. No. 19 Arkansas: Owen Pustell
Final Score Prediction: Arkansas 30, Cincinnati 17
Cincinnati is simply worse than they were a year ago. The Bearcats needed to replace almost all of their squad from last season after having a school record of nine players taken in the NFL draft.
On offense, quarterback Desmond Ridder left and has been replaced by Ben Bryant, who is on his second stint with the team after a solid season starting for Eastern Michigan University. However, the Bearcats do not have the talent on offense to surround him with a dangerous group of weapons, which means that timing will be crucial for Cincinnati on Saturday. Look for them to attack the B and C gap in the run game while utilizing the tight ends in short yardage situations to out-leverage defenders. They lack a true No. 1 receiver, so I would not expect them to gameplan around their boundary threats, but for the unit as a whole to be involved in the quick game and deep on play action.
The story is a little different for the Razorbacks. Although star receiver Treylon Burks departed for the draft, the offense remains mostly intact. Quarterback KJ Jefferson returns after throwing just four interceptions compared to 3300 total yards and 27 touchdowns. I anticipate he will be one of the best at his position across all of college football this season, and I expect him to have a field day against an unproven defense. He is surrounded by a number of high-upside players in wide receivers Jadon Haselwood and Matt Landers and running back Rocket Sanders. Look for Jefferson to utilize the size of Haselwood and Landers (6-foot-3 and 6-foot-5 respectively) on deep balls where they can isolate against a smaller defensive back and body their way into position. Also, Sanders will test the athleticism of the Bearcats’ front seven with his explosive rushing ability. As his nickname teases, “Rocket” plays like he was just launched from a NASA station with speed, explosiveness, and the ability to score from anywhere. This trio of playmakers boasts complementary skill sets that make them nearly impossible to gameplan for.
Defensively, the Pigs return their two best players in Bumper Pool and Jalen Catalon as well as transfer linebacker Drew Sanders, who looks to make an immediate impact. Retaining the knowledge and talent that Pool and Catalon bring to the field is crucial for the Hogs. Their experience in not only running the defense, but also diagnosing the offensive game plan may be what turns the tide of this game. If the Razorbacks can stop the run, it will put Cincinnati behind the chains, which they absolutely cannot afford to do in an offense that should be based on timing and precision. Expect to see Pool and Sanders blitz often from the second level in order to keep Bryant from settling into a groove, as well as put pressure on the line in the run game.
No. 1 Alabama vs. Utah State: Lars Andersen
Final Score Prediction: Alabama 45, Utah State 10
There aren’t a lot of different ways to articulate a good, old-fashioned blowout. One could say Utah State will be embarrassed, others might argue a more proper term, like shellacking, and others still might hold that Alabama will simply annihilate the Utah State Aggies. Although all may ring hyperbolic to anyone that doesn’t witness the Crimson Tide’s dominance on a weekly basis, it is all but guaranteed that the crimson wave of Alabama will make its way across the plains and over the Rocky Mountains to drown the picturesque college town that is Logan, Utah.
Utah State, to their credit, has not been a team to count out in their conference. Head coach Blake Anderson has done an amazing job in Logan so far, coming into the job with two Sun-Belt championships that he won with Arkansas State and a total of51 wins in his seven seasons as a head coach. Last season, Utah State won the Mountain West with 11 wins and beat Oregon State of the PAC-12, which should make Aggies fans proud, if not hopeful for Week 1. Luke Bonner, a veteran quarterback who came over from Arkansas State with Anderson, has been incredible since his arrival in Utah. He threw 36 touchdown passes last season and has led the Aggies as well as anyone could ask. He did throw 12 picks in 2021, however, a fact which Anderson and Battle almost certainly will take advantage of if Bonner decides to get cute.
If you prefer low-scoring, SEC football with hard hits and good competition, Alabama versus Utah State is not the game for you. If you want to see Alabama flex its muscles, in what is inarguably a tune-up game for the Crimson Tide, then be sure to tune in. Alabama should run all over Utah State with no problems, but if you believe in miracles, (and Alabama’s tendency to take its foot off the gas when they aren’t focused) then this might just be something to look forward to.
LSU vs. Florida State: Reed Collins
Final Score Prediction: LSU 38, Florida State 27
The Brian Kelly era in Baton Rouge will begin with a primetime Sunday night showdown against the Florida State Seminoles. Head coach of the Seminoles Mike Norvell is looking for his first bowl appearance at Florida State after a 5-7 season a year ago. The Seminoles are coming off a blowout win last week against the Duquesne Dukes led by a potent rushing attack. They had three players with more than 100 rushing yards, which is sure to be the focus of Brian Kelly’s defense to slow down Sunday. Florida State returns a lot of starters, including quarterback Jordan Travis to lead an experienced bunch at a run in the ACC this season.
LSU not only has a fresh face at head coach, but also at quarterback. Jayden Daniels is expected to get the start, so expect to see an explosive new look LSU offense in 2022. Starting running back John Emery will not be playing in this game, but I still expect LSU to get the win in a high scoring affair with a home game-type atmosphere in the Superdome.
No. 21 Ole Miss vs. Troy: Caleb Harris
Final Prediction Ole Miss 52, Troy 17
The Ole Miss Rebels won 10 regular season games during the 2021 season, which is the first time in program history, and also ranked as high as No. 8. The Rebels finished with a 10-3 record, capping off the season with a defeat to Baylor in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The Rebels, however, lost a lot of key players to the NFL draft, including Carolina Panthers quarterback Matt Corral, who threw for 3,345 yards through the air with 20 touchdowns and five interceptions, as well as Dallas Cowboys defensive end Sam Williams, who finished his last collegiate season with a career-high 12.5 sacks and 16 tackles-for-loss.
The Rebels also lost both running backs in Snoop Conner and Jerrion Ealy, who combined for more than 1,400 yards on the ground. Ole Miss did acquire running back Zach Evans (TCU) through the transfer portal, so expect to see a lot of production coming from him.
With head coach Lane Kiffin entering his third year at Ole Miss, he will look to continue the winning ways from last season. Kiffin was able to dip into the transfer portal to get players that can make an immediate impact. Notable players include quarterback Jaxson Dart (USC) and wide receiver Jaylon Robinson (UCF).
The biggest question being asked is who will be under center for the Rebels in the opener. Dart came to Ole Miss to be the main signal caller, but there is another quarterback in the running as well. Sophomore quarterback Luke Altmayer, who played in the Sugar Bowl loss against Baylor, is very familiar with Kiffin’s offense heading into his second year. He showed great promise in the Grove Bowl as well.
Will there be a drop off for the Rebel offense going into the new season? The Rebels scored an average of 33.7 points per game last season, but while I do see this number decreasing, I don’t see a drastic fall off. The Rebel defense made huge leaps last season. With the departure of former defensive coordinators DJ Durkin and Chris Kiffin, new defensive coordinator Maurice Newman will take over a greatly improved defense.
There are still numerous guys that will be returning from the 2021 Ole Miss defense, so I would not be too concerned with a dropoff. The only thing is that Ole Miss needs to fill the shoes of Williams and his 12.5 sacks. There are several players capable of this, such as defensive ends Cedric Johnson and Tavius Robinson. Can they turn the corner and continue to get after the quarterback? We will see once the season kicks off at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Sept. 3 at 3 p.m. CDT on SEC Network.
