No 3. Ohio State versus No. 7 Penn State (Cameron Larkin)
Final Score Prediction: Penn State 34, Ohio State 26
This is the first clash of titans in the Big Ten East as No. 3 Ohio State and No. 7 Penn State face off in what should be a playoff-like game. The Buckeyes have dominated this series as of late, commanding a 9-1 record in the last 10 meetings, but this year may be Penn State’s best chance to break the streak.
Led by freshman QB Drew Allar and the RB duo of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton, Penn State’s offense has the makeup of a team that can hang in a shootout.
Ohio State, on the other hand, has taken a noticeable step back on offense after the departure of QB CJ Stroud. Kyle McCord is at the helm, and to his credit, he spearheads an undefeated Buckeyes team with championship hopes in a year where many predicted overall regression from Ohio State.
The Allar-McCord matchup will decide this game, and the eye test favors the young man from Penn State.
No. 11 Alabama versus No. 17 Tennessee (Pier Cummings)
Final Score Prediction: Alabama 28, Tennessee 17
Tennessee’s historical win over Alabama last year was an impressive feat, but in this new season, there will be a return to tradition.
Tennessee has been a very strong home team but has utterly disappointed on the road. Alabama has improved every game this season, mainly winning games on the defensive side of the ball.
The Tide’s defense will be too tough to take advantage of, especially at home. Tennessee will once again be on the losing side of this intense rivalry.
No 4. Florida State versus No. 16 Duke (Tanner Shapiro)
Final Score Prediction: FSU 31, Duke 20[Text Wrapping Break]
In a must–win game for FSU, Duke is looking to knock off the Seminoles for a chance at the ACC title game. FSU is led by Heisman hopeful Jordan Travis and star WR Keon Coleman.
Duke, on the other hand, is led by a stout defense and QB Riley Leonard, if he returns from injury. With the status of Leonard up in the air for the game, however, it is hard to pick against the Seminoles here.
Auburn versus No. 13 Ole Miss (Ian Sparks)
Final Score Prediction: Ole Miss 31, Auburn 24
The Auburn Tigers have started the season 3-3, with two of their three losses coming to behemoths Georgia and LSU. That being said, Auburn has not been impressive offensively. The passing game is nonexistent, which puts a much bigger strain on its running backs. Look for the Rebels’ defense to key in on the run and whether Auburn can make changes.
The Rebels are coming off a much-needed bye week. Tre Harris, Caden Prieskorn and numerous others got rest and time to heal before the second half of the season.
It seems the Ole Miss ground game is finally finding form, with both Quinshon Judkins and Ulysses Bentley IV heavily contributing. Ole Miss is the favorite and the better team, but the Rebels need to stay sharp and bring their best in Jordan-Hare.
