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This week of college football is a lot like week one. There isn’t any barn-burning matchups on the schedule, but a trio of games that will either be competitive, or important for playoff positioning. No team in the top four plays a ranked opponent, so some lower-end teams will be featured in this week’s edition.
3) Stanford vs. #17 UCF, 12:30 pm, Saturday
The fact that Stanford has been featured on every edition of this article is a testament to how difficult their schedule is. The Cardinals suffered a tough loss against the USC Trojans last week, but played without starting quarterback KJ Costello. Costello was questionable leading up to last week’s game, so he should be active against UCF. But Stanford has a lot of things to fix after last week’s game. The defense was shredded by a true freshman quarterback, and the offensive line struggled in all parts of the game. Star left tackle Walker Little will be inactive again with a knee injury, so there’s no quick fix for the line.
Costello will give the Cardinals a chance on offense, but the weight of this game lies on the other side of the ball. The UCF offense is one of the best in the country, so defensive coordinator Lance Anderson will have his hands full. Star cornerback Paulson Adebo leads the Cardinals in tackles, and should lock down half of the field against the Knights. Outside linebacker Casey Toohill leads Stanford with two sacks in two games. He'll be a huge part in stopping the dynamic UCF offense.
Head coach Josh Huepel has the UCF Knights firing on all cylinders. The offense has tallied up a ridiculous 1,275 yards of offense to go along with 15 touchdowns through only two games. It’s true that the Knights have played less-than-stellar talent, but those numbers still pop out. There is a quarterback controversy going on, though. Freshman Dillon Gabriel and redshirt senior Brandon Wimbush have been labeled co-starters for the time being. This doesn’t figure to slow the passing attack down, as both have been successful when they got the chance.
UCF also fields an underrated defense that has allowed only 14 points all year. In this home matchup against Stanford, expect a slower-than-usual offensive performance, but a strong defensive showing. Whoever plays quarterback for Stanford will have to deal with an overlooked pass rush that’s paired with a decent defensive backfield. While this one will be close, it ultimately won’t be a great trip to Florida for the Cardinals.
The pick: Stanford 21, #17 UCF 31
2) #19 Iowa vs. Iowa State, 1:00 pm, Saturday
One of the more overlooked rivalries in college football will play out on Saturday afternoon. The Hawkeyes are perennially ranked, but Iowa State is playing with something to prove. The Cyclones were picked by some to win the Big 12, but fell out of the top 25 after an embarrassing week one showing against Northern Iowa. It’s easy to discount a team that barely takes out an FCS team, but don’t sleep on Iowa State. Quarterback Brock Purdy is a good player, the offensive line returns all five starters, and the defense is loaded. Playing at home will also give the Cyclones a nice advantage.
The Hawkeyes are a model of consistency. Head coach Kirk Ferentz is coaching his 21st season in Iowa City, making him the longest tenured coach that’s still active. His team is consistently ranked, and very rarely fall out of those rankings completely. It would be a surprise to see them drop in 2019, as their team is loaded. Defensive end AJ Epenesa is a terrific player who will be an early draft pick in 2020. Quarterback Nate Stanley is playing his senior season, and is a safe, reliable player who rarely makes mistakes. The offensive line has two future first-round picks playing in Tristan Wirfs and Alaric Jackson. This Hawkeyes team is the best one in recent memory.
When it comes to talent, the edge obviously goes to Iowa. But the screaming crowd, the frantic hostile environment will help the Cyclones tremendously, and ultimately give the underdogs an opportunity. Expect this trap game to be a nail-biter.
The pick: #19 Iowa 27, Iowa State 31
1) #9 Florida vs Kentucky, 4:00 pm, Saturday
Both of these squads are undefeated and jockeying for position in the SEC East. The Florida Gators are the obvious choice to challenge the Georgia Bulldogs, but Kentucky can surprise some people. Admittedly, it would be quite the surprise if the Wildcats contend this year, as they’ll be playing without starting quarterback Terry Wilson, who was lost to injury during week two.
Kentucky also lost a ridiculous 12 starters from last year’s team, a group that includes National Defensive Player of the Year Josh Allen, and the entire defensive backfield. The Wildcats defense has already shown regression, as they allowed 24 points to the lowly Toledo Rockets in week one. This doesn’t bode well for facing a team that dropped 24 points in week one and then 45 in week two. The good news is that Florida has had trouble getting the run game going, so the Gators should be pretty one-dimensional all afternoon.
The outlook for the Kentucky offense is not a good one. Backup signal-caller Sawyer Smith will get the nod on Saturday against a strong opponent. Florida fields a nasty defense, led by edge-rusher Jabari Zuniga and cornerback CJ Henderson. The Gators have a ridiculous 14 sacks in just two games, and will likely continue the trend in week three against a Kentucky offensive line that lost three starters from last year. Quarterback Feleipe Franks will hand this game over to the defense, and the defense will finish off the Wildcats. The Gators will be in position to challenge the Georgia Bulldogs for the SEC East.
The pick: #9 Florida 21, Kentucky 10
