National Game of the Week: #6 Oregon @ #3 Penn State
It’s a Big 10 conference game and a rematch of a very competitive Conference Championship Game from last season. A lot looks the same on the Penn State side of the ball. Drew Allar continues to look like a superstar QB and play like a pretty good one. The two-headed running back monster continues to give OC Andy Kotelnicki lots of options. The defense, now called by DC Jim Knowles, remains one of the best in the country. Oregon, on the other hand, looks quite different with no Dillon Gabriel and three of the four players who scored TDs last year now in the NFL. Still, the Dante Moore has looked mature and the Ducks have not missed a beat transitioning to a new group of skill position players. So far, if there’s one thing they are good at rather than great, it has been run defense (33rd in EPA/play vs. rush). If Penn State can grind out drives and keep the Oregon offense off the field, limiting their big play potential, they can get the signature win that James Franklin so badly wants and needs.
Also of note
- #17 Alabama @ #5 Georgia- We all laughed when Alabama lost to Florida State in Week 1, but maybe FSU is good? Ty Simpson has looked like the kind of QB Kalen Deboer loves after that loss. Georgia has done enough to win comfortably, but has not passed the eye test with flying colors. Georgia deserves to be favored, but it should be a good game and an Alabama win is conceivable.
- #4 LSU @ #13 Ole Miss- Both Austin Simmons and Trinidad Chambliss have been very entertaining to watch as the QBs for Ole Miss. It sounds like Chambliss will get the start here and Simmons may have been Wally Pipp’d. If LSU is a true SEC contender, this would be a great opportunity to show it.
- #21 USC @ #23 Illinois- Did Indiana expose Illinois as a mediocre team who got over-ranked? They get a chance to bounce back against a good opponent very quickly. The idea of trying to fix a defense that gave up 60 points last week against an offense as good as this USC one is a bit scary.