While SEC teams battle each other in seven big and meaningful games, the rest of the country will also help shape the next step in the 2016 season.
With that, there will be some top team and individual performances across the country. Here is a bold attempt to predict some of those achievements.
- Deshaun Watson about to go off – The quarterback for No. 2 Clemson is about to experience the proverbial field day on Saturday in front of the home crowd when he goes up against the ACC’s worst pass defense in Pittsburgh. Watson will have his best passing day of the season, surpassing the 378-yard games he was able to put together in back-to-back games vs. NC State and Florida State. In fact, he should have an exceptional day that moves past the 400-yard mark and challenges his career-high of 435 yards set in 2014 against North Carolina.
- Michigan makes rare road trip – The No. 3 Wolverines will leave the state of Michigan for only the second this season when they visit Iowa on Saturday. We’re all creatures of habit and when that gets upset or altered in any way, unusual things sometimes happen. Iowa has struggled in its last two games, but has played much better at home than away. So Michigan should certainly be put on upset alert despite opening as an 18-point favorite and seeing that number move up to as much as 22.5 points. That makes it a bold prediction to say the Hawkeyes will cover that and maybe even pull the upset outright.
- Is a Trojan Horse headed to Washington? – If this game were played in the Coliseum, it wouldn’t even be considered a bold prediction to take the Trojans in the upset over undefeated and No. 4 Washington. The light bulb has been switched on at USC, a team looking as good as any over the last five games — all victories enabling the Trojans to make an appearance in the polls at No. 20. Washington has taken care of business and is coming off a 66-27 thrashing of California on the road. The Huskies are about a 9-point favorite, and that makes the prediction of a Trojan upset one of the boldest.
- Cards to pitch a shutout – All eyes will be on Lamar Jackson on Saturday when the No. 6 Louisville Cardinals host Wake Forest. Now the Heisman hopeful will get his yardage and guide the team up and down the field. He should do nothing to hamper his standing in the Heisman chase, but this bold prediction centers around Louisville’s ACC top-ranked defense. Coupled with Wake’s inept offense, ranked second-worst in the ACC, the Cards could very easily throw zeroes at the Demon Deacons. So the bold prediction is two-fold: First, Louisville shuts out Wake Forest and in doing so, makes the game go under the 54.5-point total.
- Illini keeping it real – Now, Illinois isn’t a good football team. That’s no bold prediction. In fact, it’s lost twice as many as it’s won (3-6). They’ll go on the road Saturday to face No. 7 Wisconsin in a Big Ten tussle that, on paper, appears to be a yawner. And it probably will end up that way. But look for Illinois to keep the game within the 26.5-point margin that Vegas has posted. Not exactly an offensive juggernaut, Wisconsin ranks 11th in the Big Ten by averaging 371.6 yards per game. That won’t be enough to cover.
Glenn Sattell is an award-winning freelance writer for Saturday Down South.
