For the second year in a row, I made a bunch of Oddly Specific Predictions for each preseason Top 25 team. It’s a fun exercise. Sometimes I look like a genius. Sometimes I look like a … you can pick the word.
This season, it will be a weekly event. I will pick a set of games, do some homework and make some predictions.
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Let’s start with this week’s stat stuffers.
Most passing yards
Hawaii’s Brayden Schager opened the 2024 season by throwing for a pedestrian 203 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-14 win over Delaware State on Saturday night. This week, UCLA comes to town — as a 14-point favorite — with a new head coach (DeShaun Foster) and a suspect secondary. I say Schager throws for 450-plus yards and three touchdowns and the Rainbows give the Bruins a real scare.
Most rushing yards
No FBS running back hit the 100-yard rushing mark in Week 0. We’ll have at least 30 guys do that this week, including North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound junior ran for 1,504 yards and 15 touchdowns last season playing alongside quarterback Drake Maye.
Minnesota allowed an average of 278.3 rushing yards over its final three Big Ten games last season — losses to Purdue, Ohio State and Wisconsin. Hampton is going to carve up the Gophers for 200-plus yards in a seven-point North Carolina win on Thursday night.
Listen to @UNCFootball head @CoachMackBrown on star RB @OmarionHampton and his work ethic, demeanor, punctuality and don't forget to catch the part about loyalty or how much it cost. @theACC @WNCN pic.twitter.com/gCqgI9TwKW
— Chris Clark (@ChrisClark_) August 28, 2024
Most receiving yards
SMU tight end RJ Maryland was the only pass catcher to eclipse the 100-yard mark in Week 0. The son of former No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick Russell Maryland caught eight passes for 162 yards and one touchdown in the Mustangs’ 24-19 win at Nevada.
Who will be the star this week? I’m going with Colorado’s Travis Hunter jumpstarting his Heisman campaign with a monster 220-yard, three-touchdown receiving day in the Buffaloes’ 14-point win over North Dakota State.
5 big games
No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 20 Texas A&M (-3)
This game is sexy in large part because former Duke coach Mike Elko is now in College Station leading the Aggies, and his former Blue Devils quarterback Riley Leonard is the frontman for Notre Dame (video below).
The real story here is that the Irish starting offensive line — featuring true freshman left tackle Anthonie Knapp — has six combined career starts and a little over 600 snaps played among them. Aggies edge rusher Nic Scourton played over 700 snaps all by himself last season at Purdue when he led the Big Ten with 10 sacks.
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So, it makes sense to call for Leonard to get sacked at least five times as the Irish suffer their only regular-season loss in 2024. You can bet Elko knows exactly how to contain Leonard’s favorite running lanes, too, which is why this will be only the third time in the quarterback’s career that he finishes with negative rushing yards. Texas A&M opens its legitimate push for a Playoff berth with a two-touchdown victory at Kyle Field.
"It's interesting and weird and not really something that I want to do." – Texas A&M Head Coach Mike Elko on the challenge of facing his former QB Riley Leonard when the Aggies host Notre Dame this weekend. pic.twitter.com/eK3RTqdYlF
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) August 26, 2024
No. 23 USC vs. No. 13 LSU (-4.5)
The We-Just-Lost-The-First-Two-Picks-In-The-NFL-Draft Bowl is really all about defense — as in which one will stink less than it did last year. New LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker (hired away from Missouri) will have a better unit than new USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn (hired away from rival UCLA) in Week 1 because he has better personnel.
Look for LSU linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. to produce two sacks, including the game-clincher of Miller Moss in the fourth quarter in a nine-point Tigers victory. Tight end Mason Taylor, son of NFL Hall of Famer Jason Taylor, will lead LSU’s receivers with two touchdown catches.
Maybe this game would be a little more exciting if the winning school gets to declare itself as the legitimate winner of the 2003 national championship after the two programs split the title two decades ago.
Usc. Lsu.
"The PAPER champions (USC) vs. the team that actually got the trophy (in '04)."
— Kay Adams (@heykayadams) August 26, 2024
No. 14 Clemson vs. No. 1 Georgia (-13.5)
An AP No. 1-ranked team hasn’t lost its season opener since BYU beat Miami in Provo in 1990. If Clemson has any shot of coming within two scores of the Bulldogs, it’s because T.J. Parker and Peter Woods, the team’s budding young defensive line stars, wreak havoc on a veteran Bulldogs offensive line that allowed only 13 sacks last season.
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That will not happen. Carson Beck is going to start his Heisman campaign by lighting up Dabo Swinney’s young secondary (36 combined starts among six players) for 300-plus yards and three touchdowns in a 21-point blowout.
And now, some excessive pregame hype:
ITS ABOUT THAT TIME ‼️
CLEMSON vs GEORGIA 🔥 🔥 🔥 pic.twitter.com/UGsJrNH6gV
— 𝓚𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓓𝓸𝓷👑™ (@KingDon_x2) August 22, 2024
No. 19 Miami (-2.5) at Florida
Florida has won 34 consecutive home openers and finds itself as a home underdog in a season opener for only the second time since 1970. The last time that occurred? Two years ago, when the Gators held on to beat Utah 24-19 in Billy Napier’s debut as the boss in Gainesville. Those Utes, however, didn’t have the type of talent at the skill positions that the 2024 Hurricanes will bring to the Swamp.
Florida should be improved defensively, but this is a team that gave up 450-plus yards and an average of 41.2 points in its final five SEC games a year ago.
Miami will put up more than 30 points and 400 yards in a tone-setting two-score victory on the road.
If it doesn’t happen, send all the hate mail to Coach Coop.
🚨FLORIDA GATORS DISS TRACK🚨
Miami Hurricanes ON TOP in the swamp!! 🙌
Watch it on my YouTube channel here:https://t.co/IPSjvkkHTu#CountryCane #GoCanes #BeatUF #WeMiami #GatorHater @accnetwork @CanesFootball @MiamiHurricanes @FloridaGators @ESPNCFB @SECNetwork pic.twitter.com/X2FXRbABbh
— Coop (@TheCoachCoop) August 25, 2024
No. 8 Penn State (-8.5) at West Virginia
Nittany Lions fans weren’t happy with me when I predicted that a 10-win Penn State team would get left out of the 12-team Playoff. This game won’t be why. The Big 12 is 8-14 against the Big Ten in head-to-head matchups since 2016, and although Neal Brown’s team took a nice step forward last year, the Mountaineers won’t be able to contain Penn State’s offense under new coordinator Andy Kotelnicki.
Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton should flourish in the new system. Kotelnicki’s former team, Kansas, averaged over 200 yards rushing per game in 2023 and the duo will combine for 200-plus yards in a two-score road win.
GO DEEPERWhich small-school QB can climb the 2025 draft rankings? Say hello to Mark GronowskiUpset alert
South Dakota State at No. 17 Oklahoma State (-9.5)
South Dakota State has won 29 consecutive games and two straight FCS national championships. The Jackrabbits have 28 seniors and eight returning all-conference players, headlined by quarterback Mark Gronowski and safety Tucker Large.
Call this an early wake-up call and a big reason why the Big 12 ends up getting only one team in the Playoff. Quarterback Alan Bowman gets picked off twice, and the Cowboys get stunned on a late field goal.
(Photo of Mark Gronowski: Samantha Laurey / Argus Leader / USA Today Network)
Manny Navarro has been with The Athletic since September 2018 and covers Miami and recruiting. He's also the host of the "Wide Right" podcast. Manny's career started at The Miami Herald in October 1995 when he was a high school senior. He covered the Hurricanes, Heat, Marlins and high school sports for 23 years at the paper. He makes occasional appearances on WSVN's Sports Xtra on Sunday nights and is on the "Big O Show" with Orlando Alzugaray at 12:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays. Follow Manny on Twitter @Manny_Navarro
