Tag: College Football

It’s a Rivalry! Iowa at Iowa State

September 4, 2025

This is a big-time rivalry game that will be played at Jack Trice Stadium.  The kickoff is scheduled for 12 o’clock noon on Saturday, September 6th.

Iowa began their 2025 campaign with an impressive 34-7 win over Albany, and I think Albany turned out to be way more physical than a lot of people expected.  To Iowa’s credit, they played tough, and they were actually losing that game 7-3 in the second quarter, but in the end, they won by 27.

Iowa State shocked everyone (but not me) with a Week 0 upset over the Kansas State Wildcats, and they came back and blew out South Dakota, 55-7, in Week 1.  Currently, the Cyclones are 2-0, and they’ve quietly repositioned themselves at number 16 nationally.

Conclusion & Predictions

I don’t know how much it’s going to help, but Iowa State is home for this game.  Traditionally, Iowa is known for their Big Ten brand of football, which is tough defense and the ability to run the football.  So far, they haven’t disappointed.  They held Albany to seven points and 43 yards rushing, and offensively, Iowa has a double threat coming out of the backfield. 

Xavier Williams had 122 yards on 11 carries and 1 touchdown, and teammate Terrell Washington Jr. carried the rock 15 times for 69 yards.  That’s 4.6 yards per carry for Washington, and both backs are the reason why the Hawkeyes were able to hold on the ball for almost thirty-seven minutes.

Against South Dakota, it was another brilliant performance by Rocco Becht and the boys.  Becht completed 19 of 20 passes for 278 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Wide receiver, Brett Eskildsen, caught a beautiful pass for 61 yards right down the middle of the field to open the game.  Eskildsen finished with 2 catches for 77 yards.  Tight ends, Benjamin Brahmer and Gabe Burkle accounted for three touchdowns, and out of the backfield, it was a new face this week.

Freshman running back, Dylan Lee,  carried the ball 13 times for 81 yards and 1 touchdown.  Lee is a big back, 6’1″ and 215 pounds, and what Iowa State proved last week is that they have quality when it comes to depth at the running back position.  Abu Sama and Carson “Um Bop” Hansen got some rest.  Nice.

You know, Albany held Iowa to 44 yards passing.  Mark Gronowski completed 8 of 15 passes for 44 yards and 1 touchdown.

Even with Washington and Williams running the ball, the Hawkeyes will need more production from their passing game.  If not, Iowa is gonna see eight guys in the box all day. 

I do believe Iowa State is one of the hottest teams in college football right now.  They’re healthy, they’re home this week, and they were able to rest some of their starters against South Dakota.

Having said that, Iowa is going to test Iowa State in ways they haven’t been tested all season, but specifically, this is the toughness test for the Cyclones.  After Week 2, we’ll know for certain how real this Iowa State team is.  I think the Cyclones win this by 7.

My Prediction Straight Up: Iowa State

My Prediction Versus the Spread: Iowa State -3.5

Showdown; It’s the Longhorns and the Buckeyes

August 29, 2025

The last meeting between the Texas Longhorns and the Ohio State Buckeyes was during the semifinal round of the 2024 college football playoffs in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. Ohio State beat Texas and went on to beat Notre Dame in the National Championship game.

Texas finished their season at 13-3, and Ohio State 14-2, but all that is old news. This is a new year, a new season, and neither team is exactly the same.

(1) Texas at (3) Ohio State 
Saturday, August 30th at 12 noon

Ohio State Buckeyes

The 2025 Ohio State team features two 1st Team All-Americans, sophomore wide receiver, Jeremiah Smith, and junior free safety, Caleb Downs. Junior wide receiver, Carnell Tate, and senior linebacker, Sonny Styles earned 2nd Team honors.

I suppose we should address the elephant in the room first. Quarterback, Julian Sayin, originally signed with Alabama, but he transferred to OSU in January of 2024. They say he’s a true sophomore with four years of eligibility, which at the end of the day, means he’s young, he lacks experience, and he’s unproven. Big question mark at the quarterback position.

I know Coach Day would love to coddle Sayin and allow him to gain experience slowly while at the same time building his confidence, but I don’t see how that’s going to be possible with two All-Americans at the wide receiver position.

How about All-Big Ten tight end, Max Klare? Klare came to Ohio State from Purdue, and he’s a tall guy at 6’5″ with good hands. The point that I’m making is that the Buckeyes have guys who can catch the ball, and at some point, the pressure is going to be on Sayin to deliver.

Perhaps, I’d feel a little differently if TreVeyon Henderson was in the backfield, but sophomore, James Peoples, is another young guy who’s still unproven. If Ohio State can’t run the ball, Sayin will get thrown to the wolves, but who knows, maybe he can handle it.

On the o-line, the Buckeyes look good from guard to guard. Right now, their tackles are questionable, but in general, I don’t see the offensive line as a weakness.

Defensively, second team All-American, Sonny Styles is a converted linebacker from the safety position, but he is the center of that defense. He’s big, 6’5″ and 245 pounds, and he’s athletic and fast. Junior, Arvell Reese, lines up next to Styles. Reese is another big guy, 6’4″ and 245 pounds, and they expect him to have a monster season this year. The backup senior, C.J. Hicks, I think is getting reps at defensive end. That’s a good move to improve the overall speed of the defense.

In the defensive backfield, Ohio State figures to be strong at the corners with Davison Igbinosun and Jermaine Mathews Jr. Safety, Caleb Downs, well, they say he could be the number 1 defensive player in America!

Their defensive line is a question mark.

Texas Longhorns

The 2025 Texas Longhorns feature two All-Americans on offense, quarterback, Arch Manning (1st team), and tight end, Jack Endries (2nd team).

Arch Manning is a sophomore, but this will be his first year starting for the Longhorns. Manning’s teammates and coaches seem to think he’s going to step right in and do an amazing job. There’s even talks about Manning entering the NFL draft after next season, so even though he’s unproven just like Sayin is for Ohio State, the situation in Texas seems to be a little different than that in Columbus.

Senior right guard, DJ Campbell, is the only returning starter on the o-line, but there’s continuity between Manning and his entire line.

It looks like returning junior, Quintrevion Wisner, will start at running back. Last season, Wisner rushed for over 1,000 yards. You see, this is what I was talking about with Julian Sayin. Sayin doesn’t have a retuning thousand-yard rusher lining up behind him. Not only can Wisner run the rock, but he provides an extra layer of support that can take some of the pressure of Manning to have to push the ball downfield. It makes for a more relaxing situation.

At wide receiver, it’s going to be returning starter, Deandre Moore Jr., Ryan Wingo (in my Dale Gribble voice), and Stanford transfer, Emmett Mosley.

Defensively, Texas is going to be tough. All-American junior, Anthony Hill Jr., is arguably the best linebacker in the country. He has All-American teammate, Colin Simmons, lining up in front of him at defensive end, but the Longhorns have several guys on the defensive line who can get after the quarterback and stuff the run.

Texas has a pair of All-Americans in the defensive backfield, cornerback, Malik Muhammad, and safety, Michael Taaffee. On the other side at cornerback, it’s going to be the returning senior, Jaylon Guilbeau.

Conclusion and Predictions 

I've been an Ohio State fan since the days of Eddie George and Orlando Pace, so I don't want personal feelings to get in the way here.  

When I look at these two teams, I see two completely different teams than we saw at the end of last season.  I think Texas lost 14 guys, and I think Ohio State lost 12.  So, it's really about who was more effective at reloading and filling gaps.

All things considered, it kills me to say this, but on paper, I feel like Texas is the better team.  I'm not taking anything away from Julian Sayin, but Arch Manning has the luxury of having a 1,000-yard rusher behind him.  That alone, gives Texas the edge offensively.
  
Yes, the Buckeyes have absolute beasts at wide receiver, but what good are they if Sayin is running for his life from a relentless Longhorn pass rush? 

Okay, the Buckeyes have a young quarterback, things can't be all that bad, right?  Well, we shall see.  Will James Peoples be able to run the ball against that Longhorn defensive front with Anthony Hill Jr. behind it?  

Ohio State is home, and it's hard to beat Ohio State in Columbus, but if anyone can do it, it's Texas.  It's the first game of the season for both teams, and both teams need to establish their own 2025 brand.  
I don't know, this is a tough one, but I just can't go against the Buckeyes at home until they've given me a reason to.

My Pick Straight Up: Ohio State

My Pick Versus the Point Spread: Ohio State -1.5

NCAA College Football 2025 Opens with Big XII Matchup

Augustus 17, 2025

I just want to make it perfectly clear that I don’t typically cover college football games involving teams from the Big 12 Conference, however, since the 2025 season begins with a major Big 12 matchup, I decided to come out of my Big Ten comfort zone. Just this one time though.

We are six days away from the start of the 2025 college football season. The very first game is scheduled for a 12 o’clock kickoff on the afternoon of Saturday, August 23rd, and for whatever reason, this game between the Iowa State Cyclones and the Kansas State Wildcats will be played at a neutral site in Dublin, Ireland.

When Iowa State met Kansas State during the 2024 season on November 30th, which was almost nine months ago, the Cyclones were 9-2 and ranked 18th nationally, and the Wildcats were 8-3 and ranked 24th nationally. Iowa State won that game, 29-21, and they went on to beat Miami in the Pop-Tarts Bowl 42-41, to cap off their first ever eleven-win season.

Kansas State met Rutgers in the 2024 Rate Bowl. They won 44-41 and recorded their 5th Bowl victory in seven postseason Bowl appearances. Both teams finished on a high note, but Iowa State was the better team last year. This year, Kansas State begins the season ranked 17th nationally, and Iowa State sits at , but the Wildcats are the Big 12 favorites.

Kansas State Wildcats

Apparently, 2024 was a little bit of a rebuilding year for K-State, but 2025 is filled with high hopes and big expectations as their offense features the return of four high profile juniors, QB Avery Johnson, RB Dylan Edwards, TE Garrett Oakley, and WR Jayce Brown.

Joe Jackson gives the Wildcats depth at the running back position, so that position figures to be a strength, but there are questions elsewhere. Wide receivers, Jerand Bradley (senior) and Jaron Tibbs (junior), are both transfers, so they’ll be expected to step in and step up immediately. If they can, it will change the entire dynamic of the K-State offense.

Johnson will get three targets to toss the ball to, and opposing defensives will have a hard time trying to figure out how to cover three threats at the wide receiver position, an excellent Tight End, and a super-fast running back.

On the offensive line, the Wildcats appear to be okay. Center, Sam Hecht, and Guard, Taylor Poitier, anchor a unit that returns three seniors.

Defensively, Kansas State has arguably the best defensive line in the conference, and junior linebacker, Austin Romaine, is expected to earn All-Big 12 honors.

Iowa State Cyclones

Do you want to hear something interesting about Iowa State? Their best linebacker, Caleb Bacon, missed the entire season after suffering a leg injury in the first game, and their second-best linebacker, Will McLaughlin, missed a bunch of time as well.

They’re back, they’re healthy, and they join stud mic linebacker, Kooper Ebel, to form arguably the best unit in the conference.

Nose tackle, Dominique Orange (senior), is not only the best in the Big 12, but he’s one of the best defensive linemen in all of college football. Junior defensive ends, Ikenna Ezeogu and Vontroy Malone, are expected to have breakout seasons.

The defensive backfield features two guys that will probably play on Sunday, senior safety, Jeremiah Cooper, and All-Big 12 junior cornerback, Jontez Williams.

Defensively, the Cyclones will be better this year.

Offensively, at running back, Iowa State has a true one-two punch in Carson Hansen and Abu Sama. At quarterback, the Cyclones have a real star in junior, Rocco Becht. Becht has passed for 6,690 yards and 48 touchdowns in three seasons!

Wide receiver, Chase Sowell is red-shirt junior and transfer from East Carolina. He played and started nine games for the Pirates, and he finished the season with 34 receptions for 678 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Cyclones expect big things from Sowell, and Sowell is pushing for a breakout year.

In general, the Cyclones don’t seem to be very strong at the wide receiver position. They return fifth year senior, Daniel Jackson, who was injured and missed all of last season, and junior, Xavier Townsend, who started three games and then used his redshirt.

6’4″ Sowell is definitely the go-to-guy for Becht, and hopefully he can add a spark and revitalize the unit.

Iowa State has two very good tight ends. Benjamin Brahmer (junior) is 6’7″ 250 pounds, and Gabe Burkle (junior) is 6’6″ 260 pounds. They’re both big targets with good hands.

Iowa State had a lot of injuries last season on both sides of the ball, but we don’t have to worry about any of that now since their game against Kansas State is the first game of the season. With a healthy roster, I think they can do a lot better than their predicted fourth place finish in the Big 12.

Oh my gosh. Ya know what guys? I’m doing two things I don’t normally do. I’m writing a preview for a Big 12 game, and I’m betting on a college football game that’s being played during the first week of the season.

Conclusion

So, this game is being played in Dublin, Ireland.  That means home-field-advantage is a nonfactor.  Kansas State is not only favored to win this game, but they're being picked to win the Big 12 Conference and finish no lower than 13th nationally.

I think the Iowa defense is going to step up, show out, and play a lot better than a lot of people expect them to play.  Carson Hansen and Abu Sama will help Rocco Becht control the clock, but Becht will make the big plays when he needs to.  The addition of Chase Sowell will keep the Kansas State defense honest.

My Pick to win:  Iowa State Cyclones
My Pick Versus the Point Spread:  Iowa State Cyclones +3

Looks Like Hoosier Hype After Buckeye Blowout 38-15

November 23, 2024

Week thirteen of the NCAA college football season is almost in the books, and this Big Ten Conference matchup between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Indiana Hoosiers, two nationally ranked teams, has been on our radar all week.

The undefeated Hoosiers traveled to Columbus today to take on the 9-1 Buckeyes, and as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. It was, without a doubt, a reality check for Indiana today. Ohio State needed this win after their October 12th loss to new conference bully, Oregon.

After Indiana’s defense forced Ohio State to punt on their first possession, the Hoosier offense took the field and put a fabulous drive together. They drove downfield, and Indiana running back, Ty Son Lawton, punched it in from the two-yard-line to give Indiana a 7-0 lead.

Ohio State was on the ropes early, and they didn’t score their first points until 7:21 in the second quarter. After that, it was all Ohio State.

Indiana set up for a punt with 1:41 left to play in the second quarter, and the snap bounced right off the punter’s hands. A short field with time winding down before the half was exactly the break the Buckeyes needed, and running back, TreVeyon Henderson, ran it in for Ohio State’s second touchdown.

Ohio State finally had some breathing room, and they were finally in the lead, but it was only by seven. It was still anyone’s game at that point.

Could Indiana shake off the mistake, and regroup during halftime, or would that punt muff be the defining moment of this game?

That was the question.

Well, Indiana’s first drive of the third quarter stalled, and they were forced to punt.

Ohio State returned the punt for a touchdown. It was now 21-7, and the Buckeyes clearly held on to that momentum gained at the end of the second quarter.

As a matter of fact, Ohio State scored twenty-four second half points, and the final score was 38-15. This was Indian’s first loss of the season, and both teams are now 10-1 overall.

The Buckeye defense held Indiana to just 151 total offensive yards. 83 of those were on the ground, and 68 were through the air.

Ohio State quarterback, Will Howard, completed 22 of 26 passes for 201 yards and 2 touchdowns. Wide receiver, Emeka Egbuka, had 9 catches for 68 yards and 1 touchdown, and running back, TreVeyon Henderson, registered 68 yards on 9 carries. Henderson averaged 7.6 yards per touch and he finished the day with 1 touchdown.

Next week, it’s Ohio State and Michigan!

NCAA College Football; Showdown Setting Up for the 30th

November 22, 2024

Good evening!

We’re in week thirteen of the NCAA College Football season, and there are several games that I have my eye on, however, I’m looking ahead to the weekend of the 30th for the game between Syracuse and Miami.

Tomorrow, it’s (5)Indiana and (2)Ohio State, (14)BYU and (21)Arizona State, and (18)Army against (6)Note Dame.

In addition to those, the eleventh ranked Miami Hurricanes host the 4-6 Wake Forest Demon Deacons, and that’s a game Miami should win. Miami’s overall record will improve to 10-1 with a win tomorrow over Wake Forest.

Then, we have the game between UCONN and Syracuse. Both teams are 7-3. I watched the Huskies play the 2-6 Georgia State Panthers on November 1st, and I watched their game against UAB on the 9th. Like Georgia State, UAB has only two wins. Both teams are struggling this season, and UCONN struggled in both of those games.

UCONN’s game against Georgia State came down to an onside kick with 1:47 left to play. The Huskies were winning 34-27. I really don’t know how the Panthers didn’t recover the onside kick. The ball went ten yards and they had a man right there!

Anyway, the point is that in the month of November, UCONN has been lucky, but I think their luck will come to an end this weekend when they play Syracuse.

Yes, both teams are 7-3, but Syracuse is just on a different level. With a win this week, Syracuse could improve to 8-3 overall, and that will set the stage for their ACC matchup against the 10-1 Hurricanes. That game will feature two of the best quarterbacks in college football, Cameron Ward and Kyle McCord.

If Syracuse’s defense shows up and LeQuint Allen can run the ball, they have a chance. Ahead of Syracuse in the ACC is Georgia Tech, Miami, Clemson, and SMU. SMU is undefeated in the conference, 6-0, but Clemson and Miami have one loss, and Georgia Tech is pretty much tied with Syracuse.

I don’t think Syracuse has a shot at the playoffs, but a win against Miami will definitely shake things up in the ACC.

Nooz Now

November 27, 2023

Good morning, and welcome to N.B. I think it has been a while since I’ve published a Nooz Now article, which now that I’m thinking about it, is probably because of all the time effort I put into the premium content project for this college football season. Either way, let’s get into the Nooz.

🏈College Football– Yes, it’s true. The Michigan Wolverines did beat the Ohio State Buckeyes this weekend, and as you can imagine, things have changed in the AP Top 25 as well. Georgia, Michigan, Washington, and Florida State are the top 4 in that order, and they’re all 12-0. Oregon, Ohio State, Texas, and Alabama are the next 4 in that order and they’re all 11-1.

♐Astrology– The Astrological Sun is on the 5th degree if Sagittarius in the 12th House, and currently, the Moon is on the 6th degree of Gemini in the 6th House. An interesting alignment indeed!

💯Hip Hop– I don’t know if all the reports are true, but I’m almost one-hunnit percent sure Snoop Dogg has finally quit smoking weed. After all these years of smoking, I can only imagine how hard it must be to stop, and even though we did Snoop Dogg absolutely no good by glorifying his drug addiction, that’s exactly what that was. We wish him well and may he have a complete recovery with restored clarity.

🏛Politics– Politics in this country are definitely changing, and as much as some people hate to admit it, it began with Donald Trump. The outspoken former President never failed to call liars out on their bullshit, and that’s exactly what America needs right now. Two more candidates are now on the scene, Robert Kennedy Jr., and Vivek Ramaswany. For the first time in my life, I’m excited about politics. All three men are a little different in their own right, but what they have in common is the sincerity they feel for this country and their commitment to the truth.

🦃Happy Holidays– I hope everyone who celebrated Thanksgiving had an amazing day. Tis the season, and the holidays are coming up soon. Personally, I celebrate Christmas, but I hope you have a wonderful: Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yule, Las Posadas, or Bodhi Day.

For some reason, in America, people started to complain that they were offended by what other people were celebrating, but America isn’t about suppression. If you’re offended or repulsed by what I celebrate, then you should look the other way. You should not run to the federal government and have them violate our Constitution by forcing me to remove my decorations. We have the freedom here to celebrate and worship however we so desire.

🛐Sacred– No matter what you celebrate, this is a sacred time. Our system has set the standard for wild celebrations, family gatherings, bright lights, and lots of food, but don’t be afraid to set aside some time for fasting and quiet meditation.

We’re an intelligent species, and our guidance streams from the galactic center in the form of radio waves. Loud celebrations not only drown out that guidance out, but they turn your attention outward to other people at a time when you should be focusing on yourself. Timing is important, and for everything, there’s a time.

Have a wonderful week!

College Football Week 8; The Results are In!

Another week of college football is in the books. This week, our Big 10 College Football Analysis broke down six games involving teams from the Big 10 Conference, and we gave you a list of our winning picks, and a list of our picks versus the point spread.

Let’s see how we did.

My Winning Picks

Week 8 Record: 5-1 Overall Record: 40-7

Ohio State (win) beat Penn State 20-12

Rutgers (win) beat Indiana 31-14

Iowa (loss) lost to Minnesota 10-12

Wisconsin (win) beat Illinois 25-21

Nebraska (win) beat Northwestern 17-9

Michigan (win) beat Michigan State 49-0

My Picks Versus the Point Spread

Week 8 Record: 4-2 Overall Record: 28-17-1

Penn State +4 (loss)

Rutgers -5 (win)

Iowa -3.5 (loss)

Wisconsin -2.5 (win)

Northwestern +12 (win)

Michigan -24.5 (win)

I’ve been providing this content since week 3, and I’ve been successful every single week!

Big 10 College Football Analysis, Week 8

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Money makers and college football enthusiasts, welcome! This is the Nooz Buffet Big 10 College Analysis for week 8, and there will be six games featuring teams from the Big 10 Conference.

For only $8, you get a game by game breakdown, a list of my winning picks, and a list of my picks versus the spread for all six games.

Let me tell you something, there’s a million people offering advice for college football games, but my record versus the point spread and my record picking winners is the difference. In five weeks, I picked 35 winners out of 41 games, and I picked 24 winners out of 39 games versus the point spread.

I’m winning, and my bets make money every week. You’re going to lose hundreds of dollars betting football games this weekend, so why not spend $8 for my pick list? I win.

Read more of this content when you subscribe today.

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Big 10 College Football, Week 8 Schedule

Welcome to week 8 of the college football season! This is Nooz Buffet’s sixth week providing college football enthusiasts and money makers with premium content, and our product focuses on games featuring teams from the Big 10 conference. It’s going to be another exciting week with six games on the menu.

For Saturday, October 21, the schedule features two games at 12 PM, one of which is the Big 10 game of the week between Penn State and Ohio State, three games at 3:30, and one night game at 7:30. Maryland and Purdue have off this week, and Iowa is back in the AP Top 25!

Saturday, October 21st at 12 O’clock Noon

Big 10 Game of the Week: (7)Penn State, 6-0 at (3)Ohio State, 6-0

Rutgers, 5-2 at Indiana, 2-4

Saturday, October 21st at 3:30 PM

Minnesota, 3-3 at (24)Iowa, 6-1

Wisconsin, 4-2 at Illinois, 3-4

Northwestern, 3-3 at Nebraska, 3-3

Saturday, October 21st at 7:30 PM

(2)Michigan, 7-0 at Michigan State, 2-4