Thoughts on Three Week 7 Predictions for: #6 Kansas State Wildcats, #12 Florida State Seminoles and #7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
By Rich Lynch
Week 7 is here and for most programs, this is the mid-point of the season. Thoughts this week are on Kansas State and Notre Dame, two sleeper programs for the national championship and Florida State, which needs to win the rest of its games to get back into the BCS championship conversation.
#6 Kansas State(5-0) v. Iowa State(4-1)
When: Noon, FX
Where: Jack Thrice Stadium – Ames, IA
Weather: 70s, heavy thunderstorms
Results last season: Kansas State 30, Iowa State 23
Final Score this Season: Kansas State 28, Iowa State 17
Aahh, the annual Farmers Bowl.
Kansas State is crushing everyone that it comes across. The lead destructo-unit is senior quarterback Collin Klein. Klein is the Midwest version of Tim Tebow in that he is as effective running as he is passing. To date, Klein has 73 carries, 405 yards and two touchdowns rushing while amassing a 67 percent completion rate, 887-yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions passing. Wildcat running backs John Hubert and Daniel Sams have a combined total of 96 carries, 721 yards and 11 touchdowns. Receivers Tramaine Thompson, Chris Harper and Tyler Lockett have 42 receptions, 609 yards and five touchdowns together.
The Wildcats are stout defensively. As a unit, it’s allowing opponents just 15.5 points per game, which ranks 16th nationally. The Kansas State defense has allowed more than 20 points ONCE this season, against North Texas.
Iowa State is quietly ranked No. 25 in the Coaches Poll this week. The Cyclones have a quarterback controversy again this season between Steele Jantz and Jared Barnett. Jantz is completing 67 percent of his passes for 804 yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. Barnett saw significant time in the win over TCU, continuing a trend that started midway through last season.
Running backs Shontrelle Johnson and James White have accounted for 102 carries, 493 yards and three touchdowns. Jantz and Barnett have used a plethora of receivers including: Josh Lenz, Chris Young, Aaron Horne, Ernest Brun Junior and James White who as a group have 70 receptions, 776 yards and 11 touchdowns. Cyclone kicker Edwin Arcero has been solid, connecting on 3-4 field goal attempts between 30 and 50 yards.
Defensively, Iowa State is allowing 16 points per game to rank 19th in the country.
Iowa State is under-the-radar and this game has the potential to be a trap for Kansas State. Recall last season when #2 Oklahoma State lost in Ames to the Cyclones in overtime. Also assisting Iowa State is the fact that Kansas State must play West Virginia next weekend, and the Wildcats might be looking ahead. Kansas State has the BEST leader in the country in Collin Klein, though. Bill Snyder will have Kansas State well prepared. The Wildcats overcome the classic trap game and win on the road.
#12 Florida State(5-1) v. Boston College (1-4)
When: 5:30 pm, ESPN 2
Where: Doak-Campbell Stadium – Tallahassee, FL
Weather: 70s, clear
Results last season: Florida State 38, Boston College 7
Final Score this Season: Florida State 50, Boston College 13
Florida State looked like a juggernaut going into the N.C. State game last weekend. However, the Seminoles did not score in the second half and lost. EJ Maneul will try to get FSU back on track against a reeling Boston College.
Manuel has complete 70 percent of his passes for 1365 yards, ten touchdowns and two interceptions. Supporting Manuel in the running game are FIVE running backs, each of which have scored a touchdown this season. THE FIVE have a total of 177 carries, 1207 yards and 19 touchdowns. Manual has thrown touchdown passes to SEVEN receivers, who have a total of 87 receptions, 1245 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Defensively, Florida State is allowing 12 points per game, which ranks 7th in the country.
Boston College hired a new Director of Athletics this week, Brad Bates. Bates was lured away for Miami University in Ohio, where he had been the Athletic Director for 10 years. Under Bates, the athletic program at Miami had 14 of its 18 varsity sports win a conference title, the Yaeger Football Stadium was completely renovated and the men’s ice hockey program went to the Frozen Four two times(which is important at a hockey school like Boston College). Bates walked on to play football at Michigan and earned a Ph.D in Education from Vanderbilt.
Boston College is in the midst of its last season with lame-duck head coach Frank Spaziani. Leading the Eagle offense is quarterback Chase Rettig, who has completed 57 percent of his passes for 1526 yards, ten touchdowns and three interceptions. Andre Williams has 79 carries, 369 yards and four touchdowns as the primary running back. Receivers Alex Amidon, Johnathan Coleman, Spiffy Evans and Tajh Kimble have combined for 75 receptions, 1185 yards and nine touchdowns.
On the defensive end, the Eagles are allowing 29 points per game, 84th nationally.
Boston College is having a terrible season. BC might be the worst team in college football after losing to previously 0-for Army. After this game Florida State might rename its stadium from Doak-Campbell to SMOKED-Campbell Stadium. Florida State wins in a walk.
#7 Notre Dame(5-0) v. #17 Stanford(4-1)
When: 3:30 pm, NBC
Where: Notre Dame Stadium – South Bend, IN
Weather: 50s, thunderstorms
Results last season: Stanford 28, Notre Dame 14
Final Score this Season: Notre Dame 25, Stanford 9
Notre Dame is a having a very good season. It is undefeated against competition that is traditionally strong. On offense, the Irish have quarterback Everett Golson, who has completed 60 percent of his passes for 827 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. The Notre Dame offense is paced by running backs George Atkinson III, Theo Riddick and Cierre Wood who have 132 carries, 745 yards and eight touchdowns combined. Tight end Tyler Eifert and wide receiver T.J. Jones together have 26 receptions, 372 yards and two touchdowns.
The Notre Dame defense is seemingly impenetrable, having allowed opponents just 8 points per game this season. Aggressive senior linebacker Manti Te’o is the leader of the defense; however, the defensive line and defensive backfield attack the ball effectively and are equally aggressive.
Stanford quarterback Josh Nunes has completed 54 percent of his passes for 1145 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions this season. Running back Stefan Taylor has 119 carries, 555 yards and five touchdowns to date. Nunes focuses his passes among a corps of: Zach Ertz, Levine Toilolo and Ty Montgomery who as a trio have 52 receptions, 762 yards and four touchdowns.
The Stanford defense is solid, raking ranked 41st in the country in points allowed with 22. That total climbed significantly when it gave up 48 points last week to Arizona.
The key to the Stanford’s success this week is Nunes. Nunes looked terrible against Washington earlier in the season because the Husky defense locked down the Cardinal receivers and forced Nunes to make tough decisions with the ball. Notre Dame will force Nunes into at least two interceptions on Saturday. Look for Notre Dame to win comfortably and move into the top the five in the national polls, depending on the outcome of some other games on Saturday.