College Football 2020: 5 bold predictions for opening week of season

2. South Alabama will beat the spread but lose to Southern Miss

Like Arkansas State, South Alabama finds itself with a glaring underdog line of 14.5 points to Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles have plenty of talent returning to their offense including senior quarterback Jack Abraham. They will be without their main dynamic playmaker in receiver Quaz Watkins who left for the NFL draft. They expect Tim Jones and Jaylond Adams to step up.

The Jaguars found some form of consistency in the final four games of the season last year. When Desmond Trotter took over as the starting quarterback, they averaged 26 points per game as opposed to 14.6 in the first eight games. They also averaged 409 total yards per game with Trotter at quarterback as opposed to 290 in the first eight. Trotter is a reliable RPO quarterback with experienced, dynamic receivers and an experienced offensive line.

Not only do the Jaguars feel more comfortable on the offensive side of the ball but also on defense. While they will need to develop the defensive line going into the season, they are pleased with the experience of their linebackers and the changes in the secondary. In 2019, the Jaguars allowed a completion percentage of 64 from the opponent’s passing offense. This was due to changes to the starters and poor play from other secondary players.

The Golden Eagles are still expected to win this game, but it is hard to believe it will be by more than two possessions. Expect a push from the Jaguars throughout the game but expect around nine or 10-point differential very late into the fourth quarter. The Jaguars could make it a one-possession game in their final drive before the Golden Eagles finish the game by running out the clock.