Weekend Walk-through: Week Four, 2022

Here’s a quick walk-through of things we are watching this weekend in games we did not preview individually. Items will appear in the order they will appear on your televisions this weekend.

Iowa State Looking to Continue Hot Start (12 EST, ESPN 2)

Iowa State is replacing a lot of talent and leadership from last year’s team. Gone are Brock Purdy, Breece Hall, Charlie Kolar, Mike Rose, Greg Eisworth and Jake Hummel. Not only stars on the field, but the leaders that had helped Matt Campbell revive the Cyclones football program. Somehow, despite the key losses Iowa State has reloaded and is off to a 3 – 0 start to the season, including a win over Iowa in the Cy-Hawk game.

Campbell’s 2022 team has reloaded at key spots, led by sophomore quarterback Hunter Dekkers who is completing over 74 percent of his passes and running back Jirehl Brock who has averaged 5.6 yards per carry. Additionally, the returning stars like Xavier Hutchinson and Will McDonald are drawing more attention from opponents and continue to make plays. A tough test awaits Saturday, when reigning Big-12 champion, Baylor visits Ames.

The Bears are 2 – 1 with two easy wins and a hard fought overtime loss against BYU. The Cyclones have played well the first quarter of the season, but it will be interesting to see how they fare in Big-12 play with so many new faces in key places.

Iowa State Cyclones Gear

Sonny Dykes vs SMU (12 EST, ESPNU)

TCU‘s Sonny Dykes is in the first year of his tenure with the Horned Frogs. Before landing in Fort Worth, he spent the previous five seasons in nearby Dallas as the head coach for SMU. As the college football Gods would have it, SMU would hire Dykes’ former offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee and the two teams would face each other in year one under their new coaches.

When TCU hired Dykes, they expected him to bring a high powered offense with him. While the competition has not been particularly stiff to date, Dykes has delivered with 48.5 points per game and 8.4 yards per play. The Horned Frogs have been able to get their premium athletes in space, allowing them to make big plays. Dykes is still just in the early stages of his tenure, but his impact is already showing up on offense.

SMU may have lost Dykes, but by hiring Lashlee they hope to maintain some continuity on offense. Lashlee was Dykes’ offensive coordinator in 2018 and 2019 at SMU, before taking the same job at Miami the last two seasons. He returned for the SMU head coaching job, and despite a 34 – 27 loss to Maryland last week has maintained a high scoring offense. The Mustangs are averaging 40 points per game and 6.8 yards per play this year. This will be TCU’s most dangerous opponent to date, and one with a more personal feel.

Clemson and Wake Forest in a Key ACC Match-up (12 EST, ABC)

Clemson didn’t win the ACC in 2021, in fact after six straight conference titles the Tigers didn’t even play in the ACC Championship game last year. It was Wake Forest that represented the Atlantic division in the championship game a year ago. For Clemson, 2022 is about getting their offense back on track and taking back their spot atop the division and conference. Meanwhile, Wake Forest is out to prove that last season was not a fluke but an indicator of how far the Demon Deacons program has come. Saturday, those goals collide.

Wake Forest has a potent offense, led by star quarterback Sam Hartman, who made his return to the team in week two, but there are questions about how good the defense is. On the other hand, Clemson has a dominant defense led by one of the most feared fronts in college football, but there are still doubts about the quarterback and offense. With somewhat conflicting styles, these two Atlantic division contenders facing off will be one of the more entertaining match-ups this weekend.

Michigan Gets a Tougher Test at Maryland (12 EST, FOX)

Michigan had a big 2021 season, they finally beat Ohio State, won the Big Ten and qualified for the College Football Playoff. In 2022, the Wolverines will look to build on that success and show 2021 was not an aberration. Michigan has been steamrolling their opponents so far in 2022, but the first three teams they played could be the three worst FBS teams in 2022. While Maryland is not a traditional power, or even a true threat in the Big Ten right now, they are undefeated and have a solid win over SMU on their resume. This will be a step up in competition for new starting quarterback JJ McCarthy and the offense. Also providing a much bigger challenge for the Michigan defense, as the Terps are averaging 40.3 points per game and 8.1 yards per play this season. While Michigan should win this game fairly comfortably, it will be interesting to see how the team responds to a tougher opponent.

Michigan Wolverines Gear

Drake Maye and Young UNC Offense Face a Tough Defense (3:30 EST, ABC)

Early this season, Drake Maye has been everything North Carolina could hope for. The second year signal caller has been a star on the field, making big plays and leading a young offense to an impressive 51.3 points per game. His team is 3 – 0 and coming off a bye week. In week four they will face a stout Notre Dame defense.

Notre Dame has seen it’s struggles in 2022, but the majority of those struggles have been on offense. The defense has played well, holding a potent Ohio State offense to 21 points in week one. A pick six got Marshall to 26 points, but the defense clamped down against Cal and held them to 17 to help the team get it’s first win. Notre Dame’s defense is better than any that North Carolina has seen to date and will be a new challenge for the Tar Heels young weapons.

Maye has excelled, but he is not the only young star playing a key role for the North Carolina offense. The team’s leading rusher is true freshman, Omarion Hampton and the leading receiver is red-shirt freshman, Kobe Paysour. The offense will get a boost when star receiver, Josh Downs, returns from injury this week, but this is a young offense that will have to rise to the occasion. If the Tar Heels can put together a big performance this Saturday, the hype train will be flying down the tracks at full speed.

Indiana Looking for Payback Against Cincinnati (3:30 EST, ESPN 2)

Last season, Cincinnati used two big out of conference wins against Notre Dame and Indiana to strengthen their resume and make the college football playoff. While the win against Indiana, propelled Cincinnati to new heights, the Hoosiers fell apart the rest of the season finishing a disappointing 2 – 10. In 2022, it’s an undefeated Indiana team that’s visiting one loss Cincinnati hoping to return the favor from a year ago.

While Indiana is undefeated, the Hoosiers haven’t made it look easy, squeaking out late wins against Illinois and Western Kentucky. On the other sideline, Cincinnati’s one loss was by seven on the road against a good Arkansas team. Since then the Bearcats have taken care of business against Kennesaw State and Miami (Ohio). Luke Fickell’s team had a great season a year ago, but they are determined to prove that they are ready to be a top team year after year, not just a one hit wonder.

Revenge for Indiana, or a new standard for Cincinnati, only one can prevail on Saturday.

Arkansas’ Opportunity in the SEC West? (7 EST, ESPN)

Sam Pittman has quickly turned around the Arkansas program during his tenure. The Razorbacks won nine games in 2021, including a 20 – 10 win over Texas A&M. The Aggies finished the season with eight wins and behind Arkansas in the SEC West standings. Nonetheless, it was the Aggies that were ranked well ahead of Arkansas in the polls to start 2022. Saturday, Arkansas will look to repeat their success against Texas A&M from a year ago and prove that they have overtaken the Aggies as SEC West contenders.

To do that, Pittman will rely on star quarterback KJ Jefferson and second year running back Raheim Sanders. The duo has been practically unstoppable in 2022, but this will be the best defense they have faced all season. Texas A&M has had it’s struggles on offense, but the defense has stepped up. They only allowed 17 points in the loss to Appalachian State and improved on that against Miami giving up just nine points.

Jefferson will have to continue to make plays with his legs and continue to display the precision he has shown in the passing game so far this year. Sanders has gone over 100 yards in all three games this year, he will need to put together another big performance to help his backfield mate put enough points on the board to beat Texas A&M. Arkansas is trending up, they need to continue to win big conference games to show that they are truly in the upper echelon of the conference.

Arkansas Razorbacks Gear

Undefeated Rutgers Hosts Iowa (7 EST, FS1)

Rutgers has started the 2022 season 3 – 0. The Scarlet Knights have not made it look easy and they certainly have not been overly impressive in either of their two games against FBS opponents, but they are halfway to bowl eligibility. They will host a 2 – 1 Iowa team this week that has one of the best defenses in college football, but also one of the worst offenses in the sport.

Since joining the Big Ten in 2014, Rutgers has only won 12 conference games. Five of those wins have come during the last two seasons with Greg Schiano at the helm. Saturday is an opportunity for Schiano’s team to grab another Big Ten win and continue to build the program into a true threat in the conference. Rutgers did not dominate against Boston College in the season opener, but they did make the big plays needed late to find a way to win. Again against Temple this week, Rutgers did not play very well overall, but with the game in the balance, it was the Scarlet Knights that made the big plays.

This team has a just find a way to win mentality that comes from their head coach. Rutgers plays good run defense, puts pressure on the quarterback and keeps chopping away on offense until they can find a way to put points on the scoreboard. It’s not pretty, it doesn’t dominate highlight shows, but the style has worked so far this year. Most importantly, it’s probably a good formula to take on Iowa. The Hawkeyes offense has done little with out big plays in the running game. If Rutgers stops the run Saturday, this becomes a defensive struggle that the Scarlet Knights could come out of at 4 – 0.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights Gear

Badgers Provide Good Test for Ohio State’s Run Defense (7:30 EST, ABC)

Ohio State only lost two games a year ago, but in both of those losses the Buckeyes struggled to stop the run. Both Oregon and Michigan ran for over 250 yards at over 7 yards per carry against the Buckeyes. Early in 2022, Jim Knowles’ defense has played much better, but that run defense will be tested Saturday night against Wisconsin.

So far in 2022, Ohio State has been able to create negative plays in the run game with a disruptive defensive front and sound play by the linebackers and safeties. Wisconsin has a tradition of running the ball downhill and their star running back, Braelon Allen, is as powerful a runner as there is in college football. This game will test Ohio State’s ability to hold up at the point of attack and tackle a bruising runner. If they give Allen lanes and let him get to the second level, he’s going to have a big day.

Ohio State has national championship aspirations in 2022. To reach that goal they will have to prove they can defend a power running game for four quarters. There’s no better way to find out than against Wisconsin.

Ohio State Buckeyes Gear

Kansas State vs Oklahoma, Another Close Game? (8 EST, FOX)

Oklahoma dominated Nebraska a week ago and Kansas State fell 17 – 10 against Tulane. On paper this Saturday’s game between the two teams may look like a bit of a mismatch. The recent history between the two teams however, has not gone according to script and there’s a good chance this game won’t either.

For some reason, Chris Klieman’s teams have made a habit of giving Oklahoma trouble. Klieman took over as the head coach for the Wildcats in 2019 and ended Oklahoma’s undefeated season with a thrilling 48 – 41 win at home. In 2020, the Sooners built a big lead at home, but Kansas State pulled off an improbable come from behind win, even Oklahoma’s 2021 win was a hard fought 37 – 31 game that came down to the fourth quarter. For whatever reason, Klieman’s teams save their best for Oklahoma, so there’s no reason to expect any different in 2022.

Oklahoma is 3 – 0 and appears to be playing good offense and a much better brand of defense than we have seen in recent years. Brent Venables has gotten off to a fast start in his tenure, but Saturday’s game is likely to be an interesting test for the Sooners. Don’t be surprised to see it come down to the wire, for some reason Oklahoma and Kansas State games just seem to go that way lately.

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