“On Notice” College Football Upset Alert for Week Eight

Matt Elder of BuffaloBillsDraft.com is back to pick upsets for week eight. Back in week one Matt called the Richmond upset over Duke and since then we’ve decided to make this a weekly feature. Make sure you check out Matt’s site as he runs a scouting site so you get a lot of good information about pro prospects and he covers all conferences (big and small). This week Matt gushes over Appalachian State WR Brian Quick as he breaks him down against guys like Justin Blackmon, Ryan Broyles, Michael Floyd, Alshon Jeffrey, Jeff Fuller, Juron Criner and Nick Toon. So make sure you head over there and check that out. I looked at some of the betting odds again this week and there wasn’t a lot out there. Here is Matt’s pick:

I’ve been in such a funk that instead of usual three game pick’em we are going to try and simplify things. One game, one pick, and hopefully (pray for me) one upset. So with that in mind here is our upset pick.

Jacksonville State over Kentucky

I went 1 for 3 in FCS v. FBS matchups way back in Week 1 but I never felt as good about those picks as I do about this one. I know many Kentucky fans are looking at this game as a way to bounce back and may spark a run that could net them a few wins in the 2^nd half but I don’t see that happening. Kentucky ranks 106^th nationally in Run Defense allowing 213 yards per game on the ground. It just so happens that Jacksonville State is the spot where ex-UGA RB Washaun Ealey ended up, and we all know Ealey has plenty of talent. And if Ealey’s 598 yards and 5 TD’s weren’t enough there is Calvin Middleton’s 308 yards and 4 TD’s backing him up. Jacksonville State averages 209 yards per game on the ground and I don’t see any reason to think Kentucky will finally figure out how to stop that. I would mention the other side of the ball but the fact is that Kentucky ranks no higher than 101 in any of the four major categories (Rushing, Passing, Scoring, and Total)  and that itself will take a gargantuan effort to overcome. Finally let’s not forget this is the same Jacksonville State team that is only a year removed from when they shocked Ole Miss in multiple OT’s.

EDITOR NOTE: I know one group of guys that agree with Matt are the guys over at GamecockIllustrated.com. Here is an article they just posted on “Six Reason Why Jacksonville State Might Beat Kentucky”.