Op-ed: College football matchup predictions

by Emma Pridgen

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America runs on college football. I chose five games for the 2023 college football season for this article. I chose Duke versus Notre Dame, Syracuse versus UNC, NC State versus Duke, Tennessee versus Alabama, and Michigan versus Minnesota.

For the first game, Duke (4-0) and Notre Dame (4-1), which is on 9/30/2023, I believe Duke has the best chance at winning. Duke has a solid team this year with talented players who work well together from the games I have watched.

In all the games Duke has played so far this season, they have won, with them being in high double digits and their opponent staying in the single digits. Notre Dame is also a good team, with only one loss this season. They also have a good team, but since I am a big Duke fan, I believe Duke will take home the win in this game.

The next game is Syracuse (4-0) and UNC (4-0) on 10/7/23. Both teams have won all their games. It could be a tight matchup. After looking at past games between these teams, UNC has won, beating Syracuse by many points each time. Although I am not a huge UNC fan, I believe the game between these two teams will lead to a win by the Tar Heels.

Next are NC State (3-1) and Duke (4-0) on 10/14/23. This will be a great game. NC State has put up a fight this season, kicking off the season with 3 wins and 1 loss. In their game against Duke, I believe Duke will win. Duke has a dedicated team, and I think they can beat NC State, although I believe it will be a close game.

Tennesse (2-1) versus Alabama (3-1) is next on 10/21/23. With them being rivals, this game will be close. After looking into these teams, they both have skillful players, but with Alabama having a better record, they have a better chance of taking home the win against Tennessee.

Lastly is Michigan (4-0) and Alabama (4-0), the date yet to be announced. Both teams have had an outstanding season so far, with no losses for either team. Good things are said about both teams, but it all comes down to how the players perform at the game. Both teams have a good chance at winning, but Michigan will take home the win because they have a good lineup, and some of their players are stronger than Alabama's.