GKJ
Global Moderator
- Feb 27, 2002
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We're halfway through the regular season. The days are long, but the years are short. The weeks are even shorter.
We have three ranked matchups this week - one huge rivalry game, one moderately important one, and a top 3 matchup in prime time. And a few other rivalry games, but one team didn't hold up their end of the bargain to make it a good one.
The week has actually already started. Conference USA has weeknight games already going on. On Tuesday, Liberty went to 5-0, beating FIU in overtime. And Wednesday has New Mexico State at Jacksonville State. Fun fact: Jacksonville State is in Alabama. And there's a few more on Thursday.
Friday is busy as well - Fox College Football Friday has an unranked matchup of Northwestern at Maryland.
CBSSN has UNLV at Utah State. UNLV took the overtime loss last week vs. Syracuse, USU is only 1-4 and should be a decent win.
#16 Utah plays Arizona State on Friday After Dark on ESPN, 10:30 eastern in Tempe.
Fox does not have a good lineup again this week, their noon game won't even have Gus and Joel. Iowa is hosting Washington. Iowa is -2.5, O/U 42.5. Washington coming off a big win in their revenge-ish game against Michigan last week, Vegas is expecting a comedown.
There is absolutely no chance that #7 Alabama is looking past South Carolina. They will play at noon on ABC. Their loss to Vanderbilt last week is a clear sign we are in the end times. They're favored by 21.
#10 Clemson is creeping up the AP poll after their season opening blowout loss to Georgia, they are similarly favored by 20 at Wake Forest, noon ESPN
For some reason #21 Missouri took a game at UMass. They will have played both FBS teams from the state of Massachusetts this season. Mizzou -27.5, noon ESPN2
Mid-afternoon, we start to get serious, and few rivalries are more serious than the one named for that of the Red River, and for the first time, it will be played as an SEC conference game. Texas, on account of their bye week, reclaimed the #1 spot in the AP poll. But you can throw out the records and rankings when #18 Oklahoma is on the other side. They gave Texas their only loss of the regular season last year. Quinn Ewers looks like he returns at quarterback. Oklahoma was also on a bye after being handed one by Auburn. It's usually been a 11am local start, but this year it's 3:30 ET/2:30 local at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
Another old Rose Bowl rivalry becomes a Big Ten conference game on CBS. #4 Penn State was a big beneficiary of the carnage last week, but they go on the road to USC. Can Penn State get a win without the faculty? USC took a loss at Minnesota last week, and for that they drop from the rankings altogether after being ranked 11th. Seems a bit harsh, but Michigan took a similar tumble. Penn State is a 4.5-point favorite, but the ESPN Matchup Predictor, which I don't know means anything, favors USC.
#22 Pitt is in the rankings for the first time in a minute. They are 5-0 for the first time in like 30 years or something. However, they're only favored by 3 at home? The opponent is Cal, who while everyone was sleeping last week, choked away a 25-point lead to Miami.
Big Noon Kickoff is featuring another 4pm eastern start, and they're bringing the A-team out to Provo, as #14 BYU, also 5-0, hosts Arizona. Like I said, Fox's lineup was pretty bad, and it stung them at they gotta do another middling Big 12 game, while other networks have better Big Ten games. BYU is favored by 4.
#5 Georgia is the highest ranked 1-loss team, and have to be looking forward to perhaps an easy home win against Mississippi State. But! It's the 4:15 SEC Network game, just like Alabama was last week. Can the Bulldogs cover the 34 points.
Into prime time, SEC on ESPN 7pm game has another rivalry that's usually more heavy than it is right now. Florida has made it back to 3-2, they go to Rocky Top where #8 Tennessee got stuck in the mud with the Hogs last week. Not gonna be a happy rivalry game, especially when it's not in the spotlight.
College GameDay skips Red River this year, because they're going to stay out west for a Top 5 Big Ten matchup. NBC struck gold here, they are the network that gets to air #2 Ohio State at #3 Oregon. And that means we are assured that a top 5 team will lose for the third week in a row. Ohio State is a road favorite at -3. Both these teams have generally looked the part to date, and a loss won't either one when it comes to the Expanded College Football Playoff. Ohio State have won 9 of the 10 previous meetings, including the 2014 College Football National Championship but Oregon won the last one, which took place in Columbus in 2021. Both teams boasting top transfer quarterbacks, top receivers, top offenses, etc. First time Autzen Stadum hosts a Top 3 matchup. A+ schools.
SEC on ABC prime time has a good matchup of #9 Ole Miss at #13 LSU - the rare night game in Death Valley. And it's an important game with both teams having one loss. A second will make it extremely difficult to run the table and get into the Expanded College Football Playoff - which should be a must for both Lane Kiffin and Brian Kelly, or the boosters are going to be screaming.
Fox's best game is in prime time, and one of the bigger surprises of the season, though you can't always be too surprised once Matt Campbell gets the wheels rolling out in Ames. #11 Iowa State looks like they might have a tough one as they go on the road to West Virginia, with ISU giving just 3, so this one is trending to be a close one.
We got two ranked teams playing After Dark, and perhaps maybe the highest rated one we'll ever see, because Coach Prime is going to keep people up late when they host #18 Kansas State. Two week ago out at UCF, Colorado finally played a game that they kept telling everyone was out there for them, in a 48-21 win. Two 4-1 teams do battle here, and with a win, Colorado will definitely re-enter the AP Top 25, but can they find two more wins to be bowl-eligible? K-State is favored by 4.5, so stay up late to see if Travis Hunter gets another Heisman Pose moment. ESPN gets the game, 10:15 eastern.
Out in the MWC, #17 Boise State is the conference's only ranked team, and they get an all-expenses paid trip to Hawai'i. 21 point favorites.
We have three ranked matchups this week - one huge rivalry game, one moderately important one, and a top 3 matchup in prime time. And a few other rivalry games, but one team didn't hold up their end of the bargain to make it a good one.
The week has actually already started. Conference USA has weeknight games already going on. On Tuesday, Liberty went to 5-0, beating FIU in overtime. And Wednesday has New Mexico State at Jacksonville State. Fun fact: Jacksonville State is in Alabama. And there's a few more on Thursday.
Friday is busy as well - Fox College Football Friday has an unranked matchup of Northwestern at Maryland.
CBSSN has UNLV at Utah State. UNLV took the overtime loss last week vs. Syracuse, USU is only 1-4 and should be a decent win.
#16 Utah plays Arizona State on Friday After Dark on ESPN, 10:30 eastern in Tempe.
Fox does not have a good lineup again this week, their noon game won't even have Gus and Joel. Iowa is hosting Washington. Iowa is -2.5, O/U 42.5. Washington coming off a big win in their revenge-ish game against Michigan last week, Vegas is expecting a comedown.
There is absolutely no chance that #7 Alabama is looking past South Carolina. They will play at noon on ABC. Their loss to Vanderbilt last week is a clear sign we are in the end times. They're favored by 21.
#10 Clemson is creeping up the AP poll after their season opening blowout loss to Georgia, they are similarly favored by 20 at Wake Forest, noon ESPN
For some reason #21 Missouri took a game at UMass. They will have played both FBS teams from the state of Massachusetts this season. Mizzou -27.5, noon ESPN2
Mid-afternoon, we start to get serious, and few rivalries are more serious than the one named for that of the Red River, and for the first time, it will be played as an SEC conference game. Texas, on account of their bye week, reclaimed the #1 spot in the AP poll. But you can throw out the records and rankings when #18 Oklahoma is on the other side. They gave Texas their only loss of the regular season last year. Quinn Ewers looks like he returns at quarterback. Oklahoma was also on a bye after being handed one by Auburn. It's usually been a 11am local start, but this year it's 3:30 ET/2:30 local at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
Another old Rose Bowl rivalry becomes a Big Ten conference game on CBS. #4 Penn State was a big beneficiary of the carnage last week, but they go on the road to USC. Can Penn State get a win without the faculty? USC took a loss at Minnesota last week, and for that they drop from the rankings altogether after being ranked 11th. Seems a bit harsh, but Michigan took a similar tumble. Penn State is a 4.5-point favorite, but the ESPN Matchup Predictor, which I don't know means anything, favors USC.
#22 Pitt is in the rankings for the first time in a minute. They are 5-0 for the first time in like 30 years or something. However, they're only favored by 3 at home? The opponent is Cal, who while everyone was sleeping last week, choked away a 25-point lead to Miami.
Big Noon Kickoff is featuring another 4pm eastern start, and they're bringing the A-team out to Provo, as #14 BYU, also 5-0, hosts Arizona. Like I said, Fox's lineup was pretty bad, and it stung them at they gotta do another middling Big 12 game, while other networks have better Big Ten games. BYU is favored by 4.
#5 Georgia is the highest ranked 1-loss team, and have to be looking forward to perhaps an easy home win against Mississippi State. But! It's the 4:15 SEC Network game, just like Alabama was last week. Can the Bulldogs cover the 34 points.
Into prime time, SEC on ESPN 7pm game has another rivalry that's usually more heavy than it is right now. Florida has made it back to 3-2, they go to Rocky Top where #8 Tennessee got stuck in the mud with the Hogs last week. Not gonna be a happy rivalry game, especially when it's not in the spotlight.
College GameDay skips Red River this year, because they're going to stay out west for a Top 5 Big Ten matchup. NBC struck gold here, they are the network that gets to air #2 Ohio State at #3 Oregon. And that means we are assured that a top 5 team will lose for the third week in a row. Ohio State is a road favorite at -3. Both these teams have generally looked the part to date, and a loss won't either one when it comes to the Expanded College Football Playoff. Ohio State have won 9 of the 10 previous meetings, including the 2014 College Football National Championship but Oregon won the last one, which took place in Columbus in 2021. Both teams boasting top transfer quarterbacks, top receivers, top offenses, etc. First time Autzen Stadum hosts a Top 3 matchup. A+ schools.
SEC on ABC prime time has a good matchup of #9 Ole Miss at #13 LSU - the rare night game in Death Valley. And it's an important game with both teams having one loss. A second will make it extremely difficult to run the table and get into the Expanded College Football Playoff - which should be a must for both Lane Kiffin and Brian Kelly, or the boosters are going to be screaming.
Fox's best game is in prime time, and one of the bigger surprises of the season, though you can't always be too surprised once Matt Campbell gets the wheels rolling out in Ames. #11 Iowa State looks like they might have a tough one as they go on the road to West Virginia, with ISU giving just 3, so this one is trending to be a close one.
We got two ranked teams playing After Dark, and perhaps maybe the highest rated one we'll ever see, because Coach Prime is going to keep people up late when they host #18 Kansas State. Two week ago out at UCF, Colorado finally played a game that they kept telling everyone was out there for them, in a 48-21 win. Two 4-1 teams do battle here, and with a win, Colorado will definitely re-enter the AP Top 25, but can they find two more wins to be bowl-eligible? K-State is favored by 4.5, so stay up late to see if Travis Hunter gets another Heisman Pose moment. ESPN gets the game, 10:15 eastern.
Out in the MWC, #17 Boise State is the conference's only ranked team, and they get an all-expenses paid trip to Hawai'i. 21 point favorites.
