Certainly, a slower week than
last week, but still some very interesting games.
Weekday Slate (Thursday &
Friday)
Navy at Memphis (7:00 pm, ESPN)
This is fun Thursday game where a
good team plays host to a triple option team and almost none of you reading
this will watch because the Packers are on Thursday night.
Penn State at Maryland (7:00 pm,
FS1)
The second what’s the Big Ten going
to look like game in two weeks after the Wisconsin-Michigan game last week. Penn
State had trouble with Pitt much later into the game than they probably should
have. Maryland’s last showing was a disappointing showing on the road against
Temple. I think Maryland is improved but Penn State is much more talented
across the board.
Arizona State at California (9:30
pm, ESPN)
This is a scary one because Cal
is clearly the better team, but this is #Pac12AfterDark and Herm’s luck mixed
into one and that’s not great if you’re backing Cal. On a more serious note, Cal’s
defense is legitimately good and the offense came alive against Ole Miss. Arizona
State beat Michigan State in the least watchable game of the century and lost at
home to Colorado.
Early Slate (11:00 am to 11:30
am)
Northwestern at Wisconsin (11:00
am, ABC)
It’s a bit of a sparse early
slate but this could be interesting for a quarter or so with Wisconsin coming off
a whooping of Michigan last week. Also, Northwestern always finds a way to keep
this one close.
Northern Illinois at Vanderbilt (11:00
am, SEC Network)
Northern Illinois’s last marquee
matchup (Nebraska) was much less exciting than it was expected to be but they
should give Vandy a run for their money.
BYU at Toledo (11:00 am, ESPN+)
BYU’s swagger took a bit of a hit
against Washington last week and are now 3-1 against FBS teams, and now get a
stiff test in the Toledo Rockets. To make that test harder they travel east for
an early game against a Toledo offense that’s good enough to take advantage of
a slow start.
Texas A&M at Arkansas (11:00
am, ESPN)
Don’t watch this game, until it inevitably
is a one score game with 2 minutes left because the ending will be the best
kind of stupid possible (see: 4th & 25 from a few years back).
Home
|
Away
|
Home
Rating
|
Away
Rating
|
My
Spread
|
Win%
|
Date
|
Time
|
TV
|
Memphis
|
Navy
|
5.835
|
-7.309
|
15.218
|
66.5%
|
9/26
|
19:00
|
ESPN
|
Virginia Tech
|
Duke
|
6.698
|
11.807
|
-0.956
|
51.4%
|
9/27
|
18:00
|
ESPN
|
Maryland
|
Penn State
|
6.390
|
14.018
|
-4.891
|
55.6%
|
9/27
|
19:00
|
FS1
|
Air Force
|
San Jose State
|
0.362
|
-13.886
|
16.238
|
67.5%
|
9/27
|
19:00
|
CBSSN
|
California
|
Arizona State
|
11.117
|
5.761
|
7.802
|
58.6%
|
9/27
|
21:30
|
ESPN
|
Oklahoma
|
Texas Tech
|
28.674
|
2.330
|
31.449
|
83.8%
|
9/28
|
11:00
|
-
|
Michigan
|
Rutgers
|
18.249
|
-16.202
|
40.331
|
93.4%
|
9/28
|
11:00
|
BTN
|
Arkansas
|
Texas A&M
|
-12.171
|
11.110
|
-23.282
|
75.0%
|
9/28
|
11:00
|
ESPN
|
Wisconsin
|
Northwestern
|
17.180
|
2.521
|
19.416
|
70.9%
|
9/28
|
11:00
|
ABC
|
Iowa
|
Middle Tennessee
|
17.948
|
-8.943
|
31.228
|
83.5%
|
9/28
|
11:00
|
ESPN2
|
Syracuse
|
Holy Cross
|
10.454
|
-22.636
|
35.487
|
-
|
9/28
|
11:00
|
ACCN
|
Vanderbilt
|
Northern Illinois
|
-3.252
|
-0.652
|
-0.037
|
50.5%
|
9/28
|
11:00
|
SECN
|
TCU
|
Kansas
|
8.348
|
-6.783
|
18.848
|
70.3%
|
9/28
|
11:00
|
FS1
|
Miami (OH)
|
Buffalo
|
-10.556
|
-4.712
|
-4.137
|
54.8%
|
9/28
|
11:00
|
ESPNU
|
Western Michigan
|
Central Michigan
|
1.177
|
-17.327
|
20.045
|
71.6%
|
9/28
|
11:00
|
CBSSN
|
Toledo
|
BYU
|
-1.565
|
0.534
|
0.205
|
50.6%
|
9/28
|
11:00
|
ESPN+
|
Pittsburgh
|
Delaware
|
5.148
|
-22.636
|
30.062
|
-
|
9/28
|
11:30
|
ACCN
|
North Carolina
|
Clemson
|
-2.760
|
38.016
|
-37.498
|
90.3%
|
9/28
|
14:30
|
ABC
|
Alabama
|
Mississippi
|
36.837
|
-5.045
|
47.393
|
100.0%
|
9/28
|
14:30
|
CBS
|
Washington
|
USC
|
13.973
|
10.884
|
7.440
|
58.2%
|
9/28
|
14:30
|
FOX
|
Michigan State
|
Indiana
|
17.855
|
7.969
|
14.454
|
65.6%
|
9/28
|
14:30
|
BTN
|
Baylor
|
Iowa State
|
11.887
|
11.182
|
4.390
|
55.0%
|
9/28
|
14:30
|
ESPN
|
Purdue
|
Minnesota
|
0.170
|
13.955
|
-10.726
|
61.7%
|
9/28
|
14:30
|
ESPN2
|
Boston College
|
Wake Forest
|
0.092
|
10.983
|
-8.125
|
59.0%
|
9/28
|
14:30
|
ACCN
|
Temple
|
Georgia Tech
|
1.222
|
-3.797
|
6.303
|
57.1%
|
9/28
|
14:30
|
CBSSN
|
Notre Dame
|
Virginia
|
25.941
|
13.692
|
17.065
|
68.4%
|
9/28
|
14:30
|
NBC
|
Appalachian State
|
Coastal Carolina
|
11.427
|
-3.985
|
18.252
|
69.7%
|
9/28
|
14:30
|
ESPN+
|
Charlotte
|
FAU
|
-2.908
|
-7.061
|
6.268
|
57.0%
|
9/28
|
14:30
|
NFL
|
UMASS
|
Akron
|
-39.591
|
-31.510
|
-7.002
|
57.8%
|
9/28
|
14:30
|
-
|
Florida
|
Towson
|
23.462
|
-22.636
|
51.072
|
-
|
9/28
|
15:00
|
SECN
|
USF
|
SMU
|
-8.558
|
11.683
|
-18.379
|
69.8%
|
9/28
|
15:00
|
ESPNU
|
Marshall
|
Cincinnati
|
1.254
|
13.646
|
-10.691
|
61.7%
|
9/28
|
16:00
|
-
|
Georgia Southern
|
Louisiana
|
0.898
|
5.453
|
-2.799
|
53.4%
|
9/28
|
17:00
|
ESPN+
|
Liberty
|
New Mexico
|
-6.616
|
-17.048
|
11.922
|
63.0%
|
9/28
|
17:00
|
ESPN+
|
Old Dominion
|
East Carolina
|
-21.695
|
-12.703
|
-6.010
|
56.7%
|
9/28
|
17:00
|
ESPN+
|
Troy
|
Arkansas State
|
-1.234
|
-2.539
|
3.705
|
54.3%
|
9/28
|
17:00
|
ESPN+
|
Auburn
|
Mississippi State
|
24.288
|
12.754
|
16.541
|
67.9%
|
9/28
|
18:00
|
ESPN
|
UCF
|
Connecticut
|
17.783
|
-20.338
|
41.117
|
94.3%
|
9/28
|
18:00
|
ESPN2
|
Oregon State
|
Stanford
|
-4.903
|
-0.327
|
-1.837
|
52.4%
|
9/28
|
18:00
|
P12N
|
Oklahoma State
|
Kansas State
|
9.972
|
9.848
|
3.980
|
54.6%
|
9/28
|
18:00
|
ESPN+
|
Texas State
|
Nicholls State
|
-14.133
|
-22.636
|
9.861
|
-
|
9/28
|
18:00
|
ESPN3
|
ULM
|
South Alabama
|
-6.891
|
-23.864
|
17.472
|
68.8%
|
9/28
|
18:00
|
ESPN+
|
Southern Miss
|
UTEP
|
1.671
|
-35.915
|
39.484
|
92.5%
|
9/28
|
18:00
|
ESPN+
|
WKU
|
UAB
|
-23.053
|
-0.220
|
-20.932
|
72.5%
|
9/28
|
18:00
|
ESPN+
|
Rice
|
Louisiana Tech
|
-24.290
|
-0.667
|
-22.596
|
74.3%
|
9/28
|
18:00
|
ESPN3
|
Nebraska
|
Ohio State
|
7.898
|
32.755
|
-19.561
|
71.1%
|
9/28
|
18:30
|
ABC
|
Florida State
|
NC State
|
4.578
|
5.329
|
3.570
|
54.2%
|
9/28
|
18:30
|
ACCN
|
South Carolina
|
Kentucky
|
0.622
|
6.428
|
-1.140
|
51.6%
|
9/28
|
18:30
|
SECN
|
Utah State
|
Colorado State
|
6.044
|
-22.970
|
31.308
|
83.6%
|
9/28
|
18:30
|
CBSSN
|
Wyoming
|
UNLV
|
2.257
|
-17.478
|
21.550
|
73.2%
|
9/28
|
19:00
|
ESPNU
|
New Mexico State
|
Fresno State
|
-22.098
|
-1.287
|
-19.734
|
71.2%
|
9/28
|
19:00
|
-
|
North Texas
|
Houston
|
-5.043
|
-8.749
|
5.741
|
56.5%
|
9/28
|
19:00
|
-
|
Utah
|
Washington State
|
16.682
|
6.623
|
13.926
|
65.1%
|
9/28
|
21:00
|
FS1
|
Arizona
|
UCLA
|
2.881
|
-1.268
|
7.229
|
58.0%
|
9/28
|
21:30
|
ESPN
|
Nevada
|
Hawaii
|
-3.016
|
5.356
|
-6.794
|
57.6%
|
9/28
|
21:30
|
ESPN2
|
Midday Slate (2:30 pm to 3:00 pm)
Iowa State at Baylor (2:30 pm,
ESPN)
The midday slate is the weakest
part of this slate but we need to figure out the middle of the Big 12 and this
game goes pretty far to telling us if Iowa State is really the 3rd
best team in the conference of if we have like 5, fifth place teams in the conference.
Minnesota at Purdue (2:30 pm,
ESPN2)
The Big Ten West is probably bad except
for Iowa and Wisconsin but that doesn’t mean there won’t be some close, entertaining,
bad games between the 3-7 teams. Watch Rondale Moore, follow the drama that
could be the P.J. Fleck wardrobe and job situations.
Wake Forest at Boston College
(2:30 pm, ACC Network)
Watch this one because Wake is good,
Boston College is bad, and we should all enjoy a good Wake team. Plus, I want
to see if BC can play a worse game than that loss to Kansas.
Georgia Tech at Temple (2:30 pm,
CBSSN)
Temple beat Maryland, and Georgia
Tech is a fascinating study in switching offensive philosophies and now they
get a stiff G5 test on the road in Philly.
Virginia at Notre Dame (2:30 pm,
NBC)
Notre Dame hosts Virginia who slept
walk through a half in their look-head game last weekend against ODU. If ND is
a good as we thought this preseason, they find a way to destroy this UVA team,
but that will require the offense to be… something, anything they haven’t been
so far this season.
Evening Slate (4:00 pm to 7:00
pm)
I want to preface these previews
by saying that I have little interest in the “Marquee” games in the evening but
find this evening slate to be absolutely fascinating for a number of G5
conference races.
Cincinnati at Marshall (4:00 pm, Find
it Online)
I don’t know what either of these
teams is. Cincinnati took it to what we now know is a poor UCLA team and then got
run off the field by Ohio State. Marshall lost a closer than it was game to
Boise and as close as it looked game against Ohio two weeks ago. A close game probably
means both are middle of the road teams in their respective conferences, but a big
win could show us a team more like we expected coming into the year.
Louisiana at Georgia Southern
(5:00 pm, ESPN+)
Louisiana gets a stiff road test
as favorites in their conference opener, in a look ahead spot with a marquee
matchup with App State at home next week. Southern looks to be better than a couple
recent poor performances but what I’m interested is do they have the horses to
stay with ULL.
Arkansas State at Troy (5:00 pm,
ESPN+)
Another good Sun Belt matchup,
this one doesn’t have as much buzz as it has had in recent seasons, but I have
it inside a 4 point spread and it should be a load of fun if Arkansas State can
take advantage of a poor Troy defense.
Mississippi State at Auburn (6:00
pm, ESPN)
If anyone is going to throw a wrench
in the SEC West race it’s Auburn but they have to avoid their concentration slip
ups and a home game against Miss State off a emotional win over A&M means Auburn
is in prime shape for a letdown-look ahead sandwich a top 10 matchup on the horizon
against Florida.
Kansas State at Oklahoma State (6:00
pm, ESPN+)
We’ve seen Kansas State beat
Mississippi State and Oklahoma State played Texas close and eventually put a
good Tulsa team away. And I still don’t feel like we really know what either of
these two teams is. Much like Iowa State-Baylor this’ll help us figure out 3-7 in
the Big 12.
Late Night Slate (9:00pm to 9:30
pm)
Washington State at Utah (9:00
pm, FS1)
A matchup of two teams that got
#Pac12AfterDark’d in very different ways last week. Utah got third string QB’d
on a Friday, on the road, and Wazzu lost that late-night thriller in much more
traditional #Pac12AfterDark fashion blowing a 32-point lead in a back and forth
thriller.
UCLA at Arizona (9:30pm, ESPN)
UCLA is coming of a high unlike
most teams have every felt and are almost certainly going to come back to earth.
I don’t know what this game is going to be but there is a chance both QBs just
throw haymakers back and forth, but oddly enough the Wildcat defense may be the
key to the game.
Hawaii at Nevada (9:30pm, ESPN2)
A battle of two of my favorite G5
teams in the early seasons, and a good MWC matchup, and a late-night Hawaii
game make this one just a fun one to watch.
So, not as flashy a week with a
thin early and midday slate but an underrated post 5:00 pm slate to finish out
the day.
