#but the south dakota/iowa rivalry is real

[drummah-in-a-rocknroll-band]

okay quick rant but y’know that one character from s4 e20 of mash who was from south dakota? he says he’s from chicken falls, but as far as i know that place doesn’t exist. i know it’s inconsequential but it still bugs me.

rockerville or hill city are actually places 20 minutes from mt. rushmore and they could’ve just picked one of those! hell they could’ve even picked custer (which is a bit father but more known)

(p.s. you’ll never guess where i’m from)

[thecollegefootballguy]

The Real 2020 Season: Week 3

Hello everyone, welcome to Week 3 of The Real 2020 Season! We’re imagining how things would have gone in the 2020 football season if COVID hadn’t ruined everything.

Check out the previous weeks here if you’d like a bit of context: Week 0, Week 1, Week 2

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The Rankings

Week 3 AP Poll

1. Clemson 2-0 (2-0) 2. Alabama 2-0 (0-0) 3. Georgia 2-0 (0-0) 4. Oklahoma 2-0 (0-0) 5. Oregon 2-0 (0-0) 6. Florida 2-0 (1-0) 7. Texas 2-0 (0-0) 8. Notre Dame 2-0 9. Auburn 2-0 (0-0) 10. Texas A&M 2-0 (0-0) 11. Ohio State 1-1 (0-0) 12. Oklahoma State 2-0 (0-0) 13. Washington 2-0 (0-0) 14. LSU 1-1 (0-0) 15. UCF 2-0 (0-0) 16. Minnesota 2-0 (0-0) 17. Utah 2-0 (0-0) 18. Iowa 2-0 (0-0) 19. Indiana 2-0 (1-0) 20. USC 1-1 (0-0) 21. Cincinnati 2-0 (0-0) 22. Penn State 1-1 (0-0) 23. Missouri 2-0 (1-0) 24. Liberty 2-0 25. Memphis 2-0 (0-0)

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The Narrative

The biggest news around the college football landscape are the ripples emanating from three upsets of top ten teams the week before. Ohio State’s and Penn State’s losses in particular are severely hurting the Big Ten. The whole league, widely regarded as the second strongest conference in the nation after the SEC, now more or less looks like they have no team with a wide open shot at the Playoff only 2 weeks in. It’ll be a continuing problem for the whole season. LSU’s loss to Texas in Baton Rouge shocked the defending champions, but the SEC as a whole is in a much stronger position relative to the Big Ten even with the Tigers’ loss. They have 5 teams in the top ten after all.

Oregon’s win over Ohio State finally means the PAC-12 has a legitimate Playoff contender. It has been a long time in the wilderness for the Conference of Champions but the Ducks are definitely building momentum for a huge season.

As for the G5, the AAC has a huge lead over the rest of the conferences at that level. Even if a Boise State or an App State has a huge season they’ll have to defer to the American champ unless the league eats itself.

Many teams still haven’t played a quality opponent so far in the season so there still is a lot shrouded in mystery.

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The Games

We’re beginning to see a blending of both non-conference games as well as league play within several conferences. It still isn’t a super-exciting slate for many fans, but the game of the week is certainly the contest between #2 Alabama and #3 Georgia.

Winning teams are highlighted in bold.

Incarnate Word at Baylor UNLV at Iowa State Boston College at Kansas Vanderbilt at Kansas State Western Illinois at #12 Oklahoma State UTEP at #7 Texas Arizona at Texas Tech Maryland at West Virginia Ball State at #19 Indiana Arkansas State at Michigan San Jose State at #22 Penn State Rutgers at Temple #18 Iowa at #16 Minnesota South Dakota State at Nebraska Central Michigan at Northwestern Air Force at Purdue Appalachian State at Wisconsin Charlotte at Duke Florida Atlantic at Georgia Southern FIU at Old Dominion Marshall at Ohio Virginia Tech at Middle Tennessee #24 Liberty at Western Kentucky Prairie View A&M at Louisiana Tech SMU at North Texas #14 LSU vs Rice Jackson State at Southern Miss UAB at Miami FL Grambling State at UTSA Akron at #1 Clemson Miami OH at #21 Cincinnati Kent State at Kentucky Northern Illinois at Eastern Michigan Western Michigan at #8 Notre Dame Florida State at Boise State Northern Colorado at Colorado State New Mexico at New Mexico State Utah State at #13 Washington #17 Utah at Wyoming Nevada at South Florida UCLA at San Diego State Portland State at Oregon State #20 USC at Stanford Idaho at Washington State BYU at Arizona State Colorado at #10 Texas A&M South Alabama at #6 Florida #3 Georgia at #2 Alabama #23 Missouri at South Carolina Furman at Tennessee Arkansas at Mississippi State #9 Auburn at Ole Miss Duquesne at Coastal Carolina Louisiana at Georgia State NC State at Troy Texas State at Louisiana-Monroe Connecticut at Virginia Albany at Massachusetts Norfolk State at East Carolina Houston at #25 Memphis Navy at Tulane Northwestern State at Tulsa #15 UCF at Georgia Tech Murray State at Louisville Colgate at Syracuse Villanova at Wake Forest James Madison at North Carolina Richmond at Pittsburgh

Well it’s still not exactly a banner week. The titanic clash between #2 Alabama and #3 Georgia sort of lived up to expectations, although the Bulldogs really did look a step too slow for the Crimson Tide. It doesn’t necessarily mean that UGA is out of the Playoff race, the SEC champion will be in the Top 4 under basically any circumstances, but they’re gonna need an answer for the likely rematch with Alabama if they do make it to Atlanta.

The rest of the top five breezed through their matchups as #1 Clemson dispatched Akron and #5 Oregon brushed aside Hawaii. #4 Oklahoma was off this week. The rest of the major Playoff contenders in the top ten handled their foes easily. Aside from UGA’s loss we won’t see much of a shakeup at the top.

The only other ranked vs ranked matchup of the day belonged to #18 Iowa’s surprisingly easy victory over #16 Minnesota. With Wisconsin seeming to have taken a step back with their loss to Indiana, perhaps the Hawkeyes will return to the top of the West Division standings in the Big Ten. The only other ranked team that lost aside from Georgia and Minnesota was #20 USC on a road trip to rival Stanford. The loss is the Trojans’ second and knocks them out of the Playoff race early.

The G5 is experiencing their traditional September culling at the hands of the P5 and each other. The AAC is down to 4 undefeated teams in Cincinnati, Memphis, SMU, and UCF. The Sun Belt is sitting pretty with Coastal Carolina, Louisiana, and Troy. The Mountain West is already down to just Boise State. Conference-USA and the MAC already have 0 undefeated teams, putting them at an early disadvantage for the NY6 race. Boise does own the G5 game of the week with an easy home win over struggling Florida State.

There were several out-of-conference rivalry games being played such as WVU-Maryland, New Mexico-NMSU, and Marshall-Ohio but for the most part the results wouldn’t interest people who aren’t fans of those programs. Overall it wasn’t too exciting of a week.

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The Standings

Conference games are now being played by every league, though most of the teams have still only played non-league contests. The standings are still not very indicative of real team quality of the Playoff race, but they’re still fun to look at.

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The Big Picture

The Playoff picture hasn’t been altered nearly as much in the past week as it did in weeks 1 and 2. Georgia’s loss doesn’t necessarily doom them. If the Bulldogs can rally to win the East and then beat Alabama in the rematch you know they’re heading to the semifinals. However, the fact remains that even with so much talent in the SEC it’s looking like the Crimson Tide might be in a class of their own this year, with LSU and UGA seemingly unable to compete. We’ll see how Auburn, A&M, and Florida fare.

The rest of the P5 didn’t have any seismic shifts. The Big Ten is definitely still languishing in the basement after all of their top programs took Ls in their first two weeks. They all rebounded in Week 3 but that barely takes the edge off the humiliation. We could seriously be looking at a Playoff without the Big Ten for the first time since the inception of the tournament. Clemson should still run through the ACC without hassle. The Big 12 is shaping up to be contested at least, with Texas and Oklahoma State lining up behind the Sooners. Oregon is definitely leading the PAC-12, but it’s harder to trust the Ducks with going something like 12-1 even though they beat Ohio State.

Not surprisingly, the AAC is absolutely lapping the competition in the G5 race. With their win over Georgia Tech, UCF now has two P5 scalps in this young season. If they go undefeated, the Knights will again have a compelling case for inclusion in the Playoff. That may be a big if, with Cincinnati and Memphis and perhaps others providing some internal competition. The Mountain West, usually the second strongest of the G5 conferences, is once again putting all of its eggs in one basket with Boise State, the only remaining undefeated team in the league. The Sun Belt, usually one of the weakest conferences, is in a stronger position than usual, though this time it looks like either Coastal Carolina, Louisiana, or Troy will try their hand at supplanting Appalachian State. The Mountaineers already have two losses on the season. It’s unlikely that C-USA or the MAC will be able to put a team into a NY6 bowl with the way things have developed so far.

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The New Rankings

Week 4 AP Poll

1. Alabama 3-0 (1-0) 2. Clemson 3-0 (2-0) 3. Oklahoma 2-0 (0-0) 4. Oregon 3-0 (0-0) 5. Florida 3-0 (1-0) 6. Texas 3-0 (0-0) 7. Notre Dame 3-0 8. Auburn 3-0 (1-0) 9. Texas A&M 3-0 (0-0) 10. Ohio State 2-1 (0-0) 11. Oklahoma State 3-0 (0-0) 12. Georgia 2-1 (0-1) 13. Washington 3-0 (0-0) 14. LSU 2-1 (0-0) 15. Iowa 3-0 (1-0) 16. UCF 3-0 (0-0) 17. Utah 3-0 (0-0) 18. Indiana 3-0 (1-0) 19. Missouri 3-0 (1-0) 20. Cincinnati 3-0 (0-0) 21. Penn State 2-1 (0-0) 22. Stanford 3-0 (2-0) 23. Liberty 3-0 24. Memphis 3-0 (1-0) 25. Miami FL 3-0 (0-0)

The polls didn’t change a whole lot because almost all of the top 25 cruised through their games against weaker opponents. Despite the relative lack of movement, we have a new #1 as Alabama supplants Clemson as the highest regarded team in the nation following their win over Georgia. The Bulldogs fell out of the Top Ten following their loss to the Tide, but only just. USC and Minnesota drop out of the polls following their losses and were replaced by Stanford and Miami.

The American remains the only G5 conference with any teams in the poll, and they have three with UCF, Cincinnati, and Memphis. Though of course the voters are keeping even those programs an arm’s length away from the top ten, UCF even fell down a spot as Iowa leapt over them following the Hawkeyes’ big win over the Gophers. It’s a hard luck world for the G5.

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Week 3 is in the books! Stay tuned to see how the rest of the Real 2020 Season plays out!

[racingtoaredlight]

What else are you gonna do with your stupid life? College football watch ‘em ups for week 2 (officially) of the 2018 season

I’m all in on the rebirth of the run & shoot and don’t know if I have enough caring in me to write about every game this week. FUCK IT WE’LL DO IT LIVE!

Disclaimers about time zones and other sites and what the fuck ever go here. It doesn’t matter, we rake in like zero ad dollars from these posts.

This week is an oddity due to a lack of off-day games. Just one Friday and no others. I kind of wish every week was like this but I think this is the only one for the year.

Saturday, September 8

Matchup                                                     Time (ET)                 TV/Mobile

Arizona at Houston                                   12:00pm           ABC/ESPN2 (RM

Khalil Tate and Kevin Sumlin might just be a match made in hell. Ed Oliver has personally humiliated some great dual-threat QBs in the past but I don’t know if Tate is actually a threat through the air. Not sure what that means for the all-important stats.

Duke at Northwestern                               12:00pm                    ESPNU

Northwestern sucks. I’ll still root for them but they’re not good.

Eastern Michigan at Purdue                      12:00pm                      BTN

The nation’s leader in all-purpose yards at home against EMU? Hell yes.

Georgia Tech at USF                                   12:00pm              ABC/ESPN2 (RM)

I almost made a national champions joke but USF and UCF are actually different schools. Not by much, mind you. Based on one week against stiffs I have the impression this is a good year for the Ramblin’ Wreck.

Liberty at Army                                            12:00pm                       CBSSN

Army doesn’t even play a cool version of the option. This game is a pox.

Mississippi State at Kansas State              12:00pm                        ESPN

A bunch of guys who will play in the NFL next year are playing against each other for teams that will combine to lose 10+ games this year. This is a headache in a bag. I think I’d take KState +8 and the over of 54.5.

Nevada at Vanderbilt                                    12:00pm                        SECN

Oddly enough, I’d be totally into this one if Vandy were flying West for a 10pm kickoff. This version looks terrible, though.

New Mexico at Wisconsin                            12:00pm                         BTN

Can’t wait for Hornibrook to end up getting a Heisman invite. He’s Wisconsin’s answer to Gino Torretta.

Towson at Wake Forest                                 12:00pm                   ACCNExtra

I’ve always thought of it as “Nextra” but then I saw it written as ACCNE and now there’s no going back.

Western Michigan at Michigan                      12:00pm                        FS1

I know I’m stupid and crazy but I haven’t sold all of my Harbaugh stock just yet. I’ve heard about how he’s not a college coach and he’ll be back in the NFL next year but I can’t shake the feeling that he can still get things to click with just a little more time.

Georgia State at NC State                              12:30pm                       RSN

NC State lost a ton of talent to the pros this year and the next in line from QBU isn’t really as great as his offseason draft hype. Georgia State is absolutely going to beat the spread.

Holy Cross at Boston College                         1:00pm                     ACCNExtra

Somehow this battle for Boston reminded me of somebody explaining in excruciating detail about how BC isn’t in Boston and it just makes me hate that place and its people all over again.

UCLA at Oklahoma                                           1:00pm                        FOX

UCLA generally doesn’t do very well in early games and Oklahoma’s talent level is very obviously higher than the Bruins at every position. I don’t know what point to make here. Hopefully Rodney Anderson gets more than 5 carries this week but he might not need to.

Air Force at Florida Atlantic                             2:00pm       CBSSN / Facebook

FAU got murdered by Oklahoma last week so I’m a little bit intrigued by how Lane bounces back. Vegas really likes the Owls but I’m not really sure why.

Portland State at Oregon                                 2:00pm                    Pac-12N

This is some high quality trash. I won’t watch it due to dumb circumstances but I’d enjoy it if I could.

William & Mary at Virginia Tech                       2:00pm                ACCNExtra

The Hokies looked pretty good against FSU. I forgot all about Josh Jackson since he missed the 2017 season but I think he’s a pretty good college QB.

Kansas at Central Michigan                            3:00pm                  ESPN Plus

What can you say about Kansas football without laughing maniacally?

Arkansas State at Alabama                             3:30pm                    ESPN2

Red Wolves vs. Crimson Tide should be some sort of rivalry. Bama looks every bit as good as expected so this will probably be a bloodbath. In red.

Ball State at Notre Dame                                 3:30pm                     NBC

Notre Dame gets to walk around like a top 10 team for now but a 7-point win over Michigan at home in a game that felt like a blowout doesn’t strike me as a springboard to a CFB Playoff berth. Brian Kelly is still a shitty murderer so fuck him.

Buffalo at Temple                                              3:30pm                    ESPN3

Tyree Jackson threw 6 TDs last week while Temple was losing to Villanova. The result? Temple is favored by 5. That seems wrong. Are there really people betting their hearts in what looks like a classic degenerate’s matchup?

Colorado at Nebraska                                       3:30pm                      ABC

Big 8 rivals square off in the first game (probably!) of the Scott Frost era. Smart money is probably on Colorado.

Georgia at South Carolina                                 3:30pm                     CBS

If Coach Boom is going to make the most of his great roster he needs to spring the upset here. That doesn’t seem crazy to me so look for UGA to win by 40.

Howard at Kent State                                        3:30pm                ESPN Plus

A bunch of 1-AA teams are in the watch ‘em ups for a second time this week but Howard is closest to my heart. Love the Bison to trample the Gun Girls.

Memphis at Navy                                               3:30pm                    CBSSN

This is the only game most years where I cheer against Memphis. I don’t have a great feeling about this Navy team, though, so my advice for you who are wondering is to put the mansion on Memphis to win by more than 6 and for the over to hit some time in the third quarter.

Morgan State at Akron                                      3:30pm                  ESPN Plus

I’ll leave this one to Soused.

North Carolina at East Carolina                       3:30pm                     ESPNU

This game was in the maybe watch column on SB Nation’s grid this week and I can’t comprehend why this is anything but AVOID!!!!! even if they don’t offer that designation.

Rutgers at Ohio State                                        3:30pm                       BTN

Ohio State is out here with a boatload of talent and a scheme that mostly runs itself in games like this. I wish all bad things on the Ohio State football program but they have some really great players that I don’t hate.

Wagner at Syracuse                                           3:30pm                 ACCNExtra

Eric Dungey’s quest for a rushing title continues.

ETSU at Tennessee                                            4:00pm                      SECN

Without looking I think Tennessee is probably favored. By too much.

Lamar at Texas Tech                                          4:00pm                 FSN / FSGo

I make jokes about Lamar being just some dude every year and it’s dumb but I can’t look at Lamar and not think it’s just some dude instead of a team.

Southern Illinois at University of Mississippi    4:00pm                     SECNA

What’s up with fixing the mascot name but not the other super racist allusion in your sports programs? Progress of some sort, I guess. This is a body bag game of the lowest caliber.

Iowa State at Iowa                                              5:00pm                      FOX

Potentially cool game at college football’s most heartwarming stadium. Nothing here not to love.

North Dakota at Washington                              5:00pm                  Pac-12N

Is this the same school that Carson Wentz went to? I’m not looking it up. A lot of you were all in on Auburn trashing UDub last week but that didn’t actually happen. Washington could still win 12 straight and end up back in playoff contention, even without their star LT.

Appalachian State at Charlotte                          6:00pm                ESPN Plus

Wild to think this is 1-A on 1-A.

Maryland at Bowling Green                                 6:00pm               ESPN Plus

It was funny to see Texas lose and all but let’s all remember to hate the fuck out of Maryland’s coaches and program from here to eternity.

Savannah State at Miami (FL)                             6:00pm               ACCNExtra

There is no reason for most people to give a shit about this game but I’m interested to see if the freshman QBs are really bad or if Mark Richt is just being way too conservative with his roster by starting Malik Rosier. My gut says nobody is worse for this team than Rosier. I know Ahmmon Richards, for one, agrees with me.

SC State at UCF                                                   6:00pm                  ESPN3

Here’s the national champs. Not gonna lose the winning streak here.

UMass at Georgia Southern                                6:00pm                 ESPN Plus

Now we’re getting into some good degeneracy. There are too many other games at this same time to really dive into this shitfest but it’s real as hell to me.

Youngstown State at West Virginia                     6:00pm                    ATTSN

I was looking at games on CBS Sports and they didn’t have a channel listed for this game. ATTSN = AT&T Sports Network, guessing a DirecTV exclusive? I love Holgo even if I kinda hate the Air Raid.

Eastern Kentucky at Marshall                             6:30pm                 ESPN Plus

Here’s another great backup game. I don’t know if anybody good is on either team this year.

Baylor at UTSA                                                     7:00pm     CBSSN / Facebook

Ugh. Fucking Baylor. Go the fuck away forever, Baylor.

Clemson at Texas A&M                                        7:00pm                      ESPN

Until about 5 years ago Clemson and aTm were actually the same program. Now Clemson is a legit 5-star program and I fucking hate it. Not enough to root for the Aggies, mind you. Talent watching is pretty good in this one but the idea of Jimbo Fisher falling flat on his face in Aggieland is too good not to dream about.

Florida A&M at Troy                                              7:00pm                  ESPN Plus

Let’s go Rattlers!

Indiana State at Louisville                                   7:00pm                 ACCNExtra

Petrino might be on the verge of sunsetting unless he flukes his way into another megastar. Louisville looks like the most ACC of ACC teams right now even though they have no business being in the conference. This should be an AAC team all the way.

Southeastern La. at LSU                                     7:00pm                    ESPN2

I want to whisper to all of you that LSU really isn’t all that good but I’m typing and you’re maybe reading it instead.

Southern at LA Tech                                            7:00pm                 ESPN Plus

Louisiana Tech is one of my pet stupid programs. I always think they’re one random star recruit away from becoming the next offense lab in college football. This probably isn’t the year, though.

Texas Southern at Texas State                           7:00pm              KNVA/ESPN3

If anybody has more than a gambling interest in this one I am dying to hear about it. Seriously. Explain yourself.

UAB at Coastal Carolina                                      7:00pm                ESPN Plus

Last week I insulted UAB’s football program and they went out and won 52-0, their first shutout victory in 10 years. So let me continue my campaign for them to drop the program again.

ULM at Southern Miss                                          7:00pm                 ESPN3

I don’t think I realized until right now that CUSA is the surviving shell of the old Metro Conference. I thought the Metro just died. Anyway, CUSA football is MACtion for degenerates. Meaning that I like it. This game got a shoutout on the NFL’s season opener so maybe it will draw an audience in the hundreds.

UT Martin at Middle Tennessee                           7:00pm               ESPN Plus

The Tee Martins are back! How does it feel to play football your whole life and go to college for football and then realize that you’re playing for the team that’s being paid to lay down to Middle Tennessee State? Not even like Wake Forest or somebody like that - worse! It still sounds kind of fun but embarrassing at the same time.

Wyoming at Missouri                                             7:00pm                  ESPNU

Drew Lock has some similar physical traits to Wyoming’s QB from last year but I think he’s gotten better coaching. Similar arm talent(!!!) at least. I don’t know about the raw athleticism which, no shit, Josh Allen has tons of. Anyway, Missouri should stomp all over Wyoming.

Samford at Florida State                                       7:20pm              ACCNExtra

The Bobby Bowden Bowl! The immediate reactions to Willie Taggert at FSU were loud and angry but he needs some time to sort through the weird mess that the team devolved into last year. I don’t think he can keep running the offense he had at USF with this roster, though, and he needs to figure that out quickly.

Alabama State at Auburn                                       7:30pm                SECNA

The Littlest Iron Bowl! Auburn is another team that didn’t look great to me in week 1. And they don’t have any obvious path to the playoffs.

Arkansas at Colorado State                                  7:30pm                CBSSN

This might be the farthest an SEC team has traveled for a regular season game this century.

FIU at Old Dominion                                               7:30pm          beIN SPORTS

Keep the faith in Butch Davis. It’ll turn out pretty well in the end. I think.

Fresno State at Minnesota                                     7:30pm                   FS1

I think CSU-Fresno had the highest point total in the country in week 1 but it came against 1-AA Idaho State. Yeah, I just wanted to drop a mention to Idaho State as a (once again) 1-AA team. This game is probably trash but it has the decency to be a dumb night game that nobody will notice unless it gets wild.

Incarnate Word at North Texas                               7:30pm             ESPN Plus

This is truly bottom of the barrel stuff but UNT does have the nation’s leader in passing yards per game!

Kentucky at Florida                                                 7:30pm                  SECN

UF is really heavily favored to win their 32nd straight against Kentucky but why? The line is only 14 but odds are weighted like 88% for the Gators to win. Kentucky sucks but doesn’t Florida?

Maine at WKU                                                          7:30pm             ESPN Plus

A lot of oddball evening games this week. I like it.

Utah at NIU                                                                7:30pm             ESPNews

Northern Illinois got blown out by Iowa last week. Utah looked like hell for the first 30 minutes against Weber State. I don’t have a point. Utah will probably win by 20.

Virginia at Indiana                                                      7:30pm                BTN

UVA and IU are more similar than dissimilar historically speaking. This game makes me annoyed just knowing that it’s going to happen and that it’s on Big Ten Network. Get your shit together, Hoos.

Western Illinois at Illinois                                          7:30pm                BTN

It would be so Lovie Smith to lose this game.

Cincinnati at Miami (Ohio)                                         8:00pm   Raycom / ESPN3

I agree with what Ohio State fans were saying a few years back: Luke Fickell sucks.

New Mexico State at Utah State                              8:00pm           Facebook

Facebook? For this one? Boo hiss. This is prime gambling athletics, nobody should be tracking you as you watch this one.

Nicholls at Tulane                                                      8:00pm              ESPN3

Nicholls! The Nicholls Nickels! Tulane doesn’t get a lot of easy wins but I think we can all agree with some bit of confidence that Tulane may suck loudly but they’re still better than Kansas.

Penn State at Pitt                                                       8:00pm               ABC

I have an unhealthy and unrealistic need for Pitt to win this game.

Sacramento State at San Diego State                     8:00pm             No TV (!!!)

What in the goddamn fucking hell is SDSU doing with no TV coverage in 2018? Christ almighty. This is hilarious.

South Alabama at Oklahoma State                          8:00pm                FSN

I wish South Alabama was good enough to at least put the fear of god in Okie State but they really aren’t. Expect a typical early season massacre from the Cowboys.

Southern Utah at Oregon State                                8:00pm             Pac-12N

What the hell is this?

Tulsa at Texas                                                             8:00pm                 LHN

Tulsa only beat Central Arkansas by 11 last week but Texas lost to Maryland. 23 points might be too much to expect for the Longhorns at this juncture.

USC at Stanford                                                          8:30pm                 FOX

The Pac-12 is known for two things: bad scheduling and bad referees. Also, bad defenses so that makes three things. This is bad scheduling. Why is the most marketable game of your whole conference year happening in week 2 at 8:30pm EST? This is absolutely moronic.

UTEP at UNLV                                                              9:00pm               ATTSN

Ever since it popped into my head last year or the year before I just can’t get over UNLV being confederate-themed. What the hell is that?

California at BYU                                                        10:15pm              ESPN2

This is actually beautiful scheduling which makes me think BYU came up with it themselves. Great uniform matchup even if both teams stink.

UConn at Boise State                                               10:15pm    ESPN2/ESPNU

Haha, UConn. What are you doing? How did this program actually make it to major bowl game in the last 10 years? They’re 31-point underdogs playing past their bedtimes against an OK-at-best Boise State team. This somehow feels earned.

Michigan State at Arizona State                               10:45pm               ESPN

Really not sure how Sparty agreed to this one but if I have one strong conviction from week 1 it’s that Herm Edwards should have stayed a TV talking head and left the coaching game to everybody else.

San Jose State at Washington State                         11:00pm           Pac-12N

Very fine watchin’ ‘em up here. You have to catch them all.

Rice at Hawai’i                                                              11:59pm          Spectrum

Spectrum is a station? Spectrum is a cable company. Anyway, Rice played Ed Oliver last week and now they have to face early RTARLsman frontrunner Cole McDonald. I’m cautiously bandwagoning for Hawai’i.

[junker-town]

College basketball schedule 2017: Scores, highlights, and results from Dec. 2

This is what you need to watch this weekend.

The first massive Saturday schedule of the college basketball season is upon us, and with it comes an enticing slate of rivalry games, top-25 matchups, and the very beginning of conference play out of the Big Ten.

There are 115 games on the D1 schedule for Saturday. This is our best attempt to separate what’s really worth watching (all times ET).

Must watch

No. 11 Cincinnati vs. No. 21 Xavier (noon, FS1)

The Battle for Cincinnati is seriously one of the best and most underrated rivalries in college basketball. We can’t let the occasion pass without taking a trip down memory lane to THE BRAWL back in 2011:

This had everything: Tu Holloway going into the crowd to hug a fan, a Xavier player getting his face stomped, Cincinnati players shadowboxing, and the infamous “we got a whole bunch of gangsters in the locker room.” We do not need the violence this time around, but the intensity is always a welcomed addition to the college basketball slate.

Aside from Duke-UNC and Kentucky-Louisville, this really might be the next best rivalry in the sport. And this year is going to be great because both of these teams are stacked.

It feels like we say this is Mick Cronin’s best team ever every year, but it’s probably true this time. Cincy has a stud two guard in Jacob Evans, a versatile two-way big man in Kyle Washington, an enforcer in Gary Clark, and a deep bench. Xavier has one of the best scorers in America in Trevon Bluiett, a sharpshooter you love or hate in J.P. Macura, and potential breakout guys in Kaiser Gates, Quentin Goodin, and Paul Scruggs.

Cincy has not faced a test like Xavier yet, while the Musketeers have already beaten No. 16 Baylor and lost a tough game to Arizona State. In a weekend full of great matchups, this is the best of the bunch.

No. 8 Wichita State vs. No. 16 Baylor (2 p.m., ESPNU)

The Shockers were a minute away from a top-five ranking and being universally proclaimed as a worthy national title contender before collapsing down the stretch in the Maui Invitational final against Notre Dame. What’s incredible is Wichita State did this without Markis McDuffie, one of their two best players, who remains sidelined with a foot injury.

The point here is that Wichita State is really good and Baylor will be a stiff test. Yes, the Bears lost Terry Maston to a hand injury until January, but that zone is still tough for non-conference opponents, and there remains a lot of talent on the roster. Manu Lecomte is one of the toughest shot-makers in the sport, Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. is an agile big man, and King McClure is starting to put it all together as a junior.

The battle inside between Shaquille Morris and Lual-Acuil is the one to watch. This is also an opportunity for Wichita’s Landry Shamet to gain some momentum in the national player of the year race.

No. 14 USC vs. SMU (10 p.m. ESPNU)

USC needs to make a statement after getting drubbed by Texas A&M last week. The Trojans have as much depth and talent as any team in the country this side of Duke and Michigan State, but there’s still a steep learning curve for a team that’s never really won anything before.

In that sense, SMU is a perfect test.

The Mustangs are about as dependable as it gets. They upset No. 2 Arizona in Maui but lost tough games to Western Kentucky and Northern Iowa. SMU lost a ton of talent from last season (just look at what Semi Ojeleye is doing for the Boston Celtics this year), but there are still a lot of shooters and playmakers on the perimeter. Point guard Shake Milton is a certified star.

This can be a statement win for the Trojans if they’re up for it. Bennie Boatwright and Chimezie Metu should be able to have their way with an undersized SMU front court.

Should monitor

No. 2 Kansas vs. Syracuse (5:30 p.m., ESPN)

Is Syracuse for real? We’re about to find out. The Orange are off to a 6-0 start and fresh off a two-point victory over Maryland. They haven’t really played anyone else. Kansas is one of the toughest teams in the country once again, with Devonte’ Graham leading the attack in the backcourt. He’s coming off a 35-point game against Toledo in his last outing.

Providence vs. Rhode Island (5 p.m., CBSSN)

Another fun rivalry game between two NCAA tournament hopefuls. Providence’s only loss came to a nationally ranked Minnesota team, while URI has fallen to currently ranked Virginia and Nevada. Providence has a star in 6’8 wing Rodney Bullock, who enters averaging 15 points per game. Rhody has one of the most underrated backcourts in America with Jared Terrell (19 points per game) and E.C. Matthews.

Arizona vs. UNLV (10 p.m., CBSSN)

Arizona fell from No. 2 all the way to unranked after losing three straight games in humiliating fashion at the Battle 4 Atlantis. The Wildcats have beat up on Long Beach State since then, but UNLV is a different kind of test. The Rebels are 6-1 and have one of the best freshmen centers in the country in 5-star recruit Brandon McCoy. Can DeAndre Ayton still dominate against him? Will Arizona finally find an offensive flow? There are a lot of questions for the Wildcats to answer right now.

Keep an eye on

Indiana vs. Michigan (12:30 p.m., CBS): Conference play starts early for the Big Ten. Indiana and Michigan are coming off losses to Duke and UNC, respectively. Indiana put up a real fight until the final minutes, with sophomore De’Ron Davis looking like a monster inside. Michigan has one of the best frontcourt shooters in the country in Moritz Wagner, and a new star in Kentucky transfer Charles Matthews.

Arkansas vs. Houston (7:30 p.m., CBSSN): Both teams enter at 5-1. The Hogs just beat Oklahoma and UConn in the PK80, while Houston beat Wake Forest but also has a loss to Drexel. The Cougars have a star guard in Rob Gray who will need to go off if they want to have a chance.

Missouri State vs. South Dakota State (8 p.m., ESPN3): Alize Johnson vs. Mike Daum. That’s all you need to know.

***

The full schedule can be found via ESPN.

[maxieshp0611517-blog]

Oct Tenth Month From The Year

Call concert coordinator, Jill Staton, with the label of the track your students will definitely carry out in their video recording! However, for the seven conditions usually taken into consideration through study organizations making up the Midwest-- Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and also Wisconsin (to its interpretation of Midwest," the U.S. Demographics Bureau adds Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, as well as South Dakota)-- the boost was merely 4 per-cent. The improvement might run contrarily to just what Trump's agents and GOP lawmakers have actually called the relevance of having actually an unified program among the White Property, the Us senate as well as our home-- a session they picked up from the failing from laws intended for rescinding the 2010 Affordable Treatment Show, widely known as Obamacare. Stuster's research study has a whole subcategory of diary access committed to applaud rising cost of living," a phenomenon wherein the rocketeers think persuaded to pass out profuse praises, even when undeserved," to ground employees, and a general avoidance of criticizing ground workers for insufficiencies, real as well as perceived." The tradition of praise gets back to the moon effort-- when the rocketeers were actually bathed in prestige, as well as worked hard to pass that on the army from experts that made the purpose possible. Although this Mars pattern might locate you caught up in extreme emotions or soap opera, Venus will certainly possess a harmonizing impact while that's in Cancer cells till August 26. When you have any kind of concerns regarding where by and also how you can utilize gabe-planet.info, you'll be able to call us from the web-page. Cancer cells guidelines your eleventh house of friendly relationship, team task and technology.

7 Truths You Certainly never Found out about gel.

The system from social research study educational institutions that Abraham Lincoln assisted generate-- the one that ended up being the rivalry from the rest of the planet as well as a central part of The United States's supremacy from science, modern technology, as well as the international economic situation-- has ended up being an afterthought and even a target of state and nationwide politicians. This was actually not a surprise to find out that Donald Trump, affecting the style often delegated North Korea's forerunners, made these apocalyptic comments off the leading from his scalp, which left behind National Safety and security Advisor H.R. McMaster, Assistant of Defense Jim Mattis, and also Secretary of Condition Rex Tillerson-- who still carries out not have actually a selected aide secretary of state for Eastern Oriental and Pacific affairs working with him-- tip-toeing in between satisfying their oppressive supervisor as well as jamming down the probability from a 2nd Oriental War.

Just how gel Is Visiting Adjustment Your Business Approaches.

10 Vital but small Factors To Monitor In gel.

One full week ago, I created an item called September Willpower Be actually a Pork Mill where I clarified (once more) that the Republicans will certainly have to, and many more traits, avoid a federal government shutdown, raise the line of credit, as well as pass a brand new budget plan with details tax-related getting back together regulations if they desire to pass and stay clear of a filibuster tax obligation reform along with a mere fifty Us senate ballots. However spacewalking is actually additionally a window right into exactly how unsafe space is actually, how a solitary adapter certainly not properly mated can easily bring about catastrophe, and how NASA has actually grappled with that threat by shaking all the spontaneity, all the surprise, out of it. That is actually why every scheduled space walk is actually scripted, and then practiced and practiced and practiced in a pool large enough to submerse two space capsule. When Trump revealed a black-voter outreach function, he mostly delivered his notification to extremely white audiences in overwhelmingly white colored locales, and worked with a series from racialist as well as obsolete fashions concerning urban unlawful act, scarcity, as well as lack of education, in exactly what he seemed to think represented benign patronization. Normal people are sickened by files that Republican governmental nominee can possess stayed clear of paying out federal government revenue taxes for nearly twenty years Ordinary people are actually repulsed by Trump's verbal attack on the self-worth from 1996 Miss Cosmos champion Alicia Machado and past Philly Inquirer reporter Jennifer Lin However, the Trump group could not look after less. WHEREAS, the celebration from National Community Planning Month offers us the possibility to publicly recognize the involvement as well as commitment from the members of intending commissions as well as other consumer coordinators that have added their opportunity and knowledge to the improvement from the (State, Urban area, or County) of ________________ (insert name of state, urban area, or even area); as well as.

[auburnfamilynews]

Auburn's ties to Missouri are so few and far in between that the school's first player from the Show Me State hails from parts unknown.

Just four lettermen in Auburn's 125-year history hail from the state of Missouri. The pioneer of that group, quarterback C.J. Johnson, is listed in Auburn's media almanac as being from an "unknown hometown." He played at Auburn during the 1900 and 1901 seasons, and he's one of just 11 lettermen in program history with the unknown hometown designation in the Tigers' record books.

"For four guys (to be from Missouri), yeah I didn't ever realize that," said former Auburn punter Steven Clark, the most recent member of that exclusive club. "That's pretty crazy."

This weekend, No. 15 Auburn (2-1) will make its first ever trip to Missouri (1-2). The two programs have only previously met twice with the first coming in the 1973 Sun Bowl (a Missouri win) and the most recent in an Auburn win in the 2013 SEC Championship Game. This year's Auburn team only ties to Missouri are tangential with defensive backs coach Greg Brown a former Missouri assistant and right guard Braden Smith from nearby Olathe, Kan.

Auburn has rarely recruited in Missouri despite having three current coaches who were raised in neighboring Arkansas including head coach Gus Malzahn. Auburn hasn't actively recruited a Missouri prospect since 2012 though it is looking at four-star 2019 prospects Isaiah Williams and Shammond Cooper from St. Louis' Trinity Catholic.

The lack of recruiting in the area is understandable when you consider two things.

For one, Missouri has produced, on average, 2.63 players per year with four-star rankings in the 247Sports Composite dating back to 1999. During that same span, Missouri has only produced three five-star prospects: defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson (who went to a JUCO before landing at Missouri) wide receiver Dorial Beckham-Green (Missouri) and defensive end Darrell Lee (Florida).

The other factor to consider is that Auburn's primary recruiting footprint covers Alabama, Georgia and Florida while reaching into other areas of the southeast. Despite the SEC's expansion to include Missouri and Texas A&M prior to the 2012 season, Auburn has not made the effort to recruit Missouri like it has with the more talent-rich Texas.

As Auburn running backs coach Tim Horton put it in August, he doesn't believe it's "very smart" for Auburn to recruit too much outside of its strongholds in those three states -- though the coaching staff still makes the effort to target high-quality players nationwide.

The last time Auburn signed a player from Missouri was 2010 when the team added Clark out of Kansas City. Clark, who always dominated local kicking camps, figured he would end up staying close to home for college, likely playing tight end or defensive end while also punting at some small Division II school. That changed in 2009 when he was invited to the Kohl's national kicking camp and "won just about everything," resulting in interest from several big programs, including Purdue, Iowa, Northwestern and Auburn. After taking a visit to the Plains for what came to be known as "The Rain Game" against West Virginia in 2009 -- his only time stepping foot in Auburn prior to enrolling -- Clark knew it's where he wanted to be.

He became the first SEC player in his high school's history, and the moment was celebrated by the local Kansas City Auburn Club, which currently boasts more than 300 members. The KC Auburn Club arranged a signing day party for Clark in the Park Hill High cafeteria, with Clark saying maybe 50 people attended the event.

That signing worked out well for the Tigers, as Clark was the program's first Ray Guy Award finalist in 2011 and was a semifinalist for the honor three straight seasons.

"I never even dreamed of playing college ball," Clark said. "I honestly didn't even know where Auburn was. When I was told I'd get a call from them, I had to go and Google it real quick. I know Bo Jackson played for the Royals, but I didn't know he went to Auburn, though. Once I pieced that together, I was like 'OK, that's some pretty legit stuff."

Prior to Clark, Auburn hadn't had a letterman from Missouri since defensive end Anthony Van Deusen, of Licking, Mo., in 1997-98. Van Deusen, who arrived as a walk-on, never saw the field during his two seasons, but coach Terry Bowden awarded him a scholarship during the 1998 season. Before Van Deusen, it was George Wolff, of St. Louis, back in 1937-39.

Auburn's record books show nothing more than a single line on Johnson, the school's first from Missouri. A small section of Page 228 of the media almanac, which includes all-time players from Louisiana, Maryland, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska and New Jersey reads like so:

UNKNOWN HOMETOWN

C.J. Johnson..........QB..........1900-01

There's more to the program's first Missourian, however -- including a recorded hometown.

Archives of "The Glomerata," Auburn's official yearbook, show Collins James Johnson was originally from Palmyra, Mo., a small town with a population of just 2,323, according to the 1900 census. Palmyra hasn't grown much in the years since. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 3,595.

Johnson was a sophomore at Auburn -- at the time called Alabama Polytechnic Institute -- in 1900. Along with being on the football team, Johnson studied civil engineering, was a member of the Nu Chapter of the Kappa Alpha fraternity and also served as the junior class vice president in 1901, according to the 1901 "Chrysalis."

During Johnson's sophomore season in 1900, Auburn went 4-0. The following season, the Tigers finished 2-3-1 while playing in the SIAA (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association). Auburn started the year 0-3 but turned it around with a 17-0 win against Alabama in the Iron Bowl -- the last time the rivalry game was played in Tuscaloosa until 2000 -- with Johnson at quarterback.

The win was documented in the Birmingham News under the headline "A Tiger Claws Alabama." It marked just the second time the newspaper used the Tigers nickname, but the first reference in the Iron Bowl series.

The next game was Johnson's shining moment. He started at fullback against LSU in a 28-0 win in Baton Rouge, La., and scored a touchdown on a fumble return that made it 17-0. He added another touchdown late in the game, which was described in the Nov. 27, 1901 issue of the Orange and Blue as a "game won by the cleanest and most gentlemanly team with whom (LSU has) contested this season."

The season ended in a 0-0 tie against Georgia in Atlanta's Piedmont Park in the eighth edition of the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. For Johnson, the charter member of that rare group of Missourians at Auburn, it marked the end of his playing career. The club wouldn't add another member for more than three decades.

"That's something special," said Clark, who takes pride in being part of such an exclusive group. "Honestly, I think everywhere in America loves football, but definitely wrestling and basketball are a lot bigger up in Missouri than it is in Alabama, where football is king."

from Auburn Sports Impact http://bit.ly/2ysjGTA

[thecollegefootballguy]

2019 Top Games of the Week: Week 9

Uhhh aside from a few standouts this isn’t a great week in terms of overall quality. Well, let’s be quick about this then.

The FCS has good games! If you care about those lol.

The Top Ten Games of the Week

10. California 4-3 (1-3) at #12 Utah 6-1 (3-1)

This is pretty much just to see if the PAC-12 really wants to start the implosion process. Cal can’t really score right now so this one might not be interesting. Maybe...

9. Oklahoma State 4-3 (1-3) at #23 Iowa State 5-2 (3-1)

Oklahoma State is really starting to get uncomfortable. The usually solid Cowboys are in danger of finishing in the bottom half of the conference, and the schedule doesn’t let up. Iowa State, meanwhile, is re-inserting themselves into the race for the Top 2, ready to pounce if Oklahoma or Baylor slips up.

8. Washington State 4-3 (1-3) at #11 Oregon 6-1 (4-0)

Washington State has beaten Oregon for four times in a row. That streak is in serious jeopardy this year. This isn’t the same Wazzu team that came an Apple Cup away from the PAC-12 CG twice and this isn’t the same Duck squad scuffling to find an identity.

7. Virginia 5-2 (3-1) at Louisville 4-3 (2-2)

Virginia has exorcised a few demons by blowing out Duke last week. The Cavaliers are back to the top of the Coastal standings but precariously keeping several other contenders at bay. Meanwhile, Louisville is quietly rebounding from their disastrous 2018 campaign and now poses a real upset threat to UVA.

6. #15 Texas 5-2 (3-1) at TCU 3-3 (1-2)

I mean, Texas almost lost to Kansas, so a loss in Fort Worth is a real possibility if TCU can get their offense going.

5. #5 Oklahoma 7-0 (4-0) at Kansas State 4-2 (1-2)

The list of games where Oklahoma could slip up and miss the Playoff is starting to look pretty slim. The Sooners should be heavily favored here, and Kansas State is probably a year or two away from contending, but it’s not like the Wildcats have lost the ability to upset heavily favored teams. Bill Snyder hasn’t been gone long enough for that ability to have died out.

4. #6 Penn State 7-0 (4-0) at Michigan State 4-3 (2-2)

The Michigan State test is one that every Big Ten Playoff hopeful has to pass. It has upended Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State in the past years. This season, the Buckeyes passed with flying colors, now it’s PSU’s turn.

3. #8 Notre Dame 5-1 at #19 Michigan 5-2 (3-2)

They say Jim Harbaugh doesn’t win big games. Well here’s a perfect shot at redemption. Notre Dame should be better than the Wolverines, but by how much? Enough to make a difference at the Big House? We’ll see.

2. #13 Wisconsin 6-1 (3-1) at #3 Ohio State 7-0 (4-0)

God I was so ready to put this game at #1, but Wisconsin had to go ahead and lose against Illinois. Come on, man. Oh well. Let’s see if the Badgers can rebound against, by far, their toughest opponent this season. Ohio State is on the war path and have utterly buried every team they’ve played so far, can they keep it up against Wisconsin’s stout defense?

1. #9 Auburn 6-1 (3-1) at #2 LSU 7-0 (3-0)

The Tiger Bowl has had plenty of good games, but this one is shaping up to be very important even among their best. Auburn and LSU both have their eyes on wresting the SEC West away from Alabama and have the slimmest margin of error to do so. The winner here will still be able to win out and secure the division, the loser will fall behind, potentially too far to rebound. Their respective dates with the Tide still loom. Winning here is critical.

-

5 G5 Games of the Week

5. Nevada 4-3 (1-2) at Wyoming 5-2 (2-1)

The Mountain West division races are wide open and both Nevada and Wyoming are fighting to not be left behind.

4. Tulane 5-2 (2-1) at Navy 5-1 (3-1)

While SMU and Memphis march towards their showdown to decide the AAC West, Tulane and Navy attempt to keep pace and hope the frontrunners slip up.

3. UCF 5-2 (2-1) at Temple 5-2 (2-1)

UCF is still probably the best team in the AAC. The Knights can still win out and make a case for themselves if Cincinnati slips up. Likewise, Temple sill has their destiny in their hands.

2. Western Kentucky 5-2 (4-0) at Marshall 4-3 (2-1)

This could very well decide the C-USA East. Western Kentucky has been a breakout success in the G5, but the Hilltoppers have yet to face their toughest division foes.

1. Utah State 4-2 (3-0) at Air Force 5-2 (3-1)

Realistically (sorry Wyoming) the winner of this contest will challenge Boise State for the Mountain West. Utah State has been their usual solid selves, playing well but losing to two P5 teams, but so far going undefeated in conference play. Meanwhile, Air Force has been playing better and better each week. Unfortunately for the Falcons, they lost to Boise early, and don’t control their own destiny.

-

FCS Games of the Week

5. #16 Towson 4-3 (1-2) at #2 James Madison 7-1 (4-0)

The merry-go-round of ranked vs ranked games in the CAA gives us Towson at James Madison this week.

4. Harvard 4-1 (2-0) at #13 Princeton 5-0 (2-0)

Harvard and Princeton renew their ancient rivalry for the 112th time. Both teams are undefeated in Ivy League play and it’s a good chance that the winner of this game will go on to win the conference title.

3. #4 Weber State 5-2 (3-0) at #22 UC Davis 4-4 (2-1)

Weber State hasn’t yet lost to an FCS opponent. The Wildcats face their toughest conference opponent to date as they fly out to Davis.

2. #21 Sam Houston State 5-3 (4-1) at #12 Central Arkansas 5-2 (3-1)

The Southland is very much up for grabs now that Sam Houston State upset Nicholls State last week. Two of the three frontrunners play for the lead this Saturday.

1. #1 North Dakota State 7-0 (3-0) at #3 South Dakota State 6-1 (3-0)

The most important game in the FCS regular season, as it has been for the last several years. The last time NDSU lost was back on November 4th, 2017, in their regular season bout with South Dakota State two years ago. The winner has pole position to the #1 seed in the Playoff.

[thecollegefootballguy]

2019 Top Games of the Week: Week 1

College football properly kicks off this weekend. Week 1 is a five day running party from Thursday to Monday featuring some pretty cool games and a bunch of terrible mismatches. There seem to be fewer high profile matchups this year, which is a bit disappointing, but the rest of the month makes up for it.

The Top Ten Games of the Week

10. #19 Wisconsin at South Florida (Friday 8/30/19)

Yeah, it isn’t the best week after the few high profile games. Wisconsin is looking to reestablish themselves as the top dogs in the Big Ten West. To build up some good press they’re gonna travel to South Florida and try to wreak havoc on a Bulls team that limped into the end of 2017.

9. Virginia Tech at Boston College (Saturday 8/31/19)

As a celebration of the new ACC Network kicking off, we’re going to see one of the league’s “premier” rivalry games early on. Personally I think this is a pretty cool game to showcase, if for nothing else than both teams really could use the win. Virginia Tech could definitely be a contender in the Coastal division, but the Hokies just can’t seem to get all their ducks in a row since Justin Fuente’s first season. It’s starting to feel like the partnership might not work. Speaking of, Boston College is desperate to win more than 7 games a year and are having a tough time raising the ceiling in the ACC Atlantic. This could be a good year to take that next step, but the Eagles might not have the personnel to do it.

8. Virginia at Pittsburgh (Saturday 8/31/19)

Believe it or not, but Virginia was picked by the ACC media to win the Coastal division. I’d love for this to happen, I’m just going to remain skeptical until I see the Cavaliers demonstrate they can win something like 9 games this year. UVA will get off to the right start with a win over Pittsburgh, the defending division champs.

7. Fresno State at USC (Saturday 8/31/19)

This is the schadenfreude game of the week. If this game had been played last year, Fresno State would have bowled over USC. But in 2019 the Bulldogs have lost some of their key players, and the Trojans can’t be THAT bad two years in a row. Right?

6. Ole Miss at Memphis (Saturday 8/31/19)

As far as I’m concerned Ole Miss is the underdog, SEC be damned. Memphis is poised to have a big season and the Rebels are dysfunctional enough not to have the benefit of the doubt.

5. Northwestern at #25 Stanford (Saturday 8/31/19)

The defending Big Ten West champion is taking on one of the PAC-12′s most consistent winners. Pretty good for Week 1 tbh. This is also a big revenge game for Stanford. Northwestern inexplicably beat the Cardinal in 2015, spoiling a Playoff bid for their last truly great team.

4. Houston at #4 Oklahoma (Sunday 9/1/19)

I probably have this one listed too high. But what if?!?! Dana Holgorsen left the Big 12 but the Big 12 can’t leave Dana Holgorsen behind. Houston is turning a new page and Oklahoma is breaking in a new (but very proven) quarterback. But hey, everybody suffers some growing pains.

3. Boise State vs Florida State in Jacksonville, FL (Saturday 8/31/19)

This one has disaster written all over it. Florida State should be better than last year, it’s hard to imagine the Seminoles any worse, but playing Boise in Week 1 has proven to be a very dangerous prospect for many a Power 5 squad. If the Broncos win this one their path for a NY6 bowl will be wide open.

2. #14 Utah at BYU (Thursday 8/29/19)

The Holy War is never not interesting. These teams just hate each other and always play tense, exciting games. Utah has higher expectations than usual and BYU should be improving. Plus it’s college football on a Thursday night, it’s been a while since you’ve seen that.

1. #16 Auburn vs #11 Oregon in Arlington, TX (Saturday 8/31/19)

Both teams have a lot riding on this game. Oregon is getting national attention as a favorite to win the PAC-12 for the first time since the Ducks collapsed in 2016. Meanwhile, Auburn is probably one more 8-4 season away from firing Gus Malzahn, so this is an absolute must-win for the Tigers. Oh yeah, and it’s the replaying of that oh-so-controversial 2011 BCS National Championship Game that saw the Oregon robbed in favor of Cam Newton’s team of destiny.

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5 G5 Games of the Week

5. Toledo at Kentucky (Saturday 8/31/19)

Kentucky was the darling of 2018, but the Wildcats lost a lot of their best players. Toledo is used to upsetting P5 opponents. Let’s see what happens.

4. Georgia Southern at #6 LSU (Saturday 8/31/19)

50% chance that LSU wins easily. 40% chance Georgia Southern gets under LSU’s programming but the Tigers outmuscle the Eagles for the win. 10% we get the upset of the season.

3. Purdue at Nevada (Friday 8/30/19)

Purdue has been a good story but hasn’t actually been that good outside of the Boilermakers’ demolition of Ohio State last year. Nevada is slowly morphing back into a competent G5 team.

2. Utah State at Wake Forest (Friday 8/30/19)

Utah State lost Matt Wells but regained Gary Andersen, so the Aggies could pick right back up where they left off last season and menace P5 opponents. Wake Forest is another sad sack made good story, so I have mixed feelings about this one.

1. UCLA at Cincinnati (Thursday 8/29/19)

I think everybody’s picking Cincinnati here. The Bearcats are declaring their intentions to show up at the Cotton Bowl here.

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FCS Games of the Week

This is the week that a ton of the FCS plays against the FBS, so there are heaps of upset opportunities here which I’ll cover briefly.

14. Delaware State at #22 Delaware (Thursday 8/29/19)

Of course, there’s the in-state rivalry that should be considered as well.

...

13. #21 Elon at #20 North Carolina A&T (Saturday 8/31/19)

The only ranked vs ranked matchup in the FCS in Week 1. It’s a cool regional game between respectable teams.

...

12. #23 Sam Houston State at New Mexico (Saturday 8/31/19)

11. #16 Indiana State at Kansas (Saturday 8/31/19)

10. #15 Illinois State at Northern Illinois (Saturday 8/31/19)

9. #14 Montana State at Texas Tech (Saturday 8/31/19)

8. #13 Colgate at Air Force (Saturday 8/31/19)

7. #12 Nicholls State at Kansas State (Saturday 8/31/19)

I mean, at least one of these teams have to win this one. Godspeed, Kansas.

...

6. #8 Weber State at San Diego State (Saturday 8/31/19)

5. #5 UC Davis at California (Saturday 8/31/19)

4. #3 South Dakota State at Minnesota (Thursday 8/29/19)

3. #2 James Madison at West Virginia (Saturday 8/31/19)

This is where it starts to get real scary. I bet each one of these FBS AD’s is really nervous about their game. They learned not to schedule North Dakota State anymore, but really, how much easier is JMU or South Dakota State?

2. #18 Northern Iowa at #21 Iowa State (Saturday 8/31/19)

#4 Eastern Washington at #13 Washington (Saturday 8/31/19)

Oh yeah, here’s where we get a real threat. We’ve got ranked FCS vs ranked FBS with in-state angles. Delicious. The FCS could actually effect the FBS Playoff race here, especially the EWU-UW game.

[thecollegefootballguy]

2019 Top Games of the Week: Week 12

I usually do this on Monday but scheduling made that impossible. Since it’s Wednesday I’ll be using the Playoff rankings since they’ve been released.

Any way, what kind of week do we have here? Well, it’s not great. There are a couple of meaningful matchups, but it’s a pretty light slate all told.

The Top Ten Games of the Week

10. USC 6-4 (5-2) at California 5-4 (2-4)

Like I said, it’s a light slate. USC needs to keep winning if Clay Helton wants to stay on as head coach and Cal needs one more win to gain bowl eligibility. The Bears looked like a shoo-in earlier this year until QB Chase Garbers went out, now they can’t score to save their lives and dropped four straight before beating Wazzu last week. It’s the 106th game in this in-state rivalry.

9. #11 Florida 8-2 (5-2) at Missouri 5-4 (2-3)

This is pretty much just a game to keep an eye on in case Missouri tries for the upset. The Gators are on their way to a 10-2 record and a decent spot to make the Orange or Cotton Bowl but a loss here would likely end those hopes.

8. #19 Texas 6-3 (4-2) at Iowa State 5-4 (3-3)

If the right pieces fall into place Texas can still make the Big 12 Championship Game but a win over Iowa State is a prerequisite. The Cyclones’ season hasn’t gone as well as hoped, but ISU came a 2 point try away from another upset in Norman. A home win over UT shouldn’t be as daunting a challenge.

7. Indiana 7-2 (4-2) at #9 Penn State 8-1 (5-1)

Penn State is looking to reassert themselves after a disappointing loss to Minnesota. The Nittany Lions host plucky Indiana, who are off to their best start in who knows how long. The Hoosiers haven’t yet had a signature win this year, but they have taken care of business against the riff-raff, now they get a real big challenge in Happy Valley.

6. UCLA 4-5 (4-2) at #7 Utah 8-1 (5-1)

It’s hard to believe but the match between this 1 loss Playoff contender and 4 win disaster that lost every non-conference game will most likely decide the PAC-12 South. Somehow UCLA has turned around everything around after a terrible start and hold their destiny in their hands. Utah has played the part all year, throwing around opponents and the Utes are dark horse contenders to make the Playoff should they win out.

5. Wake Forest 7-2 (3-2) at #3 Clemson 10-0 (7-0)

It’s very likely that Clemson will go the whole regular season without playing a team that will end the year in the top 25. Even if the Tigers lose they’ll have the division wrapped up. They won’t lose, of course.

4. #23 Navy 7-1 (5-1) at #16 Notre Dame 7-2

The Navy-ND rivalry game will be one of the more high stakes games of the week. Notre Dame could still reach the Cotton Bowl if they win out and Navy will look to do the same as the G5 champion but neither will likely be able to do that with a loss here. It’s the 93rd game in this long rivalry series.

3. #8 Minnesota 9-0 (6-0) at #20 Iowa 6-3 (3-3)

Minnesota needs to claim Floyd of Rosedale for the first time in five years if the Gophers want to keep their Cinderella season going. Iowa has basically been eliminated from winning the Big Ten West, but can play spoiler to their rival. The Hawkeye upset machine hasn’t taken their top ten win this year, this should be the last chance. It’s the 114th playing of this rivalry game.

2. #4 Georgia 8-1 (5-1) at #12 Auburn 7-2 (4-2)

The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry can add another high stakes meeting to the long list. Georgia has found themselves thrust back into the Playoff top four and will be assured a spot in the the Playoff should they win out. Meanwhile, Auburn looks to play spoiler to their rivals. The Tigers can still throw a huge wrench in the Playoff picture by winning here (or better yet winning out). It’s the 124th playing of this great game.

1. #10 Oklahoma 8-1 (5-1) at #13 Baylor 9-0 (6-0)

Oklahoma and Baylor have distinguished themselves as the cream of the crop in the Big 12, and still may play again in the Championship Game. Oklahoma certainly seem to be the best team in the conference, but the Sooners’ surprise upset at Kansas State have made their Playoff candidacy a stretch. Meanwhile Baylor is unbeaten but have shown serious flaws in near misses. We’ll get a clearer picture of what the Big 12 means to the Playoff race after Saturday.

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G5 Games of the Week

5. Tulane 6-3 (3-2) at Temple 6-3 (3-2)

Neither team will likely win their respective divisions, so this is just a good game between solid AAC squads. Imagine somebody telling you in 2005 that Tulane and Temple would be playing each other and having the outcome not effect bowl eligibility because both teams already had 6 wins. Crazy right?

4. Wyoming 6-3 (3-2) at Utah State 5-4 (4-1)

Bridger’s Battle will play a role in the Mountain division race. Utah State is still alive with a clear path to the Championship Game. Wyoming will try to play spoiler. The Cowboys nearly upset Boise last weekend and will look to seal the deal this weekend and knock the Aggies out. It’s the 70th meeting between Wyoming and USU.

3. Fresno State 4-5 (2-3) at San Diego State 7-2 (4-2)

San Diego State opened the door up to lose the West division with a home loss to Nevada last week. Fresno State will attempt to snatch the division crown and earn the three-peat with a win over their rival Aztecs. It’s the 59th game in this rivalry series.

2. #25 Appalachian State 8-1 (4-1) at Georgia State 6-3 (3-2)

It probably won’t be a good game but let’s see if Georgia State can hex the Mountaineers the same way rival Georgia Southern did. That would put the Panthers on a surprise track to the Sun Belt Championship Game.

1. Louisiana Tech 8-1 (5-0) at Marshall 6-3 (4-1)

This could be a preview of the C-USA Championship Game as frontrunners Louisiana Tech and Marshall clash for home field advantage. Beware, there are sharks circling. Southern Miss threatens the Bulldogs should they lose and the Herd face competition from FAU and Western Kentucky.

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FCS Games of the Week

5. Richmond 5-5 (4-2) at #2 James Madison 9-1 (6-0)

The all-time record in this rivalry series stands at 18-18, let’s see the tiebreaker.

4. Yale 7-1 (4-1) at #18 Princeton 7-1 (4-1)

This is the....142nd meeting all-time between Yale and Princeton. I think I read that right. Man, the Ivy League is crazy.

3. #4 Northern Iowa 6-3 (4-1) at #8 South Dakota State 7-2 (4-1)

Both of these teams should make the Playoff, this is for seeding. Northern Iowa is sitting pretty at #4 despite 3 losses. The FCS poll just doesn’t care, I love it.

2. #9 Furman 6-3 (5-1) at #21 Wofford 5-3 (4-1)

This is it for the Southern Conference. Barring some weird upset in the following week, the winner here will clinch the auto-bid for the FCS Playoff.

1. #3 Weber State 8-2 (6-0) at #5 Montana 8-2 (5-1)

The Big Sky is having one of its best years in recent memory. The league features four top ten teams and the top two face off looking to decide the conference title and get the auto-bid. With a win, Weber State will be all but guaranteed the title. Montana will have to beat archrival #10 Montana State to secure themselves.

[thecollegefootballguy]

2019 Top Games of the Week: Week 3

Not much is changing at the very top of the sport, but usually that takes more than a few weeks to figure out, but everything else, man, we’ve got a season on our hands. I mean, my god, Virginia and Maryland are ranked. Week 2 was packed with big games and near-miss upsets. I hope the trend continues as the weeks go on.

The Top Ten Games of the Week

10. TCU 1-0 (0-0) at Purdue 1-1 (0-0) (Saturday 9/14)

I’m a fan of this nonconference matchup, mostly because I can’t place either of these teams just yet. TCU has only played one game against an FCS opponent which doesn’t tell us a thing. Purdue has lost to Nevada but beat Vanderbilt pretty handily, so I really can’t say I’ve made up my mind about the Boilermakers except maybe Vanderbilt is worse than I thought.

9. Kansas State 2-0 (0-0) at Mississippi State 2-0 (0-0) (Saturday 9/14)

Neither team has played much competition so far, so this game could end up telling us a lot about each squad. Both are hoping to crash their respective conference races and could use some momentum going into league play.

8. #24 USC 2-0 (1-0) at BYU 1-1 (Saturday 9/14)

Well I’m very curious what’s gonna go on here. USC seems to have found themselves a gunslinger in true freshman Kedon Slovis at QB. Meanwhile, BYU has become the latest non-P5 team to go to Knoxville and come away with a win. The Trojans have to be the favorites here but Brigham Young, despite its best efforts, almost never gets a shot at a team like Southern California in Provo. This is a huge statement game for the Cougars and they should give SC their best shot.

7. #9 Florida 2-0 (0-0) at Kentucky 2-0 (0-0) (Saturday 9/14)

Do you believe in miracles? How about twice in a row? Last year Kentucky beat Florida in Gainesville for the first time since the 70′s. Now the Wildcats are tasked with taking down the Gators in Lexington for the first time since 1986 and with winning two in a row since 1976-77. It’s a tall order, but the seal has been broken. UK has the ability to beat Florida again, let’s see if they can take advantage.

6. #2 Alabama 2-0 (0-0) at South Carolina 1-1 (0-0) (Saturday 9/14)

I don’t think I’d have put this game on the top ten if it was played later in the season, but here we are. Alabama will probably crush South Carolina, but the Gamecocks just outdid their all-time scoring record on UT Martin, so maybe they can make something happen on offense. And besides, they aren’t playing Clemson yet, it’s not like this is the hardest game on the South Carolina’s schedule.

5. #1 Clemson 2-0 (0-0) at Syracuse 1-1 (0-0) (Saturday 9/14)

This one felt a lot more interesting before last week before Syracuse got blown up by Maryland. Clemson should probably knock over the Orange with little effort, but that’s what we all thought the last time the Tigers went to the Carrier Dome, and we all remember what happened then.

4. North Carolina 2-0 (0-0) at Wake Forest 2-0 (0-0) (Friday 9/13)

How can you not be fascinated by this game? North Carolina has turned from out and out loser to serious ACC Coastal contender in two weeks. Mack Brown has somehow resuscitated the Tar Heels in just two short weeks. Meanwhile, Wake Forest keeps plowing along, punching well above their weight in the past few years and looking to further improve up the Atlantic hierarchy despite massive institutional disadvantages. These long time, in-state rivals wanted to play each other so badly that they scheduled a non-conference series against each other to take the field this Friday night. That’s right, this isn’t even an ACC game and doesn’t count in the league standings. My god, this is just wild that we’re seeing this.

3. Arizona State 2-0 (0-0) at #18 Michigan State 2-0 (0-0) (Saturday 9/14)

This part of the season is so fun because narratives about each team are just starting to crop up. Not for Arizona State though. The Sun Devils are the only team in the PAC-12 South to have absolutely no buzz around them positive or negative. So we’ll learn a lot from them this week. Michigan State, meanwhile, needs a good challenge to see if the Spartans are the real deal or not. Against Tulsa they looked moribund, against WMU Sparty looked kind of scary on offense. Imagine if MSU had an offense, just the thought sends a chill down my spine.

2. #20 Washington State 2-0 (0-0) vs Houston 1-1 (0-0) (Saturday 9/14)

Boy, the PAC-12 could actually sink lower if they lose this one. They really shouldn’t if they want any part in the national conversation. This one is being played at NRG, allegedly a neutral site, but I don’t think anybody is buying that one. Oh yeah, it’s the Cougar Bowl. That’s kind cool.

1. #19 Iowa 2-0 (1-0) at Iowa State 1-0 (0-0) (Saturday 9/14)

As the prophesy foretold, one day, the Iowa-Iowa State would grab the nation’s attention. God I’m so mad that the AP took the Cyclones out of the top 25, even if it was warranted by almost losing to Northern Iowa. This could have been a top 25 matchup! That would’ve been so cool given that this game is usually either ignored or laughed at. Oh well, you’re missing out if you don’t watch this one. Iowa is one of the two serious players in the Big Ten West race and ISU has been among the three best teams in the Big 12 the past two years.

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Top 5 G5 Games of the Week

5. Miami OH 1-1 (0-0) at Cincinnati 1-1 (0-0) (Saturday 9/14)

I’m a sucker for longstanding rivalry games, which explains why this matchup is in the top 5 and not something like Air Force at Colorado. I remain unrepentant. The Victory Bell is one of the G5′s best (and only) non-conference trophy games and it’s fantastic that these two still play every year. Also Cincinnati could use a tune-up after getting thrashed by Ohio State.

4. Southern Miss 1-1 (0-0) at Troy 1-0 (0-0) (Saturday 9/14)

I really like this regional non-conference matchup. Southern Miss and Troy are both hoping to win their respective conferences and a victory here would help out a great deal despite not counting in the official standings.

3. Hawaii 2-0 (0-0) at #23 Washington 1-1 (0-1) (Saturday 9/14)

I think Washington is going to use this game to remind people why they’ve won the PAC-12 twice in the last two years, but Hawaii has won two games already against PAC-12 opponents. We can dream.

2. Stanford 1-1 (0-1) at #17 UCF 2-0 (0-0) (Saturday 9/14)

UCF might have another big season here. The Knights are getting to play two P5 teams in a row and should be the favorites both times. Stanford started strong but ended up getting hammered by USC last week. KJ Costello should be back as QB but the Cardinal’s issues on offense and defense probably won’t get covered up fully against an experienced team like Central Florida.

1. #21 Maryland 2-0 (0-0) at Temple 1-0 (0-0) (Saturday 9/14)

Temple’s relatively innocuous game against Maryland has suddenly gained some importance now that the Terrapins have shown themselves to be severely underrated. The Owls have the chance to knock off a high flying opponent with a lot of momentum going their way.

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FCS Games of the Week

I didn’t include the FCS vs P5 games this week, mostly because the FCS teams are all severely overmatched by P5 opponents. I mean, I think it’d be cool if they won, but it’s not very likely.

5. #13 Illinois State 1-1 (0-0) at Eastern Illinois 0-2 (0-0) (Saturday 9/14)

The Mid-America classic is one of the FCS’s most played rivalries outside of the Ivy League. Illinois State is probably Playoff bound, but the Redbirds have to win on the road against the rebuilding Panthers.

4. #6 Weber State 1-1 (0-0) at Nevada 1-1 (0-0) (Saturday 9/14)

Let’s get the transitive wins going. Nevada beat Purdue already. We could do some real damage here. Idaho State > Ohio State?

3. #4 Eastern Washington 1-1 (0-0) at #17 Jacksonville State 1-1 (0-0) (Saturday 9/14)

Two perennial FCS powerhouses square off in this Playoff preview. Jacksonville State might need this one a bit worse, though. The Gamecocks’ loss to SELA in Week 1 really took the wind out of their sails.

2. #1 North Dakota State 2-0 (0-0) at #18 Delaware 2-0 (1-0) (Saturday 9/14)

Two perennial FCS powerhouses square off in this Playoff preview. This time without a qualifier.

1. #8 Towson 2-0 (0-0) at #6 Maine 1-0 (0-0) (Saturday 9/14)

The CAA has gifted us with a great Top Ten matchup early on in the season. The only one in D-I football this week. Might as well watch it right?

[thecollegefootballguy]

2018 Top Games of the Week: Week 3

So week 3 is gonna be interesting. We’re wrapping up non-conference play but some good conference games are already cropping up.

The weather might be one of the biggest stories of the weekend. Some of the more interesting games such at West Virginia at NC State and UCF at North Carolina have been cancelled. I’ve tried to take these cancellations into account but things might change by Saturday so we’ll see if all of these games end up being played.

The Top Ten Games of the Week

10. #21 Miami FL 1-1 (0-0) at Toledo 1-0 (0-0)

I have no freaking idea how this game came about. Was Miami bribed? Were they blackmailed? Either way, a very odd scheduling quirk that has brought the Miami Hurricanes to Toledo, Ohio. Just for the strangeness factor alone I think you should watch but, who knows, there might be an upset factor.

9. Vanderbilt 2-0 (0-0) at #8 Notre Dame 2-0

Another strange matchup is Vanderbilt’s road trip to South Bend. I can’t tell you whether the Commodores will actually pose much of a threat to Notre Dame, but Vandy looked better against their scrub opponents than ND did against Ball State.

8. Georgia Tech 1-1 (0-0) at Pittsburgh 1-1 (0-0)

The ACC Coastal looked like a lock in the preseason. That all changed when Miami got manhandled by LSU in Arlington. Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh have already hit big road blocks this season, but non-conference games won’t decide the division, games like GA Tech-Pitt will.

7. #1 Alabama 2-0 (0-0) at Ole Miss 2-0 (0-0)

Maybe it’s just wishful thinking, but I saw those 2014 and 2015 games with my own two eyes! Allow me a little daydream...

6. #22 USC 1-1 (0-1) at Texas 1-1 (0-0)

Two of the biggest brands facing off can’t crack the top 5. Oh well. They should have played better, maybe we’d be talking about this game more instead of considering rewatching the 2006 Title Game before flipping to live football featuring other teams instead.

5. #5 Oklahoma 2-0 (0-0) at Iowa State 0-1 (0-0

I don’t think I need to explain this one all too much. Iowa State’s road upset in Norman was one of the best moments in the regular season last year. Now, for the revenge tour, the Sooners have to win in Ames. OU looks good, real good, but they had the best offense in the country last year and couldn’t beat the Cyclones.

4. #10 Washington 1-1 (0-0) at Utah 2-0 (0-0)

Washington is still the PAC-12 favorite by a nice margin, but the Huskies are clearly beatable if the right team makes the right plays. Rice-Eccles has proven to be a very tough place to visit and with USC’s embarrassing showing against Stanford the PAC-12 South looks like an open race. Utah has extra incentive to upset the favored Huskies if it will launch their own division title campaign. They are, after all, the only South team not to appear in the PAC-12 CG yet.

3. #17 Boise State 2-0 (0-0) at #24 Oklahoma State 2-0 (0-0)

I have to say, I’m very excited about this game. Boise State is always good but they’re starting to show flashes of Kellen Moore-era Boise. The Broncos haven’t yet played a marquee opponent, but they have the perfect opportunity against Big 12 stalwart Oklahoma State. For the past decade, the Cowboys have been one of the most consistent winners in the Big 12, though I feel like they’re flying a bit under the radar so far this season. It’ll be a nice win for OK State, but a huge victory for the Broncos which could catapult them to New Year’s.

2. #4 Ohio State 2-0 (0-0) vs #15 TCU 2-0 (0-0)

Sure, it’s technically a neutral site game, but this game is being held in Arlington, only a few miles away from Fort Worth. I hope it looks like a TCU home game, it would raise the temperature a bit on Ohio State, who could use a challenging test against a quality opponent. Needless to say, if the game goes against expectations and the Buckeyes lose, it would be a boon to the Big 12, giving the league two Playoff hopefuls, and it very well could sink the Big Ten’s hope of making the Playoff.

1. #12 LSU 2-0 (0-0) at #7 Auburn 2-0 (0-0)

The Tiger Bowl is one of those great early season conference rivalries that helps add spice to an otherwise dull slate. Both Tiger squads want to challenge Alabama as top dog in the SEC West. Auburn is obviously bona fide, having beaten the Tide in their last meeting. LSU was looking a bit shaky for a while, but their very strong showing against Miami has them back in the thick of the SEC conversation. The winner will be on a collision course with the Crimson Tide to decide the SEC West.

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5 Group of 5 Games of the Week

5. Troy 1-1 (0-0) at Nebraska 0-1 (0-0)

C’mon Troy, you didn’t get Boise but you here’s a second chance!

4. Fresno State 1-1 (0-0) at UCLA 0-2 (0-0)

Fresno has the opportunity to score a big win over a big brand who is currently reeling from two consecutive losses. Do it for the G5, do it for the Valley.

3. #23 Arizona State 2-0 (0-0) at San Diego State 1-1 (0-0)

We’re moving out of the realm of “wouldn’t it be nice?” and into “this could definitely happen”. Arizona State’s win over Michigan State last week has put the Sun Devils into the top 25. San Diego State has had some experience taking down top 25 teams at home. Can SDSU sweep their home and home with ASU?

2. South Florida 2-0 (0-0) vs Illinois 2-0 (0-0) 

South Florida should win. That is the expected outcome. The Bulls should get a second consecutive win over a P5 team and further their march to New Year’s.

1. Houston 2-0 (0-0) at Texas Tech 1-1 (0-0)

A big swing game for a G5 team hoping to crash the NY6 Bowls that doubles as the re-ignition of an old conference rivalry? Sign me up. 

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FCS Games of the Week

4. #6 Eastern Washington 2-0 (0-0) at Washington State 2-0 (0-0)

This is an FCS upset red alert.

3. #25 Rhode Island 2-0 (0-0) at Connecticut 0-2 (0-0)

This is an FCS upset red alert combined with an old regional rivalry that used to have a traveling trophy based upon the kidnapping of a mascot. PUT IT IN MY VEINS.

2. #22 South Dakota 1-1 (0-0) at #11 Weber State 1-1 (0-0)

A good non-conference game featuring two upstarts in stalwart conferences.

1. #13 Nicholls State 1-1 (0-0) at #16 McNeese State 2-0 (1-0)

Two solid Southland teams face off in an early season game which will help decide the Playoff pecking order.

[thecollegefootballguy]

The Real 2020 Season: Week 1

Hey everybody, welcome to Week 1 of The Real 2020 Season! We’re imagining how things would have gone in the 2020 football season if COVID hadn’t ruined everything.

Week 0 was fun just because football was back on but it didn’t offer a whole lot. Week 1 is when things really get going. We have a big matchups featuring some blue bloods right off the bat. Of course this is balanced out by most other teams hosting bodybag games against scrub opponents from the G5 or the FCS. But hey, let’s look at the fun parts. There aren’t as many ranked games as other past Week 1′s, but football is being played so it’s all good.

If you want to check out my Week 0 post first click here.

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The Rankings

Preseason AP Poll

1. Clemson 0-0 (0-0) 2. Ohio State 0-0 (0-0) 3. Alabama 0-0 (0-0) 4. Georgia 0-0 (0-0) 5. Oklahoma 0-0 (0-0) 6. LSU 0-0 (0-0) 7. Penn State 0-0 (0-0) 8. Florida 0-0 (0-0) 9. Oregon 0-0 (0-0) 10. Notre Dame 1-0 11. Auburn 0-0 (0-0) 12. Wisconsin 0-0 (0-0) 13. Texas A&M 0-0 (0-0) 14. Texas 0-0 (0-0) 15. Oklahoma State 0-0 (0-0) 16. Michigan 0-0 (0-0) 17. USC 0-0 (0-0) 18. North Carolina 0-0 (0-0) 19. Minnesota 0-0 (0-0) 20. Cincinnati 0-0 (0-0) 21. UCF 0-0 (0-0) 22. Utah 0-0 (0-0) 23. Iowa State 0-0 (0-0) 24. Iowa 0-0 (0-0) 25. Tennessee 0-0 (0-0)

We’re still working with the preseason AP poll so nothing changed since last week. The SEC and Big Ten are still well represented in the polls, and are followed by the Big 12. The ACC and PAC-12 only managed to fit in three teams each although Clemson being the #1 team certainly helps the ACC’s image. Notre Dame claims the #10 spot which feels pretty spot on for the Irish coming out of 2019.

The G5 is represented only by Cincinnati and UCF of the AAC. Pretty standard stuff for a preseason poll.

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The Narrative

I wrote out a much more in-depth preseason 2020 narrative last week so check it out to get the big scoop. The short version is that the usual suspects are once again the most serious contenders. Alabama and Georgia are favored to win their divisions and once again and then duke it out for the SEC title. Ohio State is favored for the Big Ten ahead of PSU, Michigan, and Wisconsin, Oklahoma is the favorite in the Big 12, and Clemson winning the ACC shouldn’t even be a question. These five favorites from these four conferences will most likely make up the Playoff field, or at least 3 of the 4 spots. What can I say? We’ve been in a bit of a rut regarding putting new teams in the Playoff since that first 2014 season.

The PAC-12 is the only Power conference without a clear favorite and without a real clear path to the Playoff. The G5 of course will probably never be let into the Playoff but the AAC champ is once again favored to snag the auto-bid for the NY6. UCF is the money favorite based on the past several seasons but Cincinnati had a good showing in 2019 and is set to challenge the Knights.

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The Games

Week 1 features several high profile matchups and a bunch of uninteresting bodybag games. I’ll list all of the games and then break down the big matchups.

Winning teams are highlighted in bold.

Austin Peay at #20 Cincinnati Rice at Houston Arkansas State at Memphis SMU at Texas State South Florida at #14 Texas Temple at Miami FL Southeastern Louisiana at Tulane Toledo at Tulsa #18 North Carolina at #21 UCF Syracuse at Boston College #1 Clemson at Georgia Tech Florida State vs West Virginia (Atlanta, GA) NC State at Louisville Wake Forest at Old Dominion Middle Tennessee at Duke Miami OH at Pittsburgh #4 Georgia vs Virginia (Atlanta, GA) Liberty at Virginia Tech Baylor vs Ole Miss (Houston, TX) South Dakota at #23 Iowa State New Hampshire at Kansas Buffalo at Kansas State Missouri State at #5 Oklahoma Oregon State at #15 Oklahoma State TCU at California Texas Tech at UTEP Indiana at #12 Wisconsin Towson at Maryland #16 Michigan at Washington Michigan State at Northwestern Bowling Green at #2 Ohio State Kent State at #7 Penn State Monmouth at Rutgers Illinois State at Illinois Northern Iowa at #24 Iowa Florida Atlantic at #19 Minnesota Purdue at Nebraska Charlotte at #25 Tennessee Jacksonville State at FIU Chattanooga at Western Kentucky Louisiana Tech at UNLV Houston Baptist at North Texas South Alabama at Southern Miss New Mexico State at UAB UTSA at #6 LSU Youngstown State at Akron North Carolina Central at Ohio Maine at Ball State San Jose State at Central Michigan Eastern Michigan at Kentucky Rhode Island at Northern Illinois Colgate at Western Michigan Duquesne at Air Force Georgia Southern at Boise State Colorado at Colorado State New Mexico at Mississippi State Washington State at Utah State Weber State at Wyoming UCLA at Hawaii Nevada at Arkansas Sacramento State at San Diego State North Dakota State at #9 Oregon William & Mary at Stanford Portland State at Arizona Northern Arizona at Arizona State #3 Alabama vs #17 USC (Arlington, TX) BYU at #22 Utah Eastern Washington at #8 Florida Central Arkansas at Missouri Coastal Carolina at South Carolina Mercer at Vanderbilt Nevada at Arkansas Alcorn State at #11 Auburn Abilene Christian at #13 Texas A&M Morgan State at Appalachian State Murray State at Georgia State Arkansas Pine-Bluff at Troy McNeese State at Louisiana Cal Poly at Louisiana-Monroe Bucknell at Army Massachusetts at Connecticut

Nobody came close to upsetting the Top 5, though the games weren’t all severe beatdowns either. #1 Clemson of course stomped rival Georgia Tech in Atlanta and #2 Ohio State and #5 Oklahoma handled their business against patsy opponents. #3 Alabama once again thoroughly torched #17 USC in Dallas. #4 Georgia beat Virginia in Atlanta but the Bulldogs’ offense didn’t exactly look promising.

The other kickoff games saw West Virginia defeating Florida State in the other Chick-fil-A matchup and Ole Miss edged out Baylor in Houston. Boy, don’t you wish both of those games were being played in 2015 and not 2020? The other ranked vs ranked game of the week featured #21 UCF outpacing #18 North Carolina in Orlando, it wasn’t unexpected but it’s still an important symbolic win for the Knights and for the AAC.

A few other games had consequential results for the Big Ten in particular.  Indiana pulled off a shocking upset of #12 Wisconsin, a crippling blow for the Badgers who were once again the favorites to win the Big Ten West. Out West, #16 Michigan lost handily to Washington, likely ruining the Wolverines’ Playoff hopes.

More than a fair share of home teams won against easy opponents, it’s more or less a Week 1 tradition, but there is always intrigue and surprising results on a chalky week like this. Liberty scraped past Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, embarrassing the Hokies in their home opener. Buffalo beat Kansas State with surprising efficiency while Coastal Carolina gutted out a win over South Carolina in Columbia. As usual, a few FCS teams were able to dish out some damage. Jacksonville State beat FIU while Youngstown State was able to down rival Akron and keep their old travelling trophy, the Steel Tire.

A couple other rivalry games to note before moving on. #22 Utah was able to fend off rival BYU in another fierce chapter in the Holy War. AAC squads Houston and Memphis were able to shut down Rice and Arkansas State respectively in their regional rivalry matchups. Colorado travelled to Fort Collins for the first time since 1996 and beat their little brothers in the 92nd Rocky Mountain Showdown. Finally, a bad UConn team eked out a win against a worse UMass squad.

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The Standings

There were only a few conference games played in Week 1, mostly in the ACC and Big Ten. We won’t see full conferences playing until at least Week 4 when the Big Ten, Big 12, and PAC-12 begin their 9-game league schedules. There isn’t much to say about the standings this early in the season, but then again it’s fun to see Nebraska leading the Big Ten West.

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The Big Picture

Week 1 sometimes sees a few earth-shattering outcomes with all of the Kickoff Games and the odd crucial upset. That didn’t happen this year with so few high profile games. It’s not like Alabama curb-stomping USC was unexpected. Probably the most significant events were Michigan and Wisconsin losing to Washington and Indiana. That leaves Ohio State and Penn State as the only real Big Ten teams with a serious shot at the Playoff only a week into the season.

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The New Rankings

Following Week 1 the AP Poll didn’t change a whole lot in the top 15 thanks to a very chalky week. Alabama’s win over USC helps the Tide leap over Ohio State into 2nd place but not yet to first because Clemson did of course completely humiliate their own P5 opponent. Wisconsin and North Carolina fall out of the rankings. USC’s loss to Alabama is more or less forgiven because, hey, basically everybody loses to the Tide so the Trojans only fall a few spots. Michigan nearly tumbled out of the poll but just barely cling on after falling 9 spots to #25. Washington and Indiana both climb into the polls, though of course the Huskies are treated with a bit more respect than the Hoosiers, whose presence is treated more like a novelty.

1. Clemson 1-0 (1-0) 2. Alabama 1-0 (0-0) 3. Ohio State 1-0 (0-0) 4. Georgia 1-0 (0-0) 5. Oklahoma 1-0 (0-0) 6. LSU 1-0 (0-0) 7. Penn State 1-0 (0-0) 8. Florida 1-0 (0-0) 9. Oregon 1-0 (0-0) 10. Notre Dame 1-0 11. Auburn 1-0 (0-0) 12. Texas A&M 1-0 (0-0) 13. Texas 1-0 (0-0) 14. Oklahoma State 1-0 (0-0) 15. Washington 1-0 (0-0) 16. UCF 1-0 (0-0) 17. Minnesota 1-0 (0-0) 18. Utah 1-0 (0-0) 19. Indiana 1-0 (1-0) 20. USC 0-1 (0-0) 21. Cincinnati 1-0 (0-0) 22. Iowa State 1-0 (0-0) 23. Iowa 1-0 (0-0) 24. Tennessee 1-0 (0-0) 25. Michigan 0-1 (0-0)

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Week 1 is in the books. The 2020 college football season is finally under way! And don’t worry if this is somewhat less interesting than you expected one week in, Week 2 will be much more interesting! Stay tuned!

[thecollegefootballguy]

Top Games of the Week: Week 7

Okay folks...Week 7 sucks. It really does. It sucks so bad that there are TWO G5 games in my top five. I think that’s a first. I’m gonna go through this quick because I don’t feel the need to waste your time with games that don’t matter. Let’s just pray to the football gods that we get something good this weekend like an Oklahoma-Iowa State level upset. If that doesn’t happen it’s gonna be boring. Hey, if you want ranked teams playing each other there’s always the FCS!

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Top Ten Games of the Week

10. Oregon 4-2 (1-2) at #23 Stanford 4-2 (3-1)

Series Ledger: 46-32-1 Stanford Last Meeting: 52-27 Stanford 11/12/2016

It’s not the game it once was, but the Stanford-Oregon series is still pretty important for deciding the PAC-12 North hierarchy. It’s the 80th all-time game between these teams.

9. Texas A&M 4-2 (2-1) at Florida 3-2 (3-1)

Series Ledger: 2-1 Florida Last Meeting: 20-17 Florida 10/8/2012

There is a clear tier 1 in the SEC, with Alabama, Georgia, and Auburn clearly a cut above the rest. After that it’s a bit hard to say, but this game should end up showing us which is the #4 team in the conference. 

8. Georgia Tech 3-1 (2-0) at #11 Miami FL 4-0 (2-0)

Series Ledger: 11-11 TIE Last Meeting: 35-21 Miami FL 10/1/2016

Miami has finally staked out a place for themselves at the top of the ACC Coastal, now they have to defend themselves against what is still a pretty solid division. Georgia Tech is good enough to be ranked, so we’ll see how the Hurricanes fare post-FSU.

7. #9 Ohio State 5-1 (3-0) at Nebraska 3-3 (2-1)

Series Ledger: 4-1 Ohio State Last Meeting: 62-3 Ohio State 11/5/2016

This game is really only on here because of what happened last year. The Buckeyes are really good, good enough to do this again if Nebraska is unprepared. I just can’t imagine that the Huskers are going to take the events of last season lying down, especially now that they’re hosting.

6. #6 TCU 5-0 (2-0) at Kansas State 3-2 (1-1)

Series Ledger: 5-5 TIE Last Meeting: 30-6 Kansas State 10/3/2016

TCU has shot into the top ten, but the Horned Frogs face a real road test in a deceptively good Kansas State team.

5. Utah 4-1 (1-1) at #13 USC 5-1 (3-1)

Series Ledger: 10-5 USC Last Meeting: 31-27 Utah 9/23/2016

With the rest of the PAC-12 South so up in the air, this looks to be as good a game as any to decide the division. USC is obviously favored, but the Trojans are pretty injured and likely susceptible to being upset.

4. #25 Navy 5-0 (3-0) at Memphis 3-1 (0-1)

Series Ledger: 2-0 Navy Last Meeting: 42-28 Navy 10/22/2016

The AAC East race seems like a foregone conclusion, with the winner of UCF-USF taking the crown. Out West the picture is a bit different. Navy is unbeaten, but is a very tough out. The winner of this game has a good chance at taking the West division.

3. Boise State 3-2 (1-0) at #19 San Diego State 6-0 (2-0)

Series Ledger: 2-2 TIE Last Meeting: 38-29 Boise State 11/15/2014

If you’re interested in Mountain West intrigue, this is a huge game for both programs. Boise State is very frustrated at their slipping hold over the conference, which has been taken up largely by San Diego State. Now, with the Aztecs halfway to an undefeated regular season, the Broncos are attempting to make a big symbolic play to reclaim that conference supremacy. If SDSU loses, it also likely erases the conference from the G5 discussion, leaving it only for the AAC champion.

2. #10 Auburn 5-1 (3-0) at LSU 4-2 (1-1)

Series Ledger: 28-22-1 LSU Last Meeting: 18-13 Auburn 9/24/2016

The Tiger Bowl. A big deal game for both programs. Auburn is trying to get a toehold in the Playoff discussion and they need to get to the Iron Bowl 10-1 to do that. LSU hasn’t crashed and burned, so we still don’t know exactly how good and bad they are. Auburn seems to be the better team, but they haven’t won in Baton Rouge since 1999.

1. #12 Oklahoma 4-1 (1-1) vs Texas 3-2 (2-0) in Dallas, TX

Series Ledger: 61-45-5 Texas Last Meeting: 45-40 Oklahoma 10/8/2016

Oklahoma is trying to recover from their shocking upset at the hands of Iowa State. Texas started poorly but they’ve looked better with each passing game as the offense finds its footing. This game is always wild, let’s see where it goes. It’s the 112th playing of the Red River Shootout!

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5 Group of 5 Games of the Week

5. Northern Illinois 3-2 (1-0) at Buffalo 3-3 (1-1)

Series Ledger: 10-1 Northern Illinois Last Meeting: 44-7 Northern Illinois 10/22/2016

NIU looks like their old selves, and Buffalo is having a better season than usual.

4. Toledo 4-1 (1-0) at Central Michigan 3-3 (1-1)

Series Ledger: 24-18-3 Toledo Last Meeting: 31-17 Toledo 10/22/2016

A big road game for the MAC West favorites.

3. Wyoming 3-2 (1-0) at Utah State 3-3 (1-1)

Series Ledger: 38-25-4 Utah State Last Meeting: 52-28 Wyoming

According to wikipedia this is a rivalry game called Bridger’s Battle. So there’s that. A good pecking order game in the Mountain Division.

2. Akron 3-3 (2-0) at Western Michigan 4-2 (2-0)

Series Ledger: 14-4 Western Michigan Last Meeting: 41-0 Western Michigan 10/15/2016

Both teams are undefeated in MAC play.

1. UTSA 3-1 (0-1) at North Texas 3-2 (2-0)

Series Ledger: 3-1 UTSA Last Meeting: 31-17 UTSA 10/29/2016

The CUSA West race is wide open. UTSA looked like the frontrunner but the Roadrunner face planted in their opening conference game against Southern Miss. So now we’re back to square one.

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FCS Games of the Week

4. Southern Utah 3-2 (1-1) at #19 Weber State 4-1 (2-0) 

Series Ledger: 16-7 Weber State Last Meeting: 37-36 Weber State 10/22/2016

It’s the Beehive Bowl. The premier FCS rivalry in the state of Utah. You probably either already care about this or you don’t. Weber State is ranked though, which doesn’t happen that often, so this game has more meaning than usual.

3. #11 Villanova 4-2 (2-1) at #1 James Madison 5-0 (2-0) 

Series Ledger: 14-11 James Madison Last Meeting: 20-7 James Madison 11/12/2016

A big game for the CAA championship.

2. #2 North Dakota State 5-0 (2-0) at #8 Youngstown State 3-2 (1-1)

Series Ledger: 7-4 North Dakota State Last Meeting: 24-3 North Dakota State 11/5/2016

A big game for the MVFC championship.

1. #5 Wofford 5-0 (3-0) at #23 The Citadel 3-2 (1-2)

Series Ledger: 42-26-1 The Citadel Last Meeting: 17-3 Wofford 10/3/2016 (FCS Playoff)

A big game for the SoCon championship. Also a somewhat rivalry and the 70th game played between these in-state opponents.

[thecollegefootballguy]

2017 Top Games of the Week: Week 10

Week 10 looks real good. We’ve got a ton of good games that will go a long way towards deciding many of the conference and division races. Some of the Group of 5 games have already been played, but I’m a busy guy so if the MAC wants to play on Tuesday and Wednesday they can go ahead, but I’m not gonna accelerate my timetable. I’m already on a bit of a time crunch so these are gonna be short, at least the less important games.

AND! Since the Playoff rankings are out this blog will now be using those instead of the AP Poll for rankings.

Top Ten Games of the Week

10. Texas 4-4 (3-2) at #8 TCU 7-1 (4-1)

TCU’s nose has been bloodied, now we get to see how the Horned Frogs react to adversity. In past seasons they’ve been pretty good at dealing with this kind of thing.

9. #21 Stanford 6-2 (5-1) at #25 Washington State 7-2 (4-2)

The winner of this game will be Washington’s biggest challenger in the PAC-12 North. 

8. #6 Ohio State 7-1 (5-0) at Iowa 5-3 (2-3)

Hey man, Iowa has that upset mojo at home. It worked last year against Michigan and required a touchdown with 0:00 left for Penn State to win this season.

7. #15 Iowa State 6-2 (4-1) at West Virginia 5-3 (3-2)

I’m just so happy that Iowa State is in the mix. They’re face a tough road test in Morgantown. 

6. #22 Arizona 6-2 (4-1) at #17 USC 7-2 (5-1)

The PAC-12 South pretty much will boil down to this game. 

5. #7 Penn State 7-1 (4-1) at #24 Michigan State 6-2 (4-1)

We assume that Ohio State has the East wrapped up, but if there’s any funny business, the winner of this game will play a huge role in how that division plays out.

4. #19 LSU 6-2 (3-1) at #2 Alabama 8-0 (5-0) 

I’m sure this is the #1 game for some people, and it definitely could be the most impactful. This whole top four is stellar. We went whole weeks without games this good in October. 

3. #13 Virginia Tech 7-1 (3-1) at #10 Miami FL 7-0 (5-0)

We’ll have the ACC Coastal sussed out this weekend.

2. #4 Clemson 7-1 (5-1) at #20 NC State 6-2 (4-0)

Same with the Atlantic.

1. #5 Oklahoma 7-1 (4-1) at #11 Oklahoma State 7-1 (4-1)

Bedlam remains a vitally important game, but now with both teams having two losses, it’s a Playoff elimination match. Oh yeah, and it’s the 112th playing of this historic rivalry. 

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5 Group of 5 Games of the Week

5. Central Michigan 4-4 (2-2) at Western Michigan 5-3 (3-1)

Yes I know this game has been played. Screw the MAC for their Wednesday games that nobody watches. I don’t know the score. Game 7 of the World Series was on.

4. Colorado State 6-3 (4-1) at Wyoming 5-3 (3-1)

The Bronze Boot is up for grabs as both of these teams try to keep up with Boise State. It’s the 110th playing of the Border War!

3. Marshall 6-2 (3-1) at FAU 5-3 (4-0)

CUSA East stuff. No real NY6 Bowl relevance but man both of these teams have had quite the turnaround.

2. Northern Illinois 6-2 (4-0) at Toledo 7-1 (4-0)

The MAC West will essentially be decided here.

1. #18 UCF 7-0 (4-0) at SMU 6-2 (3-1)

A trap game for UCF, and a high stakes game for SMU, who hope to stay in the AAC West race.

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FCS Games of the Week

3. #19 Weber State 6-2 (4-1) at #11 Eastern Washington 5-3 (4-1)

Weber State has been one of the surprise teams in the FCS this year, upsetting the balance of power in the Big Sky, now they take on the stalwart of the conference when they travel to play Eastern Washington.

2. #15 Western Illinois 5-3 (2-3) at #12 Illinois State 6-2 (4-1)

It’s the 100th time these conference rivals are facing off! Western Illinois and Illinois State a battling for a potential first round bye in the FCS Playoff. 

1. #2 North Dakota State 8-0 (5-0) at #10 South Dakota State 6-2 (3-2)

It’s the 107th playing of NDSU and SDSU South Dakota State. The Dakota Marker is up for grabs as well as supremacy in the MVFC.

[thecollegefootballguy]

Top Games of the Week: Week 8

We finally have games featuring ranked teams again. So that’s nice. There aren’t a top, but it’s more than we’ve had the past two weeks.

Top Ten Games of the Week

10. Colorado 4-3 (1-3) at #15 Washington State 6-1 (3-1)

Series Ledger: 6-4 Colorado Last Meeting: 38-24 Colorado 11/19/2016

These bottom games aren’t particularly important or interesting, but I have to fill out my top ten! You’ll probably be more interested in these games if you follow specific conference or division races. Washington State, for instance, needs to bounce back after their completely gutless performance against Cal. They still control their own destiny, they just have to act like it.

9. Iowa State 4-2 (2-1) at Texas Tech 4-2 (1-2)

Series Ledger: 11-4 Texas Tech Last Meeting: 66-10 Iowa State 11/19/2016

Ok, so you might not believe me, but Iowa State has actually looked very good this year. Like maybe good enough to be a fringe top 25 candidate, and it wasn’t just in their win over Oklahoma. The Cyclones take on another rising team in the muddled Big 12 in Texas Tech. Last season ISU completely humiliated the Red Raiders, I think they remember. 

8. Syracuse 4-3 (2-1) at #8 Miami FL 5-0 (3-0)

Series Ledger: 15-7 Miami FL Last Meeting: 17-10 Miami FL 11/15/2003

It’s a reunion of sorts, as these teams haven’t met since Miami left the Big East. Can Syracuse knock off another undefeated ACC team? Probably not, but they’re an up and comer riding a hot streak. The Hurricanes had won five in a row before the series ended.

7. #10 Oklahoma State 5-1 (2-1) at Texas 3-3 (2-1)

Series Ledger: 24-7 Texas Last Meeting: 49-31 Oklahoma State 10/1/2016

The Big 12 is wide open, and Oklahoma State has reentered the Playoff picture following their close loss to TCU a couple weeks back. The Cowboys travel to Austin to face off against a punchy Longhorns team that nearly took out mutual rival Oklahoma last week.

6. #20 UCF 5-0 (3-0) at Navy 5-1 (3-1)

Series Ledger: 0-0 Last Meeting: NEVER MET!!!

Quite the stakes for a first meeting. UCF is undefeated and in the thick of the G5 race. Navy has a loss but are right in the mix, as all it seems is needed is to win the AAC this year to make it to a Fiesta or Cotton Bowl. It could be a season-defining game for both teams. 

5. #24 LSU 5-2 (2-1) at Ole Miss 3-3 (1-2)

Series Ledger: 60-41-4 LSU Last Meeting: 38-21 LSU 10/22/2016

It’s the 106th Magnolia Bowl! LSU has pulled themselves together and are making a new assault on the SEC West race. Ole Miss looks to be struggling the way the Tigers were just a couple weeks back. I normally wouldn’t give the Rebels much of a chance but they always seem to come up for this game, plus the home team has won the last 5 meetings.

4. Tennessee 3-3 (0-3) at #1 Alabama 7-0 (4-0)

Series Ledger: 54-36-8 Alabama Last Meeting: 49-10 Alabama 10/15/2016

It’s the Third Saturday of October, so that means Alabama-Tennessee. I won’t say that you should watch because it’ll be a good game, but I will say that you should watch for the spectacle. This could be a real schadenfreude game depending on your feelings towards the Vols. OH YEAH, AND THIS IS THE 100TH PLAYING OF THIS STORIED RIVALRY. The Crimson Tide have won ten straight, but discount that.

3. #9 Oklahoma 5-1 (2-1) at Kansas State 3-3 (1-2)

Series Ledger: 74-19-4 Oklahoma Last Meeting: 38-17 Oklahoma 10/15/2016

I don’t know how but Bill Snyder somehow outlasted Bob Stoops, his own protege. That’s just how things work I guess. Now, youngster Lincoln Riley looks to defeat the old wizard with Oklahoma’s conference and Playoff opportunities likely on the line.

2. #11 USC 6-1 (4-1) at #13 Notre Dame 5-1

Series Ledger: 45-37-5 Notre Dame Last Meeting: 45-27 USC 11/26/2016

The greatest inter-sectional rivalry in college athletics. USC makes their trip to Notre Dame to take on their hated rival. This time, both teams are fringe Playoff candidates and neither can afford another loss if they hope to keep pace with their competition. The home team has won the past 4 games.

1. #19 Michigan 5-1 (2-1) at #2 Penn State 6-0 (3-0)

Series Ledger: 13-7 Michigan Last Meeting: 49-10 Michigan 9/24/2016

I could imagine this game going one of two ways. The first is it ends 3-0 and the second is that Penn State scores a touchdown or two early and Michigan just cannot do anything about and the game spirals away from there. The Wolverines are one of a few teams with a defense that can stop the Nittany Lions in their tracks, but with that offense this could just be some weird, ugly football.

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5 Group of 5 Games of the Week

5. Southern Miss 4-2 (2-1) at Louisiana Tech 3-3 (1-1)

Series Ledger: 33-15 Southern Miss Last Meeting: 39-24 Southern Miss 11/25/2016

They call it the Rivalry in Dixie and in the wide open CUSA West it’ll help show us who’ll come out on top.

4. Wyoming 4-2 (2-0) at Boise State 4-2 (2-0)

Series Ledger: 10-1 Boise State Last Meeting: 30-28 Wyoming 10/29/2016

Last year, for the first time ever, Wyoming beat Boise State. Now, with undefeated conference records, the Cowboys travel to the blue turf and attempt to win where they’ve never won before.

3. #16 South Florida 6-0 (3-0) at Tulane 3-3 (1-1)

Series Ledger: 0-0 Last Meeting: NEVER MET!!!

Trap game.

2. Fresno State 4-2 (3-0) at San Diego State 6-1 (2-1)

Series Ledger: 29-23-4 San Diego State Last Meeting: 17-3 San Diego State

Fresno State has suddenly thrust their way into the MWC West division race. The Bulldogs are undefeated in conference play with losses only coming to Washington and Alabama, they’re playing their best football in the last couple of years right now and are looking to upset their rival San Diego State. The Old Oil Can trophy is up for grabs on Saturday.

1. #25 Memphis 5-1 (2-1) at Houston 4-2 (2-1)

Series Ledger: 15-10 Houston Last Meeting: 48-44 Memphis 11/25/2016

The AAC West race might be won if Memphis can manage a win over Houston. It’s a tall order, the Cougars are one of the other contenders and have home field advantage to boot.

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FCS Games of the Week

3. #16 Samford 4-2 (2-1) at #5 Wofford 5-0 (3-0)

Series Ledger: 9-5 Samford Last Meeting: 28-26 Samford 10/1/2016

Wofford is inching closer to their SoCon title with their recent wins over Western Carolina and The Citadel. A win over Samford will likely give them their assured spot in the Playoff.

2. #4 South Dakota 6-0 (3-0) at #24 Illinois State 4-2 (2-1)

Series Ledger: 5-1 Illinois State Last Meeting: 27-24 South Dakota 10/22/2016

South Dakota’s dream season keeps rolling along. The Coyotes face their next obstacle in Illinois State, a team they hadn’t beaten until last year.

1. #10 Western Illinois 5-1 (2-1) at #2 North Dakota State 6-0 (3-0)

Series Ledger: 6-2 North Dakota State Last Meeting: 21-13 North Dakota State 10/22/2016

The only top ten clash this weekend takes place in Fargo, North Dakota as the Bison take on Western Illinois.

[thecollegefootballguy]

2018 Top Games of the Week: Week 6

We got some conference games! We got rivalries! Week 6 is looking pretty solid.

The Top Ten Games of the Week

10. Florida State 3-2 (1-2) at #17 Miami FL 4-1 (1-0)

Ok, this probably won’t be good game, but I’m definitely curious.

9. Missouri 3-1 (0-1) at South Carolina 2-2 (1-1)

The SEC East is turning out to be a pretty good division. There’s some depth behind Georgia, though probably not enough talent to actually unseat the Bulldogs. Missouri and South Carolina are in the middle of the pack and both look pretty strong, but the temperature has risen quite a bit in what is usually considered a substandard division.

8. #8 Auburn 4-1 (1-1) at Mississippi State 3-2 (0-2)

Mississippi State hasn’t been as good as advertised. The Bulldogs’ offense has been a mess, but Auburn’s kinda has been as well. The Tigers have played some good football against good teams but they’re in hostile territory against an opponent who’s itching for a win.

7. Boston College 4-1 (1-0) at #23 NC State 4-0 (1-0)

Yes, this is an important conference game. Don’t look at me like that.

6. Arizona State 3-2 (1-1) at #21 Colorado 4-0 (1-0)

As far as anybody can tell, this might very well be the game that decides the PAC-12 South. Weird. 

5. #13 Kentucky 5-0 (3-0) at Texas A&M 3-2 (1-1)

SEC East contender Kentucky (boy I love saying that) faces a huge road game in College Station. Texas A&M is punchy and can certainly threaten the Wildcats’ so far perfect season. When the season began I did not think that the ranked team entering this game would be UK. It’s a lot of fun.

4. #4 Clemson 5-0 (2-0) at Wake Forest 3-2 (0-1)

Clemson is just begging for somebody to upset them. Why not Wake?

3. #6 Notre Dame 5-0 at #24 Virginia Tech 3-1 (2-0)

One of three ranked games in Week 6, this one potentially has the biggest impact on the Playoff race. Notre Dame does not have a lot of obstacles between them and an undefeated season. The only reason this game is this low is because I think it has a much larger chance to being blowout. I have no idea how good VA Tech actually is, they might get trucked.

2. #5 LSU 5-0 (2-0) at #22 Florida 4-1 (2-1)

LSU-Florida is starting to look like a season-defining game for both teams once again. The Tigers have an undefeated season on the line which has already featured tough games outside of Baton Rouge. UF looks like they’re starting to put the pieces together a bit earlier than usual, but they haven’t played a team as good as LSU just yet. 

1. #19 Texas vs #7 Oklahoma (Dallas, TX)

Red River is the #1 game this week but I’d be ok if you wanted to label any of these top three to that position. Obviously the Big 12 race will be impacted by this game. The conference is already apparently in flux as Texas and West Virginia charge past the usual contenders in TCU and Oklahoma State. The only thing that remains to be seen is if the new or old challengers can unseat the Sooners. The answer has been no for the past few years, but Red River is one of those games where strange things happen. 

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5 Group of 5 Games of the Week

5. Fresno State 3-1 (0-0) at Nevada 3-2 (1-0)

I can tell you that both of these teams will be very interested in the Boise State-SDSU game. 

4. Middle Tennessee 2-2 (1-0) at Marshall 3-1 (1-0)

Looks like FAU isn’t gonna run away with the CUSA East. This game pits two of the challengers against each other. 

3. UAB 3-1 (1-0) at Louisiana Tech 3-1 (1-0)

This is pretty much the same thing but for the CUSA West.

2. Utah State 3-1 (1-0) at BYU 3-2

The Wagon Wheel is up for grabs. Both USU and BYU are trending upwards and both schools have postseason aspirations. It’s a big in-state game with some real importance this year.

1. San Diego State 3-1 (0-0) at Boise State 3-1 (1-0) 

An important Mountain West game at an unfortunate time. SDSU has become used to running the West Division but has lost their quarterback and running back in the previous weeks. It’s a tough introduction to conference play, on the blue turf against a salivating Boise State.

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FCS Games of the Week

4. #19 Villanova 3-2 (0-2) at #25 Maine 2-2 (1-0)

This is one of those games on the periphery of the CAA race. Both Villanova and Maine made a big splash in the first weeks of the season but have struggled since. It may turn out to be a Playoff eliminator game.

3. #13 Stony Brook 4-1 (2-0) at #23 Towson 3-1 (1-0) 

Towson and Stony Brook beat Villanova in back to back weeks, so I guess this is a bit higher up the totem pole and isn’t as likely to be an eliminator game. 

2. #1 North Dakota State 4-0 (1-0) at #22 Northern Iowa 2-2 (1-0)

North Dakota State is usually good for one loss each season. They just played a very draining game against rival South Dakota State. Step right up, Northern Iowa, take your swing and the champs.

1. #10 Elon 3-1 (1-0) at #2 James Madison 4-1 (2-0)

Oh hey, it’s a top ten matchup, the only one in D-1 college football this week. It’s a big game for the CAA. The strongest league in the FCS could be deciding their conference champion early this season.