Texas starts SEC play, there's plenty of fun football, and I'll be stuck at a wedding in Boone. Maybe I can sneak out to the App State game...
Thursday game
Army @ Temple - 7:30 / 6:30 ESPN
The Black Knights take a quick drive down to Philly to administer a good old fashioned ass-whupping to Stan Drayton's feeble Owls.
Friday games
Virginia Tech @ #7 Miami - 7:30 / 6:30 ESPN
Before the season this looked like a potential ACC title game preview. The Hokies responded to big expectations by losing to Rutgers and Vanderbilt in their offseason slate. Oops.
Washington @ Rutgers - 8 / 7 Fox
Hahahaha this is a conference game, realignment is so dumb. The Scarlet Knights seem competent. Jedd Fisch hasn't really found his feet yet in Seattle (it's pretty slippery up there with all the rain).
Saturday games
Kentucky @ #6 Ole Miss - 12 / 11 ABC
Will Ole Miss finally be tested? Kentucky is so schizophrenic it's hard to say. Do they bring their A-game they showed against UGA or fall over like they did against SCar. Either way, they probably can't keep up with the Rebel offense.
#20 Oklahoma State @ #23 Kansas State - 12 / 11 ABC
Both teams are coming off rough losses to Holy Warriors and need this win to stay in the race for the second Big XII championship spot. Is Alan Bowman still traumatized after getting put in the spin cycle by Ute defenders all Saturday? Can K-State rebound from getting hammered by BYU?
#22 BYU @ Baylor - 12 / 11 FS1
Speaking of bouncing back from those games, is BYU for real? Can Aranda rally the Bears after they gave up a Hail Mary with a defensive playcall called "Victory Cigar"?
Also in the early slate, Northern Illinois @ NC State (CW) is a funny one give how their seasons have gone. Minnesota @ Michigan (FOX) is the second week in a row Big Noon Saturday has punted on showing an actually good game and just panders to a blueblood fanbase.
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Arkansas @ #24 Texas A&M - 3:30 / 2:30 ESPN
A meteor game for Texas fans. Both teams have been uneven and incompetent in different ways. Should be fun to laugh at the loser, at least.
#15 Louisville @ #16 Notre Dame - 3:30 / 2:30 Peacock (Jesus Christ, really?)
An enormous game for Notre Dame's season. A potential defining statement for the ACC title challengers from the banks of the Ohio. This one should be fun. So of course NBC put it on Peacock, the assholes.
#21 Oklahoma @ Auburn - 3:30 / 2:30 ABC
OU gets a bounceback game to really start hyping Michael Hawkins and their defense up before Red River. Hugh Freeze will try to find out how many of his players he can throw under a bus at the same time.
UNC @ Duke - 4 / 3 ESPN2
Mack vs. Manny! Maalik vs. the UNC "defense!" Mack vs. the creeping sense of inevitable decline and decay! Tobacco Road's premier basketball rivaly has some fun football interest for Texas fans this year after UNC covered the over against JMU by themselves and still got blown out 70 - 50.
Mississippi State @ #1 Texas - 4:15 / 3:15 SECN
Texas is going to treat Jeff Lebby the same way he treats ethics and women's rights, because an SEC mudholing just means more. Michael Van Buren gets his first start at QB, and is in for a presidential asskicking.
Also of interest is a fun G5 matchup with Fresno State @ UNLV (FS1).
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#2 Georgia @ #4 Alabama - 7:30 / 6:30 ABC
Whoa nelly, this is a big one. Not much to say other than this is a huge, huge game. UGA has looked a little wobbly, Bama has a new coach, but you know they're both going to be locked in on Saturday night.
#19 Illinois @ #9 Penn State - 7:30 / 6:30 NBC
An excellent B1G undercard. FFR has the Illini playing tough, physical football. James Franklin tends to wilt in big games. But this feels to me like the one he wins before he loses to USC and Ohio State down the road.
Florida State @ SMU - 7:30 / 6:30 ACCN
Cal didn't have the horses to keep the FSU schadenfreude train going, but maybe the Ponies can get it back on the rails
Keep an eye on #3 Ohio State @ Michigan State (Peacock) in case something interesting happens, but it probably won't.
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Washington State @ #25 Boise State - 10 / 9 FS1
This could be really fun. Boise is the leader for the G5 playoff spot. Wazzu plays wild high scoring football.
Arizona @ #10 Utah - 10:15 / 9:15 ESPN
With Fifita and McMillan, Arizona has the talent to shock Utah if they're still coasting off of last week's victory.
#8 Oregon @ UCLA - 11 / 10 Fox
Pac-12 After Dark lives! Oregon has been so shaky they can't take any game for granted, especially in this weird of a timeslot.