2021 College Football season thread (AKA: What the beginning of the end looks like)

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

And by "the beginning of the end", I mean the end of the football conferences as you know them. And I'M NOT READY TO SAY GOODBYE YET! *sniff, sniff*
...Sorry. I got emotional. Anyway, if you wanna follow along with the 2021 season, this is the place to do it. Now excuse me while I get things ready.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Top games (Week Zero to September 3rd)

Okay, let's get back to more exciting (and pleasant) topics. Like my traditional weekly "Best Games of the Week" lists!
Let's begin by looking at the top games for tomorrow, this Thursday, and next Friday:

Nebraska @ Illinois [1:00 tomorrow, FOX] (The first official game of the 2021 season will take place in Champaign, Illinois as the Big 10 schedule begins with Nebraska visiting Illinois in Bret Bielema's debut in Champaign. And in case you think that there's nothing on the line here, people were saying yesterday on "Daily Wager" that this was a game Nebraska cannot afford to lose. That's good enough for me right there!)

Hawaii @ UCLA [3:30 tomorrow, ESPN] (Chip Kelly begins a critical year in his tenure in Pasadena as UCLA hosts a Hawaii team that went bowling last year.)

Temple @ Rutgers [6:30 September 2nd, Big 10 Network] (Week 1 will begin here in Piscataway, as Rutgers will host a former rival from the days of the old Big East conference.)

Boise State @ UCF [7:00 September 2nd, ESPN] (Just a straight-forward glamour game in Week 1, as Boise State and UCF face each other for the first time ever. And in this battle of two household-name "Group of Five" schools, I'm actually expecting a defensive match.)

Ohio State @ Minnesota [8:00 September 2nd, FOX] (So Ohio State has locked down their QB for the opener, as C.J. Stroud will be the starter entering this BIG opener for the Buckeyes. Now Ohio State can worry about Minnesota's offense; if the Gophers get going, what will the Buckeyes do about it?)

North Carolina @ Virginia Tech [6:00 next Friday, ESPN] (This to me is the biggest game in the early window of Week 1: An ACC opener between 2 ACC Coastal schools. One team is looking to compete for the ACC and national titles. The other team is desperate for a big win for themselves and their beleaguered coach. This will be a doozy to watch.)

Michigan State @ Northwestern [9:00 next Friday, ESPN] (And here's another early Big 10 game! Maybe Michigan State can prove us doubters wrong and upset the Wildcats here.)

My first prediction segment of the year is next!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Early games predictions

Here we go, folks! My picks for Week Zero and the early games of Week 1 (FBS vs. FCS games don't count)!

Week Zero:
Nebraska 34 @ Illinois 24
Hawaii 14 @ UCLA 27
UTEP 26 @ New Mexico State 21

Week 1 early games:
(4)Ohio State 37 @ Minnesota 24
(10)North Carolina 30 @ Virginia Tech 34
Temple 15 @ Rutgers 21
Boise State 21 @ UCF 27
Appalachian State 35 vs. East Carolina 28
Michigan State 14 @ Northwestern 20

...and I'm done! If anything stunning happens in Week Zero, I'll let you guys know.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Thursday recap

So on yesterday's action, we got this:

We had Ohio State shaking off a shaky start to take care of Minnesota, and teams like Utah and UCF shaking off weather delays to win their home openers.

UC Davis vs. Tulsa - Game Summary - September 2, 2021 - ESPN And then there was this: The first big upset of the 2021 season.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 1: Top 10 games

And so, our weekly tradition is back. That just shows you good people what happens when you gets vaccinated: The good times come back quick. And now, the CFB season can begin in earnest with the return of...

The Top 10 Games of College Football 2021 (Week 1-Saturday through Monday)​

(All times are Eastern)
1. Georgia vs. Clemson [From Charlotte, NC] {7:30, ABC} (There we go! The least surprising entry is out of the way.)

10. Ole Miss vs. Louisville {From Atlanta, GA} [8:00 Monday, ESPN] (Much like our main event, this game is a ACC/SEC matchup where a lot of offensive fun is expected. We also got a QB duel here [Malik Cunningham vs. Matt Corral], but can either of these defenses stop them?)

9. San Jose State @ USC [5:00, PAC-12 Network] (It's time to begin yet another installment of the annual soap opera called "The Clay Helton and the Restless", as USC begins it's season against San Jose State. But if I remember right, San Jose won the Mountain West title last year and has nearly everyone back. I'd love to see how well USC's offense does right out the gate.)

8. Stanford vs. Kansas State {From Arlington, TX} [12:00, FOX Sports 1] (Both teams will have basic issues to overcome in their season opener at AT&T Stadium. For Stanford, it's about overcoming an early start and making sure they have a QB that can move. As for Kansas State, it's about their defense and making sure it doesn't suck.)

7. Notre Dame @ Florida State [7:30 Sunday, ABC] (Now THIS one looks interesting. Notre Dame is replacing a LOT of production from last year's team, and Florida State is BEYOND desperate for a big win for their program.)

6. LSU @ UCLA [8:30, FOX] (UCLA looked good last week, but that was against Hawaii. How will this Bruins squad do against SEC talent? As for LSU, they begin the long climb back to national title contention here, but is the defense ready?)

5. Louisiana-Lafayette @ Texas [4:30, FOX] (The Ragin' Cajuns in the preseason Top 25 polls? AND they're playing a game on FOX?! What is the world coming to? Anyway, let's see if they deserve that ranking as they visit the Longhorns. And... oh yeah! Steve Sarkisian is starting his tenure in Austin here! It probably won't be a good look if he somehow loses this one.)

4. Indiana @ Iowa [3:30, Big 10 Network] (Now for a pair of early Big 10 match-ups! Over in Iowa City, we have two Top 20 teams going at it. So, which one of these illusions is real? A Indiana team that has actual expectations, or a Iowa team who I picked to win the Big 10 West? More importantly, is Iowa's QB [Spencer Petras] the real deal?)

3. Penn State @ Wisconsin [12:00, FOX] (And over in Madison, we have two more Top 20 teams going at it. Wisconsin looks to be fully healthy after a rough 2020, and Penn State looks determined to prove that their late surge last year wasn't a fluke. So, which one of THESE illusions is real?)

2. Alabama vs. Miami {From Atlanta. GA} [3:30, ABC] (Well, you guys certainly have faith in Miami in THIS game, don't you? Miami is a 19.5 point underdog here! Are you guys THAT worried about D'Eriq King and the passing game? Or do you guys just have blind faith in Alabama's new QB Bryce Young? I'd love to see if Miami can slow down the Tide and start to prove the doubters wrong.)

Game with the best chance to be a bust: Oklahoma vs. Tulane (Yes, I know that Tulane had to move the game to Norman because of damage from Hurricane Ida. And yes, Tulane is technically still the home team. But Oklahoma is gonna feast on Tulane's misfortune in this opener.)
Honorable mentions for the Top 10: West Virginia @ Maryland, Texas Tech vs. Houston, Nevada @ California, Oregon State @ Purdue, and BYU vs. Arizona.

My prediction segment is next!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 1 Predictions

All right. Time to get serious, and see if I can figure out who'll stand tall this year. Let me sort through the big games coming up this weekend (FBS vs. FCS games don't count):

Top 25:
(1)Alabama 41 vs. (14)Miami 34
(2)Oklahoma 50 vs. Tulane 14
(3)Clemson 28 vs. (5)Georgia 34
Kent State 17 @ (6)Texas A&M 37
Miami-Ohio 10 @ (8)Cincinnati 42
(9)Notre Dame 27 @ Florida State 25
Fresno State 17 @ (11)Oregon 41
(19)Penn State 26 @ (12)Wisconsin 30
Florida Atlantic 7 @ (13)Florida 44
San Jose State 20 @ (15)USC 35
(16)LSU 24 @ UCLA 35
(17)Indiana 24 @ (18)Iowa 31
(23)Louisiana 20 @ (21)Texas 38

Other big games:
Stanford 31 vs. Kansas State 28
West Virginia 24 @ Maryland 28
Oregon State 39 @ Purdue 21
Texas Tech 40 vs. Houston 35
Nevada 16 @ California 21
BYU 26 vs. Arizona 20
Louisville 21 vs. Ole Miss 35

...and I'm done! I now leave the madness of Week 1 to you guys...

 

[trojanfan12]

9. San Jose State @ USC [5:00, PAC-12 Network] (It's time to begin yet another installment of the annual soap opera called "The Clay Helton and the Restless", as USC begins it's season against San Jose State. But if I remember right, San Jose won the Mountain West title last year and has nearly everyone back. I'd love to see how well USC's offense does right out the gate.)

This game could be interesting. USC typically has an early game (1st or 2nd game) against this level of opponent. While they have won every one of those games...outside their game vs. Utah St. in 2016...they have tended to let them stay in the game longer than they should.

This game could show if Helton has actually finally put everything together, or if we're in for more of the same. If it's the latter, he'll be gone after the season, if not sooner.

 

[trojanfan12]

6. LSU @ UCLA [8:30, FOX] (UCLA looked good last week, but that was against Hawaii. How will this Bruins squad do against SEC talent? As for LSU, they begin the long climb back to national title contention here, but is the defense ready?)

Another potentially interesting game. LSU is the more talented team, but they are also young. They've haven't played a game yet, they had to move because of Ida and have to travel across the country. Meanwhile, UCLA has already had their dress rehearsal.

Chip has quietly used the transfer portal to inject a little more talent into the program and could really use a signature win. A lot will depend on their QB. While the rest of the team looked good against Hawaii, he was 10 for 20 for 130 yards. Not exactly encouraging. As good as the running game looked, he's going to need to help out with his passing for them to have a chance to win. If they have to rely strictly on the run, LSU will stack the box and the game could get ugly.

 

[Ron G]

With the advent of super conferences but more importantly athletes signing large marketing contracts, do they still have stay academically eligible.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Friday recap

More fun was had yesterday. We saw Virginia Tech grab their 1st win over a Top 10 team since 2009, and it couldn't have come at a better time for Justin Fuente.

We also got Kansas beating South Dakota, Colorado State losing to South Dakota State (which I kinda saw coming), and Kenneth Walker III running for 264 yards and 4 TD's as Michigan State beats Northwestern.

Duke vs. Charlotte - Game Summary - September 3, 2021 - ESPN And how about a round of applause for the Charlotte 49ers; they now have their first win over a "Power 5" team!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Saturday recap (Part 1- Major conferences)

Good morning! Let's recap what happened yesterday, beginning with the Power 5.

ACC: Clemson's offense had absolutely no answers against Georgia's defense. Ditto for Miami's offense. And Georgia Tech just lost to NORTHERN ILLINOIS! So it was a pretty bad day for this conference.

Big 10: In other early conference action, Penn State won a low-scoring fight with Wisconsin and Iowa smashes Indiana. As for everyone else, things were great; Michigan and Rutgers both looked great, Maryland defeated West Virginia, and Purdue took care of Oregon State.
Oh, and as for Illinois's loss? I think that was more "Good UTSA" than "Bad Illinois".

Big 12: Texas actually looked pretty good in defeating Louisiana. Oklahoma State and Iowa State had some trouble with some FCS teams, but they're both fine. And Kansas State and Texas Tech both won neutral-site games in the state of Texas.
Oklahoma vs. Tulane - Game Summary - September 4, 2021 - ESPN But who cares about that? Oklahoma almost lost a home game to FREAKING Tulane! What happened?!

SEC: Georgia and 'Bama did all right, Mississippi State had to mount an awesome comeback just to beat Louisiana Tech, Arkansas shook off a shaky start to beat Rice, and Vanderbilt f--king sucks right now. Same old, same old around these parts.

PAC-12: There were a lot of highs for this conference. I mean, Oregon overcame a tough injury to beat Fresno State, USC looks fine, and UCLA happily dispatched LSU in the Rose Bowl.
Sadly, those highs were undercut by a lot of staggering lows. Arizona lost in Vegas to BYU. Stanford barely showed up in Arlington. California (to Nevada) and Washington State (to Utah State) both got humiliated against Mountain West foes.
Montana vs. Washington - Box Score - September 4, 2021 - ESPN And then, this disaster happened.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Saturday recap (Part 2: Everyone else)

And now, for the rest of the teams.

Mountain West: Well, Wyoming didn't get embarrassed by their FCS team. And Utah State and Nevada did a great job lifting up the conference... and they needed it after a rough Thursday and Friday.

MAC: Northern Illinois's win over Georgia Tech was the only real positive thing to happen here.

...and that's actually it. If anything happens today or tomorrow, I'll let you guys know.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 2- Top 10 Games

Okay. With the NFL season beginning tonight (if Dallas can get it's act together), let's continue the positive football vibes going with...

The Top 10 Games of College Football 2021 (Week 2)​

(All times are Eastern)
10. Rutgers @ Syracuse [2:00, ACC Network] (After the bad times that the ACC went through last week, let's see if that conference can step up and win some big games. Here in Syracuse, valuable ground in the Northeast is on the line, and Sean Tucker and the Orange running game is ready to go. But that offense of the Scarlet Knights does worry me.)

9. Pittsburgh @ Tennessee [12:00, ESPN] (This is just a simple ACC vs. SEC contest for bragging rights. However, I find it weird that Pitt is a 3-point road favorite here in Knoxville. If the Vols want to win this one, they'll have to stop Kenny Pickett and the Panthers pass game.)

8. Missouri @ Kentucky [7:30, SEC Network] (While looking at this match-up, I saw some numbers that were pretty jarring. Kentucky's new QB [Will Levis] threw for 4 TD's in the season opener, and that's pretty surprising when you consider that Kentucky's passing game has been below-average the last few years. But he did that against UL-Monroe, who sucks. Meanwhile, Missouri did beat a well-coached team in Central Michigan last week, but their defense gave up 475 yards in that game. In this SEC opener, we'll see which team is the optical illusion.)

7. Stanford @ USC [10:30, FOX] (In this latest installment of this rivalry, we have drama that we expected [Clay Helton's job status]. And we have drama that has come out of left field [Stanford is changing it's QB after the offense stunk last week]. So, I don't know what's gonna happen with this game in Los Angeles.)

6. Utah @ BYU [10:15, ESPN] (Ah, yes. The "Holy War" is back after a year's absence. And BYU is still looking for their first win over Utah since 2010. But BYU's defense [despite beating Arizona] looked a little off last week; if the Cougars want to upset the Utes they have to stop Charlie Brewer and the Utes offense.)

5. NC State @ Mississippi State [7:00, ESPN2] (The sleeper game of the week. Mississippi State had to mount a furious comeback to beat Louisiana Tech last week, but at least they're now wide awake for this contest. As for NC State, they looked great last week, but they were facing USF. Let's see that Wolfpack offense fly here in Starkville.)

4. Texas @ Arkansas [7:00, ESPN] (Okay. Okay, Texas, you started off well last week by beating a UL-Lafayette team that was ranked. Now let's see if you can win on the road against the Razorbacks. This should be a great contest with a mix of the old [Texas and Arkansas used to be fierce rivals in the old Southwest Conference] and the new.)

3. Texas A&M @ Colorado {in Denver} [3:30, FOX] (Nobody is being fooled with the fact that the game's in Denver; this is a road game for the Aggies. Both teams looked good in their openers, but let's see if A&M's new QB [Haynes King] can cut back on his turnovers. Because I have a feeling that Colorado will take advantage if he can't.)

2. Oregon @ Ohio State [12:00, FOX] (Why isn't this game at #1, you ask? Maybe because of a lack of zing. This SHOULD be a epic Big 10/PAC-12 showdown, but Oregon is a 2-TD underdog and we have an early-afternoon kickoff. Oregon is fighting for the pride of it's conference, but they might not have their defensive ace Kayvon Thibodeaux for this game. And I would love to see if Ohio State's defense can handle the Ducks' attack.)

1. Iowa @ Iowa State [4:30, ABC] (Forget about this being the first "ranked vs. ranked" match-up in the history of the "Cy-Hawk trophy" series; both Iowa and Iowa State are in the Top 10! And if Iowa State can stop the Hawkeyes, they'll prove that they can be a national title contender. But if Iowa takes this series again, they'll prove they deserve their ranking.)

Best "mid-major" game: Western Kentucky @ Army (Two 1-0 teams facing off in West Point, with the emotion of an 9/11 tribute in the background. Sounds good to me!)
Game with the best chance to be a bust: Georgia State @ North Carolina (Sorry, Georgia State. I think that the Tar Heels are gonna tan your hide in order to get their confidence back after their loss to Va-Tech.)
Honorable mentions for the Top 10: Ball State @ Penn State, Kansas @ Coastal Carolina, UAB @ Georgia, and California @ TCU.

My prediction segment is next!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 2 Predictions

Last week, I only got one game wrong out of the whole Top 25 slate! But it's no use to brag; I just gotta keep going and give you my picks for this week (FBS vs. FCS games don't count):

UAB 10 @ (2)Georgia 36
(12)Oregon 24 @ (3)Ohio State 38
(5)Texas A&M 28 @ Colorado 21
Toledo 13 @ (8)Notre Dame 38
(10)Iowa 24 @ (9)Iowa State 28
Ball State 16 @ (11)Penn State 34
(13)Florida 42 @ USF 17
Stanford 17 @ (14)USC 21
(15)Texas 27 @ Arkansas 35
Kansas 14 @ (17)Coastal Carolina 40
Eastern Michigan 14 @ (18)Wisconsin 30
Middle Tennessee 10 @ (19)Virginia Tech 35
(21)Utah 37 @ BYU 23
Appalachian State 15 @ (22)Miami 31
UNLV 20 @ (23)Arizona State 48
Georgia State 12 @ (24)North Carolina 39

Other big games:
Pittsburgh 30 @ Tennessee 33
Rutgers 33 @ Syracuse 24
South Carolina 30 @ East Carolina 24
California 17 @ TCU 27
Missouri 35 @ Kentucky 27
NC State 39 @ Mississippi State 35

My time's up. You've been great. Enjoy "Arthur's 1st Day".

 

[Fitbud]

And by "the beginning of the end", I mean the end of the football conferences as you know them. And I'M NOT READY TO SAY GOODBYE YET! *sniff, sniff*
...Sorry. I got emotional. Anyway, if you wanna follow along with the 2021 season, this is the place to do it. Now excuse me while I get things ready.

For me college football as we know it ended with the playoff. I wish we could go back to the days where each conference champion when to a specific bowl and it was left up to the fans to decide who the best team was.

Now we just wait for Alabama, Clemson, Ohio St. and Georgia to end up in the playoff year after year.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 3- Top 10 Games

I'd like to apologize for not showing up too much last weekend. I know stuff like Oregon/Ohio State and Iowa/Iowa State and BYU beating Utah and NC State sucked against Mississippi State and Florida State REALLY sucked against-
Oh. NOW I know why I wasn't here last weekend; too much s--t happened.

But it's a new week, so let's get to...

The Top 10 Games of College Football 2021 (Week 3)​

(All times are Eastern)
10. Virginia @ North Carolina [7:30, ACC Network] (It's time for another installment of this lesser-known ACC rivalry. UNC is looking to just get rid of Virginia and move on, but their running game could use a boost. And Virginia's QB Brennan Armstrong has put up good numbers so far.)

9. Virginia Tech @ West Virginia [12:00, FOX Sports 1] (Virginia Tech has been looking good so far, and now they're looking to win another installment of the "Black Diamond Trophy" rivalry. But if the Hokies look this good, why are they a 3-point underdog here? Are the bettors just worried about the Mountaineers passing game? Maybe if Va-Tech's QB gets going, it won't be such a problem.)

8. Michigan State @ Miami [12:00, ABC] (Last week, Miami barely won against Appalachian State. But I call that a quality win, since App. State has been darn good the last few years. Now let's see if Miami can use their home crowd to wake up their offense and get another good win. Or maybe we'll see Michigan State's new QB [Payton Thorne] give the Spartans another proud road upset.)

7. Nebraska @ Oklahoma [12:00, FOX] (I'll bet you guys that this game was made to celebrate that excellent OU/Nebraska game from 50 years ago. Anyway, let's see if Nebraska's defense has learned anything from those wins over Fordham and Buffalo, because the Sooners offense will have another fun day if it didn't.)

6. Cincinnati @ Indiana [12:00, ESPN] (Man! Noon-time is gonna be really, REALLY busy this Saturday! Anyway, here is one of the big games that Cincinnati must win to become a legit national title contender. Yet, I'll bet that Indiana's offense is finally ready to wash away the stink of their loss to Iowa and score a Top 10 victory.)

5. Arizona State @ BYU [10:15, ESPN] (The sleeper game of the week. BYU was as high as a kite last week after beating Utah for the first time since 2009, but now they'll try to avoid the emotional letdown against a calm Arizona State team. An Arizona State team, by the way, that has Jayden Daniels at QB and who wants to enter PAC-12 play at 3-0. But this is the first time this year that ASU's defense will be tested; how well will it do?)

4. South Carolina @ Georgia [7:00, ESPN] (Georgia will be a 31.5 point favorite in this game, so I knocked this game down a few pegs. But hope springs eternal for an upset! I mean, South Carolina's QB [Zeb Noland] doesn't look so bad! And let's see how the Gamecock defense does against Georgia's offense, whether it's led by A.J. Daniels or Stetson Bennett [the new guy].)

3. Purdue @ Notre Dame [2:30, NBC] (For the first time in several years, these bitter in-state rivals will collide. But here's the thing: We kinda know what Notre Dame is all about. Yes, they had two heartstopper games in a row, but we were able to see them and get a glimpse of the Irish. Not too many people knows what the Boilermakers are capable of. All I know is that Jack Plummer has had no turnovers so far this season, so the Irish has to correct that to win this.)

2. Auburn @ Penn State [7:30, ABC] (This is just a simple glamour game for both teams, so let me throw in some facts. This is Auburn's first road game against a Big 10 school since 1931, and this Tigers team has been taking it easy for the past 2 weeks. Meanwhile, it's gonna be a "White Out" in State College [and those type of games are always something] and Penn State's defense has looked awesome so far. We'll find out how good this Auburn team is soon enough.)

1. Alabama @ Florida [3:30, CBS] (Uh oh. Alabama is in a "Main Event" spot this week, and that usually means that the Crimson Tide will always show up. But Florida coach Dan Mullen says that he's gonna unleash a "special weapon" in the form of a proud, mobile QB. That might be the Gators' only hope.)

Best "mid-major" game: Utah State @ Air Force (These two teams are 2-0 and starting Mountain West play against each other. Should be good to see.)
Game with the best chance to be a bust: Georgia Tech @ Clemson (I'm not fooled by the records; Clemson should be able to smash Georgia Tech again.)
Honorable mentions for the Top 10: UCF @ Louisville, Nevada @ Kansas State, USC @ Washington State, Oklahoma State @ Boise State, and Mississippi State @ Memphis.

My prediction segment is next!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 3 Predictions

So my picks of Iowa State and Utah didn't work out for me last week. Oh well, let's see how this week shakes out (FBS vs. FCS games don't count)

(1)Alabama 37 @ (11)Florida 30
South Carolina 15 @ (2)Georgia 41
Nebraska 14 @ (3)Oklahoma 47
Kent State 14 @ (5)Iowa 31
Georgia Tech 13 @ (6)Clemson 49
New Mexico 7 @ (7)Texas A&M 34
(8)Cincinnati 28 @ Indiana 35
Tulsa 14 @ (9)Ohio State 39
(22)Auburn 23 @ (10)Penn State 31
Purdue 21 @ (12)Notre Dame 28
Fresno State 24 @ (13)UCLA 38
(14)Iowa State 31 @ UNLV 7
(15)Virginia Tech 24 @ West Virginia 31
(16)Coastal Carolina 44 @ Buffalo 14
Tulane 16 @ (17)Ole Miss 45
(19)Arizona State 30 @ (23)BYU 17
Georgia Southern 13 @ (20)Arkansas 24
Virginia 17 @ (21)North Carolina 35
Michigan State 17 @ (24)Miami 21
Northern Illinois 10 @ (25)Michigan 34

My time's up. You've been great. Enjoy "Angelic Layer"... if you can find it.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 4 Predictions

All right. For most football teams, this is where the conference schedules begin. So we're all just stuck trying to figure out which 3-0 teams are legit and which ones are big, disgusting frauds. Let's get to it with...

The Top 10 Games of College Football 2021 (Week 4)​

(All times are Eastern)
10. Iowa State @ Baylor [3:30, FOX] (SPOILER ALERT! This countdown is gonna be full of games featuring Big 12 teams, mostly because the Big 12 [for the most part] has been doing great in non-conference play. And now that Big 12 play is starting, we'll all find out how good these teams REALLY are.
First up is this game in Waco. Iowa State is looking for a solid win to begin their march to the Big 12 title, but Baylor and their new QB [Gerry Bohanon] has been doing good so far.)

9. Oregon State @ USC [10:30, FOX Sports 1] (Last week, the Trojans of USC was able to win their first game without Clay Helton. Now USC is looking to keep moving ahead against an Oregon State that's over .500 for the first time in a little bit.)

8. Texas Tech @ Texas [12:00, ABC] (In this Big 12 game, we have Texas rivals going at it once again. For the Red Raiders, they're 3-0, but they've had it easy so far this year. As for the Longhorns, let's just say that their had better show up for THIS big game.)

7. UCLA @ Stanford [6:00, PAC-12 Network] (Elsewhere in the PAC-12, we'll have this little beauty. We all thought that UCLA was doing fine, but last week Fresno State gave them a harsh wake-up call. How will the Bruins bounce back when they go on the road to visit another in-state school? And as for Stanford? Let's see if Tanner McKee and the Cardinal offense can cook up another surprise.)

6. SMU @ TCU [12:00, FOX Sports 1] (The sleeper game of the week. It's the historic 100th meeting between SMU and TCU, both schools are undefeated, and both the Horned Frogs and Mustangs want that "Iron Skillet" to shoot themselves into conference play on a high.)

5. Kansas State @ Oklahoma State [7:00, ESPN+ or check your local listings] (In THIS Big 12 game, we just have two 3-0 teams facing off. But Kansas State could stand to get their passing game going. Oh, and Oklahoma State has been walking a high-wire this year, but so far they're doing OK. Let's see if they can survive again.)

4. West Virginia @ Oklahoma [7:30, ABC] (Finally, the last Big 12 game on the slate! And you can understand why ABC chose this game for primetime; West Virginia is high off a win over Virginia Tech, and Oklahoma is, well, Oklahoma. But the Sooners have had their problems during non-conference play. Is it "no big deal", or is my curse starting to take effect? )

3. Rutgers @ Michigan [3:30, ABC] (Yeah, I'm surprised that a Rutgers game is up this high, too. Anyway, we'll all find out how good Rutgers really is very quickly. And Michigan's new offense, for that matter.)

2. Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin {From Chicago} [12:00, FOX] (Finally, a ranked vs. ranked match-up! And I'm sure that much ado will be made about Notre Dame's QB Jack Coan facing his old team. But the big question is "What will Wisconsin do here?". I mean, we've only see Wisconsin play 2 games, so we don't know how good they really are. Their defense looks good, though, so maybe they'll use that to win this big one in Soldier Field.)

1. Texas A&M vs. Arkansas {From Arlington, TX} [3:30, CBS] (It's the Southwest Classic between A&M and Arkansas, back in Arlington after a year away. And what a difference a year makes! Now Arkansas is in the Top 20 and thinking about getting another big upset win for their revived program.
Yet people on ESPN are saying that this game will be a low-scoring affair. Makes sense, since both of these teams like to run and A&M looks to be ready to stop Arkansas's attack. Hmmm...)

Best "mid-major" game: UTSA @ Memphis (UTSA and Memphis are both 3-0. That's all I need to watch this quietly awesome game.)
Game with the best chance to be a bust: Tennessee @ Florida (After coming so close to beating Alabama, there's a chance that Florida will be flat for their next game. But that next game is against the Vols, so I think Florida will be wide awake and will smother their opposition.)
Honorable mentions for the Top 10: Wake Forest @ Virginia, Liberty @ Syracuse, LSU @ Mississippi State, Missouri @ Boston College, and Kentucky @ South Carolina.

My prediction segment is next!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 4 Predictions

Will we get more disgraces this week? Like UCLA losing to Fresno, or ASU losing to BYU? Only one way to find out; let me get to my predictions for the week (FBS vs. FCS games don't count):

Southern Miss 12 @ (1)Alabama 50
(2)Georgia 47 @ Vanderbilt 6
Arizona 10 @ (3)Oregon 37
West Virginia 23 @ (4)Oklahoma 38
Colorado State 10 @ (5)Iowa 39
(7)Texas A&M 27 vs. (16)Arkansas 20
(9)Clemson 38 @ NC State 24
Akron 7 @ (10)Ohio State 42
Tennessee 13 @ (11)Florida 34
(18)Wisconsin 28 vs. (12)Notre Dame 21
(14)Iowa State 30 @ Baylor 35
USF 17 @ (15)BYU 35
UMass 9 @ (17)Coastal Carolina 44
Rutgers 23 @ (19)Michigan 27
Nebraska 18 @ (20)Michigan State 28
(21)North Carolina 37 @ Georgia Tech 20
UNLV 7 @ (22)Fresno State 20
Georgia State 13 @ (23)Auburn 46
(24)UCLA 48 @ Stanford 45
(25)Kansas State 31 @ Oklahoma State 35

Other big games:
Wake Forest 21 @ Virginia 28
Liberty 34 @ Syracuse 21
LSU 30 @ Mississippi State 27

My time's up. You've been great. Make sure you support your local pizza shops!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 5- Top "mid-major" games

For almost everyone in the FBS, non-conference play is over. That means that the "mid-majors" are free to return to their conferences and fight amongst themselves. Let's see how it's looking as I give you...

The Top 5 "mid-major games" of the Week!​

(All times are Eastern)
5. UL-Monroe @ Coastal Carolina [2:30, ESPN+] (Hey! The Warhawks have won more than 1 game this season! ALREADY! Now a morbid part of my body wants to see if they can possibly do anything against the monster known as #16 Coastal Carolina.)

4. Louisiana @ South Alabama [8:00, ESPN+] (Then later in the evening, we'll have a slightly more interesting Sun Belt opener as the Cajuns go after a South Alabama team that has started 3-0 thanks to a proud defense.)

3. Nevada @ Boise State [3:30, FOX Sports 1] (The Wolfpack has had a week to stew over their loss to Kansas State, and now they're ready to go against Boise State. Oh, and Boise State? Yes, they're 2-2, but both of those losses were close and QB Hank Bachemier has been solid. I'm expecting a high-scoring game here.)

2. Memphis @ Temple [12:00, ESPNU] (Despite the Owls being 2-2, I still don't know what they're really are. We'll find out REAL quick as Temple starts AAC play against a Memphis team that just suffered it's first loss of the year. And Memphis' new QB Seth Henigan has been doing pretty good so far this year.)

1. BYU @ Utah State [9:00 tomorrow, CBS Sports Network] (Another installment of the "Beehive Boot" rivalry comes our way tomorrow. For Utah State, yes, they're coming off a loss. But it was at Boise State, and the Aggies offense has been running well this year. Plus, BYU failed to cover at home against USF, so are they running out of steam? Or were they just saving themselves for this epic match?)

Coming up next is my "big-boy" Top 10!