Your guide for the 2019 CFB Season (AKA: "Okay... let's try this again")

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 6- Group of Five Special

It's time for another dive into the lesser divisions, as I present...

The Top 5 "Group of Five" games of the week​

(All times are Eastern)
5. Temple @ East Carolina [8:00 tomorrow, ESPN] (On paper, this contest looks very good: Two AAC teams with winning records going at it, in scenic Greenville, North Carolina. But the only teams that ECU has beaten so far are FCS foes like Gardner-Webb and William-&-Mary. So expect a Temple rout as-
Wait. Didn't Temple lose to a scrub like Buffalo the LAST time they went on the road? Welp, this game just got back to being awesome.)

4. Western Michigan @ Toledo [3:30, ESPN+] (Right now, Western Michigan and Toledo are looking like the two best teams in an admittedly weak MAC conference. Shame that they're fighting each other NOW instead of late November, but oh well. It's also a QB duel between Toledo's Mitchell Guadagni and WMU's Jon Wassink, and let's see who wins!)

3. Tulsa @ SMU [7:30, ESPN2] (Hey! Southern Methodist is in the Top 25 for the first time since 1986! ...You know, the season before they got the "death penalty"? Anyway, let's see if they can hang on to that ranking for more than one week when they take on the Golden Hurricane.)

2. Tulane @ Army [12:00, CBS Sports Network] (Both Army AND Tulane are getting votes in the Top 25?! That's reason enough for me to check out this game. Oh, and also the fact that we could get a slugfest between 2 good defenses.)

And the #1 game from the "Group of Five" is... on my Top 10 list that is coming tomorrow. Sorry, you'll have to wait. ):

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 6- Top 10 Games

Phew. For the first time in a LONG while, I am wearing a long-sleeve shirt as I type up this list. And unrelatedly, did you know that Alabama's defense might actually be average this season?
While you guys ponder that, let's get to...

The Top 10 Games of College Football 2019 (Week 6)​

(All times are Eastern)
T-10. TCU @ Iowa State, and Baylor @ Kansas State [Saturday on ESPN2] (I couldn't decide which of these Big 10 games deserve a spot on this list. But since they each will be aired on ESPN2, I decided to announce a tie, as BOTH games will be vital in the Big 10 race.
First at noon, is Iowa State about to become irrelevant this season? Their performance against the Horned Frogs and their defense will give us the answer. Then at 3:30 in Manhattan, we'll either get a Kansas State team that's back in the national rankings, or a Baylor team that is 5-0.)

9. Pittsburgh @ Duke [8:00, ACC Network] (People are worried about Pittsburgh after they barely won against an FCS team last week. I say, "So what? They won.". So now, Pitt is looking to get those offensive numbers up in their return to ACC play.
And by the way, Duke looked really good last week against Va-Tech, so I'd love to see if Quentin Harris can run wild again.)

8. Arizona @ Colorado [4:30, PAC-12 Network] (The sleeper game of the week. Both the Wildcats and Buffaloes are off to a good start, and now they're both looking for a 2-0 start in the PAC-12 South. Oh, and did you know that Arizona is averaging 552.3 YPG so far this season?)

7. Washington @ Stanford [10:30, ESPN] (This one is VERY easy to set up; right now Washington is looking like the best team in the PAC-12, but now they must visit Palo Alto. And Stanford is off a win, but confidence is still not high as it was a exhausting fight against Oregon State. Their defense HAS to get better at SOME point in the season!)

6. Texas @ West Virginia [3:30, ABC] (On "Daily Wager", "Stanford Steve" is telling us to fade Texas due to the many injuries they're having on defense. Then again, we don't know that much about West Virginia. I DO know that WVU's offense has been rather bad at key moments so far this year, so can they take advantage of Texas's medical problems? Or will Sam Ehlinger smack the Mountaineers so that Texas can focus on the "Red River Rivalry"?)

5. UCF @ Cincinnati [8:00 tomorrow, ESPN] (Things have been a little sleepy for the Golden Knights the last two weeks with that loss to Pitt and failing to cover against UConn. But rest assured, UCF will be wide awake for this important AAC East contest as they visit a Cincinnati team widely perceived as their biggest threat in the division. But the last time Cincy faced off against a potent offense, they lost 42-0. Bearcat fans are REALLY hoping that their defense will be ready this time.)

4. California @ Oregon [8:00, FOX] (Were we a little too hasty to make Cal a Top-15 team, or did Cal just get nervous against Arizona State last week? We'll find out as we'll get the Golden Bears on primetime in Eugene against Oregon... who has a QB who hasn't thrown a interception so far this year. Will the Bears be able to test a Ducks defense that really hasn't been tested as of late? Or will they just have to force Justin Herbert into making mistakes?)

3. Michigan State @ Ohio State [7:30, ABC] (This is a mixed bag here. On one hand, Ohio State is looking unstoppable and this game is in Columbus. AND, OSU is allowing only 8.6 PPG this season. But on the other hand, MSU's defense will be the toughest that the Buckeyes have faced so far in 2019, and I have a feeling that the Spartans will get some points on the board.)

2. Iowa @ Michigan [12:00, FOX] (Michigan was able to get Chris Ash fired from Rutgers last week! And the consensus in Ann Arbor was "So what? Can we do that against a REAL opponent?". Well, it's time for Michigan to get their manhood tested again, because here we have a legitimacy test for BOTH of the teams involved. We know about Michigan, but what about Iowa? If they're able to win in Ann Arbor and get to 5-0, will they enter the national title discussion? Their running game might give us the answer.)

1. Auburn @ Florida [3:30, CBS] (Finally, FINALLY, the SEC is giving us a GOOD reason to cover their football games in 2019. Recently, all we talked about is Missouri losing to Wyoming, or San Jose State beating Arkansas, or Tennessee turning into a dumpster fire once again.
But now the SEC is giving us two Top-10 teams fighting each other! And the loser of this might not lose their national title shot... but it certainly won't help their cause. Pay attention to the physicality of Florida; if their defense shows up they can win a classic slugfest.)

Game with the best chance to be a bust: Northwestern @ Nebraska (Amidst a whirlwind of hype, Nebraska got spanked on prime-time last week. Do you REALLY think the Huskers will get humiliated two times in a row at home? Nope! Sorry, Wildcats, the Huskers are gonna throttle your @$$ here.)
Honorable mentions for the Top 10: Oklahoma State @ Texas Tech, Virginia Tech @ Miami, Tulane @ Army, and Illinois @ Minnesota.

My predictions segment is next!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 6 Predictions

And by the way, those two games in the #10 spot of the countdown are about the Big 12 picture, not the Big 10. So whilst I remind myself not to rush any of these long posts ever again, let's see my picks for Week 6 of the 2019 season:

(3)Georgia 47 @ Tennessee 21
(25)Michigan State 17 @ (4)Ohio State 35
Utah State 14 @ (5)LSU 38
(6)Oklahoma 54 @ Kansas 17
(7)Auburn 13 @ (10)Florida 17
Kent State 7 @ (8)Wisconsin 42
Bowling Green 15 @ (9)Notre Dame 31
(11)Texas 28 @ West Virginia 35
Purdue 17 @ (12)Penn State 24
California 20 @ (13)Oregon 27
(14)Iowa 31 @ (19)Michigan 28
(15)Washington 31 @ Stanford 20
(16)Boise State 44 @ UNLV 30
(18)UCF 40 @ Cincinnati 34
(21)Oklahoma State 49 @ Texas Tech 38
Tulsa 23 @ (24)SMU 31

Other big games:
Tulane 14 @ Army 24
TCU 21 @ Iowa State 27
Baylor 40 @ Kansas State 28
Virginia Tech 17 @ Miami 21
Arizona 46 @ Colorado 40

My time's up. You've been great. Enjoy the new show "Judge Jerry".

 

[Bedlam131]

7)Auburn 13 @ (10)Florida 17

Really think Florida is going to win this?

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Really think Florida is going to win this?

You liked my post, so it sounds like YOU think Florida is gonna beat Auburn too.

 

[Bedlam131]

You liked my post, so it sounds like YOU think Florida is gonna beat Auburn

Naw, just appreciate the effort. Still think Florida is going to lose.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 6 Recap (Part 1)

Sorry... After a song-and-dance with my stupid antivirus thing, I just wanna speed through my recap of the week. So let's get to it:

ACC: Actually an exciting week for this conference. We got Pittsburgh holding off a comeback from Duke...
Virginia Tech vs. Miami - Game Summary - October 5, 2019 - ESPN ...Miami coming all the way back from a 28 point deficit, but still losing (thanks to a missed PAT)...
Boston College vs. Louisville - Game Summary - October 5, 2019 - ESPN ...and the best "under-the-radar" game of the week. Where the Eagles and Cardinals combine for 1,227 yards of offense, and Louisville squeezed out a win.

Big 12: So Iowa State is still alive! And Baylor and Texas were able to win on the road. Oklahoma State, however, did not.

Big 10: We got the same old crap from Ohio State and Wisconsin, so let's focus on everyone else. Minnesota is 5-0, and Nebraska was able to win a close one.
And Michigan won, too! ...But in the most boring way possible.

PAC-12: Arizona's doing great! So is Oregon, who showed that they CAN win a game with their defense. And UCLA is back to having no life thanks to Oregon State.
Washington vs. Stanford - Game Summary - October 5, 2019 - ESPN There IS life at Stanford after they stun Washington. There is LIFE!

And finally, Auburn didn't get much offense from their team as Florida shrugged off a QB injury to win.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 6 Recap (Part 2)

And now, I'm checking out the "Group of Five" conferences for the week.

Sun Belt: The Georgia schools took over the week, as not only did Georgia Southern win a 2-OT contest with South Alabama, we got another surprise from Georgia State: Their 1st-ever win over Arkansas State.

Mountain West: Boise State won again, so the conference is fine. Air Force, though, fell short against Navy in a classic. Oh, and San Jose State has a winning record again!

MAC: Ball State just got it's first win over Northern Illinois since 2008! Ohio is a OT winner over Buffalo, and Toledo is also a winner.

C-USA: Okay, how did preseason favorite Marshall lose to Middle Tennessee? And Western Kentucky is now 3-0 in the conference.

American:
UCF vs. Cincinnati - Game Summary - October 4, 2019 - ESPN Combine UCF's stumble with Tulane's impressive win over Army, Memphis getting to 5-0, and SMU actually holding on to it's national ranking, and one thing is quite clear: This conference may be up for grabs now.

 

[Bedlam131]

The Georgia schools took over the week, as not only did Georgia Southern win a 2-OT

Interesting Georgia Southern past head coaches. Paul Johnson, Jeff Monken and Willie Fritz and of course the man who started the Eagle football tradition in the 80s, Erk Russell.

 

[kburjr]

Week 6 Recap (Part 1)


Big 10: We got the same old crap from Ohio State and Wisconsin, so let's focus on everyone else. Minnesota is 5-0, and Nebraska was able to win a close one.
And Michigan won, too! ...But in the most boring way possible.

Boring, isn't it?

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 7- Group of Five special Top 10

We have another one of those wonderful occurrences in college football: Where an unusual number of games outside of the "Power 5" conferences bubble up to the surface, demanding our full attention. So now, let's give out some love for the smaller programs this week with...

The Top 10 "Group of Five" games of the week!​

(All times are Eastern)
10. Florida A&M @ South Carolina State [2:00, ESPN3] (Over in the MEAC, this will be an early tone-setter in the conference race. Since getting smoked by then-ranked UCF, Florida A&M has been on a roll and is now looking for their 3rd conference win when they visit Orangeburg, SC. Oh, and SCSU has suffered through a few down years; fans are hoping that this downtrend ends soon.)

9. South Dakota State @ Youngstown State [6:00, ESPN+] (On the 12th, Northern Iowa will try to stop the killing machine that is North Dakota State. But to me, the better game in the Missouri Valley could happen later in the day when South Dakota State visits the Penguins. Let's see if Youngstown State can recover from suffering their first loss of the season last week.)

8. Villanova @ James Madison [1:30, FloSports TV] (In case you're wondering, FloSports is a streaming service [on the Apple Store or whatever]. Anyway, this is truly the big game of the week in the FCS; Villanova is undefeated at 6-0, and now they're gonna try their luck against the Dukes [who are currently ranked #2 in the FCS polls].)

7. Middle Tennessee @ Florida Atlantic [4:00, ESPN+] (As I reenter the FBS schedule, I happen to see the Owls of FAU, who is currently on a 3-game winning streak. But it's a little too early to throw our arms back around Lane Kiffin; let's see if he can defeat Middle Tennessee [who's fresh off a win over Marshall]. Oh, and speaking of the Blue Raiders their defense REALLY has to get better.)

6. Fresno State @ Air Force [7:00, CBS Sports Network] (The Mountain West has a HUGE 4-game slate lined up for Saturday. First we'll have San Jose State visiting Nevada, and then there's this game in Colorado Springs: Where the Falcons will try to shake off a heartbreaker of a loss to Navy and beat Fresno for the 3rd straight time.
As for Fresno, we really don't know too much about these guys. I DO know that their QB Jorge Reyna has been doing well so far, so maybe he can rally the troops here.)

5. Cincinnati @ Houston [3:30, ESPN2] (So this is the first time I'll be looking at Houston without D'Eriq King, who was redshirted by his coaching staff after the Cougars started 1-3. Are they throwing in the towel on 2019, or is this a part of a dastardly plan? We'll begin to find out here as they'll host a Cincinnati team that's high off a HUGE win over the UCF Golden Knights. Is a letdown looming for the Bearcats?)

4. Wyoming @ San Diego State [10:30, CBS Sports Network] (And now for the 2nd half of that 4-game slate in the Mountain West. In San Diego, there will be this intriguing contest between the 4-1 Cowboys and the 4-1 Aztecs. Their offenses haven't been too explosive, but both Wyoming and SDSU have had their moments this year.)

3. Hawaii @ Boise State [10:15, ESPN2] (But while the game in San Diego is taking place, a bigger game will be going down in Boise as Hawaii looks to win there for the 1st time ever. It's Hank Bachmeier vs. Cole McDonald, and well... Let's just say Boise will have to prove that they deserve that #14 ranking in the AP Poll here.)

2. Appalachian State @ Louisiana-Lafayette [8:00 tonight, ESPN2] (This is one of the many "showcase" games that the Sun Belt had set up last spring to show off their conference. And LORD, did they succeed: We got the incumbent Mountaineers of App. State visiting a Cajuns team that has a 4-game winning streak and a powerful offense.
But something just jarred at me pretty big: Vegas has this game as a "Pick-em". I thought that App. State would be at least a TD favorite... Uh oh!)

1. Memphis @ Temple [12:00, ESPN2] (Same scenario as the #2 game [Strong incumbent facing an upstart on the road], but throw in a national ranking and contrasting styles. This looks to be a classic in the American, with someone's defense stepping up to win the game. Can't wait to see which one it's gonna be!)

Game with the best chance to be a bust: Northern Iowa @ North Dakota State (My apologies to NIU for not putting your game on the list, but if your defense isn't prepared for NDSU's attack we're in for another rough game in the Fargodome.)
Honorable mentions for the Top 10: UL-Monroe @ Texas State, North Texas @ Southern Miss, Miami-Ohio @ Western Michigan, and Yale @ Dartmouth.

And now for the plot twist!
...NONE of these games made the actual Top 10 Games of the Week list! You can see what I mean tomorrow.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 7- Top 10 Games

I have nothing witty to say in this introduction, so let's just get to...

The Top 10 Games of College Football 2019 (Week 7)​

(All times are Eastern)
10. Virginia @ Miami [8:00 tomorrow, ESPN] (Despite the fine start by Virginia, there's still a bit of doubt around the program. Why, you ask? Because Vegas has Virginia as a 2.5 point underdog against a 2-3 Miami team that's still trying to find it's way. Can Miami recover from that heartbreaking loss to Va-Tech last week? And can the Cavs wake up their running game to give themselves a better chance?)

9. Nebraska @ Minnesota [7:30, FOX Sports 1] (The sleeper game of the week. Nebraska DID win last week against Northwestern, but it was a pretty ugly game. Maybe the Husker offense will find a spark here against a Minnesota team that is 5-0 and is winning close game after close game.)

8. Texas Tech @ Baylor [4:00, FOX Sports 1] (Originally, this spot was gonna be for Michigan State @ Wisconsin, but then I remembered that Texas Tech beat Oklahoma State last week. That was Matt Wells's 1st big win as a coach in Lubbock; let's see if he can get another one against an in-state rival. But in what should be a high-scoring game, Charlie Brewer and Baylor will have something to prove.)

7. Washington @ Arizona [11:00, FOX Sports 1] (Utah has a road date with an improving Oregon State team, and Arizona State has a "pick-em" game against Washington State, but to me this looks like the bigger game in the PAC-12. Why? Just look at the records! Arizona is a surprising 2-0 in conference, and wants to be 3-0 entering a tough part of their schedule.
As for Washington, they're now 1-2 in the PAC-12 after losing to Stanford. If they somehow lose THIS one, their chances at a repeat conference title is REALLY over.
P.S: No, FOX Sports 1 is not paying me to put all of their games on this list; this is merely a coincidence.)

6. USC @ Notre Dame [7:30, NBC] (Meanwhile in another part of the PAC-12, the Trojans are steeling themselves for the toughest game of the season: A road trip to South Bend to face a rival that now has control of "The Rivalry that Knete Rockne Built".
But USC is getting Kedon Slovis back, so maybe Clay Helton and this offense can find a way to surprise the Irish defense.

5. Florida State @ Clemson [3:30, ABC] (Is there any way that FSU can defeat Clemson for the first time since 2014. It can't be the bye week [Both teams has had one], it can't be the defense- Wait. Maybe it CAN be about the defense; Trevor Lawrence already has thrown a few INT's this year, so if FSU can force turnovers they'll have a chance. Oh, and James Blackman [the FSU quarterback]? Seminoles fans are hoping that your aim will be true here.)

4. Alabama @ Texas A&M [3:30, CBS] (Knowing Nick Saban and his staff, I'll bet they spend last week and this week solely on fixing the problems they're having with their defense. Will Kellen Mond be able to score on a consistent basis? And on the other end of the ball, is this the week that Tua finally faces a REAL defense?)

3. Penn State @ Iowa [7:30, ABC] (Strange. Despite losing to Michigan, nobody is throwing away the Iowa Hawkeyes just yet. Instead, the critics are marking this game as a "legitimacy test" for the Nittany Lions. Penn State has been looking awesome this year, but this trip to Iowa City begins the hard part of their schedule. And much like Alabama, I wanna see what'll happen when Penn State meets a REAL defense.)

2. Oklahoma vs. Texas {from the Cotton Bowl in Dallas} [12:00, FOX] (When both the Sooners and Longhorns are ranked and facing each other in the Cotton Bowl, you really don't need to set it up any further. But honestly, I don't think Oklahoma is gonna get over 600 yards of offense this week. Just a hunch.)

1. Florida @ LSU [8:00, ESPN] (So Florida is in the main event for the 2nd week in a row, this time on the road against LSU in their version of "Death Valley". You're going to get people asking "Is Florida gonna be resilient enough to get through this?" take, but let's ask a more basic question. And it's "Can the Florida defense stop Joe Burrow and this high-flying LSU attack?")

Game with the best chance to be a bust: Michigan State @ Wisconsin (The Spartans gets spanked one week by Ohio State, and then the next week they gotta visit Wisconsin?! If they can't stop the Badger offense, then it could be another long day for them.
Honorable mentions for the Top 10: Colorado @ Oregon, Memphis @ Temple, Michigan State @ Wisconsin, Louisville @ Wake Forest, and Washington State @ Arizona State.

My prediction segment is next!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 7 Predictions

Sorry for the small delay; I had to update my PC quickly. Anyway, let's see my predictions for Week 7 of this season:

(1)Alabama 42 @ (24)Texas A&M 24
Florida State 20 @ (2)Clemson 31
South Carolina 13 @ (3)Georgia 39
(7)Florida 17 @ (5)LSU 28
(11)Texas 47 vs. (6)Oklahoma 42
Michigan State 10 @ (8)Wisconsin 38
USC 21 @ (9)Notre Dame 28
(10)Penn State 27 @ (17)Iowa 20
Colorado 17 @ (13)Oregon 31
Hawaii 24 @ (14)Boise State 31
(15)Utah 38 @ Oregon State 35
(16)Michigan 27 @ Illinois 14
Washington State 38 @ (18)Arizona State 31
Louisville 39 @ (19)Wake Forest 27
(20)Virginia 28 @ Miami 24
Texas Tech 34 @ (22)Baylor 49
(23)Memphis 32 @ Temple 35
(25)Cincinnati 35 @ Houston 28

Other big games:
Ole Miss 44 @ Missouri 35
Nebraska 29 @ Minnesota 24

And finally, a little betting tip for you guys. Do you REALLY think that Tulane is gonna be able to cover a 34-point spread? I don't think so. I got Tulane 45, UConn 24 (Closer than the experts think!).

My time's up. You've been great. Enjoy "Undertale: The Musical".

 

[nathans8823]

"The Rivalry that Knete Rockne Built"

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

A small correction

So somebody was barking at me over the spelling of Knute Rockne's name last night.

Syracuse vs. NC State - Game Summary - October 10, 2019 - ESPN And to that person, can you help me revive Knute so that he get the Orange offense to score some TD's?

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 7- Top 25 (Part 1)

So something FINALLY happens in the Top 10 in 2019. Annoyingly it was not Alabama stumbling...
South Carolina vs. Georgia - Game Summary - October 12, 2019 - ESPN ...but it was Georgia stumbling at HOME.

Florida vs. LSU - Game Summary - October 12, 2019 - ESPN Oh, and great win by LSU as they beat Florida. That probably means that LSU will blow it against Auburn in 2 weeks.

USC vs. Notre Dame - Game Summary - October 12, 2019 - ESPN And how about a round of applause for USC for trying their heart out against Notre Dame... only to get robbed late.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 7- Top 25 (Part 2)

Other stuff that happened in the Top 25 included Oklahoma using a little bit of defense to stop Texas, while Louisville didn't use any defense at all... and they STILL handed Wake their first loss of the season.

Elsewhere, Baylor stays undefeated after winning a 2-OT thriller. Penn State and Wisconsin stays undefeated too, and so did Boise State. Memphis, sadly, did not.

Washington State vs. Arizona State - Game Summary - October 12, 2019 - ESPN And how's about we give Herm Edwards some credit here? Right now, Arizona State looks like the best team in a crowded PAC-12 South.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 7 Recap

And finally, let me sift through the stuff outside of the rankings and see if anything else happened (Nothing in the ACC, I'm afraid):

American: Navy is 4-1 right now after beating Tulsa! And sorry to all of the bettors out there; Tulane DID cover that big point spread against UConn.

Big 10: Minnesota is 6-0 right now after beating Nebraska. Did Phil Steele back the wrong pony in the preseason? Oh, and Maryland? You can do better.

Big 12: Aside from Iowa State beating West Virginia on the road, not much else happened.

Conference USA: Western Kentucky just won again, this time against Army. And Florida Atlantic (over MTSU) and Southern Miss (over North Texas) came away with great wins in-conference.

MAC: Quite a lot of good stuff here! Northern Illinois wins a thriller at Ohio, Ball State won again, and Bowling Green just upset Toledo in the "Battle of I-75". Is Toledo overrated?

Mountain West: San Diego State showed some true grit in a win over Wyoming, while San Jose State suffered heartache in a loss to Nevada. Oh, and did you SEE what UNLV did to Vandy?

PAC-12: ...Just know that Washington was able to save their skin against Arizona.

Sun Belt: Just know that Georgia State was able to win again.

And yes, Tennessee Vols, I didn't forget your big win over Miss. State yesterday. Relax.

 

[outofyourmind]

Big 12: Aside from Iowa State beating West Virginia on the road, not much else happened.

Yeah, sure it didn't.

(11)Texas 47 vs. (6)Oklahoma 42

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 8- Group of Five special

Another stunning development has happened! For the 2nd week in a row, we have a s--tload of great games outside of the "Power 5" conferences. I wanna see how this is possible, so let's get to...

The Top 10 "Group of Five" games of the week!​

(All times are Eastern)
10. Nicholls State @ Sam Houston State [3:00, ESPN+] (You know what? I've completely forgotten that Nicholls is the defending Southland Conference champion. Anyway, the Colonels are 3-0 in conference play so far as their defense of the crown continues... and it's about to hit a road block. Sam Houston State is a traditional power in the Southland, and they want to bounce back after a tough 3-OT loss last week.)

9. North Carolina A&T @ Florida A&M [6:00, ESPN3] (For the first time EVER, the Rattlers of Florida A&M make one of my lists for the 2nd week in a row. The Rattlers bypassed South Carolina State last week, but now they must host the conference favorites. Will A&M be able to win yet another close one?)

8. Montana @ Sacramento State [9:00, check local listings] (We have two intriguing stories here. There's the Hornets of Sacramento State, who just got their first ranking in the FCS polls in 8 years and now wants to shoot for the Big Sky title. On the other hand, Montana is 5-1 and looks to be back in fighting shape after a couple of lean years.)

7. San Diego State @ San Jose State [7:00, Facebook Channel] (Wait. Facebook has it's own channel [It's on Roku devices, in case you're curious]?! Well, if you're lucky enough to have that channel, you can see this big in-state encounter. San Jose State's been doing great so far this year, but are they out of gas after a tough loss to Nevada last week? And SDSU is 5-1 now; can they keep their good luck going?)

6. USF @ Navy [3:30, CBS Sports Network] (This is simply a game all about momentum. USF seems to have it's s--t together after scoring 2 straight wins, but now they've visiting a Navy team that is a surprising 4-1. Can the Bulls break a solid Midshipmen defense?)

5. Toledo @ Ball State [2:00, ESPN+] (This Saturday in the MAC, we'll see 2 teams trying to continue surprising runs. At noon Kent State will try to get to 3-0 in conference, while at 2 P.M we'll see the team Kent surprised last week go to Ball State. Can Toledo recover from that stunner? Or will Drew Plitt and Ball State's passing attack prevail again?)

4. Southern Miss @ Louisiana Tech [3:30, NFL Network] (This is just a glamour game in Conference USA; Southern Miss is doing good so far this season due to them finding some offense, while La-Tech is 5-1 and looking to keep rolling all the way to a division title.)

3. UL-Monroe @ Appalachian State [3:30, ESPN+] (Honestly, the only reason why this is a Top 10 list and not a Top 5 is because of this game. Why? Because App. State is ranked for the 2nd year in a row. Now will the Mountaineers do what they couldn't do last year and WIN as a ranked opponent? My "New Year's Six" picks are depending on it.)

2. Tulane @ Memphis [7:00, ESPN2] (...Sorry, Tulane fans. Had Memphis completed their comeback against Temple last week, this game would have been on the "big-boy" Top 10 list. But don't fret! This will STILL be an important game for you and Memphis, but you'll have to be ready for it. Because I don't think Memphis will make the same mistakes they made last week in Philly; they'll definitely be focused in their home stadium.)

And the #1 game on this list actually DID make the "big-boy" Top 10! And you'll get to see it tomorrow! ...IF I don't drown from all this rain I'm expecting to get here in New York.