The first week of the college football season has turned into quite the event. Programs jockey for big-name opponents in marquee venues to command a primetime TV slot to start the season.
The second week of the season is usually a worthy follow-up. Programs reticent to schedule a tough opponent to start the season may schedule them for the second week once the first week's cupcake revealed potential chinks in the armor. Oregon and Michigan State and Oklahoma and Tennessee highlight this logic.
With that in mind, the third week of the season will start a two-week letdown in college football programming that will become more pronounced next week. Those programs that scheduled difficult opponents in the first two weeks will be within the cupcake portion of the schedule. Those programs who were unwilling to schedule tough opponents within the first two weeks will be disinclined to have them scheduled for this week or the next.
That said, there are some games of note this week, especially in the SEC. No. 6 USC will host Stanford in primetime on ABC at 8 p.m. in what has become one of the Pac-12's most entertaining series. The rest of this feature will tell you what to watch around the Buckeyes' game at 3:30 on Saturday.
Thursday
Clemson at Louisville (ESPN, 7:30 p.m.). The ACC typically has Thursday night conference games, but I find this game a bit curious. Remember how beleaguered Ohio State fans felt after a quick turnaround for Hawaii after a Monday night game? Both Clemson and Louisville played Saturday. Typically, at least as long as I've been living in ACC territory, ACC programs that had Thursday night games on the schedule would have a bye the Saturday before it. That's not the case here.
In other words, don't expect this to be the crispest game of football played. Louisville losing to Houston on Saturday won't help its case either.
Friday
Florida State at Boston College (ESPN, 8 p.m.). Florida State has just four losses total since October 15, 2011. It has just one since August 2013, which was the demolition by Oregon in the 2015 Rose Bowl. The nature of that loss and the attrition of just about everyone associated with 2013's national championship squad leads fans to believe that Florida State won't have that same kind of run again this year. It's favored to win the ACC, but not with a lot of conviction.
With that in mind, don't lose track of how good the Seminoles are because they won't measure as well as the last two Florida State teams. Florida State is still a team to beat this year.
We should give credit to Boston College, though. Boston College took Florida State to the wire on Florida State's senior day last year before losing the game, 20-17. In fact, Boston College was really the only team Florida State did not obliterate in its regular season schedule in 2013. Boston College lost by two full touchdowns, the closest margin of victory for the Seminoles before the BCS National Championship Game.
Fun fact: Boston College hung 41 points on Howard in the first quarter last week. It went to halftime up 62-0. Boston College and Howard agreed to cut the third and fourth quarters by five minutes each just to go home.
Idaho State at Boise State (CBS Sports Network, 9 p.m.). I list this as a viewing option, though it amounts to watching Boise State devour an FCS cupcake.
New Mexico at Arizona State (Pac-12 Network, 10 p.m.). This game is also available to those who want some Pac-12 football after dark. What happened to Arizona State? This was supposed to be Todd Graham's best-ever Arizona State team. It was manhandled by Texas A&M in Houston and was tied in the fourth quarter with Cal Poly, an FCS team.
Saturday
South Florida at Maryland (ESPNU, 12 p.m.). Maryland had its first "MACtastrophe" as a member of the Big Ten last week. Bowling Green did not just beat Maryland; it heel-stomped the Terps in the second half. Maryland's season will probably include several more losses if Bowling Green is capable of routing the Terps.
It just probably will not include a loss to USF.
Probably.
UNLV at Michigan (BTN, 12 p.m.). UNLV played at Northern Illinois to start the season and travels to Michigan this week. Northern Illinois, meanwhile, plays at Ohio State this week. Small world.
Kent State plays at Minnesota on this time slot, though it is highly likely you will get Michigan on the main BTN feed. Check the alternate networks if you have them.
Air Force at Michigan State (ABC, 12 p.m.). A week after a program-defining win (one of several of late) for Michigan State over Oregon, the Spartans host the Falcons of the Air Force Academy. The service academies pose their own problems as a unique triple-option team. Dantonio said he spent parts of the summer dealing with problems associated with defending Air Force (i.e. the cut blocks).
Nevada at Texas A&M (SEC Network, 12 p.m.). Are we collectively waiting for Texas A&M to regress to the mean or is that just me? Texas A&M was up 49-3 on Ball State at halftime and may have been on cruise control in the second half when it was outscored 20-7. Ball State had 240 rushing yards against A&M's defense.
Illinois at North Carolina (ESPN2, 12 p.m.). What does it say about the games this week when Illinois has arguably the most interesting game at the noon time slot? Illinois has coasted through its first two games of the season better than any start to the past three seasons under Tim Beckman. Interim coach Bill Cubit will get his first real challenge as a ten-point underdog at Chapel Hill.
Connecticut at Missouri (ESPN, 12 p.m.). Connecticut needed a fourth-quarter rally to beat an FCS team in the first week. Last week, it beat Army, which lost to an FCS team the previous week, by just five points. I'm sure this will go well for Connecticut.
Tulsa at Oklahoma (FOX Sports 1, 12 p.m.). Tulsa is 2-0 this season, though it's difficult to know how good the Golden Hurricane team is. Oklahoma is fresh off a double-overtime win at Tennessee, which may be excuse for an ugly first half from the Sooners in Norman.
Georgia State at Oregon (Pac-12 Network, 2 p.m.). Oregon is going to take out all its frustrations on Georgia State this game. This might get to an 80-point margin.
Troy at Wisconsin (BTN, 3:30 p.m.). Another week, another cupcake for Wisconsin. Troy is 1-1 on the season. It beat FCS Charleston Southern last week and lost by 28 at NC State to start the season.
Northern Illinois at Ohio State (ABC/ESPN2, 3:30 p.m.). This is your personal game of the week. Stay tuned to Eleven Warriors for comprehensive coverage of this contest.
Texas-San Antonio at Oklahoma State (FOX Sports 1, 3:30 p.m.). Texas-San Antonio opened the season at Arizona, home against Kansas State, and at Oklahoma State. Yikes. Kansas State beat the Roadrunners, 30-3, last week.
Feel the excitement...
Virginia Tech at Purdue (ESPNU, 3:30 p.m.). I genuinely did not know Virginia Tech had a road game scheduled at Purdue this season. Then again, Purdue doesn't really factor into anyone's radar. This is true even for Purdue fans who, my sources tell me, exist.
From what I gathered, Eleven Warriors readers/writers in Blacksburg for the Ohio State game mentioned that Virginia Tech fans asked them what a road atmosphere in West Lafayette is like. Do we... do we tell them?
Georgia Tech at Notre Dame (NBC, 3:30 p.m.). I wonder how many times Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger will be mentioned this contest. The infamous "Rudy play", the entire basis of Reuttiger's life and that silly movie, came in a game against Georgia Tech.
Rudy was offsides, by the way...
Nebraska at Miami (ABC/ESPN2, 3:30 p.m.). If Ohio State is on ABC, Nebraska is on ESPN2, and vice-versa. Does it not seem criminal that these two teams have fallen so far from grace to the point where we would not know if they were playing?
Auburn at LSU (CBS, 3:30 p.m.). CBS' SEC game of the week is a good one between the Tigers and the, umm, Tigers.
I could have guessed one Tigers' fortunes would be in free fall while another's stock would be soaring high. I would not have guessed, though, that Auburn would be the one with an identity crisis entering the third week of the season. Auburn nearly lost to an FCS team two weeks into a season in which it is the favorite to win the self-anointed most difficult conference in college football.
LSU, meanwhile, took care of business last week in Starkville to avenge last season's loss in Baton Rouge, though it had to survive a late rally.
Auburn added a brilliant defensive coordinator and looked lost with him last week while LSU lost a brilliant defensive coordinator and looked capable without him.
Shows what I know.
Northwestern State at Mississippi State OR Austin Peay at Vanderbilt (SEC Network, 4 p.m.). Don't bother.
Western Kentucky at Indiana (ESPN News, 4 p.m.). One of these two coaches might be coaching in the Big Ten next year. It may not be Kevin Wilson either. WKU's Jeff Brohm is on a short list of potential candidates to land at Illinois. He was an assistant coach there for the last two seasons of the Zook era.
Utah State at Washington (Pac-12 Network, 5 p.m.). Washington looked rather grim at Boise State in the season-opener, though smashed Sacramento State last week, 49-0.
Utah State promises to be a more difficult task, though it is hard to get a read on the Aggies. A fourth-quarter punt return for a touchdown lifted the Aggies to a 12-9 win over Southern Utah. It lost by just ten points at Utah last week, though.
South Carolina at Georgia (ESPN, 6 p.m.). No other team has vexed Georgia in the past ten years quite like South Carolina. Even crummy South Carolina squads have upset great Georgia wins. The 2007 upset serves as a prominent example.
In other words, South Carolina losing two straight years to Kentucky probably portends bad things for Georgia in this game.
Texas Tech at Arkansas (ESPN2, 7 p.m.). I expect Arkansas will rally and probably even bludgeon Texas Tech this game. After all, Texas Tech's defense couln't stop a nose bleed. However, Arkansas actually hung 505 yards of offense on Toledo. It just couldn't score more than a touchdown.
In other words, Arkansas' loss was more than just an atypical offensive output. It won't get better with its star wide receiver, Keon Hatcher, out six weeks with a foot injury.
Western Carolina at Tennessee (ESPNU, 7 p.m.). Like Oregon earlier in the day, expect Tennessee to take out last week's frustrations on a cupcake on Saturday.
Florida at Kentucky (SEC Network, 7:30 p.m.). I'll be disappointed if this game does not result in another excellent Jim McElwain GIF.
California at Texas (FOX, 7:30 p.m.). I think this is a dark horse candidate for game of the week.
It took two years, but it looks like Sonny Dykes has something going in Berkeley. The offense is certainly explosive. California hung 73 points on Grambling State in a 59-point win over Grambling State to start the season. It followed that with a 35-7 win over San Diego State. San Diego State is probably the best team in its division in the Mountain West Conference, even though we should qualify that division contains Hawaii, San Jose State, and UNLV.
Jared Goff performed well in both games. He already has 630 passing yards and six touchdowns through two games. I keep mentioning him as a candidate to lead the country in passing yards and as a dark horse candidate for the Davey O'Brien Award.
Texas, meanwhile, is a team with talent that really has not shown that its "talented" yet. Texas was overwhelmed in the season-opener at Notre Dame and surprisingly struggled in meaningful ways with Rice last week.
California is a full touchdown favorite in this game, if that gives you an idea of how intriguing this game should be to a general college football fan. The 2004 BCS snub still resonates among California die-hards.
Rutgers at Penn State (BTN, 8 p.m.). This could challenge Indiana-Purdue for worst Big Ten conference game of the season. Penn State's offense is offensive. Its offensive line is conspicuously bad at football. It lost to Temple for the first time in over 70 years and it's somehow a nine-point favorite over Rutgers.
Rutgers, whose athletic department is prone to hemorrhage money and expect taxpayers and students to pick up the bill, could probably monetize a "Days Since Last Arrest" counter on its website and make some nice coin off it.
The Scarlet Knights will also be without its head coach this game, as you might have heard. His interim coach, Norries Wilson, was 17-43 in six years at Columbia, arguably the worst team in the Ivy League over the past decade.
Pittsburgh plays at Iowa at this same time slot, though you will likely get the conference game between Rutgers and Penn State on the main channel. Check the alternate network for this game.
Stanford at USC (ABC, 8 p.m.). This is ABC's Saturday night primetime game.
I mentioned earlier this week that this is likely the season in which USC is "back". That is, this is probably the season in which USC approximates what it last was in 2008 and the ungodly rampage machine it was between 2003 and 2008 under Pete Carroll. The Trojans have a warehouse of talent and are finally recovering from the scholarships restrictions associated with the Reggie Bush case. Its offense looks the part too, averaging 623 yards through two games this year.
Meanwhile, Stanford looks like it has lost its way. The Cardinal were 34-6 under David Shaw entering the 2014 Rose Bowl against Michigan State. Since falling short in its quest to win back-to-back Rose Bowls for the first time since 1971, the Cardinal are 9-6. Its offense went from averaging 405 yards a game to 388 yards last year and, through two games, 365 yards this year.
Put another way, Stanford just isn't playing... "Stanford football" lately.
USC is favored this game by ten points. That sounds about right, but it should still be priority viewing. The Stanford-USC series has become the Pac-12's most entertaining series since Stanford's upset win in 2007. The players are amped for it and you should be too.
Iowa State at Toledo (ESPN News, 8 p.m.). Toledo hosted Colorado, Arizona, and Boise State in the Glass Bowl in 2009, 2010, and 2011 respectively. It brought Missouri to the same venue in 2014 and will host Miami in the Glass Bowl in 2018. I wish I knew what was so attractive about the venue to lure programs from major conferences (and Boise State) to Toledo.
Ole Miss at Alabama (ESPN, 9:15 p.m.). This is the second of two games featuring ranked teams from the SEC, even though preliminary top 25 rankings are more pro forma for the SEC than anything else.
Vegas like Alabama by a full touchdown, though would you believe ESPN's advanced analytics like Ole Miss? I actually can believe that because Ole Miss' two games against lesser competition afforded them opportunities to hang over 70 points on opposing defenses in both games. Those signals about Ole Miss' quality are noisy at best and misleading at worst.
I wonder if this is a "SOGOTP" game for Ole Miss. Last year's squad beat Alabama in Oxford for just its eighth win ever against Alabama. Still, that talent-laden Ole Miss team suffered some key injuries and ultimately ran out of steam, failed to make the SEC Championship Game and imploded in the Peach Bowl to end the season.
This year's team lost Bo Wallace but may have replaced him with Chad Kelly, a Clemson transfer with some behavioral issues. It features four sure first-round draft picks and a team that wants the program's would-be second win ever in Tuscaloosa (the first was in 1988). Excepting SEC newbie Texas A&M, Ole Miss is the only team from the SEC West to never make the SEC Championship Game. Even in-state rival Mississippi State made that game in 1998.
This year is about as good as it will get for Hugh Freeze, given the competition.
Brigham Young at UCLA (FOX Sports 1, 10:30 p.m.). Brigham Young travels to UCLA this week and Michigan next week. Its got Missouri in the middle of November in Arrowhead Stadium. If Brigham Young splits the two-game road trip between UCLA and Michigan, I think it's staring at ten wins this year.
It's conceivable Brigham Young could beat both the Bruins and the Wolverines. UCLA has a freshman quarterback and lost Eddie Vanderdoes to a season-ending ACL injury. Michigan may improve but it's not that good right now. BYU could enter Arrowhead Stadium undefeated.
Utah at Fresno State (CBS Sports Network, 10:30 p.m.). Utah hits the road for the first time this season. Fresno State returns home after losing at Ole Miss by 52 points.
Northern Arizona at Arizona (Pac-12 Network, 11 p.m.). How desperate are you for college football approaching midnight?
UC Davis at Hawaii (MWC Video / Oceanic, 11:59 p.m.). Hawaii football after dark is always a treat.
