Today's Schedule of Games

Lots of interesting games today, and not just in matchups of ranked teams. 

Here are some highlights:

At Noon on FOX: #4 Michigan at Indiana.  Release the JJ.  At some point, McCarthy is going to have to win a game under pressure, not just manage a game under pressure.  But you don’t want to wait until you need to score those kind of points in a game to rep scoring those kind of points in a game.  If not Indiana in October then when?  The time to release the JJ has come.  Michigan takes care of business and gets JJ those reps.    

Also at Noon on ESPN: #8 Tennessee @ #25 LSU.  LSU is a point away from being undefeated.  But they haven’t looked all that great against the better teams on their schedule.  So are they good enough to beat Tennessee at home?  They just might be.  I’m picking LSU to upset Tennessee.

Also at Noon on FS1: #17 TCU @ #19 Kansas.  Kansas is a ranked team.  In football.  This is why coaches make all that money, and is why schools are willing to go from coach to coach to coach in search of a unicorn.  Because while they are extremely elusive, they are out there, and when (if) you find one it makes all the difference.  So I’ll go with Kansas just because it’s a cool story this season.

Also at Noon on ABC: Texas @ Oklahoma.  Red River Rivalry/Shootout.  One of the great rivalries in college football that they haven’t broken . . . yet.  The Oklahoma defense is reeling after dropping 2 straight high-scoring games to KSU and TCU.  Meanwhile, Texas has Quinn Ewers back at QB for this game.  That’s not exactly good medicine for what ails Oklahoma.  Texas wins it. 

Also at Noon on BTN: Purdue @ Maryland.  I am strangely interested in this game.  Both teams are trendy right now and could do some damage in their respective divisions.  They are a good litmus test for each other to see who may be legit and who may be a pretender.  I’ll go with October Maryland on this one. 

In the Afternoon at 3:30 PM on FOX: #11 Utah @ #18 UCLA.  Chip Kelly is starting to make the difference we were all beginning to think he was never going to make.  UCLA has the talent and the coaching, if not the fans.  It will be like a home game for Utah.  But I think UCLA still wins it “on the road”.   

At 4:00 PM on ABC: #3 Ohio State @ Michigan State.  I don’t really care about this game because the result is a foregone conclusion.  But I will check in on it from time to time because at least one, maybe both, of our hated rivals will be miserable: Ohio State if they are not ahead big enough for their satisfaction, and MSU when they lose big.

In the Evening at 7:30 PM on ABC: #5 Clemson @ Boston College.  This game has trap game written all over it.  BC has a history of rising up and biting ACC teams in the ass at home at night when the opponent underestimates them.  They will do it again, but it won’t be quite enough to come away with a win.

Also at 7:30 PM on NBC/Peacock: #16 BYU @ Notre Dame.  A game that is kind of under the radar, given that BYU is ranked against Notre Dame, at night, in Vegas.  BYU is the ranked team, but Notre Dame will be the team with the win.

Also at 7:30 PM on BTN Iowa: @ Illinois.  The Big Ten West is strange.  And fun.  The winner of this game keeps pace with Big Ten West leader Nebraska.  This game will give us some barometer about how good Illinois is (or how good Iowa isn’t).  I’m going with the fighting Bert’s on this one to keep it rolling.

At 8:00 PM on CBS: Texas A&M @ #1 Alabama.  I’m here for the bad blood – Jimbo Fisher versus Nick Saban.  Million Dollar Roster versus NFL Roster.  Both teams have had this game circled on their calendar for a year, but that was when Texas A&M looked like they had a chance.  Or even a pulse.  They won’t have either tonight, Tide rolls.

Finally, your Pac-12 After Dark Special(s) - meaningless crazy football just for the fun of it:

At 9:00 PM on PAC12: #12 Oregon @ Arizona.  This one is not quite in the spirit of Pac-12 After Dark because Oregon is ranked and still in a position to win the Pac-12.  Oregon will stay on track and win this game.

At 11:00 PM on ESPN: Oregon State @ Stanford.  It took until October, but we finally have a game that is in the true spirit of Pac-12 After Dark . . . meaningless crazy football between unranked teams at night, just for the fun of it.  I have no idea who will win, and I don’t care who will win, but I’ll watch anyway.  

SATURDAY OCTOBER 8, 2022:

AWAY               HOME      TIME         TV

NOON:

4 Michigan @ Indiana   12:00 PM   FOX

8 Tennessee @ 25 LSU   12:00 PM   ESPN

17 TCU @ 19 Kansas   12:00 PM   FS1

Arkansas @ 23 Mississippi State   12:00 PM   SECN

Missouri @ Florida   12:00 PM   ESPNU

Texas @ Oklahoma   12:00 PM   ABC

Purdue @ Maryland   12:00 PM   BTN

Louisville @ Virginia   12:00 PM   ACCN

Eastern Michigan @ Western Michigan   12:00 PM   CBSSN

Buffalo @ Bowling Green   12:00 PM   ESPN+

AFTERNOON:

Akron @ Ohio   2:00 PM   ESPN3

Georgia Southern @ Georgia State   2:00 PM   ESPN3

South Florida @ 24 Cincinnati   2:30 PM   ESPN+

Auburn @ 2 Georgia   3:30 PM   CBS

Texas Tech @ 7 Oklahoma State   3:30 PM   FS1

11 Utah @ 18 UCLA   3:30 PM   FOX

Liberty @ UMass   3:30 PM   ESPN+

Wisconsin @ Northwestern   3:30 PM   BTN

Virginia Tech @ Pittsburgh   3:30 PM   ACCN

East Carolina @ Tulane   3:30 PM   ESPNU

Tulsa @ Navy   3:30 PM   CBSSN

Ball State @ Central Michigan   3:30 PM   ESPN+

Toledo @ Northern Illinois   3:30 PM   ESPN+

Kent State @ Miami (OH)   3:30 PM   ESPN+

Middle Tennessee @ UAB   3:30 PM    -

3 Ohio State @ Michigan State   4:00 PM   ABC

9 Ole Miss @ Vanderbilt   4:00 PM   SECN

21 Washington @ Arizona State   4:00 PM   PAC12

Duke @ Georgia Tech   4:00 PM   ESPN3

North Carolina @ Miami   4:00 PM   ESPN2

EVENING:

Western Kentucky @ UTSA   6:00 PM   ESPN+

Air Force @ Utah State   7:00 PM   FS1

Wyoming @ New Mexico   7:00 PM   CBSSN

James Madison @ Arkansas State   7:00 PM   NFL NET

Appalachian State @ Texas State   7:00 PM   ESPN+

Southern Miss @ Troy   7:00 PM   ESPN+

UConn @ Florida International   7:00 PM   ESPN3

UTEP @ Louisiana Tech   7:00 PM   ESPN+

5 Clemson @ Boston College   7:30 PM   ABC

Washington State @ 6 USC   7:30 PM   FOX

South Carolina @ 13 Kentucky   7:30 PM   SECN

Army @ 15 Wake Forest   7:30 PM   ESPN3

16 BYU @ Notre Dame   7:30 PM   NBC|Peacock

20 Kansas State @ Iowa State   7:30 PM   ESPNU

Iowa @ Illinois   7:30 PM   BTN

Texas A&M @ 1 Alabama   8:00 PM   CBS

Florida State @ 14 NC State   8:00 PM   ACCN

Coastal Carolina @ UL Monroe   8:00 PM   ESPN+

LATE NIGHT:

12 Oregon @ Arizona   9:00 PM   PAC12

Fresno State @ Boise State   9:45 PM   FS1

Hawai'i @ San Diego State   10:30 PM   CBSSN

Oregon State @ Stanford   11:00 PM   ESPN