Today's Schedule of Games

Submitted by M-Dog on September 9th, 2023 at 11:12 AM

Welcome to week two of college football.  There is only one really big game today, but there are still a few interesting “backstory” games to watch.

Here are some of today’s highlights:

At Noon on FOX: Nebraska at #22 Colorado.  Behind all of the bluster and preening, coach Prime actually knows what he is doing in a well thought-out way.  Things that look chaotic and arbitrary aren’t really.  He has that Bill Parcells thing of getting under his players’ skin, but in a way that motivates them.  90 new players on the roster in the first game of the year, and only 6 penalties all game?  Are you kidding me??  At MSU that’s called “first drive”.  It is in our best interest to root for Nebraska, so I will dutifully do that, but I wouldn’t mind if the Coach Prime circus continues for just a little while longer.    

In the Afternoon at 3:30 PM on CBS: UNLV at #2 Michigan.  As a Michigan fan, I will watch with interest what Michigan does this game.  But as a college football fan, I will especially watch with interest what UNLV does on defense.  Now that Michigan has shown (finally) that they can and will punish the “TCU game plan”, what do you do if you are UNLV?  You can’t just count on Michigan’s stubbornness to bail you out while you recklessly run-blitz your safety’s every down.  UNLV will be more cautious than ECU, which will open up the Michigan running game.  Then they will run-blitz on selected downs when that starts to get out of hand.  At which point, JJ will drop dimes on their ass.  So, it won’t really matter what they do.  Hey, just have fun out there.            

Also at 3:30 PM on FOX: Iowa at Iowa State.  ¡El Assico!  I love this rivalry.  Because it is so stupid and unpredictable and usually comes down to the wire based on who makes the last mistake.  Can Cade McNamara and Erick All add an element of atypical calmness and stability to Iowa in the midst of the El Assico storm?  Yes.  Yes they can.  Iowa will win it in boringly stable fashion.  But is that a good thing for the rest of us?               

In the Evening at 7:00 PM on ESPN: #11 Texas at #3 Alabama.  Having just read Communist Football’s board post on why James Worthy left Michigan (spoiler alert: It was all Michigan’s fault, not Texas’s fault), I can root for Texas today with a clear conscious.  They almost took down Alabama last year, and they are many people’s upset special to do it this year.  But not so fast my friend, as the old guy says.  Sleep on Alabama at your own risk.  Saban is laser focused on cutting down on the excitable dumb mistakes they had last year that did them in during their two very close losses.  They still have all of the talent in the world, and he’ll have that talent ready (and smart) to go.  Alabama will take care of Texas convincingly tonight in Tuscaloosa.         

Finally, your Pac-12 After Dark Special - meaningless crazy football just for the fun of it.  This is the last season for Pac-12 After Dark football.  *sigh*.  Because it was usually pointless football – typically unranked teams that the rest of the country ignored – it was fun.  Teams just went out and played, with nothing on the line.  There was no deeper meaning, it was just highly entertaining for its own sake.  I will miss it.       

At 10:30 PM on FOX: Stanford at #6 USC.  This used to be a big game in the Pac-12, courtesy of Mr. Jim Harbaugh, and then carried on by David Shaw.  Now it’s back to what Stanford – USC meant before Harbaugh . . . nothing.  USC still can’t play defense, but it won’t matter.  Stanford can’t play enough anywhere near enough offense to stay with USC.  USC will win it big and early at home.           

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2023:

AWAY                     HOME           TIME         TV

NOON:

Vanderbilt  @  Wake Forest   11:00 AM   ACCN

Ball State  @  1 Georgia   12:00 PM   SECN

Youngstown State  @  5 Ohio State   12:00 PM   BTN

Delaware  @  7 Penn State   12:00 PM   Peacock

10 Notre Dame  @  NC State   12:00 PM   ABC

12 Utah  @  Baylor   12:00 PM   ESPN

Troy  @  15 Kansas State   12:00 PM   FS1

Nebraska  @  22 Colorado   12:00 PM   FOX

Delaware State  @  Army   12:00 PM   CBSSN

Purdue  @  Virginia Tech   12:00 PM   ESPN2

Holy Cross  @  Boston College   12:00 PM   ESPN+|ACCNX

James Madison  @  Virginia   12:00 PM   ESPNU

AFTERNOON:

South Carolina State  @  Georgia Tech   1:00 PM   ESPN+|ACCNX

New Hampshire  @  Central Michigan   1:30 PM   ESPN+

Eastern Illinois  @  Bowling Green   2:00 PM   ESPN+

Charleston Southern  @  25 Clemson   2:15 PM   ACCN

Eastern Kentucky  @  Kentucky   3:00 PM   ESPN+|SECN+

Southern Utah  @  BYU   3:00 PM   BIG12|ESPN+

UNLV  @  2 Michigan   3:30 PM   CBS

20 Ole Miss  @  24 Tulane   3:30 PM   ESPN2

23 Texas A&M  @  Miami   3:30 PM   ABC

Iowa  @  Iowa State   3:30 PM   FOX

Richmond  @  Michigan State   3:30 PM   BTN

UTEP  @  Northwestern   3:30 PM   BTN

Western Michigan  @  Syracuse   3:30 PM   ESPN+|ACCNX

Miami (OH)  @  Massachusetts   3:30 PM   ESPN+

Texas State  @  UTSA   3:30 PM   ESPN+

Wagner  @  Navy   3:30 PM   CBSSN

Southern Illinois  @  Northern Illinois   3:30 PM   ESPN+

Texas Southern  @  Toledo   3:30 PM   ESPN+

Kent State  @  Arkansas   4:00 PM   SECN

Marshall  @  East Carolina   4:00 PM   ESPNU

Cal Poly  @  San José State   4:00 PM    -

Portland State  @  Wyoming   4:00 PM    -

Tulsa  @  8 Washington   5:00 PM   PAC12

Austin Peay  @  9 Tennessee   5:00 PM   ESPN+|SECN+

SE Louisiana  @  South Alabama   5:00 PM   ESPN+

Appalachian State  @  17 North Carolina   5:15 PM   ACCN

EVENING:

SMU  @  18 Oklahoma   6:00 PM   ESPN+

Lafayette  @  21 Duke   6:00 PM   ESPN+|ACCNX

New Mexico State  @  Liberty   6:00 PM   ESPN+

Duquesne  @  West Virginia   6:00 PM   BIG12|ESPN+

UAB  @  Georgia Southern   6:00 PM   ESPN+

Ohio  @  Florida Atlantic   6:00 PM   ESPN+

Louisiana  @  Old Dominion   6:00 PM   ESPN+

Morgan State  @  Akron   6:00 PM   ESPN+

Fordham  @  Buffalo   6:00 PM   ESPN+

North Texas  @  Florida International   6:30 PM   ESPN+

Cincinnati  @  Pittsburgh   6:30 PM   CW NETWORK

11 Texas  @  3 Alabama   7:00 PM   ESPN

13 Oregon  @  Texas Tech   7:00 PM   FOX

Jacksonville State  @  Coastal Carolina   7:00 PM   ESPN+

UConn  @  Georgia State   7:00 PM   ESPN+

Northwestern State  @  Louisiana Tech   7:00 PM   ESPN+

Middle Tennessee  @  Missouri   7:00 PM   ESPN+|SECN+

Houston Christian  @  Western Kentucky   7:00 PM   ESPN+

UCF  @  Boise State   7:00 PM   FS1

Houston  @  Rice   7:00 PM   NFL NET

Florida A&M  @  South Florida   7:00 PM   ESPN+

Memphis  @  Arkansas State   7:00 PM   ESPN+

Idaho  @  Nevada   7:00 PM    -

Grambling  @  14 LSU   7:30 PM   ESPN+|SECN+

19 Wisconsin  @  Washington State   7:30 PM   ABC

McNeese  @  Florida   7:30 PM   ESPNU

Charlotte  @  Maryland   7:30 PM   NBC

Eastern Michigan  @  Minnesota   7:30 PM   BTN

Arizona  @  Mississippi State   7:30 PM   SECN

Temple  @  Rutgers   7:30 PM   BTN

Furman  @  South Carolina   7:30 PM   ESPN+|SECN+

UCLA  @  San Diego State   7:30 PM   CBS

Air Force  @  Sam Houston   8:00 PM   CBSSN

Nicholls  @  TCU   8:00 PM   BIG12|ESPN+

Lamar  @  UL Monroe   8:00 PM   ESPN+

Tennessee Tech  @  New Mexico   8:00 PM    -

Idaho State  @  Utah State   8:00 PM    -

Southern Miss  @  4 Florida State   8:30 PM   ACCN

UC Davis  @  16 Oregon State   9:00 PM   PAC12

Eastern Washington  @  Fresno State   9:00 PM    -

LATE NIGHT:

Stanford  @  6 USC   10:30 PM   FOX

Auburn  @  California   10:30 PM   ESPN

Oklahoma State  @  Arizona State   10:30 PM    -

UAlbany  @  Hawai'i   11:59 PM    -

 

MGoBoard
Football

Blue@LSU

September 9th, 2023 at 11:49 AM ^

Now that Michigan has shown (finally) that they can and will punish the “TCU game plan”, what do you do if you are UNLV?

Do you want to die a slow and painful death from Michigan's running game? Or would you prefer to be bombed into oblivion? 

If I'm Michigan's opponent, I still sell out to stop the run. If Michigan scores quickly through the air, it still gives your offense a fighter's chance. But if you can't stop the ground and pound then your offense is stuck on the sidelines for long stretches of the game and you have zero chance.

Joined: 11/04/2016

MGoPoints: 80123

jmblue

September 9th, 2023 at 12:04 PM ^

If I'm Michigan's opponent, I still sell out to stop the run. If Michigan scores quickly through the air, it still gives your offense a fighter's chance

If those scores are touchdowns, it doesn't do you much good. 

Last year we had a ton of long drives, but many ended in field goals.  If you can tighten up in the red zone and hold Michigan to three points, that can keep you in the game.  

Joined: 11/07/2008

MGoPoints: 102831

jmblue

September 9th, 2023 at 12:00 PM ^

It is in our best interest to root for Nebraska, so I will dutifully do that

I don't think it really matters.  Nebraska's not going to be good enough this season to move the needle in terms of SOS.  I'm not sure I'd want them to hit their stride before they play us, anyway.

Joined: 11/07/2008

MGoPoints: 102831

jhayes1189

September 9th, 2023 at 12:05 PM ^

Iowa/Iowa State is the most boring rivalry of all time. 
 

What are the chances that when Iowa plays it’s cross conference rivalry against a conference known for teams that love high flying passing offense, no defense, and haymakers, they just happen to play the one team in that conference that does basically exactly what they do. 

It must be an state of Iowa thing. 
 

I say just go ahead and put Iowa State in the BiG10 west, just so this game stops being some “great early season rivalry” tradition that takes up a good TV spot. Big12 can have Nebraska back. 

 

Joined: 10/04/2021

MGoPoints: 6552

1VaBlue1

September 9th, 2023 at 12:14 PM ^

The first two pass plays for UN were both something we've not seen for years out of Lincoln - the QB calmly standing in a wide open pocket scanning the field for an open WR.  And finding him.  If CU can't get pressure, Matt Ruhle will throw the ball.  Still not sure it will matter - watching UN's defense last week was hard to do...

Joined: 01/31/2016

MGoPoints: 127087

bamf_16

September 9th, 2023 at 12:21 PM ^

Nebraska fans and coaches have to ask how much longer until guys start losing confidence in Sims and just wait for him to do something to blow it. Bad first game and he keeps it up today.

 

Snap hits him in the hands and he gives a Cam Newton-esque effort to pick it up. They have a decent prospect backing him up and a transfer from FSU as well. 

Joined: 11/20/2010

MGoPoints: 14209

snarling wolverine

September 9th, 2023 at 12:25 PM ^

It was a huge game-changer for Coach Prime that he had a son with two years' starting experience at QB to come with him.   Shedeur had already thrown 70 TDs before coming to Boulder!  (Granted, it was at JSU, but still.)  And as the coach's son, he's obviously going to buy in.  

If CU has a big year, fans of other rebuilding programs are going to start expecting similar turnarounds - but not many new coaches are also going to be the parent of a stud QB.

Joined: 12/14/2011

MGoPoints: 98365

SFBayAreaBlue

September 9th, 2023 at 12:30 PM ^

CU vs. Neb 1st quarter notes:

Nebraska has all day to pass against the 4 man rush.  Soft zone by CU is leaving people wide open.  But Neb QB is a turnover machine. CU is playing cover 1 or cover 0 on rushing downs to get free tacklers. Neb playcalling is very whelming.  Run Run pass.  Run Run Pass. 

CU runs tempo, every modern offense should run tempo.  Nebraska can get pressure with 5 and could stop CU if they had enough talented DBs which, I don't know if they do.

Both teams look sloppy.  Undisciplined penalties. 

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 10477

1VaBlue1

September 9th, 2023 at 12:33 PM ^

I already see a big difference between NU and TCU - NU is unlikely to break and give up the long plays that CU scored so many on last week.  Assuming Ruhle's team plays more fundamentally sound defense all day than TCU's Big 12 Defense could, this might be more of a slog for CU than I was thinking before gametime.

Joined: 01/31/2016

MGoPoints: 127087