Today's Schedule of Games
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 -
September 9th, 2023 at 11:16 AM ^
Here's a fancy schmancy schedule link with some nice aesthetically pleasing graphics:
http://gameviewingguide.com/cfb
September 9th, 2023 at 11:29 AM ^
My favorite part was reading about why James Worthy left Michigan.
September 9th, 2023 at 11:41 AM ^
Right? Juwan has really let the program slip.
September 9th, 2023 at 1:22 PM ^
Oopsie . . . Xavier Worthy.
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.
September 9th, 2023 at 11:56 AM ^
Gotta get it to Larry Johnson down in the paint. Michigan has to account for Stacy Augmon's jumper which leaves...oh...right.
September 9th, 2023 at 12:00 PM ^
Don't forget about Detroit's own Anderson Hunt slicing and dicing through the paint. He was my favorite player on that team.
September 9th, 2023 at 12:03 PM ^
Agreed. Long passes are higher variance plays. UNLV's bedt shot at making something happen defensively.
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.
September 9th, 2023 at 11:58 AM ^
SKO BUFFS
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.
September 9th, 2023 at 12:00 PM ^
Wisconsin going out to Wazzu should be interesting.
September 9th, 2023 at 12:13 PM ^
Air Raid vs Air Raid!!
September 9th, 2023 at 12:48 PM ^
Air raid vs "air raid" (at least for this season it seems)
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.
September 9th, 2023 at 12:13 PM ^
Around these parts, it's known as ¡El Assico!
September 9th, 2023 at 12:15 PM ^
Likely related to the fact that not a lot of HS football talent comes out of the state of Iowa.
September 9th, 2023 at 1:10 PM ^
There is a lot of gambling interest in the game though...
September 9th, 2023 at 12:07 PM ^
Loudest crowd in Boulder since the days of Eric Bieniemy and Darian Hagan.
September 9th, 2023 at 1:23 PM ^
It used to be a scary place to play.
September 9th, 2023 at 12:08 PM ^
I see UN getting rolled. And a fun game in Birmingham will be won by Alabama...
September 9th, 2023 at 12:12 PM ^
Pretty sure it's a Bama home game, in Tuscaloosa.
September 9th, 2023 at 12:15 PM ^
Good Gawd... That's what I meant. NEG THE SHIT OUT OF THAT POST, PLEASE!!!! LMAO!!
September 9th, 2023 at 12:10 PM ^
The atmosphere in Boulder looks awesome!
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...
September 9th, 2023 at 12:15 PM ^
Running on 2nd and long? C'mon, Matt...
September 9th, 2023 at 12:17 PM ^
I was not aware that Sims was a professional turnover machine. Good lord.
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.
September 9th, 2023 at 12:17 PM ^
lol-Jeff Sims drops the snap, then casually reaches for it like you would an item that fell from a shopping cart.
September 9th, 2023 at 12:20 PM ^
Coach’s kid is really good.
September 9th, 2023 at 12:21 PM ^
That 3rd and 10 throw, moving left, on a rope to Hunter was a beauty for an NFL QB! Baby Prime has an arm...
September 9th, 2023 at 12:26 PM ^
Truth.
September 9th, 2023 at 12:23 PM ^
The Spirit of Frost is still a part of the Nebraska program.
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.
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.
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.
September 9th, 2023 at 12:40 PM ^
Yeah, I don't think it's much of a stretch to say that Nebraska will end up having a much higher ranked defense than TCU this year.
September 9th, 2023 at 12:30 PM ^
Punting from the 35? WTF, Prime??? You gained all of 15 yds on the punt, but you could have got lucky running a play.
September 9th, 2023 at 12:32 PM ^
On 4th and 15?
September 9th, 2023 at 12:31 PM ^
Penguins toe to toe w Buckeyes so far…
September 9th, 2023 at 12:35 PM ^
How did YSU score?
September 9th, 2023 at 12:36 PM ^
Mostly a big pass play against Martinez (the guy CJ torched) but then they just kinda ground it out.
September 9th, 2023 at 12:36 PM ^
Break off that toe in some Buckeye's ass, YSU.
September 9th, 2023 at 12:31 PM ^
Sloppy drive by Colorado
September 9th, 2023 at 12:32 PM ^
going to ucla @ sdsu tonight, going to be upper 80s all day and into the night.
September 9th, 2023 at 12:35 PM ^
Should be a competitive game, this is not last years UCLA...
September 9th, 2023 at 12:37 PM ^
Say hello to Dante Moore for us.
September 9th, 2023 at 12:35 PM ^
OSU has 3rd and 1 against a 1-AA school, runs toss sweep, loses a yard, and gets called for holding. It remains remarkable how much they suck at short yardage.
September 9th, 2023 at 12:36 PM ^
I don’t ever remember seeing a Colorado atmosphere like this. Not even when Michigan played there in 1996 and the Buffs were one of the best programs in the country.