This Weekend in College Football: Week 8

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Noon:

  • Illinois @ Pennsylvania State (ABC): Yes, Penn State lost to Iowa, but I don’t think they’ll lose to Illinois.
  • Northwestern @ Michigan (FOX): Michigan should be okay here,
  • Oklahoma @ Kansas (ESPN): Look, y’all, I’m going to be level with you. Week 8 is… not amazing. We only get a handful of college football weekends each year and we should aim to enjoy all of them. But hey, if there’s a weekend where maybe you just watch your own team, or maybe you mow the lawn one last time to mulch the leaves… this might be it.
  • Cincinnati @ Navy (ESPN2): So, on that note. LIGNTNING ROUND! Cincy.
  • Kansas State @ Texas Tech (FS1): Tech.
  • Northern Illinois @ Central Michigan (ESPNU): Huskies!
  • Arkansas-Pine Bluff @ Arkansas (SEC)
  • Wake Forest @ Army (CBSS): Wake!
  • Massachusetts @ Florida State (ACCN): FSU
  • Eastern Michigan @ Bowling Green (ESPN+)

12:30: Syracuse @ Virginia Tech (ACC/RSN): VPI?

1:00: Kent State @ Ohio (ESPN+)

2:00: Texas State @ Georgia State (ESPN+)

3:00: Wisconsin @ Purdue (BTN): Feels like Purdue used all their bullets taking down Iowa; I don’t think they can pull that same trick twice.

3:30:

  • Oregon @ California-Los Angeles (ABC): Oregon should win on all around talent, but it might be weird that such a big game kick off at 12:30 local time. It should be a fun watch regardless, but I’m picking the Ducks.
  • Oklahoma State @ Iowa State (FOX): We’re heading for 11-0 vs. 11-0 in Bedlam, aren’t we? Iowa State is a bit of a “failure to launch” team this year, and while I hope they get it going here, I don’t think they will.
  • Louisiana State @ Mississippi (CBS): Coach O’s on the way Out. It feels like they already did everything they could for him getting the big win at Florida last weekend. I suspect Ole Miss is going to put up many points on them.
  • Clemson @ Pittsburgh (ESPN): Pitt’s favored here, and I favor them too. That said, Clemson’s defense is still pretty good, and a good defense is the one thing Kenny Pickett still hasn’t really faced yet this year.
  • Maryland @ Minnesota (ESPN2): Gophers?
  • Brigham Young @ Washington State (FS1): BYU’s on a bit of a skid, but Wazzu just canned like half of their coaching staff—including the head coach—for not getting the COVID vaccine. I like the Stormin’ Mormons here.
  • Western Michigan @ Toledo (CBSS): Rockets?
  • Colorado @ California (Pac12): … Cal?
  • New Mexico @ Wyoming (Stadium): Wyoming
  • Miami @ Ball State (ESPN+)
  • Buffalo @ Akron (ESPN+)
  • Rice @ Alabama-Birmingham (ESPN+)

4:00:

  • East Carolina @ Houston (ESPNU): Cougers!
  • Mississippi State @ Vanderbilt (SEC): Bulldogs!
  • Boston College @ Louisville (ACCN): Golden Eagles!
  • Liberty @ North Texas (ESPN+)

7:00:

  • Tennessee @ Alabama (“Third Saturday in October”; ESPN): Bama!
  • Nevada @ Fresno State (FS2): Fresno.
  • San Diego State @ Air Force (CBSS): This could be a sneaky good game. The Aztecs are legitimately good on defense, and Air Force has a funky triple option-style offense. I think I like the Aztecs though.
  • Texas-San Antonio @ Louisiana Tech (Stadium): Meep meep!
  • South Alabama @ Louisiana-Monroe (espn3.com)
  • Temple @ South Florida (ESPN+)
  • Western Kentucky @ Florida International (ESPN+)

7:30:

  • Southern California @ Notre Dame (NBC): USC could well play up to this game, but I think Notre Dame makes that moot early.
  • Ohio State @ Indiana (ABC): Buckeyes are rolling now, even if they shouldn’t really be ranked ahead of the Oregon team that beat them.
  • North Carolina State @ Miami (ESPN2): NC State.
  • West Virginia @ Texas Christian (ESPNU): No clue. WVU?
  • South Carolina @ Texas A&M (SEC): TAMU.
  • Georgia Tech @ Virginia (ACCN): So we needed a comeback against a pretty awful Duke team. While I acknowledge the conditions were super weird, didn’t do a whole lot to inspire confidence. I’m still essentially looking for reasons to look forward to the future of the program at the moment, but the results are still so inconsistent it’s hard to know what to make of it. We’ve ultimately got everything in front of us to erase those doubts, but the team will need to prove to us, and themselves, that they can do it.
  • Utah @ Oregon State (Pac12): Utah. Also, look below. No Pac-12 After Dark tonight, folks. And that’s a shame, because I probably will need something soothing after the Braves game.