This Weekend in College Football: Week 2

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Noon:

  • Florida @ Miami (ESPN): This has always been an under-played rivialry, with the two in-state foes having only met 55 times. (Though as EDSBS is fond of saying, football didn’t really exist in the state of Florida before 1980.) I personally have to give Florida the edge in this one, as they seem to exist in some sort of version of existence where offense is entirely optional.
  • Cincinnati @ Illinois (ESPN2): Cincy isn’t great or anything, but Illinois isn’t really even good, so that’s what this one is probably going to come down to.
  • South Florida @ Michigan State (ESPNU): Let’s just say that it is very difficult to pick in favor of a team that lost to McNeese State last weekend.
  • Oklahoma State @ Texas-San Antonio (FS1): Oklahoma State.
  • Eastern Michigan @ Pennsylvania State (BTN): Penn State.
  • Western Kentucky @ Tennessee (SEC): Tennessee.
  • Miami @ Kentucky (SEC/FSN): Kentucky?

12:30: Middle Tennessee State @ North Carolina (ACC): Well, MTSU won its last game against an ACC team, but nonetheless I like UNC’s chances here.

3:30:

  • Oregon @ Virginia (ABC/ESPN2): Oregon.
  • San Diego State @ Ohio State (ABC/ESPN2): Ohio State.
  • Buffalo @ Baylor (FSN): Baylor.
  • Toledo @ Missouri (ESPNU): Mizzou?
  • Utah State @ Air Force (CBSS): This might be the most interesting game of this bunch, which is kind of saying something. I would go with Utah State here after their close loss to big brother Utah last weekend, but I’m going to roll with the Air Force.

4:30: South Carolina @ Georgia (ESPN): And we’re finally out of the doldrums. This one is going to be pretty good I think, but unfortunately I have to give UGA a slight edge at home. I don’t want to, but there it is.

6:00: Syracuse @ Northwestern (BTN): Northwestern had a pretty good drubbing of Cal last weekend, good enough to make be feel good enough about their chances at home against the Orange.

7:00:

  • West Virginia @ Oklahoma (FOX): West, er, Frickin’ Virginia will get its first chance to show that may actually play defense this year in what will probably be difficult conditions. It’s hard to see them passing the test.
  • Texas @ Brigham Young (ESPN2): Texas can probably take care of business in Provo. Probably.
  • Alabama-Birmingham @ Louisiana State (ESPNU): LSU.
  • Colorado State @ Tulsa (CBSS): Hey so is Tulsa any good this year… (checks) … let’s see… lost to Bowling Green 34-7. Off. Going with the Rams.

7:30: Arkansas State @ Auburn (SEC/FSN): The fact I had to think about this for a second says way more about Auburn than Arkansas State. Still going with Auburn though.

8:00:

  • Notre Dame @ Michigan (ESPN): Game of the day, but is this really going to be that close? Emotion can only carry you so far. That said, we have precious little data at this point of the season, what with both teams having dispatched their designated patsies last week. So, yeah, basically I’m just guessing here, and my guess is going to be the Irish.
  • Hawaii @ Oregon (PAC12): Oregon.

10:30:

  • Washington State @ Southern California (FS1): Southern Cal?
  • Arizona @ Nevada-Las Vegas (CBSS): Arizona.
  • San Jose State @ Stanford (PAC12): Stanford.

Sorry for the abbreviated preview, but that’s what you get when this is written at 37,000 feet somewhere over eastern Nevada. We’ll be back in full next weekend.