This Weekend in College Football: Week 8

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Noon:

  • Oklahoma State @ Texas (ABC): This edition is going to be quick and abbreviated, I’m not going to lie. And that also means that while I think Texas has a good defense, I think that the Pokes are going to be too much for them offensively.
  • Maryland @ Wisconsin (FOX): Wisconsin is just going to keep doing Wisconsin things, as far as I can tell, though I think this is an improved Maryland team.
  • Louisville @ Florida State (ESPN): Boy howdy, this matchup looked a lot better two months ago than it does now, eh? Uh, well, Louisville is as much of a one-man show that has ever existed in college football it seems, since their offensive line is terrible and their defensive seemingly non-existent. FSU is struggling on offense, but I suspect their still excellent defense will allow them to prevail.
  • Iowa @ Northwestern (ESPN2): This is a thing you could watch, I guess. Uh, Iowa?
  • Iowa State @ Texas Tech (FS1): This one might be interesting. The Cyclones are not terrible, but it seems that Texas Tech is on their way to a pretty good season, and for that to be true, they really need to circle the wagons down in Lubbock. (Which I think they will.)
  • Tulsa @ Connecticut (ESPNU): Uh, Tulsa?
  • Idaho @ Missouri (SEC): Mizzou is bad this year, but not this bad.
  • Purdue @ Rutgers (BTN): Now here’s a chance for the Boilermakers to really Brohm it out, if you will.
  • Temple @ Army (CBSS): Army looks decent this year? I like them against Temple, at least.

12:20: Pittsburgh @ Duke (ACC): It still feels weird to pick Duke, but here we are.

12:30: Boston College @ Virginia (ACC/RSN): Speaking of feeling weird picking a team, apparently UVA isn’t terrible this year and will be bowl eligible with this win. Huh.

3:30:

  • Tennessee @ Alabama (CBS): It is definitely the Third Saturday in October, all right, and I’m not sure I can think of any time in the recent past where I’ve felt as sorry for the Volunteers coming into this as I do right now.
  • Indiana @ Michigan State (ABC): This will be a good barometer for Sparty’s recovery back to the normal steady-state they’ve maintained, and I think they’ll get it.
  • Syracuse @ Miami (ESPN): Okay, Miami, please don’t need a last second play to get a win against a feisty Syracuse. Please.
  • North Carolina @ Virginia Tech (ESPN2): VPI.
  • Arizona State @ Utah (FS1): I, and basically everyone else in the college football universe, was wrong about the Arizona schools. I still like the Utes here.
  • Illinois @ Minnesota (BTN): Gophers.

4:00:

  • Oklahoma @ Kansas State (FOX): The Bill Synder mojo just does not seem to be in effect for this year.
  • Southern Methodist @ Cincinnati (ESPNU): Cincy, I guess?
  • Kentucky @ Mississippi State (SEC): Okay, Miss State isn’t the awesome team we all thought a few weeks ago, sure. But… I’ll still take them over Kentucky.
  • Oregon @ California-Los Angeles (Pac12): So far in this quick write-up this is the first one where I’ve really had to stop and think. I think UCLA is pretty much a disaster at this point, but I think the Ducks still have a long way to go. I’m taking the Ducks, but just barely.

6:30: Alabama-Birmingham @ Charlotte (beIN): Go Blazers!

7:00:

  • South Florida @ Tulane (ESPN2): I could keep posting the date of the USF-UCF game, but… yeah, I think y’all get the idea.
  • Brigham Young @ East Carolina (CBSS): BYU sure can’t play offense, but I’m not so sure about ECU playing football, in general.

7:15: Louisiana State @ Mississippi (ESPN): LSU seems to have recovered well from, you know, losing to Troy. I like them here.

7:30:

  • Southern California @ Notre Dame (NBC): I listen to two college football related podcasts: Podcast Ain’ Played Nobody and the Shutdown Fullcast. Both, but especially the latter, have noted that Notre Dame is actually kinda good this year? I’m still taking USC, but still…
  • Michigan @ Pennsylvania State (ABC): I run a pick-’em elsewhere, and more maximum main I had this game as against the spread (with Penn State favored by 9.5 points). But on here I don’t have to do that, so I can just pick Penn State. Whee!
  • Wake Forest @ Georgia Tech (ESPNU): If (one of) the worst nights of my life hadn’t happened to me two weeks ago, then last week’s game against Miami would have hurt a lot more. As it it is, it hurt a lot, but this still feels like a pretty decent version of GT so far this year despite the gut-punch losses? I dunno. What I do know is that we cannot wallow in our misery, as this is a feisty Wake Forest squad in the mold of those Wake teams Jim Grobe used to get every once in a while that was actually good. Also, I just wanted to lament that, as a small, private Baptist school I will probably never get to unironically refer to Wake Forest as “Woke Forest”. Thanks for reading, try the veal, and remember to tip your waitress!
  • Auburn @ Arkansas (SEC): Comeback losses to LSU aside, Auburn is probably still good? It’s not Novembert yet, so I like their chances.

8:00:

  • Kansas @ Texas Christian (FOX): TCU.
  • West Virginia @ Baylor (FS2): WVU.
  • Arizona @ California (Pac12): Zona?

10:15: Wyoming @ Boise State (ESPN2): Boise’s back! Well, maybe. But probably at least for this game.

10:30: Fresno State @ San Diego State (CBSS): Still like the Aztecs here.

10:45: Colorado @ Washington State (ESPN): And I still like the Cougars here.