As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Friday

7:00: Georgia Tech @ Louisville (ESPN): So we’re here to cover the Friday games this weekend as well, where in a down-on-their-luck squad of Yellow Jackets seek to turn their season around. And, well, we could certainly do worse than Louisville, but we’ve been bad on the road as of late and I’m still worried about the defense.

7:30: Middle Tennessee State @ Marshall (CBSS): MTSU is lucky to be 2-2, having been outscored by 45 points through four games. Marshall looks a lot better, and they’re at home.

9:00: Utah State @ Brigham Young (ESPN2): BYU’s upset over Wisconsin will continue to look weird, as they’re probably going to lose to the Aggies here.

Saturday

Noon:

• Maryland @ Michigan (ABC): Maryland and Rutgers’s addition to the Big Ten has been embarrassing to the conference, the former off the field, the latter on it. Not that prior Big Ten members have necessarily looked better, but when the TV money disappears one wonders if they might find themselves chopped off like a gangrenous limb. Taking Michigan here.
• Texas vs. Oklahoma (@Dallas, TX; FOX): The Red River Thing is back, and probably as weird as ever! As though it matters, I’m picking Oklahoma.
• Alabama @ Arkansas (ESPN): Let’s see, when will we finally get a game this season where I have a reason to write something here’s other than “Bama” or “Tide” and also not a meta-commentary on what I write here… Mizzou at home, probably not… at Neyland, hah… ah, here we go, mark your calendars for the next time the Crimson Tide will play a game that has a chance to be interesting: November 3rd at LSU.
• Kansas @ West Virginia (ESPN2): All you need to know about KU football is that they probably won’t win another game for the rest of the season but their two wins are a relative success anyway. (In other words, they should schedule Rutgers more often.)
• Northwestern @ Michigan State (FS1): The Big Ten West is on fire right now, and not in a good way. Going with Sparty here.
• Tulane @ Cincinnati (ESPNU): If The Red River Whatchamacallit gets lopsided, flip over to ESPNU, ’cause this one could be good. However, it could also be a Cincy blowout. Either way, I like the Bearcats.
• East Carolina @ Temple (ESPNEWS): Temple? Yeah, let’s say Temple.
• Missouri @ South Carolina (SEC): If the Gamecocks can score points, they can keep this one close, but I’m going with Mizzou.
• Illinois @ Rutgers (BTN): Suddenly glad I don’t get Big Ten Network anymore. As pointed on the Shutdown Fullcast (the Internet’s only college football podcast!), everything you need to know about how awful Rutgers is that they are five point underdogs. At home. To Illinois.
• Buffalo @ Central Michigan (CBSS): Everything you need to know about how awful Rutgers is, transitive property edition: Buffalo beat Rutgers 42-13 (again, at Rutgers) and then turned around and got Army’d at home. That said, CMU is awful and the Bulls should remain undefeated in the MAC.

12:20: Syracuse @ Pittsburgh (Raycom): Just to ensure that you’re not too confused when the ACC Network finally launches next year, it’s Raycom. Anyway, I’m agreement with College Football Twitter (at least, the version of it I follow): Pitt football is a superweapon that has to charge and can only be fired once per season. Therefore, they will beat Notre Dame and lose to everyone else.

12:30: Boston College @ North Carolina State (ACC/RSN): This is arguably NC State’s biggest test yet (having missed West Virginia due to the hurricane), and while they should test, BC can sneak up on you, in a manner of speaking.

3:30:

• Louisiana State @ Florida (CBS): This is usually the year’s most entertaining 9-6 game, and this one promises not to disappoint. How far along is Florida? Why is LSU ranked fifth? Answers to these questions, and… maybe more! I like LSU, though.
• Florida State @ Miami (ABC): Provided Miami actually does have the FSU thing out of their heads now, this year’s version of the ‘Noles shouldn’t present a lot of trouble for them.
• Clemson @ Wake Forest (ESPN): Yes, of course Clemson has a propensity to suffer one random ACC loss per year, but I don’t think this is going to be it.
• Iowa State @ Oklahoma State (ESPN2): It looks like the bad ol’ days for the Cyclones again.
• Kansas State @ Baylor (FS1): All you need to know about how K-State’s season is going is that, by most metrics, Kansas is better than them. It might really be the beginning of the end for Bill Synder this time.
• San Diego State @ Boise State (ESPNU): This is the best team Boise has played since they went to Stillwater. They still figure to win, but I think the Aztecs will make a game of it.
• Iowa @ Minnesota (BTN): Minnesota looked better this year, but then came a 42-13 faceplant at the hands of Maryland.
• Navy @ Air Force (CBSS): Navy’s having a bit of a down year, but I still like them over Air Force in the first leg of the battle for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy.

4:00:

• Indiana @ Ohio State (FOX): Buckeyes.
• Louisiana-Monroe @ Mississippi (SEC): Rebels/Bears/Landsharks.
• Arizona State @ Colorado (Pac12): HERM has shown that he doesn’t understand how college football works (see his recent comments about not understanding that the players are generally in class when they’re not at practice), but despite this the Sun Devils are 3-2. That said, the Buffs this weekend and Stanford next weekend figure to deliver a bracing dose of reality.

5:00: Old Dominion @ Florida Atlantic (Stadium): Owls.

7:00:

• Kentucky @ Texas A&M (ESPN): Is Kentucky… good? I’m not sure I’m comfortable with this possibly, but I’d be even less comfortable with picking the Aggies to win.
• Southern Methodist @ Central Florida (ESPNU): LIGHTNING ROUND! UCF.
• Connecticut @ Memphis (CBSS): Memphis.

7:30:

• Washington @ California-Los Angeles (FOX): UDub.
• Auburn @ Mississippi State (ESPN2): So it’s the 10 year anniversary of the (in)famous 3-2 game. I’ve been doing this for a long time, let’s flash back and see what I said about it:
  

  7:00: Auburn @ Mississippi State (ESPN2): I’d say there’s about a 20% chance of Auburn getting Croom’d here. Maybe lower. Nonetheless, Tigers prevail.

  Well, unlike with many of my picks on this site, I was correct. The next week, Miss State played us and scored 5 whole more points and lost badly, and Auburn lost to LSU. However, for a certain segment of the Internet college football populace, that game is known as the Baby I’m Burnin’ Game:
  
  Anyway, Auburn figures to prevail again, and probably score more than 3 points in the process.

• Vanderbilt @ Georgia (SEC): At this point, I’m just fervently hoping the national title game isn’t a rematch.
• Nebraska @ Wisconsin (BTN): I may have already used this joke, but at this point it looks more like Year -1 for Scott Frost at Nebraska.
• North Texas @ Texas-El Paso (beIN): UNT.

8:00: Notre Dame @ Virginia Tech (ABC): When I figure out how I’m supposed to pick VPI to beat anyone after they lost to Old Dominion, I’ll let you know.

9:00: Washington State @ Oregon State (Pac12): Wazzu.

10:00: California @ Arizona (FS1): This figures to be more fun than the late stages of ND-VPI, at least, so maybe get ready to check out the first half. I like the Bears here.

10:30:

• Utah @ Stanford (ESPN): Stanford seems just good enough to give UDub a shot to play Auburn again in the first round of the playoff.
• Fresno State @ Nevada (ESPNU): Fresno.
• Colorado State @ San Jose State (CBSS): Yeah, maybe stick to the Pac-12 games on this night. I like the Rams.

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Noon:

• Notre Dame @ Wake Forest (ABC): Week 4 is pretty thin. Between that and a headache, I may be going through these even more “lightning round” style than usual. So, with that said, I don’t have a bead on either of these teams, which means I’m going with Notre Dame.
• Georgia @ Missouri (ESPN): Mizzou is off to a great 3-0 start, but… yeah.
• Boston College @ Purdue (ESPN2): Purdue has just flat looked bad this year. This looks way easier for the Eagles than it did even a few weeks ago.
• Nebraska @ Michigan (FS1): The Huskers are 0-2 and coming off a loss at home to Troy. Not what you really want going into a game in Ann Arbor, suffice it to say.
• Ohio @ Cincinnati (ESPNU): Don’t look, but the Bearcats are 3-0 and should be 4-0 after this.
• Akron @ Iowa State (FSN): Can Akron make it two P5 wins? How lucky will Nebraska look if they do beat Iowa State? We say, sure, I believe the Zips can do it.
• Navy @ Southern Methodist (ESPNEWS): Navy.
• Kent State @ Mississippi (SEC): Ole Miss?
• Minnesota @ Maryland (BTN): Outside of Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State predicting anything in the Big Ten is just fraught with issues. Maryland looked pretty good, and then they got owned by Temple.
• Buffalo @ Rutgers (BTN): Buffalo? Buffalo.
• Nevada @ Toledo (CBSS): Still really too dang early for any of this, but here’s some mid-day MACtion for you. You don’t just walk in to the Glass Bowl, etc., etc.

12:20: Pittsburgh @ North Carolina (ACC): Pitt.

12:30: Louisville @ Virginia (ACC/RSN): Virginia looks, uh, somewhat competent this year? Going to take the Cavs.

3:30:

• Clemson @ Georgia Tech (ABC): Just when I’d resigned myself to “well, at least the offense still works” we went and did… whatever that was against Pitt. Now we just have to play one of the three best teams in the country, the strength of which is their defensive line where the entire two deep will probably play in the NFL. Yeah, that’s cool…
• Texas A&M @ Alabama (CBS): Well, they played Clemson better than anyone expected and got a Top 25 ranking out of it. Hope you enjoyed your stay, Aggies!
• Kansas State @ West Virginia (ESPN): K-State, oy.
• Florida International @ Miami (ESPN2): Canes.
• Northern Illinois @ Florida State (ESPNU): I am straight up calling NIU in this one. FSU will probably still win but they look like a tire fire.
• Kansas @ Baylor (FS1): What Kansas did to Rutgers… how does that make you feel if you’re Rutgers? You just got waxed by the one of the few other P5 teams you could reliably say, “well, we’re at least we’re not Kansas”. Anyway, this game. Baylor.
• Tulane @ Ohio State (BTN): Let us all collectively cringe as the Urban Meyer Redemption Tour gets underway. Buckeyes roll.
• Virginia Tech @ Old Dominion (CBSS): VPI.

4:00:

• Connecticut @ Syracuse (ESPNEWS): ‘Cuse.
• South Carolina @ Vanderbilt (SEC): This battle for, uh, the third best team in the SEC East? Yeah, let’s go with that. I like the Gamecocks.
• Arizona @ Oregon State (Pac12): Arizona still somehow has no idea what to do with a dark horse Heisman candidate, which means I’m going with the Beavers.

4:30: Texas Christian @ Texas (FOX): Is Texas back? Well, no, they still lost to Maryland in the opener. But they dismantled USC, which is a sign of progress. Will they regress against TCU? Probably not, but I still think they’ll lose.

7:00:

• Florida @ Tennessee (ESPN): …Gators? I have no idea why, though.
• Mississippi State @ Kentucky (ESPN2): Fresh off getting a 30+ year old monkey off their back, they just to face the probably fourth best team in the SEC. It’s all good, though. Well, unless you’re a Kentucky fan, in which case the path back to (football) irrelevance looks very much in your future.
• Texas Tech @ Oklahoma State (FS1): Pokes.
• Louisiana Tech @ Louisiana State (ESPNU): Tigers.
• North Carolina State @ Marshall (CBSS): Wolfpack.

7:30:

• Arkansas @ Auburn (SEC): This could get ugly. Arkansas is fresh off losses to Colorado State and North Texas. They may be mad, sure. But Auburn is, uh, madder. Yeah, let’s go with that.
• Michigan State @ Indiana (BTN): Is this finally the year Indiana is kinda good? I mean, they’ll probably go to 3-1 after this, but still/

8:00:

• Stanford @ Oregon (ABC): Hey, something to look forward to! Stanford is 3-0 with wins over a feisty San Diego State team and USC. Oregon is 3-0 with wins over… look it’s not important, they’re 3-0! But yeah, the Cardinal remain the other contender (along with Washington) from the Pac-12 North until further notice.
• East Carolina @ South Florida (ESPNEWS): USF.

8:30: Wisconsin @ Iowa (FOX): Still trying to figure out how Wisconsin lost to BYU. I wish I had seen, like, any of that game. I’m still completely baffled, and in shock, so I’m sticking with the Badgers on the road.

10:15: Air Force @ Utah State (ESPN2): We don’t know anything about these teams, so I’m taking the Aggies.

10:30:

• Arizona State @ Washington (ESPN): Washington, as the other contender from the Pac-12 North (other than Stanford), will remain my pick until further notice.
• Eastern Michigan @ San Diego State (CBSS): Aztecs.

I’ve tried to roll with the various time changes and cancellations due to Hurricane Florence the best I can, but there may still be inaccuracies.

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Noon:

• Oklahoma @ Iowa State (ABC): Iowa State didn’t look that good against Iowa last week, a bad sign for the forthcoming Sooner attack.
• Florida State @ Syracuse (ESPN): Things are about to get quite salty at one of these places, I’m just not sure which. I like FSU here I guess?
• Miami @ Toledo (ESPN2): So, yes, this isn’t a MAC game, it’s the Miami from Florida. Either way, they’re at Toledo to save some money. After taking care of business when they had to go to a much more hostile Appalachian State last year, I’m sure the ‘Canes will be fine.
• Georgia Southern @ Clemson (ESPNU): Clemson had a tough time with TAMU last weekend. They should have no such problems here.
• Kent State @ Pennsylvania State (FS1): Turns out Penn State is probably still pretty good. Kent State, not so much.
• Rutgers @ Kansas (RSN): Rutgers?
• Middle Tennessee State @ Georgia (ESPNEWS): Georgia.
• Texas-El Paso @ Tennessee (SEC): Vawls.
• Ball State @ Indiana (BTN): Hoosiers.
• Temple @ Maryland (BTN): Terps.
• Troy @ Nebraska (BTN): Huskers, probably.
• Hawaii @ Army (CBSS): Is this Hawaii team as good as everyone’s hoping? Hopefully they won’t be too jet lagged after voyaging to West Point, because I otherwise see them as a favorite.

12:30: Georgia Tech @ Pittsburgh (ACC/RSN): Okay, so… the defense still sucks. I mean, yeah, it’s early, but it was a bad show last week. Sure, special teams allowed two kickoff return TDs, but there’s little evidence the defense would’ve stopped them anyway, so at least it gave us more time with the ball in the end. The only thing sustaining me right now is that USF might be better than Pitt.

2:30: Vanderbilt @ Notre Dame (NBC): Any notion that Vandy is good this year should be dispelled quickly in this one.

3:30:

• Louisiana State @ Auburn (CBS): This is the “Who’s Line Is It Anyway?” of college football games: everything’s made up and the points don’t matter. That said, LSU still appears to lack the offense to keep up with the Plains Tigers.
• Brigham Young @ Wisconsin (ABC): Wisky.
• Boise State @ Oklahoma State (ESPN): I don’t think Boise will win, but boy howdy this one could get fun.
• Duke @ Baylor (FS1): Duke, I guess?
• Miami @ Minnesota (BTN): So here’s the Miami from Ohio. They will probably lose.
• Southern Methodist @ Michigan (BTN): Wolverines.
• South Florida vs. Illinois (@Chicago, IL; BTN): Like I said, USF had better be pretty good. At least good enough to beat a consistently mediocre-to-bad Illinois squad.

4:00:

• Houston @ Texas Tech (FOX): If Kliff is trying to avoid getting fired, this game will likely do him no favors.
• Texas-San Antonio @ Kansas State (RSN): K-State.
• Colorado State @ Florida (SEC): Florida?
• North Texas @ Arkansas (SECA): Arkansas?

4:30: Ohio vs. Virginia (@Nashville, TN; ESPN2): Rather than cancel, this game got moved to the empty Vanderbilt Stadium since the ‘Dores are up in South Bend for the weekend. It does boggle the mind a bit that Virginia surveyed all their possible neutral site sites and somehow came up with the SEC school that is the most like Virginia.

5:00: San Jose State @ Oregon (Pac12): Ducks.

7:00:

• Alabama @ Mississippi (ESPN): Remember when this game was fun and drove Bama fans nuts? Yeah…
• Arkansas State @ Tulsa (CBSS): I don’t know anything about either of these teams, so I’ll take Tulsa and venture to guess this might be more fun to watch than Bama-Ole Miss.

7:30:

• Missouri @ Purdue (BTN): Purdue is… kinda bad probably. Mizzou.
• Akron @ Northwestern (BTN): Northwestern.
• Massachusetts @ Florida International (beIN): UMass?
• Western Kentucky @ Louisville (ACC/RSN): This one could also be fun, unless you’re a Louisville fan. (They should win easily, though.)

8:00:

• Southern California @ Texas (FOX): Welcome to ANGST BOWL 2018. USC is angsty after getting pretty much Stanforded by Stanford last weekend. And Texas is, well, Texas. Which is why I’m going to take USC in the rematch of the greatest BCS title game ever. (Vince Young should’ve won the Heisman.)
• Ohio State vs. Texas Christian (@Arlington, TX; ABC): Here’s the big one for the day. I think Ohio State will get through it, but that it’ll be a game.

10:00: Washington @ Utah (ESPN): Utah usually pretty game, but there’s not much to suggest they’ll be able to stop UDub right now.

10:30:

• Fresno State @ California-Los Angeles (FS1): Surely UCLA isn’t bad enough to lose to Fresno, right? Right?
• Arizona State @ San Diego State (CBSS): HERM! No, seriously, we can’t all be wrong, can we? I’m taking the Aztecs.

Noon:

• Georgia Tech @ South Florida (ABC/ESPN2): Right at the top, eh? Well, we didn’t find out much about either team in their tune-ups last weekend. I especially didn’t because I didn’t see basically any games from the entire weekend. That said, Tech will need to ramp up quickly against a quarterback who can throw and a Bulls team that has been game for the past few seasons and is looking to avoid any drop-off under new coach Carlie Strong.
• Arizona @ Houston (ABC/ESPN2): Speaking of unknowns, how about this one? Arizona really needs to get back on track after losing to BYU at home last weekend, which really makes this seem like Houston’s to lose.
• Mississippi State @ Kansas State (ESPN): This is a major test for a Miss State team that’s supposed to be pretty good, because weird stuff can happen in the Little Apple. On talent alone I have to stick with the Bulldogs though.
• Western Michigan @ Michigan (FS1): Angst aside, the Wolverines got this one.
• Duke @ Northwestern (ESPNU): This game will be… surprisingly watchable? Yeah, that’s the ticket. Going with Northwestern.
• Nevada @ Vanderbilt (SEC): Vandy can probably win this one?
• New Mexico @ Wisconsin (BTN): Wisky.

12:30: Georgia State @ North Carolina State (ACC/RSN): Wolfpack.

1:00: California-Los Angeles @ Oklahoma (FOX): UCLA’s got a long way to go.

3:30:

• Colorado @ Nebraska (ABC): CU @ NU! Classic Big 8 action! Nebraska got lightninged-out last weekend, so this will be the first game for the Huskers under Scott Frost. Will they be any good? Uh, let’s go with TBD, but I’ll take them over the Buffs.
• Ball State @ Notre Dame (NBC): Domers.
• Georgia @ South Carolina (CBS): South Carolina might be the second best team in the SEC East this year, and this game will likely show how much that isn’t going matter.
• Arkansas State @ Alabama (ESPN2): To quote Steven Godfrey on this week’s Podcast Ain’ Played Nobody: “Do you like snuff films?”
• North Carolina @ East Carolina (ESPNU): I think the Tarheels might win themselves at least one game this year!
• Rutgers @ Ohio State (BTN): Well, Rutgers is slightly better than Arkansas State, but… yeesh. Yeah, probably good to just get this one out of the way early.
• Memphis @ Navy (CBSS): Navy looks to get its season back on track after losing at Hawaii last weekend. For now, I’ll stick with the Midshipmen, but losing at home to a good Memphis team might not be a good sign for them.

5:00: Iowa State @ Iowa (FOX): While El Assico is still funny, last year’s instance of everyone’s favorite Week 2 rivalry was… actually really good? Let’s hope for more of the same, though on paper the Hawkeyes are the better team.

7:00:

• Clemson @ Texas A&M (ESPN): “Well, that’s a good offer, and while the SEC West is tough, at least I won’t have to play Clemson anymore.” “should we tell him?” “nah”
• Wyoming @ Missouri (ESPNU): Hey, Mizzou, are you going to be good this year? Because you should win this.

7:30:

• Fresno State @ Minnesota (FS1): I don’t pick enough upsets, and Fresno is kinda good, and Minnesota kinda isn’t, so what the heck, I’ll take the Bulldogs here.
• Utah @ Northern Illinois (ESPNEWS): Uh, Utah? Probably.
• Kentucky @ Florida (SEC): November 16, 1986. Kentucky defeats Florida 10-3. Would anyone in Commonwealth stadium that day believe you if you told them that over the next three decades, Kentucky would not have beaten Florida again? That’s a lot of seasons, and this ain’t exactly Navy and Notre Dame. Sure, there’s been more bad years than good for Kentucky in the interim, but this is just plain bad luck. Luck that doesn’t look like it’ll change again this year.
• Virginia @ Indiana (BTN): Indiana? Sure.
• Arkansas @ Colorado State (CBSS): Arkansas? Probably.
• Florida International @ Old Dominion (beIN): ODU?

8:00: Pennsylvania State @ Pittsburgh (ABC): This is one of the nastiest rivalries out there, but it’s way too early in the season for Pitt to Pitt things up just yet.

8:30: Southern California @ Stanford (FOX): Hey, here’s an important Pac-12 South game in week 2. You should watch this! I probably give the Cardinal a slight edge.

10:15:

• California @ Brigham Young (ESPN2): BYU has already defeated one Pac-12 team this year, but I don’t trust them quite enough to say they’re going to make it two.
• Connecticut @ Boise State (ESPNU): After this, UConn will have played both UCF and Boise this year. Kingmakers!

10:45: Michigan State @ Arizona State (ESPN): Arizona State was college football’s biggest offseason joke. After firing their coach and hiring the mother of all retreads in Herm Edwards, they claimed the dubious hire was so they could keep their coordinators. Less than a week later, both bolted for other jobs, leaving the Sun Devils with… Herm Edwards. So, probably Sparty here?

11:00: San Jose State @ Washington State (Pac12): Wazzu.