As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Noon:

• Syracuse @ Clemson (ABC): It’ll be orange on orange, well, unless Clemson wears purple. At any rate, the Tigers offense is still kind of sketch, but I think this is where the soft schedule so far for the Orange will come to bear.
• Iowa @ Ohio State (FOX): Sure, Iowa’s defense is good, but I feel very confident that Ohio State’s offense will find a way to win by at least a few scores.
• Cincinnati @ Southern Methodist (ESPN): Cincy has been sort of hanging on despite all the talent they’ve had to replace from last year. I think the Ponies are good, but not good enough here.
• Kansas @ Baylor (ESPN2): Reality continues to come crashing down on the Jayhawks in this one.
• Houston @ Navy (ESPNU): Houston remains weird, but not weird enough to lose to Navy.
• Tennessee-Martin @ Tennessee (SEC)
• Indiana @ Rutgers (BTN): I have no thoughts about this game. Rutgers I guess?
• Louisiana-Monroe @ Army (CBSS): I’m phone posting, so Army.
• Akron @ Kent State (ESPN+)

12:30: Duke @ Miami (ACC/RSN): Canes.

1:00:

• Bowling Green @ Central Michigan (espn3.com)
• Toledo @ Buffalo (ESPN+)

2:30: Nevada-Las Vegas @ Notre Dame (Peacock)

3:00:

• West Virginia @ Texas Tech (FS1): College footballs most fun conference this year is the Big 12. No one is super bad, but no one is super good either. It’s very much an “any given week” league. Suffice it to say, I have no clue there. Red Raiders?
• Rice @ Louisiana Tech (ESPN+)

3:30:

• Mississippi @ Louisiana State (“Magnolia Bowl”; CBS): Ole Miss can’t defend that we’ll, but I don’t think LSU is going to score the 50+ needed to win.
• California-Los Angeles @ Oregon (FOX): The Ducks have looked better since getting plastered by Georgia back on Labor Day weekend. Is it good enough to be the first ones to take down the Bruins? Ehhhh, sure. This one should be fun to watch either way.
• Texas @ Oklahoma State (ABC): Here’s a real test for the Horns. Yes, the Pokes have been taken down a peg with their loss to TCU last week, but they’re still dangerous and the game is in Stillwater. I’m taking Texas, but I don’t feel great about it.
• Purdue @ Wisconsin (ESPN): Boilers?
• Memphis @ Tulane (ESPN2): Normally this is a classic, but not this year. Green Wave all the way.
• Brigham Young @ Liberty (ESPNU): LIGHTNING ROUND! Cougars.
• Northwestern @ Maryland (BTN): Terps.
• Boston College @ Wake Forest (ACCN): Deacons.
• Western Michigan @ Miami (CBSS): Broncos.
• North Texas @ Texas-San Antonio (Stadium)
• Florida International @ Charlotte (espn3.com)
• Georgia Southern @ Old Dominion (ESPN+)
• Marshall @ James Madison (ESPN+)

4:00:

• Vanderbilt @ Missouri (SEC): Tigers.
• Arizona State @ Stanford (Pac12): Trees.
• Hawaii @ Colorado State (Team1Sports)
• Florida Atlantic @ Texas-El Paso (ESPN+)

5:00:

• Arkansas State @ Louisiana (ESPN+)
• Southern Mississippi @ Texas State (ESPN+)

6:00: San Jose State @ New Mexico State (Flofootball)

6:30: Fresno State @ New Mexico (FS2): Bulldogs.

7:00:

• Mississippi State @ Alabama (ESPN): I am so sorry Bulldogs. You’re playing a Bama team that lost before January. And you lost to Kentucky last week, but it won’t work that way for you. Alas.
• Boise State @ Air Force (CBSS): Boise hasn’t been good. The Falcons have. This might get ugly.

7:30:

• Minnesota @ Pennsylvania State (ABC): Penn State’s whole, like, thing seems to be being worse than Ohio State and Michigan but better than everyone else. I don’t get it. And I think it will backfire on them here.
• Central Florida @ East Carolina (ESPNU): ECU is feisty but I’m defaulting to UCF.
• Texas A&M @ South Carolina (SEC): I feel like the Gamecocks have been quiet. Too quiet. I think they’ll win a weird one

8:00:

• Kansas State @ Texas Christian (FS1): With the way the Big 12 is going this year, probably K-State.
• Pittsburgh @ Louisville (ACCN): Pitt all the way here.
• Colorado @ Oregon State (Pac12): Beavers.

9:45: Utah State @ Wyoming (FS2): I’ve probably said it before, but the Aggies are really bad this year. Pokes for sure here.

10:30:

• • Washington @ California (ESPN): I’ll stick with my gut that says Cal just can’t score enough to win. Might be interesting though.
  • San Diego State @ Nevada (CBSS): Aztecs I guess.

11:00: Montana @ Sacramento State (ESPN2)

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Noon:

• Iowa State @ Texas (ABC): Texas back? They walloped Oklahoma last week in Dallas, and I think they’ve got the offensive firepower to put away Iowa State in similar fashion. Of course, Texas fans will the first to tell you that performance in Red River is rarely indicative of how the rest of the season will go for the ‘Horns, because if so, they would’ve been “back” many time before.
• Pennsylvania State @ Michigan (FOX): It’s Michigan’s first real test of the season, and unless Penn State gets a classic weird Penn State upset win, I think the Wolverines will pass with flying colors.
• Auburn @ Mississippi (ESPN): Ole Miss figures to roll against an Auburn team that still hasn’t fired their coach yet, for whatever reason.
• Kansas @ Oklahoma (ESPN2): I was asked about this game earlier tonight. My response was thus: this KU team looked actually good, and still looked good despite losing to KU. I’m still concerned about their quarterback, but that said I’m not sure what basis I have to think the Sooners will win after their performances have been. Here’s what I’ve settled on: okay, sure, I’ll pick OU, but, y’all, it’s bad that I even have to think about this.
• Old Dominion @ Coastal Carolina (ESPNU): Coastal hasn’t been up to their usual standard this year, but ODU hasn’t been great. Taking the beach chickens.
• Minnesota @ Illinois (BTN): Speaking of games where I didn’t expect two months ago that I’d have to think about the outcome… not confident in the Gophers here but I’ll take ’em.
• Colgate @ Army (CBSS)
• Central Michigan @ Akron (ESPN+)
• Miami @ Bowling Green (ESPN+)

12:30: Miami @ Virginia Tech (ACC/RSN): Miami is a shambles, but VPI is shamble-ier? Let’s go with that.

1:00: Buffalo @ Massachusetts (espn3.com)

2:00:

• California @ Colorado (Pac12): Cal isn’t good, but Colorado is real bad. Bears all the way here.
• Connecticut @ Ball State (espn3.com)

3:30:

• Alabama @ Tennessee (“Third Saturday in October”; CBS): Here we are folks. Bama’s still roughly a touchdown favorite, but that means this is easily the most consequential game in Knoxville in a decade or two. The real variable, in my mind, is whether Bryce Young is going to be healthy enough to play in this game. If he plays, I think Bama can gut out the win. But if he doesn’t… if he doesn’t… Bama will lean on their new Jahmyr Gibbs-led rushing attack (sigh) but the Vols are plenty capable of putting up points. I honestly don’t know. Picking Bama just because that’s the default.
• Oklahoma State @ Texas Christian (ABC): TCU looks like the kings of the Big 12 at the moment, after beating (check notes) Kansas (?) but, seriously, I already thought the Pokes would be one of the best teams in the conference and I think this when they’ll start to show it.
• Arkansas @ Brigham Young (ESPN): WOMP has fallen off a bit this year, and a mid-season trip to Provo will not, I suspect, help them get their grove back.
• Maryland @ Indiana (ESPN2): It’s not September anymore, but Maryland’s offense should be enough to see them through here.
• Vanderbilt @ Georgia (SEC): Yeah, it’s not gonna be nervy at any point for UGA in this one.
• North Carolina State @ Syracuse (ACCN): A potentially sneaky-good ACC game, that is, if anyone believed Syracuse is actually good. At a minimum, I sure I don’t. I have NC State all the way.
• Ohio @ Western Michigan (CBSS): Broncos?
• Charlotte @ Alabama-Birmingham (Stadium)
• Texas State @ Troy (espn3.com)
• Kent State @ Toledo (ESPN+)
• Gardner-Webb @ Liberty (ESPN+)
• Western Kentucky @ Middle Tennessee State (“100 Miles of Hate”; ESPN+)
• Northern Illinois @ Eastern Michigan (ESPN+)

4:00:

• Wisconsin @ Michigan State (FOX): Michigan State has been… kinda bad this year? Like, Wisconsin fired their coach and I’m kinda tempted to take them? But I don’t think I should, just on a general Big Ten east vs. west axis. So, yeah, Sparty, but with a giant question mark.
• Tulane @ South Florida (ESPNU): USF is bad, Green Wave all the way here.
• Louisiana Tech @ North Texas (ESPN+)
• James Madison @ Georgia Southern (ESPN+)

5:30: Arizona @ Washington (Pac12): UDub, at a minimum, their mascot is cooler.

6:00: Rice @ Florida Atlantic (ESPN+)

7:00:

• Louisiana State @ Florida (ESPN): It’s everyone’s favorite not-a-rivalry-that’s-acutally-kind-of-a-rivalry time in the SEC again, and I hope they just get rid of divisions to end this nonsense. Anyway, something dumb will happen and LSU will win, probably.
• Louisiana-Monroe @ South Alabama (NFL): USA?
• Utah State @ Colorado State (CBSS): Do not, under any circumstance, watch this game. Just trust me on this. Also, uh, I mean… I’d pick something, but these teams are awful. Aggies? I guess? Probably?
• Arkansas State @ Southern Mississippi (ESPN+)

7:30:

• Stanford @ Notre Dame (NBC): Cue the articles about Marcus Freeman “figuring it out”.
• Clemson @ Florida State (ABC): Remember the Bowden Bowl? I do, because I’m getting old. Anyway, yeah, Clemson until I have reason to think otherwise.
• Memphis @ East Carolina (ESPNU): Memphis.
• Mississippi State @ Kentucky (SEC): I don’t think Kentucky will have Will Levis here, so probably the Bulldogs.
• Nebraska @ Purdue (BTN): Purdue.

8:00:

• Southern California @ Utah (FOX): Hey, welcome back to relevancy, Pac-12. Too bad you’re losing the teams that are helping you get there. At any rate, Utah is still good, but they’re not great, and these feel like teams that are going in different directions. I’ll take the Trojans in a close one on the road.
• North Carolina @ Duke (ACCN): We beat them, Duke can’t be that good. Carolina all the way here.
• New Mexico @ New Mexico State (“Rio Grande Rivalry”)

9:00: Washington State @ Oregon State (Pac12): I’ll take the Beavers in Corvallis here.

10:30: Air Force @ Nevada-Las Vegas (CBSS): UNLV is actually competent this year. But while the Falcons aren’t elite, they can definitely dispatch a merely competent team.

10:45: San Jose State @ Fresno State (FS2): So the Padres-Dodgers series isn’t a sweep, so the Valley Cup will be contented on FS2. Woo. I scoured the Internet and it seems that Jake Haener will not be available for Fresno, so I’m taking SJSU here.

11:59: Nevada @ Hawaii (Team1Sports)

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Noon:

• Texas vs. Oklahoma (“Red River” @ Dallas, TX; ABC): The shootout/rivalry/showdown thing returns, and for the first time in a long time, neither team is ranked. How about that? It turns out that Oklahoma has some severe issues on offense, but so do the Longhorns. That said, the latter look like they’re getting their QB back, so in that case I have to take them.
• Michigan @ Indiana (FOX): This isn’t the Hoosiers’ year.
• Tennessee @ Louisiana State (ESPN): If Tennessee is actually good, and it looks like they might be, then they need to prevail in a tough road contest. I think they will against a LSU team that’s still figuring it out under Kelly.
• Texas Christian @ Kansas (FS1): These are definitely the two teams I had penciled at the top of the Big 12 before the season started… is a sentence that a liar would tell you. So yeah, it’s unexpected, but with the… sold out(!) crowd in Lawrence, I have to go with KU here?
• Missouri @ Florida (ESPNU): Mizzou is just bad.
• Arkansas @ Mississippi State (SEC): The wompin’ just doesn’t seem to have the same energy this year. I think Miss State is just going to outrun them.
• Louisville @ Virginia (ACCN): I can’t recommend you watch this game, and I can’t pick a winner. Uh, Cards I guess?
• Purdue @ Maryland (BTN): September is over, so I’m picking Purdue.
• Eastern Michigan @ Western Michigan (CBSS): Eastern beat Arizona State, so those guys.
• Buffalo @ Bowling Green (ESPN+)

2:00:

• Georgia Southern @ Georgia State (“Modern Day Hate”; espn3.com)
• Akron @ Ohio (espn3.com)

2:30: South Florida @ Cincinnati (ESPN+)

3:30:

• Auburn @ Georgia (“The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry”; CBS): Is this going to be the nail in the coffin for Bryan Harsin? I mean, it’s sure felt like that the coffin was already solidly nailed shut for several weeks, yet he’s still there. So who knows. At any rate, this figures to be a rout, especially since UGA’s been playing with their food the past couple of weeks.
• Utah @ California-Los Angeles (FOX): UCLA’s having a weird season that’s resulted in a good record. I suspect the Utes will put an end to that fantasy.
• Texas Tech @ Oklahoma State (FS1): TTU is also having a fine season that’s about to suffer a loss to a superior team.
• East Carolina @ Tulane (ESPNU): I’ll go with the Green Wave here.
• Wisconsin @ Northwestern (BTN): Wisconsin, which never fires coaches, fired Paul Chryst last week, and there’s nothing that’s happened since then to make me think they’re going to beat a game Northwestern squad.
• Virginia Tech @ Pittsburgh (ACCN): Pitt won’t lose to a Tech two weeks in row. I think.
• Tulsa @ Navy (CBSS): Navy is just… bad this year. It might be time for Coach Ken.
• Middle Tennessee State @ Alabama-Birmingham (Stadium)
• Liberty @ Massachusetts (ESPN+)
• Ball State @ Central Michigan (ESPN+)
• Kent State @ Miami (ESPN+)
• Toledo @ Northern Illinois (ESPN+)

4:00:

• Ohio State @ Michigan State (ABC): Speaking of teams having weirdly bad years, how about Sparty? There’s no way they beat the Buckeyes here.
• North Carolina @ Miami (ESPN2): Carolina will presumably be able to outrace Miami. Probably.
• Mississippi @ Vanderbilt (SEC): Vandy is more game than usual, but not game enough to beat Ole Miss this season.
• Duke @ Georgia Tech (ACC/RSN): OKAY. So last week I said I’d expand more on us finally firing Geoff. And then we went and beat Pitt! I wasn’t able to watch much of the game due to other commitments. From what I’ve seen since, it’s not that we looked a ton better, but we were slightly competent. Remember, the bar is pretty low when you’re looking at things like “we didn’t get a punt blocked!” So at least punt coverage seems to have been fixed, and from what I could see, we just played a tad better, and Pitt committed a bunch of turnovers. Nonetheless, we took advantage and won a dang football game. Now we’re going for winning two games in a row for the first time since 2018. Yeah, that’s how bad it was.
• Washington @ Arizona State (Pac12): UDub, easy.

6:00: Western Kentucky @ Texas-San Antonio (ESPN+)

7:00:

• Air Force @ Utah State (FS1): We’re on a good Air Force year and a real, real down bad Utah State year, so this one could get out of hand quick. 
• James Madison @ Arkansas State (NFL): JMU is still transitioning to FBS, so they’re not eligible for the postseason. But I think they’re already better than Arkansas State, and could well win. Keep an eye on them, they could definitely make it awkward for the Sun Belt and the NCAA in a month or so.
• Wyoming @ New Mexico (CBSS): Cowboys should be able to handle the Lobos.
• Connecticut @ Florida International (espn3.com)
• Texas-El Paso @ Louisiana Tech (ESPN+)
• Appalachian State @ Texas State (ESPN+)
• Southern Mississippi @ Troy (ESPN+)

7:30:

• Washington State @ Southern California (FOX): USC’s back to doing USC things, and while this is an improved Wazzu team, I don’t see anything to stop them at this point.
• Brigham Young vs. Notre Dame (@Las Vegas, NV; NBC): Notre Dame should be more talented, but BYU is mean and they have definitely hung with other good P5 teams. I see this being pretty close, and probably crashing the small amount of momentum built up so far by Marcus Freeman and company.
• Clemson @ Boston College (ABC): Clemson still questionable on offense, but it shouldn’t matter too much up in Chestnut Hill.
• South Carolina @ Kentucky (SEC): I’m still not buying what Shane Beamer is selling at South Carolina. I really like Kentucky here.
• Kansas State @ Iowa State (“Farmageddon” @ ESPNU): The longest uninterrupted rivalry in FBS soldiers on, with a team that it feels like Matt Campbell has overstayed his welcome for in Iowa State. It’s just the year of Kansas apparently, as well. I like the Wildcats here.
• Iowa @ Illinois (BTN): Illinois can run the ball and score points, and Iowa can’t do either of those things. It feels weird but, yeah, I think Champaign will be poppin’ after this one.
• Army @ Wake Forest (ACC/RSN): Wake will out-Army Army in this one.

8:00:

• Texas A&M @ Alabama (CBS): Hey, remember that weird beef from last summer where Nick Saban implied that Jimbo Fisher “bought” his #1 ranked recruiting class, and then Jimbo took great offense and held an impromptu 15-minute press conference/wrestling promo wherein he implored journalists to “ask around” about Nick Saban’s character and integrity? So… yeah, Bama’s gonna win by 40.
• Florida State @ North Carolina State (ACCN): Well, the long-prophesied “good” NC State here hit a speed bump in a loss to Clemson last week, but will they rebound against a solid FSU? I’d say, sure?
• Coastal Carolina @ Louisiana-Monroe (ESPN+)

9:00: Oregon @ Arizona (Pac12): I just don’t really rate either of the Arizona schools at this point.

9:45: Fresno State @ Boise State (FS1): The usual suspects in the Mountain West just, well, aren’t this year. I’ll pick Boise at home just because Fresno also has a ton of issues, but sheesh.

10:30: Hawaii @ San Diego State (CBSS): Aztecs will get themselves a home win.

11:00: Oregon State @ Stanford (ESPN): And finally, Stanford is trying stuff (they run a ton of plays and run the RPO a ton), it just isn’t clicking. The Beavers are just further ahead at this point.

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Saturday

Noon:

• Navy @ Air Force (CBS): Okay y’all I’m typing this on an iPad for reasons I’ll explain later. Suffice it to say it’s a huge pain and a lot of this going to be a Lightning Round in a way I’ve been proud to avoid so far this year. At any rate, Air Force.
• Michigan @ Iowa (FOX): Wolverines.
• Oklahoma @ Texas Christian (ABC): Sooners.
• Kentucky @ Mississippi (ESPN): Ole Miss. Should be. Good game though.
• Purdue @ Minnesota (ESPN2): Gophers.
• Temple @ Memphis (ESPNU): Memphis.
• Louisville @ Boston College (ACCN): Cards?
• Illinois @ Wisconsin (BTN): Whisky.
• Georgia State @ Army (CBSS): Army.
• Texas Tech @ Kansas State (ESPN+)

1:30: Texas State @ James Madison (ESPN+)

2:00:

• Oregon State @ Utah (Pac12): Utes.
• Northern Illinois @ Ball State (ESPN+)
• Massachusetts @ Eastern Michigan (ESPN+)

2:30: East Carolina vs. South Florida (@Boca Raton, FL; ESPN+)

3:30:

• Alabama @ Arkansas (CBS): Bama.
• Oklahoma State @ Baylor (FOX): Bears.
• Wake Forest @ Florida State (ABC): Deacons.
• Northwestern @ Pennsylvania State (ESPN): Nittany Lions.
• Iowa State @ Kansas (ESPN2): Kompetent Kansas?
• Michigan State @ Maryland (FS1): Terps?
• Central Michigan @ Toledo (NFL): Rockets.
• Miami @ Buffalo (ESPNU): Miami
• Virginia Tech @ North Carolina (ACCN): Tar Heels
• Rutgers @ Ohio State (BTN): Buckeyes
• Fresno State @ Connecticut (CBSS): Bulldogs
• Bowling Green @ Akron (ESPN+)
• Gardner-Webb @ Marshall (ESPN+)
• Ohio @ Kent State (ESPN+)
• The Citadel @ Appalachian State (ESPN+)

4:00:

• Texas A&M @ Mississippi State (SEC): Aggies
• Georgia Southern @ Coastal Carolina (ESPN+)
• Florida Atlantic @ North Texas (ESPN+)

5:00:

• Wagner @ Syracuse (ACCNX/ESPN+)
• South Alabama @ Louisiana (ESPN+)

5:30: California @ Washington State (Pac12)

6:00:

• New Hampshire @ Western Michigan (espn3.com)
• Texas-El Paso @ Charlotte (espn3.com)
• Liberty @ Old Dominion (ESPN+)

7:00:

• Louisiana State @ Auburn (ESPN): Tigers… The Louisiana ones.
• Cincinnati @ Tulsa (ESPNU): Bearcats
• Troy @ Western Kentucky (ESPN+)
• Louisiana-Monroe @ Arkansas State (ESPN+)

7:30:

• North Carolina State @ Clemson (ABC): Tigers
• West Virginia @ Texas (FS1): Horns
• Georgia @ Missouri (SEC): UGA
• Indiana @ Nebraska (BTN): Hoosier
• San Jose State @ Wyoming (CBSS): Pokes
• Virginia @ Duke (ACC/RSN): Duke?
• Alabama-Birmingham @ Rice (ESPN+)

8:00: Georgia Tech @ Pittsburgh (ACCN): I’m not confident about this game, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we look better. More thoughts next week.

9:30: Colorado @ Arizona (Pac12): Wildcats

10:15: California-Davis @ Montana State (ESPNU)

10:30: Arizona State @ Southern California (ESPN): Trojans

11:00: Stanford @ Oregon (FS1): Ducks

Sunday

Noon: Eastern Washington @ Florida (ESPN+)

1:00: Southern Methodist @ Central Florida (TBD)