As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Tuesday

4:30: Bowling Green @ Massachusetts (ESPNU): So this game already started, and while UMass is working on making it interesting, let’s talk about something more exciting than whether UMass will go 0-12 or not: this will be the 1000th post on this website! Not bad for something I started right before my final semester of college.

7:30: Western Michigan @ Eastern Michigan (ESPN2): WMU has already clinched the Michigan MAC Trophy, so to much is on the line here but pride. WMU’s defense has been one of the stingiest in football this year, and EMU has sort of returned to their historical strugglebus selves. I like the Broncos here.

Thursday

7:30: Navy @ Memphis (ESPN): Memphis has had a bit of a November swoon, but if you’re going to lose two in a row in this conference, you could do worse than losing to Tulane and East Carolina. The Midshipmen have continued to hold their own, and most importantly they still only have a single conference loss, so a win keeps them alive for the American title game.

Friday

Noon:

• Iowa @ Nebraska (CBS): We start Black Friday action in Omaha, and I don’t really see much of a path for Nebraska to gut one out against Iowa.
• Mississippi @ Mississippi State (“Egg Bowl”; ABC): The only reason there’s any intrigue in this Egg Bowl at all is because it’s in Starkville. But for the real Egg Bowl shenanigans to happen, we need to get this game back on Thanksgiving night. Otherwise, the intrigue is all off the field for the continued saga of “Where will Lane Kiffin be next season?”
• Utah @ Kansas (ESPN): Obviously Utah’s rush defense is a bit sus, though it’s still notable that they nearly gave up 500 yards rushing to K-State and… won. I don’t think KU can run it like that, and that the Utes are going to be okay here.
• Ohio @ Buffalo (ESPNU): Buffalo’s played some of the better MAC teams, but generally has come up short. I expect much the same here.
• Kent State @ Northern Illinois (CBSS): Kent getting to 5 wins would be something of a good season for a team mostly known for trying to bag as much cash in their OOC schedule as possible. NIU is fleeing the MAC for the Mountain West next year. I’ll pick Kent just because.

3:00: Air Force @ Colorado State (FS1): Colorado State has lost five straight, and I’m going to guess they’ll make it six.

3:30:

• Georgia vs. Georgia Tech (“Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate” @ Atlanta, GA; ABC): TO HELL WITH GEORGIA
• Temple @ North Texas (ESPN): The Mean Green boast the meanest offense in the country, and I expect that to hold here against a relatively game Temple.
• San Diego State @ New Mexico (CBSS): At this point, perhaps the most baffling result on the Aztec’s schedule isn’t the 34-0 win against Cal, but the 36-13 loss to Wazzu and 38-6 loss to Hawaii. I’d expect them to hold down the Lobos similar to the non-Hawaii point totals they’ve allowed in their past six MWC games: 10, 0, 7, 7, and 3.

4:00: Boise State @ Utah State (CBS): Boise seemed to round into shape against Colorado State last week, but the Rams are dreadful and the Utes are, well not. This could be a good, close game. I’ll still lean Boise but this is a coin toss.

7:30:

• Indiana @ Purdue (NBC): Meanwhile, the only thing that will be competitive in this game is the coin toss. Hoosiers, by a lot.
• Texas A&M @ Texas (ABC): Maybe the Aggies will stumble a bit in Austin, but Texas just doesn’t seem sharp enough to be able to pull this one off. Also, this really wouldn’t be a chaos result even if the Longhorns win. TAMU is in the playoff regardless, and this would give Texas a boost but I’d think they’d a lot of other results to go their way.

9:00: Arizona @ Arizona State (“Duel in the Desert”; FOX): Out west, the battle for the Territorial Cup seems like a great way to cap off Black Friday. Both teams are coming in hot, but I just like the Sun Devils a bit better, especially at home. But this figures to be a fun one.

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Thursday

5:30: Boise State @ South Florida (ESPN): It’s starting to feel real. With the Braves pretty thoroughly Out of It™, I’ve (yes, I’m switching back to first person here, deal with it) been looking forward to the start of the season. Of course, that’s also because one of the biggest games of the weekend also involves the Jackets. Anyway, in this one, good on USF for scheduling this Boise but boy howdy I do not like their chances.

6:00:

• Ohio @ Rutgers (BTN): Someday, Rutgers is going to have to figure out how literally anyone else other than Greg Schiano can make Rutgers even competent. Fortunately for the Scarlet Knights, that hasn’t happened yet.
• Lafayette @ Bowling Green (ESPN+)

7:00:

• East Carolina @ North Carolina State (ACCN): This is a low-key sorta rivalry, in that ECU absolutely hates the Tobacco Road schools. I don’t like their chances to win, but in terms of “game most likely to feature a brawl” this weekend, this is almost certainly #1.
• Delaware State @ Delaware (ESPN+)
• Saint Francis @ Louisiana-Monroe (ESPN+)
• Wyoming @ Akron (ESPN+)
• Jacksonville State @ Central Florida (ESPN+)

7:30:

• Central Arkansas @ Missouri (SEC)
• Elon @ Duke (ACCNX/ESPN+)
• Tennessee-Martin @ Oklahoma State (ESPN+)

8:00:

• Buffalo @ Minnesota (FS1): Okay, Thursday doesn’t have a lot of intrigue so far. Let’s see what we have next…
• Stephen F. Austin @ Houston (ESPN+)
• Alabama State @ Alabama-Birmingham (ESPN+)

9:00:

• Nebraska vs. Cincinnati (@Kansas City, MO): Oh hey there! Nebraska, are you feeling good about this season? Well, you had better hold serve in a nominal neutral site game (but will totally be 90% Cornhuskers) against a Bearcats team that figures to be spicy.
• Miami @ Wisconsin (BTN): On Wisconsin, and on to Friday.

Friday

6:00: Tarleton State @ Army (CBSS)

7:00:

• Western Michigan @ Michigan State (FS1): This is definitely a MAC vs. B1G game that is happening.
• Appalachian State vs. Charlotte (@Charlotte, NC; ESPNU): It’s a little head-scratching that Charlotte is playing this game in the Panthers’ stadium and not next week’s game against UNC. Either way, the 49ers will not be favored in either contest.
• Kennesaw State @ Wake Forest (ACCN): It’s been a tough road so far in FBS for Kennesaw, and it’s going to be tough once against in 2025.
• Bethune-Cookman @ Florida International (ESPN+)

7:30:

• Western Illinois @ Illinois (Peacock)
• Wagner @ Kansas (ESPN+)

8:00:

• Auburn @ Baylor (FOX): There may be no hotter seat in college football at the start of 2025 than the one on the Plains. And the reason isn’t so much that Auburn doesn’t have talent (though they’ve been weirdly bad at QB as of late), it’s more that they don’t play well. This is a bit of a statement game for both teams, but one gets the feeling it’s going to be a bit bigger of a deal for the Tigers. I like the Bears.
• Georgia Tech @ Colorado (ESPN): Whoo boy. It’s been a minute since we came into a season with what I would call “a reasonable amount of hype”. This isn’t a 2015-style situation where we’re coming in ranked, but I would say the consensus is that we’re favored in this one. We certainly have a lot less roster turnover than Colorado, who is coming into the season down their two (well, three, really, depending on how you count Travis Hunter) most important players and the raft of transfers that has so far marked Coach Prime’s tenure. Is this the year the Buffs are finally fielding Power 4-quality offensive and defensive lines? Maybe! But also, maybe not! We’re going to find real quick on Friday night who is moving who in the trenches, that I feel pretty good about saying.

9:00: Nevada-Las Vegas @ Sam Houston State (CBSS): I don’t know if UNLV is good, but I like them over SHSU.

10:30: Central Michigan @ San Jose State (FS1): It’s year two for Coach Ken in Silicon Valley, and honestly I think they’re going to be okay? This one is certainly manageable for them.

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong. (Also apologies to the MACtion games that already happened this week.)

Thursday

7:30: North Carolina State @ Georgia Tech (ESPN): I’m not entirely sure how we beat Miami two years in a row. It’s not that both were due to bizarre Mario Cristobal clock decisions (though by golly he tried this time around). At any rate, this is more even contest that is sandwiched between last week’s season-defining win and next week’s… well, you know. I personally have fond memories of Thursday night home games, and I think this will be more of a watch than whatever dreck the NFL is shoving out this week (for the record, it’s Steelers-Browns, so yeah, watch this instead). It’ll be interesting to see if the bye week did us any good. We made the two-QB thing work against Miami, but I’m pretty sure if there’s some way Haynes King can actually throw the ball again it’d improve our chances.

Friday

7:00: Temple @ Texas-San Antonio (ESPN2): It’s been an adjustment for UTSA after Frank Harris’s move to the sidelines, but they’re figured it out the past couple of weeks against some of the other better AAC schools. Temple shouldn’t pose an obstacle.

8:00: Purdue @ Michigan State (FOX): No one is making you watch this. Purdue is possibly the worst team in the Power 4, and while the Spartans are not great themselves, this shouldn’t be close.

10:00: Nevada-Las Vegas @ San Jose State (FS1): This game promises some fireworks. The Rebels are freshly ranked, but SJSU is not a pushover (at least, when not facing Ashton Jeanty). I like UNLV here, but this should be a fun Friday night in San Jose. (Might be kind of wet, too.)

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Thursday

6:00: Howard @ Rutgers (BTN)

7:00:

• Western Carolina @ North Carolina State (ACCN)
• North Carolina A&T @ Wake Forest (ACCNX)
• New Hampshire @ Central Florida (ESPN+)
• Lafayette @ Buffalo (ESPN+)
• Fordham @ Bowling Green (ESPN+)
• Central Connecticut @ Central Michigan (ESPN+)
• Jackson State @ Louisiana-Monroe (ESPN+)

7:30:

• Arkansas-Pine Bluff @ Arkansas (ESPNU)
• Duquense @ Toledo (ESPN+)

8:00:

• North Carolina @ Minnesota (FOX): There’s not a ton of FBS vs. FBS competition Thursday evening, but nonetheless we start with this interesting inter-sectional game. I like the Wolfpack here, but I don’t think they should take anything for granted as they head up north.
• North Dakota State @ Colorado (ESPN): I don’t make predictions about FCS vs. FBS games, and NDSU isn’t what they used to be, but… you may want to keep an eye on this one.
• Murray State @ Missouri (SEC)
• Coastal Carolina @ Jacksonville State (CBSS): I think I have to go with Jax State here? Everyone interesting for the Beach Chickens is elsewhere now.
• Lindenwood @ Kansas (@Kansas City, KS; ESPN+)
• Southeastern Louisiana @ Tulane (ESPN+)
• Northwestern State @ Tulsa (ESPN+)
• Alcorn State @ Alabama-Birmingham (ESPN+)

9:00:

• Eastern Illinois @ Illinois (BTN)
• Southern Utah @ Utah (ESPN+)

10:00: Sacramento State @ San Jose State (truTV)

Friday

6:00: Lehigh @ Army (CBSS):

7:00:

• Temple @ Oklahoma (ESPN): The Sooners should be able to name their score for this one.
• Florida Atlantic @ Michigan State (BTN): It’s not quite “name the score” territory here for Sparty, but they shouldn’t be threatened.

7:30: Elon @ Duke (ACCN)

9:00: Western Michigan @ Wisconsin (FS1): Again, as long as Wisky isn’t looking forward to Alabama in a couple of weeks…

10:30: Texas Christian @ Stanford (ESPN): I’m not sure what to make of either of these teams going into this season, but I definitely trust TCU a bit more.