This Weekend in College Football: Week 14

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As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Noon:

  • Michigan @ Ohio State (“The Game”; FOX): Welcome, once again, to the final full Saturday of college football. We start off with what will likely be a subdued version of The Game, outside of the Ohio State fans looking for their first victory in the series since 2019. Naturally, the funniest possible outcome is that Michigan has been tanking their season just to pull Ohio State’s pants down once again in Columbus, but… that seems very unlikely.
  • Tennessee @ Vanderbilt (ABC): The Vols have won five in a row, but Vandy won three in a row before that, so considering the stature of the schools involved this isn’t as one-sided as you’d probably think. And for sure, Vandy has a chance in this game. The Vols offense is just a tick off this year. On the Vandy side, anything can happen with chaos agent Diego Pavia at quarterback (just ask Alabama) but the ‘Dores depth has been tested throughout this season and they’re now struggling a bit. So I’m taking the Vols here, but this should be a game.
  • South Carolina @ Clemson (“Palmetto Bowl”; ESPN): A Palmetto Bowl with stakes? Yep, both these teams (with a win and some help) could find themselves into the playoff. Who will win? I have no idea. I slightly favor Clemson, but South Carolina is just a pesky team it’s impossible to write them off.
  • Kansas @ Baylor (ESPN2): I figure Kansas’s late-season renaissance will continue and get them the win here.
  • West Virginia @ Texas Tech (FS1): These are basically identical Big 12 teams, so I’ll take Texas Tech at home.
  • Illinois @ Northwestern (@Chicago, IL; BTN): The Illini figure to get the Land of Lincoln Trophy easily in Wrigley Field.
  • Louisiana @ Louisiana-Monroe (“Battle on the Bayou”; ESPNU): ULM showed some signs early in the season, but they’ve now lost five straight and I’m not sure I see way they won’t make it six.
  • Louisville @ Kentucky (SEC): The Governor’s Cup is on the line here, and by all means Louisville should win, which usually means Kentucky prevails.
  • Duke @ Wake Forest (ACCN): Blue Devils all the way here.
  • Texas-San Antonio @ Army (CBSS): With Tulane’s loss Thanksgiving Day night, Army is in the driver’s seat for the top seed in the AAC, and thus hosting the title game in what will almost certainly be the biggest, most well-attended game at Michie Stadium since the early 70’s. I suspect they’ll handle UTSA and get the right to do so.
  • North Texas @ Temple (ESPN+)
  • Connecticut @ Massachusetts (ESPN+)
  • Central Connecticut State @ Rhode Island (NCAA Division I First Round; ESPN+)
  • Illinois State @ Southeast Missouri State (NCAA Division I First Round; ESPN+)

1:00: Tennessee-Martin @ New Hampshire (NCAA Division I First Round; ESPN+)

1:30: Eastern Michigan @ Western Michigan (ESPN+)

2:00:

  • Coastal Carolina @ Georgia State (ESPN+)
  • Southern Mississippi @ Troy (ESPN+)
  • South Florida @ Rice (ESPN+)
  • Middle Tennessee State @ Florida International (ESPN+)
  • Grambling State vs. Southern (Bayou Classic @ New Orleans, LA; NBC)
  • Lehigh @ Richmond (NCAA Division I First Round; ESPN+)
  • Eastern Kentucky @ Villanova (NCAA Division I First Round; ESPN+)

3:00:

  • Pittsburgh @ Boston College (The CW): Remember when Pitt was 7-0, and then proceeded to lose 48-25 to SMU? Yeah, the bottom fell out last week against Louisville,and BC figures to finish the job.
  • Old Dominion @ Arkansas State (ESPN+)
  • Drake @ Tartleton (NCAA Division I First Round; ESPN+)
  • Northern Arizona @ Abilene Christian (NCAA Division I First Round; ESPN+)

3:30:

  • Auburn @ Alabama (“Iron Bowl”; ABC): Auburn needs this Iron Bowl to get bowl eligible, which is probably the second funniest thing that could happen on this day… but it’s in Tuscaloosa and Bama doesn’t figure to be fooling around in this one. I like Michigan’s chances better. Seriously.
  • Arizona State @ Arizona (“Duel in the Desert”; FOX): This is always a low-key spicy rivalry, usually because the teams are rarely good at the same time. And so it is here, with Arizona State having one of the better possible tracks to winning the Big 12, whereas Arizona is one of the few teams in the Big 12 that has no track. So that all said, the Sun Devils are rightly favored here.
  • Notre Dame @ Southern California (CBS): A lost season for USC figures to continue. I doubt there’s much they can do to slow down the Irish.
  • Miami @ Syracuse (ESPN): This may be a battle of two the best quarterbacks in the ACC, but I don’t see the Canes having many issues here.
  • California @ Southern Methodist (ESPN2): Cal got the Axe last week, and now… well SMU figures to continue showing all the ACC newbies “it’s not so hard now, is it?”
  • Rutgers @ Michigan State (FS1): If any one watches this that isn’t a fan of one of these teams, seek therapy. Rutgers I guess?
  • Maryland @ Pennsylvania State (BTN): As a reminder, it is James Franklin’s destiny to be the first head coach to lose a home playoff game.
  • Fresno State @ California-Los Angeles (BTN): In my bowl predictions I have Fresno favored in this one, and a completely lost season for UCLA figures to conclude that way.
  • Arkansas @ Missouri (“Battle Line Rivalry”; SEC): I think Mizzou will win, but I kind of hope the Razorbacks do, mostly because I don’t want 3-loss to Mizzou to even remotely be a thing.
  • North Carolina State @ North Carolina (ACCN): I’d take the Pack here normally, but the Heels figure to win one last one for ol’ Mack Brown, who was “retired” this week by the university.
  • Central Michigan @ Northern Illinois (CBSS): Remember when NIU beat Notre Dame? That will almost certainly be one of the weirdest results of the season. They should also be able to beat CMU to cap off an otherwise unremarkable 7-5 campaign.
  • Alabama-Birmingham @ Charlotte (ESPN+)
  • Florida Atlantic @ Tulsa (ESPN+)

4:00:

  • Jacksonville State @ Western Kentucky (ESPNU): Jax State is the best team in Conference USA this season. Go figure.
  • Kennesaw State @ Louisiana Tech (ESPN+)
  • Texas-El Paso @ New Mexico State (“Battle of I-10”; ESPN+)

6:00:

  • Texas Christian @ Cincinnati (ESPN+)
  • Appalachian State @ Georgia Southern (“Deeper than Hate”; ESPN+)

6:30: Wyoming @ Washington State (The CW): I have no idea what happened to Wazzu last week against the Beavers, but I’m hoping for a better outcome for them here.

7:00:

  • Oklahoma @ Louisiana State (ESPN): After completely shutting down Bama last week, there’s no way the Sooners win this one, right?
  • Florida @ Florida State (“Sunshine Showdown”; ESPN2): FSU finding a spine and winning this one might be the third funniest thing that could happen on this day, but there’s just no way.
  • Purdue @ Indiana (FS1): Indiana had the thing happen to them last week (where they got thoroughly dominated by a superior opponent), but lucky for them enough other weird things happened that they’re almost certainly still in the playoff. All they have to do is not step on the rake that is Purdue.

7:30:

  • Washington @ Oregon (NBC): The PNW’s premier rivalry is now in a new conference on Thanksgiving weekend. We appreciate the gesture but it still seems like a slap in the face to their in-state opponents (whom, let’s recall, the Huskies lost to). The game is in Autzen and this Oregon team has only looked bad against Boise State and Ohio State, so I suspect the Ducks will prevail comfortably. Besides, all eyes are going to be somewhere else in this time slot.
  • Kansas State @ Iowa State (“Farmageddon”; FOX): Both of these teams are among the many in the Big 12 with a shot at the conference title game. The game is in Ames which definitely favors the Cyclones, but K-State is just K-State at all times and will be a tough out.
  • Texas @ Texas A&M (ABC): For over a decade, the corner of the college football internet I hang out in has been joking about this non-rivalry rivalry. The joke dates to when Texas A&M left for the SEC, and the rivalry was paused after the 2011 edition. Both sides nixed any possibility of playing while in separate conferences, in the sort of “I don’t think about you at all” sense. So, to explain the joke (since this is basically over), the implication is that they’re thinking about each other all of the time. Especially in the “laying awake in bed at night” sense. Now it’s back, in Kyle Field once again (which apparently was a chit to get TAMU to vote for letting Texas into the SEC), and they will be bringing it. Plus, also, Texas has some severe questions at quarterback, as Ewers has been hurt. It hasn’t hurt the Horns so far, but it certainly good here. What will happen? We’ll all find out. Together.

8:00:

  • Marshall @ James Madison (ESPNU): Is Marshall good? We’ll find for sure here. I’m taking the Herd.
  • Virginia @ Virginia Tech (“Commonwealth Cup”; ACCN): It’s a bowl eligibility Commonwealth Cup. For various (unfortunate) reasons, it will also be the first one played in Blacksburg since 2020, which means it’ll be the first one with any attendance since 2018. And it’s at night, in a venue famous for their night game atmosphere. Yeah, Hokies all the way in this one.
  • Nevada @ Nevada-Las Vegas (“Battle for Nevada”; CBSS): UNLV figures to dispose of their in-state rival and face their blue turf destiny next week. Just don’t get caught looking ahead Rebels, because there’s a playoff bid on the line.

10:15:

  • Houston @ Brigham Young (ESPN): I’m not surprised that BYU lost two in a row, as America’s most “getting away with it team” (behind Miami), but it figures that this game will be a return to form against a Houston team that looks pretty cooked.
  • Tennessee State @ Montana (NCAA Division I First Round; ESPN2)

10:30: Air Force @ San Diego State (FS1): Don’t look, but Air Force has won three straight (including shutting out Pac-12 Champions Oregon State 28-0). With as impotent as the Aztecs are on offense, that trend figures to continue.

11:00: New Mexico @ Hawaii (Team1Sports): I don’t normally comment on these streaming-only games, but this is it. After this there is, effectively, no more regular season college football. It’s been a weird autumn for me and I’ve missed a lot of live action, and so I plan on seeing this one through to the end.

Bowl Predictions 2024: Week 3

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Hotter and fresher than even a Little Ceaser’s pizza, you can get the latest predictions here.

Thanks to some upsets last weekend, I only needed two 5-7 teams this time (as opposed to four last time). With 77 teams having already clinched eligibility, that means I don’t need a lot of upsets to get there. Let’s take a quick look at every game involving a 5-6 team heading into this weekend:

  • Oregon State (5-6) @ Boise State: The Beavers won’t be favored in this one, but Boise has gotten by with closer margins the past few weeks. For now, I don’t have them in.
  • Minnesota @ Wisconsin (5-6): Wisconsin is a slight favorite here, but I don’t have them in.
  • Kansas (5-6) @ Baylor: KU’s vastly improved play the past few weeks isn’t completely reflected in SP+ yet, so I still have them winding up 5-7. It absolutely will not shock me if they win.
  • Louisiana @ Louisiana-Monroe (5-6): hard to see ULM pulling this off.
  • North Texas (5-6) @ Temple: UNT is absolutely favored here and I have them in.
  • Eastern Michigan (5-6) @ Western Michigan (5-6): The Michigan MAC Trophy and bowl eligibility are on the line here.
  • Coastal Carolina (5-6) @ Georgia State: CCU is absolutely favored here and I have them in.
  • Auburn (5-6) @ Alabama: this would be hilarious, but no.
  • Rutgers @ Michigan State (5-6): SP+ has Rutgers as about a 6 point favorite, but the Spartans could absolutely win this one.
  • North Carolina State (5-6) @ North Carolina: the Pack would have to spoil Mack Brown’s swan song, so I don’t see it.
  • Texas Christian @ Cincinnati (5-6): SP+ has Cincy as about an 8 point underdog, so I don’t have them in. But they could absolutely win this game.
  • Virginia (5-6) @ Virginia Tech (5-6): self-explanatory.
  • New Mexico (5-6) @ Hawaii: SP+ has the Lobos as an underdog, so I don’t have them in, but they could absolute win this game.

By my count, that’s 5 very plausible upsets. So we could possibly have too many bowl eligible teams. It’s happened before, and a new bowl game was invented on the spot to accommodate them, so it figures that it will happen again.

We’ll know how everything falls after this weekend, which makes the predictions next week one of the most important I do.

This Week in College Football: Week 14

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As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Tuesday

7:00:

  • Toledo @ Akron (ESPN2): Toledo has scuffed a bit this season, but I don’t see them having trouble here.
  • Buffalo @ Kent State (ESPN+)

Thursday

2:00: Tuskegee @ Alabama State (ESPNU)

7:30: Memphis @ Tulane (ESPN): What may well be the defacto AAC title game promises to have stakes. This is a game Memphis team for sure, but Tulane has looked every bit the part of a G5 spoiler for the playoff. I like the Green Wave here.

Friday

Noon:

  • Navy @ East Carolina (ESPN): ECU is better than anyone expected, but I think Navy will still handle them.
  • Oklahoma State @ Colorado (ABC): The Buffs lost last week, but the Pokes are a good “get right” matchup for just about anyone this season.
  • Minnesota @ Wisconsin (CBS): The battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe should be feisty this time. These teams both are doing their best impersonate of the mediocre Big Ten West teams of the past. I like the Gophers a bit here, but both are taking some serious losing streaks into this one.
  • Oregon State @ Boise State (FOX): Good on the Beavs for beating a tired Wazzu last weekend, but provided Ashton Jeanty is healthy I think Boise is well prepared to split the season series against teams from Oregon.
  • Miami @ Bowling Green (ESPNU): This is a battle of two of the three best teams in the MAC. I think Bowling Green holds serve at home, but this could be the game to watch in this time slot.
  • Ball State @ Ohio (CBSS): Barring an upset here, the Bobcats are heading to Detroit next weekend to face the winner of the above game. Get some Black Friday MACtion, y’all.

3:30:

  • Utah State @ Colorado State (FS1): The Rams had the temerity to lose to Fresno, so now they’ve got a Mountain West loss are probably on the outside looking in at the Mountain West title game. They should still handle the Aggies, though.
  • Mississippi State @ Mississippi (“Egg Bowl”; ABC): It’s a bummer that this is no longer the Thanksgiving night game, but let’s face it, this year’s edition wouldn’t have exactly been appointment television.
  • Liberty @ Sam Houston State (CBSS): Liberty losing to Kennesaw is right up there with Notre Dame losing to Northern Illinois in terms of bizarre upsets this year. But yeah, for the most part the Libs shouldn’t really have trouble with anyone else in Conference USA.
  • Texas State @ South Alabama (ESPN+)

4:00: Stanford @ San Jose State (“Bill Walsh Legacy Game”; CBS): I like San Jose to win this one, straight up. It boggles the mind that the Cardinal would ever head down 101 to SJSU, but between them being very, very mediocre to bad and coming off a dispiriting loss to Cal, I don’t like their chances here.

7:30:

  • Georgia Tech @ Georgia (“Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate”; ABC): TO HELL WITH GEORGIA
  • Nebraska @ Iowa (NBC): Nebraska finally got the monkey off their back and beat Wisconsin last weekend to get bowl eligible. Good on them, because the odds they’d do it against this cromulent Iowa outfit were pretty low.

8:00: Utah @ Central Florida (FOX): Neither of these teams are especially good. Hopefully this is still within reach for either team after the 7:30 games wrap up. If I had to pick someone here, I’d probably go with UCF, since they can actually play offense.

This Weekend in College Football: Week 13

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As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Noon:

  • Mississippi @ Florida (ABC): Gators, do your part to try to prevent the SEC from getting four teams in. Please.
  • Indiana @ Ohio State (FOX): Sigh. I love what Indiana, one of the most woebegone programs in n major college football, has the chance to do here. The problem is, I don’t really think they can.
  • Wake Forest @ Miami (ESPN): The Canes got got once, they’ll be fine herem
  • Southern Methodist @ Virginia (ESPN2): I guess SMU is actually good? What a weird first year in the conference for them, but it seems like it’s working out.
  • North Carolina @ Boston College (The CW): I had a UNC grad tell me this week their defense is better this year. I mean, I understand the bar is low, but still. I like BC here.
  • Iowa @ Maryland (BTN): Iowa. I otherwise don’t wanna think about this.
  • Yale @ Harvard (ESPNU)
  • Connecticut @ Syracuse (ACCN): UConn is bowl eligible, but the Orange are gonna… bowl over them.
  • Sam Houston State @ Jacksonville State (CBSS): Jax State?
  • Illinois @ Rutgers (Peacock)

12:45: Massachusetts @ Georgia (SEC): Presumably UGA won’t get caught looking ahead to next week here.

1:00:

  • Texas-El Paso @ Tennessee (ESPN+)
  • Western Kentucky @ Liberty (ESPN+)

1:30: Charleston Southern @ Florida State (ACCNX)

2:00:

  • Bowling Green @ Ball State (ESPN+)
  • Rice @ Alabama-Birmingham (ESPN+)
  • Montana @ Montana State (“The Brawl of the Wild”; ESPN+)

2:30:

  • James Madison @ Appalachian State (ESPN+)
  • New Mexico State @ Middle Tennessee State (ESPN+)

3:00:

  • Florida International @ Kennesaw State (ESPN+)
  • Arizona @ Texas Christian (ESPN+)
  • Charlotte @ Florida Atlantic (ESPN+)
  • Louisiana-Monroe @ Arkansas State (ESPN+)
  • South Alabama @ Southern Mississippi (ESPN+)

3:30:

  • Kentucky @ Texas (ABC): Hey, name Texas’s best win. It’s cool, I can wait. It would be hilarious if Kentucky wins, but I’m still not holding my breath.
  • Pennsylvania State @ Minnesota (CBS): I think the Gophers can win, but it remains the position of this website that James Franklin will be the first head coach to lose home playoff game.
  • Colorado @ Kansas (@Kansas City, MO; FOX): Kansas is fully back, but I’ve learned my lesson about picking against Colorado.
  • Brigham Young @ Arizona State (ESPN): Arizona State is better than you think. This seems like the Big 12 upset of the day.
  • Northwestern @ Michigan (FS1): Wolverines. Next!
  • The Citadel @ Clemson (The CW)
  • Wisconsin @ Nebraska (BTN): Nebraska, please win this so I don’t have to hear about you losing 7 in a row.
  • Central Florida @ West Virginia (ESPNU): WVU?
  • Stanford @ California (“The Big Game”; ACCN): The cognitive dissonance of seeing this game on the ACC Network is still strong. As for the game itself, it’ll be wet but this should be Cal all the way.
  • San Diego State @ Utah State (CBSS): Aztecs?
  • Georgia Southern @ Coastal Carolina (ESPN+)
  • East Carolina @ North Texas (ESPN+)
  • Tulsa @ South Florida (ESPN+)
  • Texas Tech @ Oklahoma State (ESPN+)

4:00:

  • Pittsburgh @ Louisville (ESPN2): I assume Louisville won’t completely botch the end of a game two weeks in a row, right? Right?
  • Louisiana Tech @ Arkansas (ESPN+)
  • Wofford @ South Carolina (ESPN+)

4:15: Missouri @ Mississippi State (SEC): Mizzou. Next!

5:00: Troy @ Louisiana (ESPN+)

7:00:

  • Army vs. Notre Dame (@New York City, NY; NBC): This is probably the most important Army-Notre Dame game since 1946. Unfortunately, I’m not sure Army has much of a chance, but we’ll find out.
  • Baylor @ Houston (FS1): Bears all the way here.
  • Washington State @ Oregon State (The CW): It’s the Pac-12 championship game. It’ll be worth a peek, but the Beavers are just too inept offensively to keep up with Wazzu.
  • Boise State @ Wyoming (CBSS): Wyoming’s rush defense versus the best running back in college football. Next!
  • Georgia State @ Texas State (ESPN+)

7:30:

  • Alabama @ Oklahoma (ABC): Bama. Next!
  • Iowa State @ Utah (FOX): Clones?
  • Texas A&M @ Auburn (ESPN): Aggies.
  • Marshall @ Old Dominion (ESPNU): Herd.

7:45: Vanderbilt @ Louisiana State (SEC): Vandy winning this one might be even funnier than when they beat Bama. Not saying it’ll happen, but…

8:00:

  • Cincinnati @ Kansas State (ESPN2): Cincy is getting better, but still going with K-State.
  • Virginia Tech @ Duke (ACCN): VPI. Next!

10:15: Southern California @ California-Los Angeles (NBC): Neither of the teams is good, but the colors will be pretty and USC will win easily.

10:30:

  • Air Force @ Nevada (FS1): Wolf pack. Next!
  • Colorado State @ Fresno State (CBSS): Here’s your fantastic late night game. The Rams are better than anyone thought, and Fresno is one of the measuring sticks in this league. I like the Rams but I like the chances of this being a good game better.

This Week in College Football: Week 13

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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.)