Saturday, September 24, 2016

This Weekend in College Football: Week 4

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Noon:
  • Florida State @ South Florida (ABC): I think USF will be game, but I also think FSU  will be out for blood.
  • Georgia @ Mississippi (ESPN): Ole Miss has suffered two pretty heartbreaking losses so far this year, but on the balance I still think they're better than Georgia.
  • Iowa @ Rutgers (ESPN2): Iowa. Yes, really.
  • Colorado State @ Minnesota (ESPNU): Minnesota, probably? If not, not I don't have a lot of confidence about the Golden Gophers going forward.
  • Nevada @ Purdue (ESPNEWS): Uh, Purdue quarterback jokes aside... Nevada?
  • Kent State @ Alabama (SEC): Alabama.
  • San Jose State @ Iowa State (FSN): Iowa State... maybe.
  • Wisconsin @ Michigan State (BTN): Wait, this is on the Big Ten Network? This is one of the best games of the week, potentially? I mean, I think Sparty is going to win pretty easily, but at least based on the rankings, this one should be good?
12:30:
  • East Carolina @ Virginia Tech (ACC): VPI has a bit of a losing streak to the Pirates of East Carolina, but I don't think it will continue.
  • Central Michigan @ Virginia (ACC/RSN): CMU.
1:00: Syracuse @ Connecticut (CBSS): Syracuse.

3:30:
  • Florida @ Tennessee (CBS): I just got done listening to a 15 minute emergency podcast from two of my favorite college football writers about, and they both seem to think Florida has this one. And, indeed, the Gators have won 11(!) straight in this game, which is even more amazing when you think about what Florida has been through these last eleven years. Nonetheless, I think the Vols just have too many injuries that matter (i.e., in the defense), but I wouldn't be surprised at the result either way.
  • Pennsylvania State @ Michigan (ABC): The only question is how much Michigan wins by.
  • Duke @ Notre Dame (NBC): This version of Duke, well... they're not quite as game as they've been, you know?
  • Brigham Young vs. West Virginia (@Landover, MD; ESPN2): So apparently there's a lot of Mormons in Northern Virginia? Sure, let's go with that. And BYU, I guess.
  • Pittsburgh @ North Carolina (ESPNU): This one's tough, but I'm going with Carolina.
  • Boise State @ Oregon State (FS1): I think Boise will win, but I think it may be closer than many expect.
  • Miami @ Cincinnati (FS1): To be clear, this is the Miami that's a lot close to Cincinnati, so I'm going with Cincy.
  • Wake Forest @ Indiana (BTN): Uh, Indiana.
4:30: Vanderbilt @ Western Kentucky (CBSS): Western Kentucky.

5:30: Colorado @ Oregon (Pac12): Oregon, though probably closer than you think.

6:00: Louisiana State @ Auburn (ESPN): This game might well get someone fired, though I think after surviving last year Les Miles is relatively unassailable at LSU. I think Gus Malzahn is behind only Mark Stoops as "SEC coach most likely to get canned during the season", and I don't think this game will do a lot change it, especially when you consider Auburn home losing streak.

7:00:
  • Houston @ Texas State (ESPNU): Houston.
  • Central Florida @ Florida International (beIN): FIU?
7:30:
  • Oklahoma State @ Baylor (FOX): Oklahoma State (please?).
  • South Carolina @ Kentucky (SEC): Serious, it's a race between Stoops and Malzahn to get fired first. I think this game might do the trick for Stoops.
  • Nebraska @ Northwestern (BTN): Nebraska.
8:00:
  • Stanford @ California-Los Angeles (ABC): Arguably one of the games of the week, but I'm not really feeling it. I think McCaffrey and Co. are going to steamroll the Bruins.
  • Bowling Green @ Memphis (ESPNEWS): Memphis.
  • Louisville @ Marshall (CBSS):This game looked more interesting, er, say, two years ago? Louisville.
9:00: Arkansas vs. Texas A&M (@Arlington, TX; ESPN): Arkansas won and important game in September? Sound the "Razorbacks May Actually Be Good" klaxon!

10:00: California @ Arizona State (ESPN2): Can Cal build off their crazy win over Texas last weekend? I'm going to go with "no".

10:15: Air Force @ Utah State (ESPNU): I don't have a lot of data for either of these teams, do I'm going to go with the Aggies.

10:30: Washington @ Arizona (Pac12): And..... UDub.

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