With the UCF Knights on their first bye week of the season, this week is a good time to check in on the remaining ten teams on the schedule and see who they’re playing, when, and on what TV network.
Your Bye Week TV Schedule
Friday
7:30 p.m.
- ESPN — Houston vs. Colorado
Saturday
Noon
- ESPN+ — Baylor vs. Samford
3:30 p.m. ET
- FOX — Texas Tech vs. Oregon State
- ESPN — West Virginia vs. Pitt
- ACC Network — North Carolina vs. Richmond
- ESPN+ — Cincinnati vs. Northwestern State
9 p.m. ET
- ESPN — Kansas State at Arizona
Feast, fellow couch scouts, in order of UCF’s scheduled opponents:
North Carolina (1-1)
Home vs. Richmond at 3:30 p.m. ET — ACC Network
Bill Belichick got off the mat last week at (checks notes) Charlotte, and they face an even easier task at home against FCS Richmond. Carolina is a 21-point favorite, and the Spiders have not defeated an FBS opponent since the Obama Administration.
Kansas State (1-2)
at Arizona at 9 p.m. ET — FOX
There is a slightest whiff of desperation in the Little Apple after they came up short in Ireland against Iowa State and then got Armied at home last week:
K-State is a 2.5-point underdog against the other Wildcats in Tucson. The question is which QB will show up for both teams: K-State’s Avery Johnson or Arizona’s Noah Fifita.
This should be a good one on national TV.
Kansas (2-1)
Bye Week (Next vs. West Virginia Sept. 20th)
KU came back to earth last week at old rival Mizzou in a game where they led 21-6 after the first quarter and then had a 31-28 advantage with 8:45 to go before Mizzou ran them out of gas. More concerning for the Jayhawks was a 595-254 deficit in total offensive yards, something not even Jalon Daniels could overcome:
They have a week to lick their wounds before starting conference play at home against WVU.
Cincinnati (1-1)
Home vs. Northwestern State at 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
We won’t learn much from this, although we did learn a lot from Cincy’s 20-17 loss to Nebraska on opening night in Kansas City, mainly that they are a tough defensive team but a bit brain dead on offense:
West Virginia (1-1)
Home vs. Pitt at 3:30 p.m. ET — ESPN
Fresh off a disastrous loss at the Ohio Bobcats, RichRod and the Mountaineers face 2-0 Pitt in the Backyard Brawl. Last week, the Mountaineers could only muster 3 points in the second half.
Pitt hasn’t played anybody yet (2-0 vs. Duquesne and Central Michigan) and WVU is playing their first challenging home game.
Baylor (1-1)
Home vs. Samford at Noon ET — ESPN+
After giving up 48 at home to Auburn in the opener, Dave Aranda and the Bears outlasted CFP participant #17 SMU in Dallas in a 48-45 double-OT shootout.
The Bears catch a break at home this week against winless FCS Samford.
Houston (2-0)
TONIGHT Home vs. Colorado at 7:30 p.m. ET — ESPN
We have football tonight to watch as Houston is home for Coach Prime and the Buffaloes. The Cougars are off to a good start but this is their first serious test.
Willie Fritz’s team (Remember him?) has outscored their first two opponents 62-9, but those opponents were Stephen F. Austin and Rice. They are a 4 1/2-point favorite at home against the 1-1 Buffs, who are still looking for a proper QB to replace Shedeur Sanders.
Houston looks to be set with Texas A&M transfer Conner Weigman running the show, but we’ll see how their defense fares against whoever Colorado throws out there.
Texas Tech (2-0)
Home vs. Oregon State at 3:30 p.m. ET — FOX
The Red Raiders are one of two ranked Big 12 teams (Iowa State being the other) and are 23 1/2-point favorites at home against a struggling Oregon State team. This isn’t really much of a test for Tech, who have scored 129 points in their first two games against the likes of Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Kent State at home.
The Raiders get a step up in competition next week as they go on the road for the first time against Utah in a noon tilt on FOX.
Oklahoma State (1-1)
Bye Week (Next: vs. Tulsa Sept. 19th at 7:30 p.m. ET — ESPN)
It’s rough times for the Pokes this week after getting throttled 69-3 by Oregon last week. Calls for Mike Gundy’s firing have been getting louder, and although he appears to have survived the mess last week, a loss to Tulsa at home could be razor that finally cuts The Mullet.
We’re not sure if this means UCF fans are rooting for Tulsa (😱) next week, but we will monitor the situation closely.
BYU (2-0)
Bye Week (Next: at East Carolina Sept. 20th at 7:30 p.m. ET — ESPN2)
Unfortunately, BYU appears to be up to BYU things again, having wasted Portland State and Stanford by a combined 96-3 in two games in Provo. So now they have a bye before going on the road to face ECU?
The Purple Pirates are 1-1 with their loss coming by a TD at NC State despite getting within nine yards of tying the game at the end of regulation. They should be 2-1 after their short beach trip to Coastal Carolina on Saturday.
Meanwhile the Cougars don’t appear to face any real challenge until September 27th at Colorado, unless ECU can plunder one at home, which, as we know, they are prone to do on occasion.
