We’re a quarter of the way into the season and conference games are beginning in earnest. A few have already been played like Purdue at UCLA or Kentucky at Texas A&M last week. The latter was another banner moment for the young season, joining the big upsets in week 2 and the extra second in the Big House the week before.
It wasn’t the only memorable moment from last weekend though, far from it. There was Kiffin’s homecoming/hate watch extravaganza where Ole Miss got their revenge and the rest of
us were treated to a tremendous game. Friday night Houston and Texas Tech duked it out with Cougar quarterback Conner Weigman ruled down just fractions of an inch short of the goal line on a two point conversion.
Oregon took out it’s frustration on hapless Portland State 84-0, USC survived a scare at Rutgers, and Dabo Swinney lives to see another day as Clemson overcame a 17-6 halftime deficit to defeat Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels 28-20.
But perhaps the most unbelievable ending came in Nashville. The NC State Wolfpack led 24-7 well into the third quarter but Vanderbilt clawed back to within three by the final minute. With :06 left in regulation and facing fourth and long from inside their own five, coach Dave Doeren opted not to risk a punt from so deep in their own territory. Instead, quarterback CJ Bailey took the snap and attempted to kill as much of the remaining clock as possible. But rather than stepping out the back of the end zone or going down for a safety, he was tackled in the endzone leading to the worst possible outcome.
This season is only four weeks old and is already stuffed with memorable moments. I can’t wait to see what’s in store this weekend.
Schedule graphics are courtesy of Projection Sports by Tyler Markley.
A fairly light slate, though Northwestern @ #5 Indiana has your Big Ten fix covered. Clemson @ Cal could be a fun one too on Friday night.
There’s some good games Saturday morning and none bigger than #1 Texas @ #14 Tennessee. The Longhorns finally got the Ohio State monkey off their back and now own the top spot in the AP poll. They’ll be on the road for the first time this season and Tennessee has one of the best scoring offenses in the country.
A couple of Big Ten games will challenge the Longhorns and Volunteers for your attention. Illinois @ #7 Ohio State is the Fox Big Noon Game. After beginning the season as a trendy dark horse candidate, some of the luster has come off of this Illini team. A win over Ohio State would get a lot of it back, but their last win over the Buckeyes came in 2007. Look to UCLA @ Maryland for something that promises a closer game. Both the Bruins and Terrapins boast prolific offenses (26th and 13th, respectively, in yards per game), and Maryland also has the 17th ranked defense.
#4 Ole Miss @ #21 Florida is another big ranked game in the afternoon, definitely worth your attention. I’ll also be focused on #15 Utah @ Iowa State. It’ll be Jimmy Rogers’ first Big XII game and it comes against one the conference’s best. He’s got the Cyclones off to a better start than anyone expected and I’m looking forward to how he does in the Big XII. I’ll say the same about erstwhile Iowa State coach Matt Campbell as he goes up against his first Big Ten competition in Wisconsin @ #13 Penn State. Wisconsin isn’t great, and a trip to Happy Valley is notoriously difficult, but the Badgers are better than Buffalo, Temple, and Marshall. It’ll be the Campbell’s first big test.
This week I can put an Iowa game on this list not just out of fandom, but out of actual expectation of a good game. #17 Iowa @ #18 Michigan is tremendously important for both programs needing to lay the groundwork for a great season. Michigan still needs to prove doubters wrong after their near death experience against Western Michigan and Iowa has an opportunity to start their 3-game gauntlet off right.
Naturally, the evening slate brings us some great conference games. In the SEC, there are a couple of ranked battles with #19 Missouri @ #24 Mississippi State and #23 Texas A&M @ #10 LSU. The Bulldogs are ranked for the first time since 2022, fueled by star QB Kamario Taylor. Meanwhile, both Texas A&M and LSU meet coming off a loss and both facing difficult conference schedules. LSU will be without tight end Trey’Dez Green and defensive back Dashawn Spears, while Aggie quarterback Marcel Reed needs a bounce back game after tossing two interceptions to the Wildcats. Keep an eye on South Carolina @ #8 Alabama too.
We end the night with a couple of Big Ten battles beginning with #20 Oregon @ #12 USC. Trojan QB Jayden Maiava is on an absolute heater, already throwing for 12 touchdowns and over 1100 yards against just one interception. The Ducks utterly destroyed Portland State but there are still questions about just how good they are after their close win over Boise State and outright loss at Oklahoma State. The talent is still there but it needs to be on display against their old Pac-12 nemesis.
Finally, you can end your night with Minnesota @ Washington with both the Gophers and Huskies out to set their seasons right. I still think both teams are talented, firmly in the Big Ten’s middle class, so this game can serve as a separator. If you’re looking for some G6 action or an upset watch, be sure to check out Air Force @ Nevada or Tulsa @ Arkansas.
