We swear we’re not fortune tellers, we just might be that good at providing you a perfect array of perfect college football games to pique your palate.
In our honorable mentions, TCU stomped Oklahoma en route to getting ranked and Texas A&M was stunned by Mississippi State.
Then for our five main courses, Iowa State-Kansas was decided by a field goal, Oklahoma State-Baylor was a shootout with the Cowboys getting revenge, Kentucky-Ole Miss wasn’t decided until the final minute, Arkansas played three good quarters against Alabama, and NC State fell in a nail biter to Clemson.
This week, we visit some classic and heated rivalries in the Big 12 and SEC, we return to the Sunflower State and the now-ranked Jayhawks, and our game of the week is one that has been anticipated since a war of words began over the summer.
Honorable Mentions
- Oklahoma Sooners (3-2) v. Texas Longhorns (3-2) (Saturday @ Noon ET / ABC / Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX) Yes, the Red River Rivalry is an important fixture in the American college football landscape. Yes, we need to cover it. But this game might be one of the least-important trips to Dallas in a while. Both teams are unranked for the first time since 1998 and for only the fifth time since World War II. Tune in for the pageantry, but this might be worth avoiding if you’re unattached to the teams.
- Auburn Tigers (3-2) @ no. 2 Georgia Bulldogs (5-0) (Saturday at 3:30ET / CBS / ‘Between the Hedges’ Sanford Stadium, Athens, GA) Yes, the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry (as opposed to the South’s Oldest Rivalry a.k.a. North Carolina-Virginia) is an important fixture in the American college football landscape. Yes, we need to cover it. But this game might be one of the most lopsided affairs in the history of this contest. Auburn isn’t ranked for this game for the first time since 2015. The last time they were unranked and UGA was in the top-five, the Bulldogs destroyed Auburn 38-0. One look at Georgia being -29.5 favorites tells you why it’s here and not getting a more comprehensive writeup.
- Arkansas Razorbacks (3-2) @ no . 23 Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-1) (Saturday @ Noon ET / SECN / Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, MS) After falling to Texas A&M in heartbreaking fashion two weeks ago, Arkansas had the chance to upset the Tide when Bryce Young went down with an injury. Instead, they gave up over 200 rushing yards to Jahmyr Gibbs and ‘Bama remained undefeated. Mississippi State got back in the top-25 after being their twice last season. The first time they were ranked came after beating a 12th ranked Kentucky team. They lost the next week to an unranked Arkansas team. Can history repeat itself in Starkville?
Game 1: Washington State Cougars (4-1) @ no. 6 USC Trojans (5-0)
- Saturday @ 7:30PM ET (FOX) / ‘The Grand Old Lady’ Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
USC has done well in the start of the Lincoln Reilly era, going 5-0 their first time since 2006 (if we don’t count their six-game COVID year schedule).
QB Caleb Williams is fourth in the Pac-12 in passing yards (1,402), tied for fifth in passing TDs (12), and tied for best in interceptions thrown (1). WR Jordan Addison is one of the best deep threats in the conference and the country with 442 receiving yards and T-6th nationally with six receiving touchdowns.
Washington State (Wazzu) is 4-1 for the first time since 2018, back when Gardner Minshew led them to an 11-2 record. Their only two losses that year were to rival Washington and USC, who beat the Cougars by only three points. This year, their only loss was to a ranked Oregon team they could have beaten if it weren’t for a wild pick-six at the end to put the Ducks ahead.
Two Pac-12 schools with fantastic starts are facing off in Los Angeles on Saturday night
Three different receivers have over 280 yards on the season and QB Cameron Ward has 1,445 yards this year in a continuation of Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense. However, they aren’t one-dimensional, with RB Nakia Watson grabbing 312 rushing yards.
Defensively, this should be fun. USC has a top-three pass defense in the conference, which should do well against Wazzu’s air attack. Wazzu has a top-three run defense and has given up the second-least points in the conference, which should do well against USC’s balanced attack.
USC can be beaten. The Oregon State Beavers laid the blueprint. In USC’s closest game of the season so far against the Beavers, the Trojans were held to 357 yards with only 180 yards of passing. USC only won by three on a TD pass with less than 1:15 to play.
Even if the Cougars decide to let the Trojans run all over them, like the Beavers did, they have a shot if they can prevent the passing attack from running everywhere on them. Otherwise, their hopes of being ranked again may be dashed.
If Wazzu upsets the Trojans, they may finally get into the top-25 – earning respect they deserve
Game 2: no. 11 Utah Utes (4-1) @ no. 18 UCLA Bruins (5-0)
- Saturday @ 3:30 ET (FOX) / Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
Since losing the first game of the season to a Florida team that seemed to have flamed out, Utah has put together a tidy little four game win streak against a fellow state school, a former Mountain West rival, and two Pac-12 teams.
But they play back-to-back ranked teams starting this weekend with a road trip to Pasadena. The Bruins are not a team to be trifled with, but Utah should be prepared.
Starting on defense, the Utes are top-ten in passing yards allowed and top-15 in total yards allowed as well as points allowed. After letting Florida put up 29 on them, they haven’t given up more than 16 points in their last four games.
Offensively, it’s still a passing game that dominates for Utah. QB Cameron Rising is top-15 in the country for passing TDs. Tight end Dalton Kincaid is top-15 in the country in receiving TDs. WR Devaughn Vele and TE Brant Kuithe both have over 200 yards at 269 and 206 respectively.
The Utes take on the Bruins in the first of back-to-back ranked opponents on their calendar
We’ve gone over Utah a few times before, but this is the first time we’re talking about the amazing job the UCLA Bruins have done under former Oregon Ducks head coach Chip Kelly.
It all starts with fifth-year senior quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. In five games, he’s amounted over 1,200 passing yards and over 223 rushing yards for a combined 14 total touchdowns. In last week’s upset win over then-no. 15 Washington, DTR completed 24 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns. He tacked on 53 rushing yards and a rushing TD for good measure.
He’s not the only contributor to the running game. RB Zach Charbonnet is one of the top-40 rushers in the country by rushing yards and is top-30 by rushing touchdowns.
This game has the potential to be the closest of all these mentioned on the list. It has all the potential of Pac-12 After Dark insanity, but conveniently played at midday. Expect a good bit of scoring in this one.
Thompson-Robinson has shown his ability to be impactful through the air and on the ground
Game 3: no. 8 Tennessee Volunteers (5-0) @ no. 25 LSU Tigers (4-1)
- Saturday at Noon (ESPN) / ‘Death Valley’ Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA
We’ve spoken a few times about Tennessee (spoiler alert, we will have Tennessee again next week) so in order to avoid over burdening you with that particular shade of orange, we’ll talk about the Tigers for the most part in this section.
Since losing on a blocked PAT to Florida State in week 1, new head coach Brian Kelly has led a revitalization of sorts for the folks down in Baton Rouge. Now holding a 4-1 record, the Tigers have a combined scoreline of 155-50 and have played two tougher opponents in that timespan.
Sure, they have padded their stats with a 65-17 win over in-state rivals Southern University and a 38-0 win over New Mexico isn’t exactly a program defining win.
But, the Tigers did dominate their game against then-unranked, now-no. 23 Mississippi State, beating the Bulldogs 31-16 and making you wonder how the AP Poll ranked them two spots higher than LSU.
Despite falling Week 1 to Florida State, the Bayou Bengals are rolling with a 4-1 record
Last weekend, LSU was able to pull off an amazing comeback against rivals Auburn – erasing a 17-0 by rattling off 21 unanswered points to clinch the win.
LSU is neither an amazing offensive team or a spectacular defensive team, but they get the job done. The only category they scratch the top-five in for offensive statistical rankings in the SEC is the rushing game, where they’re exactly fifth.
That’s not to say they don’t have quality players on offense. After winning the preseason quarterback battle, Arizona State transfer Jayden Daniels (not related to KU’s Jalon Daniels by our knowledge) doesn’t only lead the team in passing yards (915), but he also is the leader in rushing yards (321).
After transferring from Arizona State, Jayden Daniels (5) has shown out for the Tigers
Rushing wise, there are four backs that have over 100 rushing yards across five games – combining for 620 total rushing yards and 12 rushing TDs. Similarly, there are five receivers that have at least 105 receiving yards – totaling 817 combined for only six TDs.
Defensively, the Tigers are just a bit better off. They’re top-20 in the country for turnover margin and third in the SEC for yards allowed. They’ll need it to stand tall against a Volunteers offense that’s the best in the country for total offense and passing offense.
However, it is Saturday night in Death Valley. Anything can happen, and it’s time for Kelly to get his first signature win at the helm of LSU.
With a 4-1 start under his belt in Baton Rouge, Brian Kelly seeks his first signature win with LSU
Game 4: no. 17 Texas Christian (TCU) Horned Frogs (4-0) @ no. 19 Kansas Jayhawks (5-0)
- Saturday @ Noon (FS1) / David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, KS
Who would have thought that the winner of this game would take the lead in the Big XII?
Kansas finally got the credit they deserved this week when the Jayhawks went from unranked to 19th in the AP Poll. They needed a close win over Iowa State, but they got the job done winning 14-11.
The Jayhawks had the ball for under 25 minutes and only gained 213 yards of total offense. QB Jalon Daniels threw for less than 100 yards and didn’t even break ten yards rushing. However, he did rush for a touchdown as did RB Devin Neal – with those two scores counting for the only points of the game for KU.
Kansas’s defense bent a lot – allowing 100 more yards of offense than they had – but they only allowed a single touchdown all game with Iowa State missing three field goals all game.
TCU keeps rolling into Lawrence to play Kansas, with the winner takes control in the Big XII
KU is 5-0 and ranked for the first time since 2009. TCU is 5-0 for the first time since 2017 – although their history has always been more decorated.
The Horned Frogs are in their first season under head coach Sonny Dykes, who used to be the boss at rival SMU. This marks the first season since 2001 that Gary Patterson was not the head coach for a full season in Fort Worth.
Under Dykes, the Horned Frogs offense has surpassed all expectations to be the current 2nd team in the country for total offense. Their balanced approach to attacking with the ball sees them average more than 250 yards per game in both passing and rushing. The only other team in the country that can claim that is Alabama.
Fourth year senior QB Max Duggan is an excellent dual threat – just three yards shy of 1,000 passing on the year and one yard shy of 150 rushing this season. RB Kendre Miller has 386 rushing yards and five touchdowns to his name. Backup rushers Emari Demercado and Emani Bailey have a combined 295 yards and five TDs of their own. Six receivers have caught for over 100 yards in four games – combining for 863 receiving yards and seven TDs.
Both teams are not that great defensively, which means we could be in for a wild shootout in Lawrence on Saturday. The winner stays undefeated and goes top of the Big XII. The loser might end up being written off and will likely fall out of the rankings.
Will the daylight fade on Duggan and the Horned Frogs in the Sunflower State this Saturday?
Game of the Week: Texas A&M Aggies (3-2) @ no. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (5-0)
- Saturday @ 8:00ET (CBS) / Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL
If you’re wondering why this game is here – despite the Aggies’ record – we need to go back to a war of words started by Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher and Alabama coach Nick Saban.
The new age of college football recruiting sees players being payed for their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) allowing them to sign lucrative sponsorship deals. Colleges have been using this, and its ability to set up such deals for their recruits, as a way to draw athletes to their certain institutions and its athletics programs.
That’s the central background to this war of words between Saban and his former assistant Fisher. In July, Saban fired the first shot saying Fisher basically bought every player through promised NIL deals in what was his first no. 1 recruiting class as coach of the Aggies.
‘It’s going to be difficult for the people who are spending tons of money to get players,’ Saban said in a recording published by AL.com. ‘You’ve read about them. You know who they are. We were second in recruiting last year. [Texas] A&M was first.
A war of words this summer has led to this date being circled on the calendar for months
‘A&M bought every player on their team — made a deal for name, image and likeness. We didn’t buy one player. But I don’t know if we’re going to be able to sustain that in the future because more and more people are doing it.’
Fisher isn’t one to back down and basically threatened to air out Saban’s dirty laundry for everyone to read.
‘It’s despicable that we have to sit here at this level of ball and say these things to defend the people of this organization, the kids, 17-year-old kids and their families,’ Fisher said.
‘It’s amazing. Some people think they’re God. Go dig into how ‘God’ did his deal. You may find out about a lot of things you don’t want to know.
The two former colleagues have reportedly patched things up, but bitterness may still remain
‘We build him up to be the czar of football. Go dig into his past or anybody that’s ever coached with him. You can find out anything you want to find out, what he does and how he does it. It’s despicable; it really is.’
Since that day, this matchup has been built up as the most anticipated on the calendar. While Texas A&M’s current record may not seem to dictate that level of attention, this team has been a trap for Saban’s Tide in the past. That dates back to the days of Johnny Manziel and up to last year when the unranked Aggies knocked off ‘Bama at home.
That upset factor is always exciting, but even still, the narrative surrounding this game is enough to make it Game of the Week.
Texas A&M upset Alabama last year in College Station, can they do the same in Tuscaloosa?