Our focus is rightfully on the Dome, but the sport around us offers the best set of games so far this season, including three ranked games tomorrow in the 2:30 slot alone:
- Wisconsin @ Purdue, 6 pm (Friday, tonight), FS1 - two Big Ten West programs in the middle of schematic transitions with new coaches, two transfer QBs from the state of Texas, two teams struggling to produce a complete game on the field while showing promising glimpses. This division feels wide open, each team has glaring flaws.
- Boise State @ San Diego State, 9:30 pm (Friday, tonight), CBS Sports Network: Queen and David Bowie have a song to describe this one. The combined record here is 3-4, and that just will not do for these fan bases, who perceive their programs as being the best in the Mountain West.
- #4 Florida State @ Clemson, 11 am, ABC: FSU has the opportunity to drop Dabo's Clemson into the dustbin here. Clemson's offense looked more functional than it has been in several years...against the likes of Charleston Southern and Florida Atlantic.
- Auburn @ Texas A&M, 11 am, ESPN: an intriguing undercard matchup for the SEC minded. Both handled their business against tomato cans and looked wholly unconvincing against their name opponents.
- #22 UCLA @ #11 Utah, 2:30 pm, FOX: Who will start at QB for Utah? How will Dante Moore look in his first truly challenging road game?
- #19 Colorado @ #10 Oregon, 2:30 pm, ABC: The Buffs have answered the bell each time so far, but now they go into a notoriously tough road environment without two way dynamo Travis Hunter. Bo Nix has quietly played highly effective, clean quarterback so far this season, including on the road against Texas Tech.
- #15 Ole Miss @ #13 Alabama, 2:30 pm, CBS: Blood would seem to be in the water after Bama's worst single game showing under Nick Saban (worse than '07 Louisiana-Monroe, I've watched both). Josh Pate suggested that many of Bama's offensive players didn't give full effort against USF due to disagreeing with Saban's decision to sit Jalen Milroe last week. Milroe has returned to the starting role against an Ole Miss team that has handled its business, including a convincing win at Tulane.
- #14 Oregon State @ #21 Washington State, 6 pm, FOX: The Pacific 2 determines its champion in east coast prime time. DJ Uiagalelei is the QB you know, Cam Ward is the QB you should know.
- #24 Iowa @ #7 Penn State, 6:30 pm, CBS: Iowa-Penn State games take on strange characteristics in Happy Valley. The infamous 6-4 game took place in 2004. The 2018 game featured two first half safeties, Iowa scoring 24 points without a QB, RB, WR, or TE being directly involved, and a final play where Iowa's left tackle nearly scored the winning TD. In a sign of CBS shifting its focus, Nessler and Danielson will be calling this game while the B-team gets Ole Miss-Bama.
- #6 Ohio State @ #9 Notre Dame, 6:30 pm, NBC: Surprisingly, Notre Dame looks like the better team so far as Ohio State's offense has only worked in fits and starts. The Irish have the top ranked pass defense in the country, which will surely be tested by Marvin Harrison Jr. in particular.
