Every week of the college football season is special in its own way, but some weeks are destined for more excitement than usual. Before I even get to Saturday's gridiron festivities. (5)Boise State beat a game Tulsa squad 28-21 on Wednesday night and (8)Cincinnati took out (21)USF 34-17 last night despite losing their quarterback, Heisman hopeful Tony Pike, to a forearm injury (Pike will sit next week against Louisville and then be re-evaluated). Just in case you need one final tune up for Saturday, 5-1 Pittsburgh plays at 4-1 Rutgers tonight on ESPN. Those three weekday specials are a good barometer of what lies ahead for tomorrow. It may not be worth it to leave your house this weekend, because the big time conference matchups are finally upon us, and if that doesn't get your blood pumping, the season's first BCS rankings will be released on Sunday night...those might even get your blood boiling. But without further ado...let's walk it out.
- Why waste time! Let's get right to the Amateur Status game of the week. (3)Texas and (20)Oklahoma meet in the Red River Shootout. Yes, I said SHOOTOUT! Political correctness doesn't belong in football. Kids are smart enough to know that Colt McCoy isn't trying to kill Jordan Shipley when he throws a "bullet" across the field (the game was recently redubbed the Red River "Rivalry"). The rivalry tilt kicks off at noon from the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Sooners quarterback Sam Bradford must engineer a victory over the Longhorns just to keep his team in the polls next week, while Colt McCoy tries to keep his team on the doorstep of a national title shot. ABC has national coverage.
- The noon game on ESPN that no one will be watching is actually a pretty good matchup. (11)Iowa goes to Camp Randall to play 5-1 Wisconsin. The Hawkeyes have an excellent chance of being undefeated when they play Ohio State on November 14th IF they can get past the Badgers in this matchup.
- Mississippi State is coming off of a tough loss to mid-major power Houston, and they should be weary of Mid Tennessee State as well. The Blue Raiders already knocked off Maryland this year (and last year too). ESPNU has the coverage of this potential upset special at 12:30pm.
- Ryan Mallett and the Arkansas Razorbacks are the next test for Tim Tebow and his top ranked Gators team. It will be interesting to see if Mallet's arm can keep the under manned Hogs in the mix. CBS airs this one at 3:30pm.
- The second big time rivalry game of the day kicks off at 3:30 on NBC. (6)USC will stare into the eyes of "Touchdown Jesus" when they travel to Notre Dame to play the (25)Fighting Irish with the "Jeweled Shillelagh" at stake. This is Charlie Weis' best shot to knock off the Trojans since he has been at Notre Dame...and he is still a ten point underdog. I'll make a prediction on this game and say that an emotional Trojans squad buries Notre Dame once again.
- (14)Penn State will find out the Big Ten's worst kept secret when Minnesota visits Happy Valley...no one in the conference can guard Gopher wide out Eric Decker. ABC has regional coverage of this one at 3:30pm.
- More ABC regional coverage as (15)Nebraska will try to slow down Texas Tech. The Red Raiders may not know who their quarterback will be for the game until the 3:30pm kickoff. Starter Taylor Potts is now battling former walk-on Steven Sheffield for the reins of Mike Leach's pass happy offense.
- (4)Virginia Tech has the toughest assignment of anyone in the top five. The Turkeys must travel to Hotlanta and then attempt to stop the vaunted triple option of (19)Georgia Tech. Tyrod Taylor has his squad looking like a national contender, but the Yellow Jackets' option may confuse the Hokies defense long enough to run away with the game...literally. This one kicks off at 6pm on ESPN2
- (2)Alabama welcomes (22)South Carolina to Tuscaloosa in a game that the Tide are very capable of losing. The Old Ball Coach lives for statement games like this, and just when you think the Gamecocks don't have an upset in them, they prove the country wrong. The Gamecocks defense will be ready to play with Alabama, but it will be up to South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia to engineer a late touchdown drive. This SEC matchup kicks off at 7:45pm and airs on ESPN.
- (16)Oklahoma State plays Missouri at home in a 9:15pm primetime slot. It will be the Pokes second game without All-American wide out Dez Bryant. Missouri is coming off of its first loss of the year at the hands of Nebraska. The Tigers need a win in this game if they intend to be the Big 12 North's sacrificial lamb in the Big 12 Championship game. The game airs on ESPN2
