FSU, Louisville top weekend matchups
Games of the Week
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#2 Florida State at #10 Louisville, Noon on ABC
Lamar Jackson threw for over 300 yards against Florida State last year as a true freshman and is on an absolute tear to begin this season. He’s averaging 9.9 yards per carry and had an ACC record 610 total yards last week. Florida State will be without star defender Derwin James, who is out a reported 5-7 weeks with a torn meniscus. FSU left tackler Roderick Johnson showed some flaws vs. Ole Miss that this Louisville front may be able to attack but in the end it’ll come down to the two quarterbacks Jackson and Deondre Francois.
Matchups to watch:
• OT Roderick Johnson vs. LB Devonte Fields
• CB Marquez White vs. WR Jamari Staples
• RB Dalvin Cook vs. LB Keith Kelsey
#1 Alabama at #19 Ole Miss, 3:30 p.m. on CBS
Fact: Only Michigan with Lloyd Carr (1996-98) and Purdue with Joe Tiller (1997-99) have beaten Nick Saban three years in a row. Hugh Freeze and Ole Miss want to join that list. Also a fact: Alabama has still made the College Football Playoff after losing to Ole Miss each year. Another fact: Ole Miss’ offensive line and back seven on defense is not as good as it was last year. It’ll be a tough road environment for freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts and the Rebels defensive line might be able to get after Alabama up front but most signs point to a Roll Tide win. Ole Miss will also be without cornerback Ken Webster for the rest of the season and Tony Conner doesn’t appear 100 percent healthy. The Rebels are starting walk-on Carlos Davis and freshman Jalen Julius at cornerback.
Matchups to watch:
• OT Cam Robinson vs. DE Marquis Haynes
• WR Damore’ea Stringfellow vs. CB Marlon Humphrey
• QB Chad Kelly vs. FS Eddie Jackson
#22 Oregon at Nebraska, 3:30 p.m. on ABC
Mike Riley lost seven straight to Oregon during the Civil War but now hosts the Ducks in a stadium twice as big as Oregon State’s. At Nebraska, Riley also has a running game that he never consistently had in Corvallis. The Huskers are leading the nation with a plus-7 turnover margin and with Oregon’s youth up front, Riley may be able to get a win over the Ducks. With that said, Dakota Prukop has showed nice command of the offense and Royce Freeman is a force to stop.
• OT Tyrell Crosby vs. DE Freedom Akinmoladun
• OG Cameron Hunt vs. DT Kevin Maurice
• RB Royce Freeman vs. LB Josh Banderas
#17 Texas A&M at Auburn, 7 p.m. on ESPN
This game may be the biggest toss-up of the week. There can be a strong argument made for either to be picked to win. You might say the Auburn front will expose Texas A&M’s inexperienced offensive line that features a true freshman at left guard, redshirt freshman at center and true sophomore at right guard. You can say that Auburn’s offense is finally back after Sean White took control of the passing game last week and the Tigers have confidence and life on offense again and Texas A&M has two new starting corners. But there’s also the fact that this A&M front played UCLA and didn’t allow Trevor Knight to be sacked. And that while Auburn’s offensive is more experienced up the middle, it’s not been great on the outside yet and A&M has the best DE duo in the country with Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall. If there’s any way to pick this game, maybe just take the road team: the road team has won all four meetings as SEC opponents. One thing is for certain though, it’s weird to say that a game between Kevin Sumlin and Gus Malzahn will come down to the two defenses, who are both much improved and the winner of this game is going to make noise in the SEC West.
Matchups to watch:
• OT Avery Gennesy vs. DE Carl Lawson
• WR Christian Kirk vs. NB Rudy Ford
• WR Josh Reynolds vs. CB Carlton Davis
#12 Michigan State at #18 Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m. on NBC
This rivalry game is back after taking a few years off and the Irish didn’t play a Big Ten foe last season. The Irish have won the last three meetings but both of these teams are very different from that last meeting in 2013. Good news for Notre Dame is that WR Torii Hunter Jr. is expected back. Bad news is that starting cornerback Shaun Crawford is done for the year. The Spartans had a bye week after struggling to put away Furman in the opener. Tyler O’Connor had an extra week to think about playing in South Bend while DeShone Kizer has finally capitvated the rest of the country with how good he is. Can the Spartans press coverage interrupt the timing of Kizer in the passing game? Can they contain and get pressure on him?
Matchups to watch:
• DT Malik McDowell vs. OG Quenton Nelson
• WR Monty Madaris vs. CB Cole Luke
• CB Vayante Copeland vs. WR Torii Hunter Jr.
#3 Ohio State at #14 Oklahoma, 7:30 p.m. on FOX
It’s the first meeting between these two storied programs since 1983. Despite Sooners backup freshman QB Austin Kendall saying that Ohio State’s defense is basic and Baker Mayfield is going to light them up, the fact is the Buckeyes have yet to allow a touchdown this year and has played two high-powered offenses Bowling Green and Tulsa. They’re not Oklahoma, but that’s still a feat. And Mayfield will have to avoid Malik Hooker and Marshon Lattimore, who combine for five interceptions this season already. And how about this: Urban Meyer hasn’t lost a true road game at Ohio State, going 18-0 and we’ve seen in recent years that OU’s home-field advantage isn’t what it used to be but should still be a factor. Lincoln Riley’s offense averages 49 points and 602 yards at home. This has all the makings of an epic football game as the Sooners are facing elimination from the College Football Playoff. Both teams have a bye week to follow so they’re going to give everything they have in this one and one quarterback may rise to the top of the Heisman Trophy watch list. J.T. Barrett gets his first shot at Oklahoma after growing wanting to play for Sooners’ rival Texas.
Matchups to watch:
• OC Pat Elflein vs. DT Charles Walker
• LB Raekwon McMillan vs. RB Samaje Perine/Joe Mixon
• DE Tyquan Lewis vs. OT Orlando Brown
USC at #7 Stanford, 8 p.m. on ABC
It’s the third straight year that USC and Stanford open conference play against each other and a Pac-12 title game rematch. Stanford had a bye week after the season opener with Kansas State. The trouble with not playing last week is that Stanford didn’t get a chance to work out some offensive line kinks against a live opponent. The Trojans should look to pounce up front and affect Ryan Burns’ efficiency. But in the end, Stanford’s defense should also get to Max Browne. Christian McCaffrey was unstoppable last year but now that USC trusts its corners to play man-to-man, will a loaded box be able to slow him down?
Matchups to watch:
• OT Zach Banner vs. DE Solomon Thomas
• LB Cameron Smith vs. RB Christian McCaffrey
• CB Adoree’ Jackson vs. WR Michael Rector
Keep an Eye On
North Dakota State at #13 Iowa, Noon on ESPN2
The Bison have beaten five straight FBS opponents on the road so there’s no doubt the Hawkeyes are taking this one seriously. Iowa is paying $500,000 for this game. The Hawkeyes have scored 40 or more points in four straight games for the first time since 1914. This offense is going to be tested by a Bison defense led by Nick DeLuca, who returned from separating his shoulder in week one to earn Defensive Player of the Week honors in week two with 15 tackles.
Matchups to watch:
• LB Nick DeLuca vs. RB LeShun Daniels/Akrum Wadley
• OG Zack Johnson vs. DT Jaleel Johnson
• RB King Frazier vs. LB Josey Jewell
#25 Miami at Appalachian State, Noon on ESPN
It’s the first ever meeting and the first time App State has hosted a Power Five team so the game sold out in less than an hour. App State’s running game with Marcus Cox, offensive line led by Parker Collins and Colby Gossett, team speed and the efficiency of quarterback Taylor Lamb makes them a legitimate threat to knock off the young Hurricanes.
Matchups to watch:
• SS Jamal Carter vs. RB Marcus Cox
• QB Brad Kaaya vs. FS Alex Gray
• WR Stacy Coley vs. CB Mondo Williams
Pittsburgh at Oklahoma State, 3:30 p.m. on ESPN
It’s the first ever meeting between these two schools. Pitt had an emotional win over in-state rival Penn State while Oklahoma State had an emotional and controversial loss. Which team avoids the emotional hangover? The battle in the trenches gives Pittsburgh an advantage in my opinion. Pittsburgh is going to run the ball and force Mason Rudolph to make plays to beat them. Don’t count out the Panthers to win in Stillwater.
Matchups to watch:
• OG Dorian Johnson vs. DT Vincent Taylor
• RB James Conner vs. FS Jordan Sterns
• OT Zach Crabtree vs. DE Ejuan Price
Western Michigan at Illinois, 4 p.m. on ESPNEWS
P.J. Fleck is going to own his native state of Illinois if his team wins on the road again after beating Northwestern to start the season. Western Michigan has never beaten two Big Ten opponents in the same season. Both of these teams have two-headed rushing attacks (WMU’s Jamauri Bogan and Jarvion Franklin and Illini’s Kendrick Foster & Ke’Shawn Vaughn). It’ll come down to which quarterback, Zach Terrell or Wes Lunt, takes better care of the ball, neither one has been prone to turnovers.
Matchups to watch:
• OT Taylor Moton vs. DE Dawuane Smoot
• WR Corey Davis vs. CB Jalen Dunlap
• RB Jarvion Franklin vs. LB Hardy Nickerson
Mississippi State at #20 LSU, 7 p.m. on ESPN2
Danny Etling is expected to start at quarterback for LSU and gives the Tigers fans some hope on offense after leading three straight touchdown drives. But also remember that Etling was 0-for-6 with two turnovers in the second half. But when it comes to putting the ball where it needs to be, I like Etling’s chances of doing that better than Brandon Harris’ and LSU gets Leonard Fournette back this week. Mississippi State doesn’t have the playmakers it used to on offense but forcing Nick Fitzgerald to throw will be a focal point after he set a single-game school record with 195 rushing yards last week.
Matchups to watch:
• WR Fred Ross vs. CB Tre’Davious White
• DT Nelson Adams vs. OC Ethan Pocic
• LB Richie Brown vs. RB Leonard Fournette
#16 Georgia at Missouri, 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network
There are only nine FBS head coaches that are at their alma maters: Barry Odom and Kirby Smart are two of them and here they are making their conference play debuts against each other. If we’ve learned anything so far, it’s that Georgia has to be better on the offensive line and now here comes the fierce d-line of Mizzou. Missouri having a passing game all of a sudden adds life to the offense as the Tigers have implemented more Baylor-offense concepts this offseason. Quarterback Drew Lock threw the ball 51 times in week one and threw for a career-high 450 yards last week but Georgia’s secondary will be a test. Columbia, Missouri is also where the stardom began for Nick Chubb two years ago when he carried the ball 38 times in place of a suspended Todd Gurley.
Matchups to watch:
• OT Greg Pyke vs. DE Charles Harris
• RB Nick Chubb vs. LB Michael Scherer
• NB Maurice Smith vs. WR Chris Black
UCLA at BYU, 10:15 p.m. on ESPN2
BYU is facing its third straight Pac-12 opponent and would be going for win number three had BYU’s 2-point conversion for the win over Utah last week been successful. The Cougars won’t back down. Not with Taysom Hill having one last chance and facing one of the nation’s most brutal schedules. UCLA has given up six sacks in the first two games and BYU can create some pressure. This was a one-point game last year and could be another good game in Provo this time. The last time UCLA was in Provo, the Bruins lost 59-0. Both of these quarterbacks, Hill and Josh Rosen have already had 3-interception games this season. One thing to watch is that BYU’s star ballhawk safety Kai Nacua is out for the first half due to a questionable targeting ejection last week. UCLA is also without its top two pass rushers Takkarist McKinley and Deon Hollins.
Matchups to watch:
• OT Conor McDermott vs. DE Harvey Langi/Sae Tautu
• LB Kenny Young vs. RB Jamaal Williams
• WR Eldridge Massington vs. CB Michael Davis
#11 Texas at California, 10:30 p.m. on ESPN
Texas is visiting Berkeley for the first time since 1969 looking to avenge last season’s 45-44 loss in Austin. Despite being at Texas Tech for three years, Davis Webb never played against Texas so now he gets his chance. Webb has thrown for 963 yards through two games, which is behind only Pat Mahomes, who supplanted him in Lubbock. Cal gave up 281 rushing yards to Donnel Pumphrey last week so things are looking good for Texas running back duo of D’Onta Foreman and Chris Warren and it helps that Texas has receivers that can also stretch the field. How healthy are the Longhorns up front though? Left tackle Connor Williams, center Zach Shackelford and right guard Kent Perkins all sat out last week vs. UTEP with injuries. Texas is superiorly more talented on defense than Cal but this could become a high-scoring game where anything happens as the Longhorns look to go 3-0 for the first time since 2012.
Matchups to watch:
• DT Paul Boyette vs. OG Chris Borrayo
• OT Connor Williams vs. DE DeVante Wilson
• OG Patrick Vahe vs. DT James Looney
Don’t Sleep On
Temple at Penn State, Noon on BTN
Penn State came up short last week and suffered its first ever loss when scoring more than 35 points. But the good news is that the Nittany Lions scored 35 points. Trace McSorley has a handle on the offense and his mobility to go along with Saquon Barkley in the backfield should help make sure last year’s loss to Temple doesn’t happen again. The Owls had 10 sacks in last year’s game.
Matchups to watch:
• DE Haason Reddick vs. OT Andrew Nelson
• RB Jahad Thomas vs. LB Brandon Bell
• LB Avery Williams vs. RB Saquon Barkley
Vanderbilt at Georgia Tech, 12:30 p.m. on ACC Network
This could turn out to be a good game with the Dores defense against the option offense. If anything, it’s a chance for Zach Cunningham to extend his double digit tackles streak to seven games. Georgia Tech is 11-0-1 vs. Vanderbilt since World War II and it’s the first visit to Atlanta for the Dores since 2002. Ralph Webb rushed for 211 yards last week but there still needs be some kind of quarterback play.
Matchups to watch:
• DT Adam Butler vs. OC Freddie Burden
• OC Barrett Gouger vs. DT Patrick Gamble
• RB Ralph Webb vs. LB P.J. Davis
San Diego State at Northern Illinois, 3:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
San Diego State visits DeKalb for the first time since 1970 with a chance to really sour the mood at NIU after an 0-2 start for the Huskies. The Huskies, however, are 7-0 in home openers since 2008 while the Aztecs are 4-0 vs. NIU all-time. NIU moves forward with Ryan Graham at quarterback with the injury to Drew Hare and this Aztec defense has players across the board, not to mention the school’s new all-time leading rusher Donnel Pumphrey who had 281 yards vs. Cal last week. But after an exciting game, could a letdown on the road be in store? The Aztecs have the nation’s second longest winning streak behind Alabama.
Matchups to watch:
• CB Damontae Kazee vs. WR Kenny Golladay
• DE Alex Barrett vs. OT Levon Myers
• RB Joel Bouagnon vs. LB Calvin Munson
Colorado at #4 Michigan, 3:30 p.m. on BTN
Could Colorado really pose a problem for Michigan? The Buffs have been much improved early on and it’s the first visit to the Big House since the 1994 Miracle in Michigan’s 27-26 win. The Buffs have had more than 500 yards of total offense in back-to-back games for the first time since 2002 and the defense has given just 14 points so far this season. But there’s no way Jim Harbaugh lets his team slip up here, right? And maybe an even better omen: the last season Michigan played Colorado (1997), it won the national championship.
Matchups to watch:
• CB Chidobe Awuzie vs. WR Amara Darboh/Jehu Chesson
• DT Josh Tupou vs. OG Kyle Kalis
• SS Tedric Thompson vs. TE Jake Butt
USF at Syracuse, 3:30 p.m. on ACC Network
This could be a fast scoring game on the turf. The Bulls have scored a school record 104 points in their first two games while the Syracuse offense is becoming fun to watch already under Dino Babers with the way that Eric Dungey commands the offense and the emergence of Maryland grad-transfer Amba Etta-Tawo being a big-play receiver. USF has a strong secondary to challenge the timing of Baber’s offense and then it’ll come down to slowing down the Bulls offense as the Orange have a ways to go on defense
Matchups to watch:
• CB Deatrick Nichols vs. WR Amba Etta-Tawo
• WR Rodney Adams vs. CB Corey Winfield
• RB Marlon Mack vs. RB Zaire Franklin
East Carolina at South Carolina, 4 p.m. on SEC Network
We’re expecting true freshman Brandon McIlwain to make his first career start for the Gamecocks. Meanwhile, Philip Nelson’s redemption tour at ECU is off to a hot start as he’s completed 81.3 percent of his passes. The Pirates beat NC State last week and have Virginia Tech next week. With legitimate playmakers around Nelson and South Carolina still looking for an identity on defense, the Pirates could pick up another Power Five win.
Matchups to watch:
• WR Zay Jones vs. CB Chris Lammons
• CB DaShaun Amos vs. WR Deebo Samuel
• OC J.T. Boyd vs. DT Kelsey Griffin
Maryland at UCF, 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
It’s the first ever meeting as the Terps go down to the state of Florida for the second straight week after winning at FIU last week. The Terps have a chance to match their win total from last year and haven’t thrown an interception through two games for the first time since 2001. Perry Hills has become the caretaker of the offensebut he’s going to have to become a playmaker if the Terps can’t get stops against UCF’s new up-tempo offense.
Matchups to watch:
• CB JC Jackson vs. WR Tre’Quan Smith
• OT Michael Dunn vs. DE Trysten Hill
• FS Denzel Conyers vs. QB Justin Holman
Duke at Northwestern, 8 p.m. on BTN
This certainly doesn’t look like the most exciting primetime game but it’s very meaningful, especially for Northwestern, who’s 0-2 with a difference of three points. The Wildcats got the 19-10 win in Durham last season and has won seven of the last eight meetings. While Duke is breaking in Daniel Jones at quarterback, Northwestern is looking for progress from its quarterback Clayton Thorson, who was 17-for-41 for 191 yards last week vs. Illinois State. Northwestern hasn’t started 0-3 since 1992.
Matchups to watch:
• WR Anthony Nash vs. CB Matthew Harris
• CB Breon Borders vs. WR Austin Carr
• RB Jela Duncan vs. LB Anthony Walker Jr.