It’s Week 9 of the college football season, and for the first time in nearly a month, the gang’s all here. To celebrate, we go completely off the rails. (Dordt!) It’s good to be back, friends.
We begin by analyzing the curious case of Billy Napier and the Florida Gators, and transition into our recap of what was a crazy weekend of football. Stanford won and North Carolina lost in the most ridiculous ways possible. Jeremiyah Love has fully reinserted his name into the Heisman discussion. Carla got to witness Diego Pavia go full maniac mode against LSU. And somehow, some way, Ole Miss goaded Georgia into a shootout … and lost the game anyway.
As we turn ahead to Week 9, AJ begins with a somewhat abbreviated #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report, in part because our Beloved Bows are off this week. But there is still a handful of intriguing matchups, including Western Michigan at Miami OH (3:30 ET, ESPN+) and San Diego State at Fresno State (3:30 ET, FS1). Also, something about a darning needle, a dishwasher, and Shohei Ohtani?
Anyhow, then it’s on to the Big 12 Buffet, which is most definitely open this weekend … so much so, in fact, that we run through the entire slate:
Kansas State at Kansas (Noon ET, TNT): It’s Sunflower Showdown time.
No. 11 BYU at Iowa State (3:30 ET, FOX): Everything here says Cougs, which means this is prime buffet picking.
Oklahoma State at No. 14 Texas Tech (4 ET, ESPNU): The Pokes could do the funniest thing ever here.
Baylor at No. 21 Cincinnati (4 ET, ESPN2): Can the Bears cause chaos at Nippert?
TCU at West Virginia (6 ET, ESPN+): Sorry, ‘Eers. It’s just not your year.
Houston at No. 24 Arizona State (8 ET, ESPN2): This game’s the main entree. Get your eyeballs here.
Colorado at Utah (10:15 ET, ESPN): The only true After Dark game this weekend.
We also take a quick detour to marvel at the fact that the winner of each of these two games will be bowl eligible: Northwestern at Nebraska (Noon ET, FS1) and Minnesota at Iowa (3:30 ET, CBS). Yes, really. Talk to your kids about this. Also, don’t miss Floyd of Rosedale!
And then? We’re very SEC heavy this week. But for a good reason.
No. 8 Ole Miss at No. 13 Oklahoma (Noon ET, ABC): Hey, Ole Miss? That Sooner defense is legit scary good.
No. 18 USF at Memphis (Noon ET, ESPN2): Memphis … you good? Because we know that USF is good. This game should be a dandy.
No. 15 Missouri at No. 10 Vanderbilt (3:30 ET, ESPN): Vandy’s getting the full GameDay treatment after knocking off LSU. Mizzou was happy just to escape Auburn.
No. 22 Texas at Mississippi State (4:15 ET, SECN): The Horns are … sketch, especially on offense. Can Clanga finally get that elusive SEC win at home?
No. 3 Texas A&M at No. 20 LSU (7:30 ET, ABC): Is a night game in Death Valley exactly what Brian Kelly needs?
FCS No. 1 North Dakota State at FCS No. 2 South Dakota State (8 ET, ESPNU): Put this game on your screen. Seriously. After we recorded this show, we learned that the game will be broadcast on national TV. So, no excuses!
With both Penn State (mercifully) and No. 1 Ohio State off on byes, our usual honorable mentions list is, ahem, wide-ranging:
Maine Maritime at New England College (Noon ET): This DIII game pits quite literally two of the three worst college football teams at every level against each other. And in the process of reviewing Bill Connelly’s Top 766 rankings, we discover that yes, friends, there is an actual school named Dordt. It’s a university in Sioux City, Iowa. And their football team is ranked just slightly below Robert Morris.
Ohio at Eastern Michigan (Noon ET, CBSSN): Playoffs may be out of the picture, but the Bobcats can still contend for a MAC title.
DIII No. 16 Carnegie Mellon at Muhlenberg (Noon ET, Centennial Conference Digital Network Livestream): Tartans head east to face the Mules.
Robert Morris at Saint Francis (3 ET, NEC Front Row): One of these teams has to win. For real.
Wisconsin at No. 6 Oregon (7 ET, FS1): Pay no attention to the actual football here. Have you seen the “grateful Ducks” uniforms? Crappy certainly has.
No. 25 Michigan at Michigan State (7:30 ET, NBC): The Paul Bunyon Trophy is on the line.
And with that, may the Dordt and all of the goodness of college football be with you this weekend, friends. Thanks for hanging with us, and we’ll see you back here again next week. Cheers.
