A curious college football weekend: Blowouts loom before Ohio State-Texas steals the spotlight
This weekend's college football schedule features several potential blowouts among AP Top 25 games
A curious weekend is on tap in the college football schedule.
A host of AP Top 25 games shape up like blowouts, just like the Labor Day weekend that saw ranked teams go 24-1. That one was a thriller, too: No. 24 Louisville lost to No. 9 Mississippi but stayed in the poll while No. 16 Michigan fell out after the Hail Mary controversy.
Is more of that on tap? Probably so.
No. 7 Miami got the week started by hammering Florida A&M 77-7. Louisville and No. 25 Virginia a day later beat their overmatched opponents by a combined 118-16.
No. 2 Georgia (vs. Western Kentucky), No. 3 Notre Dame (Rice), No. 5 Indiana (Howard) and No. 8 LSU (Louisiana Tech) are all favored by at least 35 points as they push through the non-conference portion of their schedules. Stifle the yawns.
Don't lose hope: There are some showdowns that should be much more interesting.
No. 1 Ohio State (1-0 at No. 4 Texas (1-0) on Saturday night is expected to be one of the best games of the season. This series is only 21 years old and the Buckeyes lead 3-2 after last year's 14-7 win in Columbus.
There are stars aplenty with quarterbacks Julian Sayin and Arch Manning, receivers Jeremiah Smith and Cam Coleman and running backs Bo Jackson and Hollywood Smothers. Many figure the outcome here could impact seeding for the College Football Playoff bracket in early December, though both teams have a murderer's row of opponents between now and then.
The Texas secondary will try to keep Smith in check for a third straight time and grab the Longhorns' first win over a No. 1 team since they beat Oklahoma 45-35 in 2008.
The winner also gives either the Big Ten or the Southeastern Conference bragging rights. The SEC was a combined 16-0 through Week 1 while the Big Ten went 17-2.
The Big Ten-SEC undercard Saturday has No. 11 Oklahoma visiting a Michigan team that looked mostly terrible in its 13-12 victory over Western Michigan that many — especially in the Mid-American Conference — didn't think the Wolverines deserved.
The Bryce Underwood-John Mateer quarterback matchup is attractive on paper. Keep in mind that new Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham said Underwood — a sophomore who was once the nation's No. 1 recruit — has to play better to keep the starting job. He will have to do it against a Sooners defense coming off a shutout and allowing fewer than 4 yeard per play.
Over in the Big 12, Arizona visits No. 15 BYU a year after BYU in double overtime.
This one could be just as good.
Arizona blew out Northern Arizona 35-7 in its opener and will add two players after running back Ismail Mahdi and linebacker Max Harris were declared eligible and added to the roster following a court order. BYU was even more dominating in its opening, forcing four turnovers in a 63-6 win over Utah Tech.
And in the ACC, Georgia Tech hosts No. 18 Tennessee with a golden opportunity to shake off a narrow loss to Colorado. Volunteers QB Faizon Brandon threw for 226 yards and three touchdowns and ran for two more in less than three quarters as Tennessee opened the season with a 56-9 victory over Furman.
Manning and Sayin will have a prime-time showcase for Heisman voters and Miam QB Darian Mensah looks every bit a favorite.
Mississippi quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is in that mix, too. A year after throwing for nearly 4,000 yards, the fifth-year player threw for 336 yards and three touchdowns, adding 60 yards and a TD on the ground in the season-opening win over Louisville.
Chambliss will likely have another productive day against Charlotte on Saturday, but he may not play a full game — the Rebels are 45-point favorites.
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