It’s appropriate that we get an extra hour of sleep this weekend…
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Sleepwalking Shift
- Ohio State-Penn State: It took until November, but the Nittany Lions face their first real test of the season when the Buckeyes come calling at noon. Because Penn State has sort of just skated to this point, I don’t have much in the way of analysis other than to say that Penn State’s results look a lil funny in the light, from the one possession victory over Bowling Green to barely surviving a mid USC team.
- Minnesota-Illinois: Neither team are going to win the B1G, and that’s totally fine because they’re both having good seasons by both program’s standards. But this will be interesting because the winner of this game will have the opportunity to turn their season from “good” to “REALLY good”, especially Illinois.
- Virginia Tech-Syracuse: This could be controversial but the same note above applies here, down to the orange and navy team. Virginia Tech fans won’t love that statement but given where the program has been for the last decade plus, it’s time to have a reassessment of the program’s place in the sport.
- Vanderbilt-Auburn: In one of the funniest coincidences in college football, Diego Pavia has the chance to beat Hugh Freeze for the third straight year in the third combination of schools.
Sleeping Shift
- Oregon-Michigan: Excellent helmet matchup, would have been a hell of a game in 2023 but in the context of 2024 this game falls a little flat. The fact that this game is battling leadoff for the shift should tell you all you need to know.
- Arizona-UCF: Yeah, let’s call it how it lies: this slate kind of sucks. I dunno man, go take care of some chores.
- Indiana-Michigan State: The best I can do is that this has potential trap game written all over it? Idk bro.
- Texas Tech-Iowa State: It’s football.
Early Bedtime Shift
- Pitt-SMU: STRANGE BUT TRUE: The winner of this matchup not only controls their destiny in the ACC race, but has an inside track to the championship game. It’s true, but teams are undefeated in conference play, making this the most important game of the weekend.
- TCU-Baylor: Dave Aranda’s last stand continues after a convincing 38-28 victory over Oklahoma State last week and rolls into likely the make or break point of his tenure, the Revivalry against hated rivals in Christ, TCU, who themselves are looking to put together a calmingly good season.
- USC-Washington: It’ll be a close game in all likelihood, but I’m not so sure how I feel about it necessarily being a “good” game. Make of that what you will.
- llvll-Clemson: lil ole Clemson has quietly put together a nice season following their embarrassing opening loss to Georgia week one and has a chance to really sew up an ACC championship game appearance with a win over the Cardinals.