The appetizer games are just about over for Thursday and Friday night games, and now we get into the crux of the action tomorrow and Sunday. Here are the top games that the Bilo Football Team will be paying attention to:
FBS
TCU at Oklahoma State: The Cowboys offensive juggernaut looks to mow down yet another opponent in their Big 12 opener. TCU rallied last week in a win over SMU, but Oklahoma State rolled over Pitt on the road, and Mason Rudolph is in cruise mode.
Mississippi State at Georgia: MSU rolled past the LSU Tigers in Starkville, but the test gets tougher this week in Athens. Georgia is coming off a thumping against Samford, and was in cruise mode coming into and out of that game. The MSU Bulldogs certainly have the talent to win, but getting up like they were last week is going to be tough to do on the road.
USC at California: Nobody saw Cal starting out 3-0 with wins over North Carolina on the road, and Ole Miss at home. The BEars are light years ahead of where anyone could have projected them in year one under Justin Wilcox. USC is a different story, and while they are 3-0, they certainly have looked vulnerable, and are not at peak performance just yet. Conventional wisdom says that the Trojans should move to 4-0 here, but Cal is going to bring at in Strawberry Canyon tomorrow afternoon.
Penn State at Iowa: The Nittany Lions have yet to be seriously challenged this season, and are off to their expected hot start. The Hawkeyes are also off to a fast start, and are looking to spring the trap in Iowa City Saturday. This will be the first major test for Penn State, and Iowa has little to lose.
Washington at Colorado: Neither team has been tested yet in 2017, and both are unbeaten heading into the PAC-12 opener for both. There could be snow on the ground tomorrow night in Boulder, which could make things interesting, and may slow the Huskies down to a manageable level for the Buffs. This is a revenge match after the Huskies throttled the Buffs in the conference title game last season.
Alabama at Vanderbilt: The Crimson Tide has not lost to the Commodores since 1984, and they have won 18 straight games against SEC East opponents. Vanderbilt is a national darling right now after a 3-0 start, but this could be the buz saw that could kill the fairy tale season. Alabama has hardly been themselves this season up to this point, however, so if the Commodores are going to strike, now would be the time.
FCS
Samford at Western Carolina: The Bulldogs and Catamounts have both been early surprises, with their only losses coming against FBS teams. WCU is surprising right now, but a win against Samford could put them right in the lane to compete for the SoCon title.
Tennessee State at UT-Martin: The winner here gets a drivers seat to go head to head with Jacksonville State for the early nod as Ohio Valley favorites in 2017. Tennessee State already has an FBS win under their belts this fall as they beat Georgia State in the opener.
Liberty at Jacksonville State: This is the premier game in FCS football tomorrow, as the Flames, with an unbeaten record and win over Baylor on the resume, hit the road to take on the Gamecocks, who's only loss is to Georgia Tech. This game will have national implications come playoff time.
D2
Central Missouri at Emporia State: Both are D2 playoff contenders right now, but both already have a loss in MIAA play. Central Missouri lost to Pitt State, while Emporia State has a loss to NW Missouri State. One more loss here, and the loser is completely behind the eight ball, while the winner remains in play.
Ferris State at Ashland: Huge game in the GLIAC tomorrow as two teams square off trying to stay one step ahead of Grand Valley State in conference play. The winner gets a huge advantage moving forward in conference play, while the loser may be scraping for an extra bid at the end of the season, and has no more room to wiggle.
NFL
Falcons at Lions: Nobody is all that shocked that the Falcons are off to a strong start, but the Lions have been a big surprise to have gone 2-0 with a solid win over the Giants. If the Lions can win this game, and go to 3-0, they may be the dark horse in the NFC.
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