Today's Schedule of Games

This week is the calm before the storm.  Get those big chores done now (after 3:00).

At noon: Northwestern - Michigan.  We always do that thing where we expect the team to unload the bench in the second half of a game against a supposedly weak team, and then we get a game like this season's Rutgers.  But I'm going to do that thing anyway.  I want to see a big early lead and then our healthy starters on the bench in the second half.  Then I want to see JJ, Donovan, et al get some real work in the second half across multiple quarters.  But college football is weird, so forget everything I said and just win the game.

Also at noon: Illinois - Penn State.  I'll take a peek to see if Clifford is starting and how he looks.  If he's not starting, then I'll definitely take a peek to see how Roberson looks.  They could actually lose this game if that happens.  Woah.

In the afternoon at 3:00: Wisconsin - Purdue.  This is a chance to get a good look at the eventual Big Ten West champion . . . Purdue!  Just like we all thought at the beginning of the season, right?  I love college football.

At 3:30 in the afternoon: Oregon - UCLA.  I'd watch this game just for UCLA's home unis in the Rose Bowl alone.  But I also think the Bruins and Mr. Charbonnet can cook up a surprise win over Oregon.  Because Pac 12.

Also at 3:30: Clemson - Pitt.  Speaking of unis, I'm glad to see Pitt going back to their traditional classic uni of their glory years in the 70's.  What were they thinking when they changed that uni look to a MAC team look?  This game is a chance for Pitt to do all of CFB a favor and bury Clemson from the headlines once and for all.  They will get it done.

At night at 7:30: USC - Notre Dame.  Can you hate the teams, but love the rivalry?  Because I do.  This is a classic college football rivalry that I always watch even while rooting for a meteor.  USC is all over the map, so nobody knows what to expect.  Especially USC coaches.  But it won't matter, Notre Dame will wear them down late.  And it's all just as well since we are in on a key USC recruit or two and we don't want USC to look at all viable.

Also at night at 7:30: Ohio State - Indiana.  Indiana is no longer the cute and fuzzy CHAOS team that we loved (to beat).  They play legit defense.  Good enough to make it a game with Ohio State.  But . . . the offense is staid and boring as hell.  Oregon showed how to beat Ohio State, and it's not with a strong defense tied to a vanilla offense.  OSU will run away from you quickly if you do that.  (There is a lesson in there for us).  So this will be interesting for a half or so, then I'll check in on:

San Diego State - Air Force (starts at 7:00) to see if the (undefeated?!?!) fighting Brady Hokes can keep it going.  I'm glad to see that he's returned to his happy place and is having his same old level of success as if nothing happened in between.  No hard feelings, sometimes things just don't work out.  We can still be friends.

Finally, late at night . . . WHAT'S THIS?  NO PAC 12 AFTER DARK??  I no longer love college football.  But, at least we can roll our own "PAC 12 After East-Coast Dark" with Utah - Oregon State at 7:30.  I would not want to be in Utah's position.  Coming off a big win, in control of the Pac 12 South, everything in your lap, looking forward to a relaxing game against an unranked opponent, then having to go to Corvallis at dusk where straaaange things can happen.  This will be worth watching. It will still capture the essence of Pac 12 After Dark craziness, albeit with 50% more light.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 23, 2021:

AWAY                 HOME      TIME      TV

NOON:

#2 Cincinnati at Navy   12:00 PM   ESPN2

#3 Oklahoma at Kansas   12:00 PM   ESPN

Northwestern at #6 Michigan   12:00 PM   FOX

Illinois at #7 Penn State   12:00 PM   ABC

#16 Wake Forest at Army   12:00 PM   CBSSN

Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Arkansas   12:00 PM   SECN

UMass at Florida State   12:00 PM   ACCN

Kansas State at Texas Tech   12:00 PM   FS1

Eastern Michigan at Bowling Green   12:00 PM   ESPN+

Northern Illinois at Central Michigan   12:00 PM   ESPNU

Syracuse at Virginia Tech   12:30 PM   ESPN3

AFTERNOON:

Kent State at Ohio   1:00 PM   ESPN+

Texas State at Georgia State   2:00 PM   ESPN+

Wisconsin at #25 Purdue   3:00 PM   BTN

#8 Oklahoma State at Iowa State   3:30 PM   FOX

#10 Oregon at UCLA   3:30 PM   ABC

LSU at #12 Ole Miss   3:30 PM   CBS

Clemson at #23 Pittsburgh   3:30 PM   ESPN

Rice at UAB   3:30 PM   ESPN+

Maryland at Minnesota   3:30 PM   ESPN2

Miami (OH) at Ball State   3:30 PM   ESPN+

Western Michigan at Toledo   3:30 PM   CBSSN

Buffalo at Akron   3:30 PM   ESPN+

Colorado at California   3:30 PM   PAC12

BYU at Washington State   3:30 PM   FS1

New Mexico at Wyoming   3:30 PM    -

Mississippi State at Vanderbilt   4:00 PM   SECN

Liberty at North Texas   4:00 PM   ESPN+

Boston College at Louisville   4:00 PM   ACCN

East Carolina at Houston   4:00 PM   ESPNU

EVENING:

Tennessee at #4 Alabama   7:00 PM   ESPN

#22 San Diego State at Air Force   7:00 PM   CBSSN

#24 UTSA at Louisiana Tech   7:00 PM    -

Western Kentucky at Florida International   7:00 PM   ESPN+

Temple at South Florida   7:00 PM   ESPN+

South Alabama at UL Monroe   7:00 PM   ESPN3

Nevada at Fresno State   7:00 PM   FS2

#5 Ohio State at Indiana   7:30 PM   ABC

USC at #13 Notre Dame   7:30 PM   NBC

South Carolina at #17 Texas A&M   7:30 PM   SECN

#18 NC State at Miami   7:30 PM   ESPN2

Georgia Tech at Virginia   7:30 PM   ACCN

West Virginia at TCU   7:30 PM   ESPNU

Utah at Oregon State   7:30 PM   PAC12

LATE NIGHT:

New Mexico State at Hawai'i   11:59 PM    -