We are in it people. There’s football every day from now till the end of November. (Two of those days are occupied by that pesky NFL, but we all need a palate cleanser from time to time.)

We got a bit of a taste last night with the CUSA doubleheader. Sure they aren’t the sexiest games in the world, and it is probably easy to say “who cares about those games when we have so many more much later in the season”, but this is where we learn to appreciate the Indiana/Oregons on the calendar.

So here are 10 games this week to keep an eye on. And finally, they are a little bit spread out.

Thursday

Louisiana Tech at Kennesaw St.

(Line: LT -5.5, O/U 45.5)

We’ll start off with a wild statement: The winner of this game might be playing Western Kentucky in the CUSA Championship game.

Some might say it is about time, but the Bulldogs have looked like the team they have been perceived to be ever since Sonny Cumbie took over. It’s not exactly the wide open Air Riad style you would expect from a former Texas Tech QB, but it is efficient nonetheless.

Meanwhile, winners of three in a row, Kennesaw St. has found a bit of offense as well after putting up 9 points to start the season against both Wake Forest and Indiana. One of those makes sense. The other? Not so much. But they have rebounded the last three games against non-Power 4 opponents at home thanks in part to quarterback Amari Odom adding a spark of energy.

Georgia Southern at Southern Miss

(Line: Southern Miss -3.5, O/U 59.5)

One thing about Georgia Southern….if you have even half an offense, you will put up no less than 30 on them. With Braylon Braxton, Southern Miss has that and then some.

Southern Miss sits at 3-2 with losses to Mississippi State and Louisiana Tech. They aren’t a threat for a playoff spot, but they likely are the team to beat in the Sun Belt West. Meanwhile Georgia Southern can still put up points with JC French and Dalen Cobb et al., but this team was supposed to be much more of a threat in the East then they appeared after their loss at JMU two weeks ago. This game may be a turning point for Clay Helton one way or another. Regardless, expect a lot of points to be scored.

Friday

South Florida at North Texas

(Line: USF -1.5, O/U 68.5)

It may be time to have a real conversation about North Texas.

This is not the Mean Green you may be used to. The past few years, they were a typical “half team” with a great offense but a porous defense. That is no longer the case. This team runs the ball, is efficient behind the play of QB Drew Mestemaker (we are still waiting for his first INT of the year), and feeds off of turnovers on D. All in all, this team is legit. However, if they get past the Bulls (a large if), this is likely their best win of the year.

The schedule is soft, with not a single P4 opponent to be found. What will the playoff committee do about that in the very likely possibility this teams ends up 12-0? (There is no Memphis or Tulane on the schedule.) Yes, this is putting the cart before the horse a bit, but it’s worth a conversation.

Will this be the Mean Green coming out party? Or will the Bulls stampede North Texas on their way to a potential playoff birth? I cannot wait to find out.

Fresno St. at Colorado St.

(Line: Fresno St. -6.5, O/U 47.5)

Meanwhile while we are throwing out hypotheticals, could I interest you in a 10-2 Fresno St.?

After a season opening loss at Kansas in which they looked pretty uninspiring, the Bulldogs have rebounded nicely to reel off five straight wins. None of those are Earth shattering, but you play who the schedule gives you. And aside from a road game at Boise, the Fresno schedule is pretty forgiving. Sitting at 2-0 currently, they head to Fort Collins to take on a Ram squad that is kinda in shambles. At 1-4, they will be looking for their first win of the season against an FBS squad.

Saturday

Air Force at UNLV

(Line: UNLV -5.5, O/U 65.5)

At 0-3, the Falcons are currently at the bottom of the Mountain West standings, but if he Commander-in-Chief game against Navy last week proved anything, they are far from the most boring team in the conference. Meanwhile UNLV is still undefeated this season after an impressive two touchdown win in the snow (!!!) against Wyoming. The line feels low given the discrepancies in record, but Air Force has a potent offense and should be able to hang with the Rebels on the scoreboard. This should be a fun game with upset potential.

Old Dominion at Marshall

(Line: ODU -14.5, O/U 57.5)

Sitting at 4-1 with only a loss at Indiana on their resume, I think Old Dominion is very good. Meanwhile, at 2-3, I don’t think Marshall is very good, but 131 points in 3 games is not nothing. This is one of those road games by a newer member of the Hunted that could pose problems. Or the Monarchs continue on their way to a completely unexpected College Football Playoff spot. (And a potential rematch with Indiana?)

Ball St. at Western Michigan

(Line: Western Mich. -9.5, O/U 43.5)

Who played North Texas tougher than anyone this year? Believe it or not, it was Western Michigan, falling to them in overtime in Kalamazoo. And last week, Ball St. upset previous conference favorite Ohio. Can they play giant killer again? The Broncos are solid, winning three in a row, but not immune to such a loss.

Navy at Temple

(Line: Navy -9.5, O/U 53.5)

I wrote a bit about the service academies and their high octane offenses earlier, but the fact is Navy won the game and is likely the favorite for the Commander-In-Chief, Quarterback Blake Horvath and receiver Eli Heidenreich are a potent combination through the air. (Seriously, they throw the ball now.)

At 3-2 with losses only to ranked Oklahoma and Georgia Tech, Temple has the look and feel of a team worthy of making a bowl, but these are the types of games they need to win to show they are a factor in the American Conference race. KC Keeler has the team playing that #TempleTough style of football that you would expect in Philadelphia, but Navy will be a different type of challenge.

Troy at Texas St.

(Line: Texas St. -9.5, O/U 53.5)

This game might be interesting just to see how Texas St. responds from their wild loss last week to Arkansas St.

If you missed it, Texas St. scored on a touchdown with a minute to go but missed the extra point, giving them a six point lead. That was just enough time for Jaylen Raynor and the Red Wolves offense to march down the field, score a touchdown and convert the extra point for the 31-30 win. It was a game the Bobcats feel they should have won, and as one of the Sun Belt West favorites, that loss may cost them. The key is to not let one loss turn into two against a dangerous Troy Trojan squad.

For what it’s worth (and that’s not much), they have a common opponent in Nicholls State. Troy beat them 38-20 while Texas St. beat them 35-3.

New Mexico at Boise St.

(Line: Boise St. -16.5, O/U 59.5)

Boise’s 28-7 loss to Notre Dame didn’t instill a lot of faith that the Broncos would run away and hide in the Mountain West Conference race. Teams like UNLV and Fresno are likely here to stay. But also don’t forget about New Mexico, who were competitive in a 35-28 loss last Friday to San Jose State. If they can find a way to pull this game out, they have a couple winnable home games to get to bowl eligibility before November. Quite a story for Jason Eck’s squad.