Full disclosure. I hate mentioning what week it is, because it is just telling me that we are getting closer to the end of the football season. But the reality is, we are in October.
October means midweek CUSA games with the appearance of MACtion on the horizon. But until then, get ready to learn Kennesaw St. and Missouri St.
You may need to take my word for it, but Conference USA is actually pretty entertaining this year. The perception has generally been “Liberty and a bunch of also-rans” but the reality is it hasn’t been that for quite a while. Jacksonville St. won the conference last year and aren’t going away this year despite the loss of Rich Rod. Stalwarts like Louisiana Tech, Western Kentucky and New Mexico St. will have a say in who wins the conference. Newcomers Delaware and Missouri St. will also be factors as much as they can in their first year.
All that is just to say, don’t neglect the mid-week games. Whether it be this week or any this month. They won’t reach “Bama/Georgia” level of national significance, but they will get weird. And that’s the beauty of college football.
So here are 10 games this week to pay attention to if you are a Group of 5 (or 6) fan. And while I don’t want to neglect Sam Houston at New Mexico St. as the standalone Thursday night game, we start with Friday’s sneaky good slate.
Friday
Western Kentucky at Delaware
(Line: Delaware -2.5, O/U 61.5)
An argument can be made that this is the game of the year in Conference USA.
Delaware sits at 3-1, with their lone loss being at Colorado. Since then, they have put up 44 points against UCONN and 38 at FIU, both in winning efforts. I sense they will be fired up to host a good Hilltopper team on a Friday night in Delaware. This will mark back to back road games for the 4-1 WKU squad. As someone who was at the Florida State-Virginia game, I can vouch that weird things happen in the greater Delmarva region.
New Mexico at San Jose St.
(Line: San Jose St. -2.5, O/U 57.5)
San Jose St. was considered one of the Mountain West darkhorses. But here they sit at 1-3. And the last time we saw New Mexico on a Friday night, they were ending the Deshaun Foster Era at UCLA. Life moves at you fast.
I see this as a true showcase for New Mexico. During national showcases, they play Michigan tough in the Big House and had the aforementioned victory at UCLA. Sitting at 3-1, they can announce themselves as the true darkhorse in the Mountain West with a win Friday.
Colorado St. at San Diego St.
(Line: San Diego St. -6.5, O/U 40.5)
That Over/Under total is not a typo. And it suggests this might be a gross game.
If you sat through any of last week’s San Diego St./Northern Illinois 6-3 game or the Colorado St./Washington St. 20-3 loss (both will be future conference matchups by the way), then you are probably less than impressed with the offensive abilities of both these teams. And you would be correct. But the fact of the matter is that the Aztecs sit at 3-1 and are set up to be a fly in the Mountain West ointment. The week before when they shut out Cal 34-0 might be a better indicator of what they are capable of. One can only hope.
Saturday
Air Force at Navy
(Line: Navy -11.5, O/U 51.5)
Commander-in-Chief games are always a good time, if for no other reason than the pageantry. Keep that in mind when you watch this game.
The Air Force defense has been pretty brutal, giving up 49, 49 and 44 in their 3 conference games to this point. And the Navy offense is every bit as potent as Boise, Utah St. and Hawaii. But again, these games are a bit different. You never know. Maybe the Falcon defense rises up against a fellow Service Academy. Or maybe the undefeated Midshipmen hang a 50 burger?
Ohio at Ball St.
(Line: Ohio -14.5, O/U 51.5)
It’s kinda slim pickings in the MAC this week. But if you are looking for an interesting game, I offer up a conference favorite on the road against a team that can score points?
Look, I fully expect the Bobcats to leave Muncie with a win, but Ball St. has been finding a bit of a groove offensively the last two games against New Hampshire and UCONN by leaning on the legs of Quarterback Kiael Kelly and running back Qua Ashley. I think they can at least keep this game within the number. And in the MAC, that could mean even more chaos than expected.
Boise St. at Notre Dame
(Line: Notre Dame -19.5, O/U 63.5)
This game probably looked a lot more interesting in the preseason, but both these teams seem to be finding their footing after early season struggles.
Honestly, that spread looks incredibly high to me. Boise St. is still Boise St., Notre Dame’s defense is still a sieve, and ask fellow G5ers Marshall and Northern Illinois about the mystique of the Golden Dome. I understand the Irish are on a seek and destroy mission with the rest of their schedule if they have any hope of returning to the College Football Playoff, but this is against a team also trying to get back to the CFP. I think this ends up a very good game, possibly the game of the weekend.
UL Monroe at Northwestern
(Line: Northwestern -11.5, O/U 41.5)
Other than a 73-0 beating by Alabama (which pretty much anyone would have received), UL Monroe has been…kinda bullying teams. Their last two wins against UTEP and Arkansas St. have been predicated on running the hell out of the ball and playing stout defense. That’s a recipe perfect for winning a game against Northwestern at their “stadium” on the lakefront.
Oregon St. at Appalachian St.
(Line: App St. -1.5, O/U 53.5)
If you have a soul, you can feel bad for both of these teams. It’s a genuine “I hope both teams have fun” situation.
Oregon St. is still winless at 0-5, getting their teeth kicked in by the likes of Texas Tech and Oregon before putting up a valiant effort against Houston before falling in overtime last Friday. They are stuck in college football purgatory until the new Pac 8-10-12 starts back up. But the players are trying hard and aren’t quitting. For now.
Meanwhile App St. returns home after an emotional trip to Boise St. just days after the passing of former coach Shaun Clark. Something tells me this will be another case of “wrong place, wrong time” for the Beavers, as there is still some magic in Appalachia, even if they aren’t one of the top teams in the Sun Belt this year.
UNLV at Wyoming
(Line: UNLV -3.5, O/U 51.5)
Quietly, UNLV is still among the undefeated in college football.
They sit at 4-0, but haven’t exactly played a murderer’s row of challengers. Still, wins are wins. And Dan Mullen’s squad is piling them up. They head to tricky Laramie to face a Wyoming squad who has beaten the teams they were supposed to (Akron and Northern Iowa) and lost to those they were expected to (Utah and Colorado). It’s the conference opener for both, so it may not be pretty. But you will learn a lot about both teams after it’s over.
Tulsa at Memphis
(Line: Memphis -20.5, O/U 57.5)
Tulsa is likely who we thought they were, coming back to Earth after their win in Stillwater by losing 31-14 to Tulane last week. This game is more about Memphis, who currently has the inside track to a playoff spot. I’m not sure the win against Arkansas is going to age well after they fired Sam Pittman, so these are the kinds of games they need to win handily to keep at the top of the playoff committee’s mind a few weeks from now. With the toughest games all at home (South Florida, Tulane, Navy), these road games are opportunities to take care of business.
