Big 10 Joins The Season; Bama On A Roll
After watching the first part of the college football season from the bench, the Big 10 finally gets off the sideline and onto the field. The teams are sure to keep a safe social distance from their school presidents, who tried to squash the season only to be pushed aside like a 150-pound linebacker by those wanting to play.
Meanwhile, in the SEC, in whipping Georgia, Alabama proved that the “Bama factor” is back and the rest of the conference is likely going to take a backseat to the Tide. In the ACC, there’s Clemson and teams like Georgia Tech and Syracuse (which somehow managed to lose to Liberty) and in the Big 12, which isn’t big at all this year, Texas is about to implode and Oklahoma is hanging on by a thread of the Sooner Schooner.
Now onto this week’s games. All times Pacific because The Prognosticator lives in San Diego.
Friday, Oct. 23
Illinois at Wisconsin (5 p.m., BTN)
Perhaps the big boys in sports TV are not yet excited about the Big 10 opening play, for this opening game is on the conference’s own network while Tulsa at South Florida is on ESPN. Still, the Wisconsinites will be jumping for joy at having a season and wouldn’t care if it were broadcast on the local cable channel. There will be something else to celebrate as the boys from Champagne are bringing the bubbly tho Bucky Badger will be the one popping that cork. Winner: Wisconsin
Saturday, Oct. 24
Syracuse at Clemson (9 a.m., ACC Network)
There’s an orange crush headed to the Orangemen and the Saltine Crackers are going to crumble as if they were going into a pumpkin pie. Any team that loses to Liberty has no chance against the roaring Felines, even tho the Oranges have been known to give them fits in the recent past. This is yet another walk in the park for the Dabos. Winner: Clemson
Nebraska at Ohio State (9 a.m., FOX)
The Acorns are itching to play but it’s going to be an empty feeling with only 1,500 fans allowed into the Horseshoe, no band and no dotting of the “i.” That is a break for the visiting Shuckers, who are anxious to shuck their label as a team that has yet to find its way with Scott Frost as head coach. While it’s true the hosts have probably set a record for being ranked in the Top 5 this late into the college football season without having yet won a game, they also have not had the chance to prove themselves. They will this week. Winner: Ohio State
Oklahoma at TCU (9 a.m., ABC)
The Boomers hope to lower the boom on the Toads, but that won’t be as easy as plucking one off a lily pad. The hosts have a habit of pulling off some surprises, a trend that seems to be continuing this year. Just ask Texas. Look for the Lizards to rattle the Schooners’ wagon, as well as the quarterback. Winner: TCU
Auburn at Ole Miss (9 a.m., SEC Network)
Now that the Hoddie Toddies are over their “we almost beat Bama” hangover, they can now concentrate on the rest of their opponents. Their defense may be just what the doctor ordered for the ailing Eagles offense but that team is going backward faster than Bo Nix under a pass rush. Plus, the Gus Busers can’t win away from the magical Plains. Winner: Ole Miss
Florida State at Louisville (9 a.m., ESPN3)
The Spears have shown some fight the past couple of weeks, an indiction that Mike Norvell might actually have them slinging their arrows in the right direction. They hope to be on target enough to beat the Red Birds. The Cards nearly pulled off a major upset last week in South Bend, but it’s hard to take seriously a team that was routed by Georgia Tech. Winner: Florida State
Alabama at Tennessee (12:30, CBS)
There are showers coming to Knoxville this week, tho it’s hardly showers of praise for Jeremy Pruitt. The orange-clad coach is feeling the rumblings under Rocky Top and in a rivalry that still matters – heck, they don’t sell Jack Daniels in any Tuscaloosa bar during “Beat Tennessee Week” – it’s going to be like an avalanche when his team get hits by the Crimson tidal wave. The Pachyderms are going to stomp into Neyland Stadium leaving behind nothing but orange pulp. Winner: Alabama
Notre Dame at Pittsburgh (12:30 p.m., ABC)
The Irish eyes were nearly crying instead of smiling last week against the Louisville Birds, and with traditional trouble against the Cats, this game could really be the Pitts for the visitors. The Kelley Greens have shown both offense and defense this year, tho not necessarily in the same game. The Felines haven’t exactly been consistent either, kicking a 58-yard field goal one minute only to miss an extra point to lose a game the next. Winner – in a close one – Notre Dame.
Iowa State at Oklahoma State (12:30 p.m., FOX)
The Pokies are finally poking themselves out from under the covers – they haven’t played since the first Saturday of October – and hope to keep from getting swept away by the inland Hurricanes on the flat Oklahoma plains. This will be a good test to see if they are ready to step up to the Big 10 podium or will simply fade back into the crowd. Winner: Oklahoma State
Penn State at Indiana (12:30 p.m., FS1)
The Lions come down from the mountain to invade the Hoosier’s nest, but it’s not quite like getting into a hornet’s nest. The IU’ers don’t have enough sting to penetrate the PSU’ers hide or to slow down the James (Franklin) train. Look for a few rough spots along the way but this will be an easy W for the visitors. Winner: Penn State
Virginia Tech at Wake Forest (12:30 p.m., ESPN3)
The Pokies go poking around Winston-Salem looking for some acorns to chew on in the hopes they will gobble up any trace of devilish fighting spirt in the Deacons. They have shown quite an appetite for wins this year, losing only to North Carolina. They will be full when they leave the Top Hats hangout. Winner: Virginia Tech
Baylor at Texas (12:30 p.m., ESPN)
There’s trouble in the Big State capitol with the quarterback calling for locker room calm, the head coach sitting on a seat as hot as a Texas BBQ grill and even Bevo facing a lawsuit. Meanwhile the Bears have been in COVID hibernation, having played just two games this season. So they will either be clawing to get their paws on an opponent or realizing that they need to be fully awake to compete, even against the confused Steers. Winner: Texas
South Carolina at LSU (4 p.m., ESPN)
There is a bit of calm in Columbia now that Will Muschamp beat Auburn, but as we shall see, that is not exactly a monumental achievement this season. And so they head to the Bayou full of false confidence while the Coach O’s try and get their heads out of their gumbo long enough to play some defense and test a new quarterback. Winner: LSU
Michigan at Minnesota (4:30 p.m., ABC)
The golden moment has arrived for the Gophers, who hope to dig up an upset on the first game of the year. They must get past the intruders from the Great Lake State in the Land of 1,000 Lakes and have the potential to do it. This is something the Khaki Coach is keen to avoid if he ever to get the Skunk Bears to be a Big 10 and National Championship contender. Winner: Michigan
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