| FTBL WEEK TEN: NCAA / SEC Games of the Week.

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Saturday, November 7

MATCHUPTIME (ET)NAT TVLOCATION

Air Force

Army
11:30 AMCBSMichie Stadium, West Point, NY

#23Michigan

#13Indiana
12:00 PMFS1Memorial Stadium , Bloomington, IN

#18SMU

Temple
12:00 PMESPN+Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA

Arizona State

#20USC
12:00 PMFOXLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA

West Virginia

#22Texas
12:00 PMABCDKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, TX

#25Liberty

Virginia Tech
12:00 PMACCNLane Stadium/Worsham Field, Blacksburg, VA

South Florida

Memphis
12:00 PMESPN+Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, TN

Tulane

East Carolina
12:00 PMESPN+Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, Greenville, NC

Tulsa

Navy
12:00 PMCBSSNNavy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, MD

North Carolina

Duke
12:00 PMESPN2Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham, NC

UL Monroe

Georgia State
12:00 PMESPN3Center Parc Stadium, Atlanta, GA

Nebraska

Northwestern
12:00 PMBTNRyan Field, Evanston, IL

Michigan State

Iowa
12:00 PMESPNKinnick Stadium, Iowa City, IA

Arkansas State

Louisiana
12:00 PMESPNUCajun Field, Lafayette, LA

Troy

Georgia Southern
1:00 PMESPN3Allen E. Paulson Stadium, Statesboro, GA

Boston College

Syracuse
2:00 PMESPN3Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY

UMass

#16Marshall
2:30 PMESPN+Joan C. Edwards Stadium, Huntington, WV

North Alabama

Southern Mississippi
3:00 PMESPN3M. M. Roberts Stadium, Hattiesburg, MS

Appalachian State

Texas State
3:00 PMESPN+Bobcat Stadium , San Marcos, TX

Houston

#6Cincinnati
3:30 PMESPNNippert Stadium, Cincinnati, OH

Purdue

#10Wisconsin
3:30 PMABCCamp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI

Kansas

#19Oklahoma
3:30 PMESPN2Memorial Stadium , Norman, OK

UTSA

Rice
3:30 PMESPN3Rice Stadium, Houston, TX

Charlotte

Middle Tennessee
3:30 PMESPN+Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium, Murfreesboro, TN

Maryland

Penn State
3:30 PMBTNBeaver Stadium, University Park, PA

Minnesota

Illinois
3:30 PMBTNMemorial Stadium , Champaign, IL

Texas Tech

TCU
3:30 PMFS1Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, TX

Fresno State

UNLV
3:30 PMCBSSNAllegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV

#14Oklahoma State

Kansas State
4:00 PMFOXBill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, KS

Arizona

Utah
4:00 PMESPNURice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT

Vanderbilt

Mississippi State
4:00 PMSECNDavis Wade Stadium at Scott Field, Starkville, MS

Florida International

UTEP
4:00 PMESPN3Sun Bowl, El Paso, TX

Pittsburgh

Florida State
4:00 PMACCNDoak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, FL

Baylor

#17Iowa State
7:00 PMFS1MidAmerican Energy Field at Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, IA

Louisiana Tech

North Texas
7:00 PMCBSSNApogee Stadium, Denton, TX

UCLA

Colorado
7:00 PMESPN2Folsom Field, Boulder, CO

#1Clemson

#4Notre Dame
7:30 PMNBCNotre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame, IN

Rutgers

#3Ohio State
7:30 PMBTNOhio Stadium, Columbus, OH

Stanford

#12Oregon
7:30 PMABCAutzen Stadium, Eugene, OR

South Alabama

#15Coastal Carolina
8:00 PMESPNUBrooks Stadium , Conway, SC

Louisville

Virginia
8:00 PMACCNDavid A. Harrison III Field at Scott Stadium, Charlottesville, VA

Washington State

Oregon State
10:30 PMFS1Reser Stadium, Corvallis, OR

Washington

California
10:30 PMESPNCalifornia Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, CA
 
Due to COVID-19 quarantine protocols, the entire on-air crew of Fox Sports’ college football pregame show, “Big Noon Kickoff,” will be off the air this Saturday.

Urban Meyer, Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, Brady Quinn and host Rob Stone will be held out, which will air prior to the network’s noon start of the USC-Arizona State game.

In their place, Fox Sports will have Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Emmanuel Acho, with host Charissa Thompson. Bradshaw, Long and Thompson work on Fox’s NFL Sunday studio coverage, while the up-and-coming Acho is on the daily FS1 program, “Speak for Yourself.” This Saturday’s “Big Noon Kickoff” will be condensed from two hours to one.

 
I am actually interested in watching Oregon and Stanford. Only because I want ro see Noah Seawell and Justin Flowe to see how they are. Oregon has lacked that defensive presence to get it over the hump as a title contender and those two guys are solid. Curious to see them in their first test at the college level.
 
If I understand the PAC's guidelines for the season this means that both UW and Cal have to win three of five to become bowl eligible. Both seasons now down to five games.

What strikes me about this report is it reads as if only one player tested positive, the other didn't, but since they were around the one player the entire game has been scratched?


Saturday's football season opener between the California Golden Bears and Washington Huskies has been canceled after a Cal player tested positive for COVID-19 and several teammates were placed into quarantine as possible close contacts, the school announced Thursday.
"Cal Athletics followed guidance from University Health Services Infection Control and Berkeley Public Health on contact tracing, quarantining, symptom monitoring and treatment," the school said in a statement. "As a result, several football student-athletes are in quarantine due to contact tracing."
 
When you are a degenerate gambler like me, you watch teams that you didn't know existed the day before. 😄

BUT......I want to see what ND looks like against a good team and I want to see what Florida can do against a descent defense (even with all of the injuries the DAWGS have).
 
Interesting CFB notes, streaks and trends entering the weekend...
  • There are four ranked matchups this weekend. This season, favorites are 13-2-1 ATS in ranked matchups...
  • This is the first time since 1988 Michigan is favored by less than 7 points vs Indiana. Dating back to 1978, this is the closest point spread between these two schools. That 6.5-point spread in 1988 is the previous low...
  • This is just the 2nd time in the last 15 years Boise State is a home underdog in the regular season. The other instance was a 24-17 win over Fresno State as a 2.5-point underdog in 2018...
  • Liberty is a 2-TD dog vs VT. This is the first time a team 6-0 or better is a double-digit underdog to a team with two losses since 2002 when 7-0 Notre Dame was a 10.5-point dog to 5-2 Florida State and won 34-24...
  • ...The only other time a team 6-0 or better was a double-digit dog to a two-loss team was in 1996 when 9-0 Army lost 42-17 to 6-2 Syracuse as an 18.5-point dog...
  • Houston has covered ten straight game as a double-digit underdog - three under Dana Holgorsen, one under Major Applewhite, three under Tom Herman and three under Tony Levine. Houston won four of those games outright...
  • Notre Dame has been a home underdog four times since 2014. The Irish have won every game outright...
  • Miami at NC State: Top 12 teams are 10-26-1 ATS this season as double-digit favorites over unranked opponents...
  • Will Muschamp knows how to keep the alumni happy in a big game. He’s 3-0 ATS this season vs ranked teams and dating back to 2018, 7-2 ATS vs ranked teams, all coming as an underdog (two outright wins).
  • In the last 3 years, Florida has reached the red zone on just 4 of 31 drives vs Georgia. Gators have averaged 13.7 PPG and outgained by 139 YPG...
  • Notre Dame's opponents are 9-22 vs FBS opponents this season (excluding the loss to the Irish).
  • Notre Dame has lost 11 straight and 19 of its last 20 against Top 5 opponents, as well as each of its last five Top 5 matchups.
 


Florida and Georgia renew their rivalry Saturday in what will be the third consecutive top-10 matchup in the series.

Anthony Dasher of UGASports.com joins us to break down the game and what to expect from the Bulldogs.

Check out what he had to say below:

Describe the confidence level of Georgia right now heading into the game?
Dasher: I think they are confident. Georgia players never seem to get too high after a win and they don't seem to get too low after a loss. While fans are certainly concerned about the status of the offense, players remain confident in their ability to run, and in Stetson Bennett's ability to move the offense as whole. The fact this is such a huge rivalry game will ensure both teams will be at their best. Should be a fun a game to watch.

UGA has the best defense in the SEC, but three starters out. How will that impact the unit against the Gators?
Dasher: Losing safety Richard LeCounte is probably the biggest blow, simply because he is such a great leader of the defense and the quarterback of the secondary. But Georgia has plenty of other options. Junior Chris Smith — who has played a good bit, actually — will take over for LeCounte. The other two starters are nose guard Jordan Davis and defensive tackle Julian Rochester, who has started the past two games. At 6-6 and 320 pounds, losing Davis is a big loss, literally and figuratively, but against Florida, I'm actually not sure if it will be as big a loss as it might be in other games. Allow me to explain.

Not discounting Florida's run game at all, but for Georgia to win, it is imperative that the Bulldogs (who lead the SEC in sacks), get some kind of pressure on Kyle Trask. They don't have to sack him all the time, but they to make his afternoon as tough as possible. By sliding Devonte Wyatt over from tackle to nose and using freshmen Jalen Carter and Nazir Stackhouse at tackle, the Bulldogs, at least in my opinion, become a more athletic defensive front, which you want to have a chance of making it uncomfortable on Trask. That's obviously easier said than done, but for Georgia to have that opportunity, that might actually have been the route to go, even if Davis was healthy.

Why has Kirby Smart stuck with Stetson Bennett as his quarterback?
Dasher: Right now, it just seems he is the best option. Georgia fans have been pining for former five-star JT Daniels to get his shot. Daniels has been cleared for a month now, but there is a difference in between cleared and being ready to play the position in the manner offensive coordinator Todd Monken wants his QB to play. Mobility is a must for Monken, and that is what we understand has been the biggest issue. Daniels does seem to be getting closer. He's been without his brace for three weeks now, but at least until this week, is still the No. 3 guy behind D'Wan Mathis who started the opener against Arkansas. People have also asked why not Mathis. But apparently Bennett continues to prove in practice that he is the best option, despite throwing throwing five interceptions over his past two games.

What’s been the most surprising aspect of Georgia's play this season?
Dasher: Probably that Bennett is the quarterback. Over the summer and into preseason camp, I probably mentioned Bennett's name three times. But after Jamie Newman opted out, and word that Daniels' recovery wasn't going as expected, Bennett got thrust into the limelight, taking over for Mathis in the second quarter at Arkansas. In Bennett's defense, he played very well against Arkansas, Auburn and Tennessee, throwing for over 200 yards in each game, but as I mentioned above, struggled against Alabama and Kentucky with five interceptions and a pair of fumbles over those two games.

What’s your take on Saturday? Can UGA lean on its ground game and keep the ball away from UF’s offense?
Georgia can't be afraid to throw the ball just based on the fact the Gators are 12th in the SEC in pass defense, and I do think you will see them be more aggressive, particularly since George Pickens (strained pec) is due to return. Nevertheless, the Bulldogs can't get into a shootout with Trask and company. They won't win the game doing that. They'll have to play balanced football, run the football effectively, but not to be afraid to take shots when the opportunity presents. As far as the outcome, I'm not sure. Kentucky is not a bad defensive team, they actually play physical football. But if I'm Georgia I'm obviously very concerned about Kyle Pitts and the fact Florida's receivers are very physical. I'm not sure how good a matchup that is for the Bulldogs' secondary, especially with LeCounte out and Lewis Cine playing, but coming back from an ankle that he tweaked against Kentucky. I think it definitely will be a four-quarter game, but the fact that Trask is playing so well, that could be a huge obstacle for Georgia to overcome.
 
Clemson vs Notre Dame means nothing in the same way that the loser of Alabama vs Georgia wasn't out of the playoff picture. No matter who losses tomorrow, they'll get a mulligan until their second loss.

UGA vs UF, on the other hand, means one of those two teams are out. It's a regular season, elimination game (like the regular season is supposed to be :devilish: .)

Games of note? A big one tonight in terms of the playoff picture. A BYU win puts them in serious discussion to be included in that final four. The same includes Houston and Cincinnati tomorrow. Cincy is already getting a little love and a lot look at the possibility they can run through their schedule. A win tomorrow likely solidifies them as that G5 team with the invitation to the NY6 Bowl games.

All of the other games on the slate don't have a lot of impact. Or, I don't see a lot of impact on the post season from most of the other games scheduled (barring a major upset.)
 
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