Week 4: 3 Games on Friday Night Lights

Friday, September 21st

Florida Atlantic at UCF
6:00 pm
ESPN

The Knights have opened up 2018 winning, so can the Owls be the first team to knock them off, since the 2016 season?

Penn State at Illinois
8:00 pm
FS1

Big Ten Football on Friday night in Week 4 isn't what Penn State is normally involved with, but Fighting Illini host them for it.

Washington State at USC
9:30 pm
ESPN

Trojans have lost back to back road games, after season opening win over UNLV. While Washington State is 3-0, after back to back home wins. Opened season with road win over Wyoming to kickoff 2018 College Football season.

Thursday Night College Football: Three games better than one?

Thursday, October 4th


Arkansas State at Florida International 6:30 p.m. ESPNU (HD) / espn3 *9

East Carolina at UCF 7:00 p.m. CBSSN (HD)

#12 USC at Utah 8:00 p.m. ESPN (HD)

Last Thursday night, the Stanford @ Washington game was an outstanding game in the Pac 12 in Week 5.  But the game Friday night was a total one sided game between BYU-Hawaii.     With three games up tonight, hopefully college football fans will have something to enjoy, with games featuring conference match ups from the Sun Belt, C-USA and Pac 12.   The NFL also offers a game on Thursday night, as the old St. Louis franchise, the Arizona Cardinals (4-0) return to St. Louis to face the St. Louis Rams (2-2) on the NFL Network.  

Week 7 of FBS: Saturday, October 16Th

Who will end Week 7 in the BCS Ratings for the first time? That's right, the first BCS Standings come out at the conclusion of Week 7.

We have seen games earlier in Week 7, as we get going again in the 2010 College Football season.

• UCF took down Marshall on the road in C-USA play on Wednesday night.
• West Virginia opens Big East play on Thursday night with home win over South Florida.
• Cincinnati pulls off road win in Big East play on Friday night @ Louisville.

Saturday, October 16Th (Printable Schedule w/ DirecTV channels)
Times are Central Time

• Arkansas State at Indiana 11:00 a.m. ESPNU (HD)
• Boston College at #15 Florida State 11:00 a.m. ESPN (HD)
• Illinois at #11 Michigan State 11:00 a.m. BTN (HD)
• Maryland at Clemson 11:00 a.m. ESPN-GP *2 / ACC Network (cable)
• Miami (Ohio) at Central Michigan 11:00 a.m. ESPN-GP / ERTV (cable)
• Minnesota at Purdue 11:00 a.m. ESPN2 (HD)
• #22 Missouri at Texas A&M 11:00 a.m. FSN (HD)
• North Carolina State at East Carolina 11:00 a.m. CBSC (HD)
• Pittsburgh at Syracuse 11:00 a.m. SNY (HD) / MASN / ALT / ESPN-GP / ERTV (cable)
• Vanderbilt at Georgia 11:21 a.m. SEC Network / ESPN-GP
• UNLV at Colorado State 1:00 p.m. MTN (HD)
• Western Michigan at Notre Dame 1:30 p.m. NBC (HD)
• #12 Arkansas at #10 Auburn 2:30 p.m. CBS (HD) / cbssports.com
• California at USC 2:30 p.m. FSN (HD) / CSNB
• #13 Iowa at Michigan 2:30 p.m. (ABC *1 or ESPN *7) (HD)
• #19 Oklahoma State at Texas Tech 2:30 p.m. Fox Sports Plus (updated)
• SMU at Navy 2:30 p.m. CBSC (HD)
• Texas at #6 Nebraska 2:30 p.m. (ABC *1 or ESPN *7) (HD)
• Wake Forest at #24 Virginia Tech 2:30 p.m. ESPNU (HD)
• BYU at #3 TCU 3:00 p.m. Versus (HD)
• Idaho at Louisiana Tech 3:00 p.m. MASN / ALT2 / ESPN-GP / CST (cable)
• #14 South Carolina at Kentucky 5:00 p.m. ESPN2 (HD)
• #9 Utah at Wyoming 5:00 p.m. MTN (HD)
• Baylor at Colorado 6:00 p.m. DirecTV 617 / FCS Central (cable)
• Iowa State at #5 Oklahoma 6:00 p.m. FSN (HD)
• McNeese State at #7 LSU 6:00 p.m. FSS / SUN / ESPN-GP *2
• Mississippi State at #25 Florida 6:00 p.m. ESPNU (HD)
• #1 Ohio State at #17 Wisconsin 6:00 p.m. ESPN (HD) / ESPN 3D
• #20 Arizona at Washington State 6:30 p.m. Versus (HD)
• Florida International at North Texas 6:30 p.m. ESPN-GP *2 / (CSS & CST) (cable)
• #21 Air Force at San Diego State 7:00 p.m. CBSC (HD)
• #2 Boise State at San Jose State 7:00 p.m. ESPN-GP / KTVB (cable)
• Ole Miss at #8 Alabama 8:00 p.m. ESPN2 (HD)
• #23 Oregon State at Washington 9:15 p.m. ESPN (HD)
• New Mexico State at Fresno State 9:30 p.m. ESPNU (HD)
• #18 Nevada at Hawaii 10:30 p.m. ESPN-GP *2 / Oceanic PPV

Games not selected for nationally available networks.

• Akron at Ohio U. 1:00 p.m.
• Army at Rutgers 1:00 p.m. espn3.com
• Bowling Green at Temple 12:00 p.m.
• Buffalo at Northern Illinois 2:30 p.m.
• Eastern Michigan at Ball State 12:00 p.m.
• Houston at Rice 2:30 p.m. CSS (cable)
• Kent State at Toledo 6:00 p.m.
• Louisiana-Lafayette at Troy 6:00 p.m.
• Louisiana-Monroe at Western Kentucky 4:00 p.m.
• #25 Miami (FL) at Duke 12:00 p.m. espn3.com
• Middle Tennessee at Georgia Tech 2:30 p.m. espn3.com
• North Carolina at Virginia 5:00 p.m. espn3.com
• Southern Miss at Memphis 11:00 a.m. CSS (cable)
• Tulane at Tulsa 6:00 p.m.
• UTEP at UAB 3:00 p.m.

Enjoy Saturday of Week 7 - There are games to enjoy! It will be interesting to see how the rankings fall out after this weekend.

peace

It's not basketball, so will the 2008 C-USA season be relevant nationally?

The Conference USA nearly won the basketball crown last season, with the University of Memphis' Tigers falling short vs. the University of Kansas in the NCAA Title Game. But, what about football in 2008 for the Conference USA? Will the Conference USA be relevant on a national level in 2008?

The C-USA has never been relevant in the BCS. Unlike Memphis in basketball, there really isn't a marquee name in the conference at a national level in college football. Tulsa is about the only consensus type team in the conference... the top pick in the C-USA West. One preseason magazine picked a C-USA team in the Top 25, with Gold Sheet picking Eastern Carolina #25. Tulsa is my preseason #25 team, with a strong offense under coach Todd Graham, entering his third season.

Top 20 C-USA OOC games for '08:

1. West Virginia at East Carolina
2. Louisville at Memphis
3. Cincinnati at Marshall
4. East Carolina at Virginia Tech in season opener
5. Marshall at Wisconsin
6. Tulsa at Arkansas
7. Marshall at West Virginia
8. Central Florida at Boston College
9. East Carolina at Virginia
10. Central Florida at Miami-FL
11. East Carolina at North Carolina State
12. SMU at Texas Tech
13. UTEP at Texas
14. Memphis at Mississippi in season opener
15. Southern Mississippi at Auburn
16. Houston at Oklahoma State
17. Rice at Vanderbilt
18. Tulane at Alabama in the Green Wave's season opener
19. Tulane at LSU
20. UAB at Tennessee

Street & Smith's Preview asked: And what does a Conference USA team have to do to sneak into the BCS Party?

"You have to go undefeated and win all your games," (new Southern Miss coach
Larry) Fedora says.

Tulsa appears the best candidate to go undefeated, but they were 3 games short in '07, so they have a lot of ground to cover in '08.

Who are the top teams in '08 for the C-USA in football (my picks):

C-USA East

1. East Carolina ( 6-2 C-USA in '07)
2. Central Florida (7-1 C-USA in '07)
3. Memphis (6-2 C-USA in '07)
4. Marshall (3-5 C-USA in '07)
5. Southern Mississippi (5-3 C-USA in '07)
6. UAB (1-7 C-USA in '07

C-USA West

1. Tulsa (6-2 C-USA in '07)
2. Houston (6-2 C-USA in '07)
3. UTEP (2-6 C-USA in '07)
4. SMU (0-8 C-USA in '07)
5. Rice (3-5 C-USA in '07)
6. Tulane (3-5 C-USA in '07)

• Biggest Game in '08: Oct. 26th - UCF at Tulsa (Sunday game)
• Biggest Game in C-USA East: Nov. 2nd - East Carolina at UCF (Sunday game)
• C-USA Title Game Prediction: Tulsa over East Carolina
• Coach of the Year: Todd Graham, Tulsa

C-USA has a lot of ground to cover to get to the level the WAC and Mountain West. Those other two leagues have crashed the BCS bowl party. It's been four years, since major realignment of the C-USA. Tulsa may sneak into the Top 25, but I see them more like TCU in previous years and coming up short.

peace