This Saturday will be one of the key matchups in college football for a few games that people have circled on their schedules. The start of October and November will be weekly games that people will keep their eyes on for the College Football Playoffs (CFP). Here are some of the games that everyone will keep their eyes on:
1 Ohio State (5-0, 2-0) at 17 Illinois (5-1, 2-1): Big Ten
Some say that this is a trap game in Champaign with Ohio State on the road being the top team in the country. They will battle in the Illini Buck trophy, which the rivalry began in 1924 with a live turtle, but the coveted turtle died in 1926. The last time the Fightin Illini defeated Ohio State was in 2007 (the same year the Buckeyes were the number one team in the country). You have an Ohio State offense that is led by QB Julian Sayin and one of the best wide receivers in the country in Jeremiah Smith taking on an Illinois defense that has done better in pass coverage after being hammered by Indiana. The game will air on Fox Sports with Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt for Big Noon Saturday along with Jenny Taft.
8 Alabama (4-1, 2-0) at 14 Missouri (5-0, 1-0) SEC
The Crimson Tide is a 3.5-point favorite to win in Columbia but do not tell that to the Tigers. However, the Tigers will try to say differently what they would like to do to bounce back from last year’s 34-0 disappointing loss in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson has done a wonderful job for the Tide after losing in the season opener at Florida State. Alabama defense stepped up last week in their win over Vanderbilt, but Missouri offense will look to get rolling to try to upset the Tide this Saturday.
6 Oklahoma (5-0, 1-0) vs Texas (3-2, 0-1) SEC
Any and everything can happen in the Red River Rivalry in Dallas at the Cotton Bowl which the roles have been reversed this year. Last year, Texas was undefeated and heavily favorite against the Sooners and this year it is the Sooners that are the heavily favorite in this game. The matchup will be determined which quarterback will be better in this game: Texas’s Arch Manning or Oklahoma Michael Hawkins, Jr. The Sooners starting quarterback John Mateer will be questionable in this contest with a broken throwing hand, but Longhorn’s head coach Steve Sarkisian will not be surprised if Mateer does play. The experts have Oklahoma as a 1.5-point favorite in this game but if Texas does want to win this game and get themselves back in the College Football Playoff picture they will need to step up in a huge way after the embarrassing 29-21 loss at Florida. Longhorns leads the all-time series 64-51-5, which Saturday’s game will be the biggest in Longhorn’s history if they can get a big win over OU.
7 Indiana (5-0, 2-0) at 3 Oregon (5-0, 2-0) Big Ten
It is one of the top key matchups this week with the Hoosiers looking to be challenged by this Oregon offense that has a Heisman candidate in quarterback Dante Moore. The 5-0 start is the best for the Hoosiers program which will be particularly challenging with their top quarterback (Cal transfer) Fernando Mendoza. These two teams have not played one another since 2004 with Indiana upsetting Oregon 3-24 in Eugene; making this matchup one to watch. The Ducks have scored points on all twenty-three trips into the end zone, the second most of any team in the nation to score 100 percent of drives inside the twenty. On defense, Oregon is third in the nation at 123.4 yards passing per game allowed, and the Ducks have given up only two passing touchdowns in five games. Both teams had to survive September 27th matchups with Indiana getting by Iowa 20-15 and Oregon just squeezing by Penn State in Happy Valley in a 30-24 double overtime victory. Hoosiers defense is just allowing 9.6 points per game, the third-best average in the nation. Something must be given this Saturday at Eugene.
10 Georgia (4-1, 2-1) at Auburn (3-2, 0-2)
The rivalry between Georgia and Auburn has always been one of the premiere matchups in the Southeastern Conference. Referred to be call, “The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry,” the annual Georgia-Auburn game has been heavily one-sided for the better part of a decade. The Bulldogs are coming off a lopsided 35-14 win over Kentucky which got Kirby Smart into a great mood this week. Meanwhile, Auburn is coming back from the week off after their 16-10 loss to Texas A&M in College Station. Former Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold has done a wonderful job for the Tigers, which people think that this could be a matchup that the Bulldogs defense could struggle at times with a dual threat quarterback that can run the ball.
