2024 Games of the Slot: Week 3
Breaking down which game to watch at each time slot this weekend
Last week had some great matchups with top-tier programs dropping games in David against Goliath scenarios and some great helmet games. This week doesn’t have that same gravitas, but that doesn’t mean that the games are less interesting or bad. In fact, I think we’ve got some real fun football on tap this weekend.
So what should you watch? Read on and find out, my friend! As always, all times are in Eastern.
Friday Night
Game of the Slot: 18 Arizona at 16 Kansas State (8 p.m., FOX)
I think this is going to be a really good game.
Both offenses struggled last week at points, but the defenses were able to bail them out. Both teams are considered in the thick of the Big 12 title race. And we get the first major installment in that race on Friday night.
For the visiting Arizona Wildcats, they’ll need their passing game to show up after a poor showing last week against FCS Northern Arizona. Quarterback Noah Fifita and wideout Tetairoa McMillan were in sync to the tune of 10 completions for 304 yards and four scores in Week One against New Mexico. But neither one really showed up against Northern Arizona, with Fifita posting a 10.7 QBR and McMillan only catching two passes. If they’re on, Kansas State is in for a tough game.
Kansas State - also the Wildcats - will enjoy the home field advantage, but they also need their offense to step up after a poor showing against Tulane. Avery Johnson was good, not great, and D.J. Giddens had his second 100-yard outing in as many games. So what went wrong? For starters, Johnson couldn’t find any downfield passing lanes. Toss in a poor outing from the defense up until the final four minutes and you got Kansas State on upset watch.
This game is really going to boil down to the Arizona offense against the Kansas State defense. I think that’s going to be a good matchup, but that’s the headliner. I think the inverse, the Arizona defense against Kansas State’s offense, that will really define this game.
Multi-Box Games: UNLV at Kansas (7 p.m., ESPN)
There’s only one other game on Friday night, but it does have some intrigue. Both teams are leaning on the run, but UNLV ranks in the Top 10 in scoring offense in the early go while Kansas sits in the middle of the pack. Look for the rush defenses to decide this affair.
Saturday - 12 p.m. EST
Game of the Slot: 24 Boston College at 11 Missouri (12:45 p.m., SEC Network)
This is Saturday’s only ranked-against-ranked matchup, believe it or not, so it almost gets the nod by default. Almost.
Boston College has been a surprise this season. Their win over Florida State has lost a lot of luster, but was still a solid win. New head coach Bill O’Brien has orchestrated what seems like an immediate vibe flip in Boston surrounding a strong rushing offense. Quarterback Thomas Castellanos ranks third in the nation with a 93.9 QBR, so he can sling it, too. But Missouri is the best team the Eagles have faced. Are they for real, or just an early season mirage?
On the other sideline, Missouri seems like the race car gearing up to fly down the track. They’ve blown past both Murray State and Buffalo with a combined 89-0 score. Even with that, the passing game hasn’t been all that. Brady Cook has been slightly above average and Luther Burden III isn’t impacting games like he has in the past. For the Tigers to be playing this well without last year’s main strength in their passing attack is impressive.
Multi-Box Games: 21 Memphis at Florida State (ESPN); 4 Alabama at Wisconsin (FOX); North Texas at Texas Tech (FS1)
I circled our first game before the season, but it’s really lost its shine, hasn’t it? Memphis represents a really good team - my G5 playoff pick - but a loss would be catastrophic for Florida State. It’s an early-season anxiety bowl at its best. Alabama-Wisconsin somehow has turned into a spread out passing battle and that feels both exciting and sacrilegious at the same time. Let’s watch to find out, shall we? Finally, we have another offensive battle in North Texas at Texas Tech. The Mean Green had one of the most explosive offenses in the nation last year and may be even more explosive with new quarterback Chandler Morris. Texas Tech will lean on Tajh Brooks and the running game more, but he’s also explosive in his own right. With no defenses in sight, it should be a blast.
3-4 p.m. EST
Game of the Slot: Tulane at 9 Oklahoma (3:30 p.m., ESPN)
So it’s not exactly the rematch of the 2023 Cotton Bowl, but it’s a chance for Tulane to notch an even better win and take the reigns from Boise State as the Oklahoma-kryptonite.
Tulane put Kansas State on upset watch behind a shockingly powerful offense, but late turnovers doomed the home victory for the Green Wave. They’ll be on the road in Norman, which is a daunting site for a game, but their narrow loss last week is a learning experience. Quarterback Darian Mensah had his way with Kansas State until the final four minutes and the defense did just enough to keep them in the game. Can Tulane really pull this off?
If they’re going to, they need to make Jackson Arnold uncomfortable. Tulane’s head coach Jon Sumrall is known for his defenses, and Oklahoma struggled against Houston last week, punting eight times and only notching 249 total yards. The Sooner defense also needs to step up after allowing a 24-28, 260 yard day to Houston quarterback Donovan Smith. Mensah is more talented than Smith and will take advantage of a soft defense that was very uncharacteristic of a Brent Venables-coached team.
Multi-Box Games: Texas A&M at Florida (3:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN+); 18 Notre Dame at Purdue (3:30 p.m., CBS/Paramount+); Washington State at Washington (3:30 p.m., Peacock)
Our Helmet Game of the Week isn’t the best matchup, but could be entertaining. Texas A&M played fine against Notre Dame, but that’s a much worse loss after the Irish were toppled. Florida turns to hyped freshman D.J. Lagway after an injury to Graham Mertz, and he looked great against Samford. Speaking of Notre Dame, they’re heading into Ross-Ade Stadium to take on Purdue. Scary stuff. Marcus Freeman needs to right the ship or else it’s going to sink, especially on the offensive side. Finally, we get the return of the Apple Cup. Both teams are different than last year, but Washington State is playing with spite on their side after their cross-state rival blew up the PAC-12. Plus, the Cougars may actually be pretty good this year. Will Rogers and the Husky offense will have their hands full.
Wondering where these rankings are coming from? Check out this week’s SID Sports Top 25 and Players of the Week!
6-8 p.m. EST
Game of the Slot: 2 Georgia at Kentucky (7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN+)
It’s not really a show stopper of a game, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be entertaining.
Georgia may have dropped a spot in my rankings, but the that was moreso for Texas’s big win than anything Georgia did. The Bulldogs haven’t been challenged yet, even by Clemson. The offense is firing on all cylinders early and the defense is just as good as you’d expect for a Kirby Smart coached unit.
On the other side, we’ll find out what this Kentucky squad is made of. They have a solid defense, but Georgia torched a very good Clemson defense. Is Kentucky’s offense up to the fight? There’s a lot of question marks surrounding the team led by former Georgia signal caller Brock Vandagriff, and Georgia is not the spot to answer those questions.
Multi-Box Games: Colorado at Colorado State (7:30 p.m., CBS); UCF at TCU (7:30 p.m., FOX); Air Force at Baylor (7:30 p.m., FS1)
Last year’s Rocky Mountain Showdown was a great game encapsulating one of the nation’s most underrated rivalries. Now, the noise around Colorado is getting louder and Colorado State just made a PAC-12 jump. Which program has the better trajectory? You best believe boosters on each side are going to pay attention to this game. We turn our attention to a Big 12 battle with tons of offensive potential. This is the best UCF team we’ve seen in the Big 12, while TCU is looking to jump back into the title contention. This has some early Big 12 Championship implications. Finally, let’s get to a hot coaching seat in Baylor. Dave Aranda’s squad hasn’t looked good this season and they’ve got a tough matchup against Air Force on deck. If the Bears can’t dispatch the Mountain West Falcons, expect Aranda’s seat to start smoking.
West Coast After Dark
Game of the Slot: New Mexico State at Fresno State (10:30 p.m., TruTV/MAX)
There’s only two late night games, but could we be returning to a PAC-12 After Dark era?
One of the new PAC-12 programs in Fresno State hosts our After Dark matchup. Quarterback Mikey Keene isn’t playing at the levels he was last season so far. Is that because Jeff Tedford retired? He did go against a tough Michigan defense but the junior was no better against Sacramento State. If Fresno State wants to turn the season around, they’ll need better quarterback play from Keene.
On the other side, the visiting New Mexico State Aggies are also struggling early on. They dropped an early season CUSA matchup against a very good Liberty team, but FCS Southeast Missouri State almost bested them. Quarterback Parker Awad ranks 131st in the nation with a 12.6 QBR. They aren’t scoring and they aren’t stopping opponents from scoring. Could they turn it around? Certainly, but it needs to start now.
Multi-Box Game: San Diego State at California (10:30 p.m., ESPN)
There’s really only two late-night affairs, and the San Diego State-California matchup may be the better of the two, but I like the chaos potential of the other. California notched a quality win over Auburn last week and quarterback Fernando Mendoza has been solid so far. On the other side, San Diego State is PAC-12 bound and has a dynamic playmaker in Marquez Cooper leading Sean Lewis’s up-tempo attack. The battle of Cooper and Cal tailback Jadyn Ott should be fun to watch.
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