2024 Games of the Slot: Week 6

Breaking down which game to watch at each time slot this weekend

Oct 04, 2024

Aerial view of Kyle Field, home of the Texas A&M Aggies football team. Credit: TigerNet.com on Flickr.

So, I missed the game of the year so far in an epic Georgia-Alabama showdown while on my honeymoon. Am I disappointed? Sure, but the trip was great, so there’s that.

But what should you watch this weekend? There’s a ton of great games that should be very entertaining lined up. Will any surpass the Georgia-Alabama game? Maybe not, but that’s okay.

Rankings this week are from the AP Poll, since I didn’t do one. All times, as always, are in Eastern.

Friday Night

Game of the Slot: Syracuse at 25 UNLV (9 p.m., FS1)

If you’ve paid attention to my rankings, you know that I’ve been higher than most on Syracuse so far this season. UNLV’s also been very good, so this game should be a blast.

The Orange suffered a deflating loss to Stanford a few weeks ago, but bounced back well against FCS Holy Cross. This is a team that lives and dies by Kyle McCord’s arm. They rank third in the nation in passing yards per game with 372.5, but their running game has been non-existent with a 112th ranking in rush yards per game with 102.8. The defense has been average, allowing 22.5 points per game, so they may have issues with the UNLV offense. If Syracuse wants to right the ship against a very good Group of Five opponent, they’ll need McCord to take care of the ball and continue distributing it to his receivers.

UNLV’s been in the news for better or for worse follower their PAC-12 courting and the NIL-related opt-out of quarterback Matthew Sluka. Don’t look now, but new quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams might just be better. He’s still primarily a rusher, like Sluka was, but Williams is averaging 9.4 yards per carry in limited action and has a much higher 81.3 completion percentage. They’re also the systemic polar opposite of Syracuse, leaning on a top-10 rushing attack that averages 283 yards per game. But they’ve also got the top-15 scoring offense (45.3 points per game, 12th) and scoring defense (13.8 points per game) to back it up. Think that’s a misnomer because they’ve played a Group of Five schedule? Think again. The Runnin’ Rebels have wins over Houston and Kansas, putting them at 2-0 in Big 12 play. Oh wait, they’re a Mountain West team.

Multi-Box Games: Jacksonville State at Kennesaw State (7 p.m., CBS Sports Network), Houston at TCU (7:30 p.m., ESPN), Michigan State at 6 Oregon (9 p.m., FOX)

I think Jacksonville State-Kennesaw State could be a stylistically fun game, but that’s about it. Jacksonville State is looking for a springboard to their CUSA schedule, while Kennesaw is searching for answers behind an ineffective offense and defense. Houston at TCU may be in a similar boat with the Horned Frogs clear favorites. Josh Hoover is navigating the Sonny Dykes TCU offense well, but Houston is in year one of what looks to be an ugly rebuild under Willy Fritz. Don’t expect much from the Coogs. Similarly, I expect Oregon to run through Michigan State, but this could be a good litmus test for a young Spartan squad. How do they respond after a 38-7 drubbing by Ohio State? How they come out against Oregon will say a lot about which direction Jonathan Smith has this team pointed in.

Saturday - 12 p.m. EST

Game of the Slot: 9 Missouri at 25 Texas A&M (ABC/ESPN+)

It’s the only ranked-on-ranked matchup this weekend, so let’s hope this one delivers.

Missouri has been a hot pick this season, but hasn’t quite found the offensive gear they had last year. It took overtime to put away Vanderbilt and the Tigers also notched a narrow win over Boston College, who’s rejoined the rankings at No. 24. Texas A&M presents the best defense Brady Cook and company have seen this season. Can they find that second gear? I’d assume Luther Burden would be a piece of that puzzle, but the star wideout has been quiet this season. I wouldn’t anticipate a breakout game against the best secondary he’s lined up against this season, but you can’t rule anything out with Burden and Cook.

On the other side, Texas A&M is also looking for offensive answers. They’ve dealt with injuries to their quarterback room as Conner Weigman is once again down. Is backup Marcel Reed a better option even with Weigman healthy? Reed’s had the offense humming and the Aggies are taking full advantage of his athleticism, using his legs to help propel the 13th best rushing attack in the nation. The redshirt freshman has also done enough through the air, carrying a 73.3 QBR that beats Cook’s, while also boasting a 6:0 touchdown to interception ratio. Their defense is very stout, especially in the secondary, so the matchup against Missouri should be good.

Multi-Box Games: SMU at 22 Louisville (ESPN), UCLA at 7 Penn State (FOX), Navy at Air Force (CBS)

I know it’s not ranked-on-ranked, but SMU-Louisville is going to have some ACC implications. Both are unbeaten in conference, with solid wins against Florida State and Georgia Tech respectively. Expect a ton of offense here, and the winner will have notched a very good win to set up for the conference race. UCLA likely isn’t going to be able to hang with Penn State, but the Nittany Lions are trying to show that they belong in the upper echelon of college football. If Drew Allar can keep up his tear coupled with the strong Penn State running game, they may be dangerous this season. The Commander-in-Chief Cup is going to be a dead heat this season, especially since Navy apparently can put up 40 points in a game. This may be the service academy slog that we’re expecting, but I wouldn’t rule out some explosive plays to make it all interesting.

3-4 p.m. EST

Game of the Slot: Iowa at 3 Ohio State (3:30 p.m., CBS)

First note: This is in Columbus, not at Kinnick. That’s good news for Ohio State.

But this isn’t the Brian Ferentz-led Iowa. This offense has some life. They’re still the ground-and-pound pro-style team you’d expect from the Hawkeyes, but Iowa has a top-10 rushing offense led by Kaleb Johnson, who has 685 yards and 9 touchdowns through five games. Cade McNamara still isn’t cracking the top-100 in QBR, but he’s been better than Iowa’s had in a while. They also have a bona-fide Iowa defense, ranking top-20 in total defense (272.8 yards per game - 18th), scoring defense (13.75 points per game - 15th), and rushing defense (62.0 yards per game - fourth).

For Ohio State, they have a defense that should stifle any Iowa offensive mojo, ranking just above the Hawkeyes in rushing defense at third, allowing a measly 61.8 yards per game. So, the onus is on an offense that’s been humming. I don’t think Iowa has the secondary talent we’ve seen in years past, so if Will Howard’s on, things look good for the Buckeyes. Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith may take this one over.

Multi-Box Games: 12 Ole Miss at South Carolina (3:30 p.m., ESPN), Rutgers at Nebraska (4 p.m., FS1), Auburn at 5 Georgia (3:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN)

Before we write off Ole Miss following a crippling loss to Kentucky, let’s see how they rebound against South Carolina. LaNorris Sellers is a clear upgrade over Brock Vandagriff, and Raheim Sanders can take a game over at the drop of the hat. Let’s see if Ole Miss’s defense is up to the task. Rutgers and Nebraska are two perennial cellar-dwellers in the Big 10 since joining the conference, but they’ve shown up this season. I think this will be a close game that could provide some sneaky fun. Auburn hasn’t been what was envisioned with Payton Thorne under center, but Georgia is coming off a heartbreaking loss to Alabama. Can the Tigers catch Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs snoozing?

6-8 p.m. EST

Game of the Slot: 4 Tennessee at Arkansas (7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN+)

This isn’t the flashiest matchup, but I think it could provide to be a ton of fun.

Tennessee is a clear and heavy favorite as a Top Four team. They had a bye week coming off of a huge win over Oklahoma and the Vols are geared up and ready to go. They’re firing on all cylinders early on with the nation’s top scoring offense (54.0 points per game), second-best scoring defense (7.0 points per game), fourth best rushing offense (290.0 yards per game) and their passing offense only ranks 33rd (275.8 yards per game). I’m a little worried that the Tennessee defense hasn’t been too stress-tested yet this season, but the offense can keep up with anyone.

That’s a good thing, because Arkansas can score points. The Razorbacks have a dynamic rushing attack spearheaded by the one-two combination of quarterback Taylen Green and top tailback Ja’Quinden Jackson. I’d like to see more from Green throwing, as the junior has a 63.1 QBR on the season. He’ll need to be on-point through the air if the Razorbacks are going to keep up with Tennessee, but this is by far the best offense the Volunteer defense has seen. That could be a recipe for success.

Multi-Box Games: UCF at Florida (7:45 p.m., SEC Network), Duke at Georgia Tech (8 p.m., ACC Network), 10 Michigan at Washington (7:30 p.m., NBC/Peacock)

It’s not really a rivalry, but UCF really wants to beat Florida. Gus Malzahn’s team was blown out by Colorado in embarrassing fashion last week, but Florida has looked pedestrian this season. This is a get-right game for both teams. I’ve pushed the Georgia Tech ACC narrative this season, but Duke is somehow sitting unbeaten. Manny Diaz has done a great job with this team, and now could be a coming out party for the Blue Devils. Finally, Washington gets its first true Big 10 test against Michigan. Can the Husky defense force Alex Orji to throw the ball? And can Will Rogers get the Washington offense going?

Have some friends without weekend plans? Let them know what to watch and support independent journalism. It’s a win-win!

West Coast After Dark

Game of the Slot: 8 Miami at California (10:30 p.m., ESPN)

It’s the classic woke California going against a Coral Gables-born Miami team. Well, not quite, but don’t let the Calgorithm see that.

Miami is looking like a legit playoff contender, but I don’t think it’s a stretch to say Cal is their best opponent so far, and that concerns me. Cam Ward, as we all expected, has been lights out with a 94.5 QBR on the season, while Damien Martinez is averaging 4.6 yards per carry. The Canes’ offense is the driving force and they’re one of the nation’s best, both in terms of talent and in production. The defense is no slouch either, allowing only 15 points per game.

Cal, on their own right, has been confusing to say the least. They looked really good out of the gate, but dropped their first game to then-winless Florida State last week. This is a defense-first team you wouldn’t really expect out of a Justin Wilcox squad, but it’s been working for the Golden Bears, who are allowing only 12.8 points per game. Expect that to change as Miami is by miles better than anyone the Golden Bears have gone against on that side of the ball.

But this is the spiritual successor to PAC-12 After Dark and the Calgorithm never rests. Tread weary, Hurricane fans.

Multi-Box Game: Texas Tech at Arizona (11 p.m., FOX)

It’s the only other matchup overnight, but it should be a good one. Arizona was slipping early in the Big 12 race, but a win over Utah cemented them as a threat. Texas Tech boasts a surprisingly solid win over Arizona State, but Arizona is their first true test. Two air-it-out offenses are going to go to bat against each other in this showdown that should feature tons of points and some wildly questionable plays.

What I’m Reading:

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: Three-Point Stance is your favorite independent college football newsletter. Come for in-depth analysis and bold commentary, stay for the jokes and memes. An idea hatched after years of 12-hour days glued to the couch, Tyler Schuster puts his passion for the sport on full display, delivering big-picture ideas, weekly previews and gambling nuggets directly to your inbox.

An idea hatched after years of 12-hour days glued to the couch, Tyler Schuster puts his passion for the sport on full display, delivering big-picture ideas, weekly previews and gambling nuggets directly to your inbox.

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