Games of the Slot: Week 6
Breaking down which game to watch at each time slot this weekend
We’re getting into the meat of the schedule, where rivalries and conference races are starting to heat up. This far into the season, we know who looks like contenders, and which games should be a ton of fun.
So, let’s break out a new weekly series of posts: Games of the Slot. Want to know which game to watch during each time slot? I’ve got you covered! Let’s get into it.
Friday - 7:30-8 p.m.
Game of the Slot: Kansas State at Oklahoma State (7:30 p.m., ESPN)
That’s right, we’re breaking into the Friday night games!
There’s only two to choose from, but neither one is too compelling. I decided to go with this one because, well, we’ll figure that out!
Oklahoma State is in a tough spot. They’re sitting at 2-2, but are all but eliminated from Big 12 contention. The Pokes were on the wrong side of perhaps the season’s most confusing result, a 33-7 drubbing at home by South Alabama, and also dropped a 34-27 contest to Iowa State. Head Coach Mike Gundy has a lot to answer for this season, especially his three-man quarterback rotation that hasn’t worked at all. I don’t think a coaching change in Stillwater is coming, but if Gundy and the Cowboys don’t turn this season around, it’ll start getting floated.
On Kansas State’s side, the Wildcats are sitting at 3-1 and are a dark horse Big 12 championship team. I have them in my Next Five Out of my rankings, essentially placing them at No. 30. This is a great chance for Kansas State to continue building a conference resume. They can’t afford to take a loss here, and neither can Oklahoma State. A lot of times, that do-or-die mentality makes for an entertaining game.
Multi-Box Games: Nebraska at Illinois (8 p.m., FOX)
Nebraska-Illinois is going to be a slog. Neither team is too inclined to score, and Illinois’s defense gives them an edge. This is a game worth monitoring, but unless you’re a fan of either school or live and die by the Big 10, change the channel to ESPN.
Saturday - 12 p.m. EST
Game of the Slot: 12 Oklahoma vs 3 Texas (ABC)
This is the last Big 12 iteration of the Red River Shootout, and boy is it shaping up like a good one.
Texas has a ton of headlines, and some written by me, and justifiably so. They’ve been on fire this season, starting with their huge upset of Alabama in Bryant-Denny. Oklahoma, on the other hand, is immensely talented and is flying under the radar. Sure, they haven’t played much of anyone yet, but they’re only allowing 10.8 points per game. This is a quality defense, and I’m excited to see them go against the Longhorn offense.
Red River, aside from last season, always bring chaos. There’s two quarterbacks in Quinn Ewers (Texas) and Dillon Gabriel (Oklahoma) that have struggled with consistency in the past, but appear to have put those issues behind them. Each defense is strong, with Texas only allowing 12.8 points per game. This will be a very fun matchup, and it’s one that could play out any way possible.
Multi-Box Games: Maryland at 4 Ohio State (FOX); 23 LSU at 21 Missouri (ESPN); Rutgers at Wisconsin (Peacock)
Maryland is inexplicably still unranked, and have the test of their season in Columbus. The Buckeyes have played well recently but will need to keep that momentum going and shut down a potent Terrapin offense. LSU is inexplicably still ranked, and upstart Missouri is looking to show they’re for real. It should be a fun game in Columbia. The final multi-box one isn’t the best on the surface, but two teams struggling to build their identities often brings fun chaos to the slot. Wisconsin under Luke Fickell hasn’t had the start they wanted, and adjusting to Phil Longo’s air raid is taking time. Rutgers, on the other hand, is looking to establish themselves as a credible Big 10 program moving forward.
3-4 p.m. EST
Game of the Slot: 11 Alabama at Texas A&M (CBS)
The 2 p.m. schedule is pretty weak, so feel free to let that 12 p.m. game end before migrating to your 3-4 p.m. game of choice.
I think the best game on the docket is Alabama heading to College Station to take on the Aggies of Texas A&M. Both teams have something to prove: Alabama is trying to reclaim their mantle at the top of the SEC despite a loss to Texas, and Texas A&M is trying to prove that the Jimbo Fisher era is not an unmitigated disaster and the shotgun wedding between Fisher and Bobby Petrino did fix the offense.
This is a game that hinges on the offenses and their ability to score. Can Jaden Milroe lead the Tide to a strong in-conference showing? How does Fisher and Petrino draw up a scheme to combat the stingy Alabama defense?
Also to consider: what stock does this game hold in the eyes of the Texas A&M boosters? This could be a do-or-die game for Fisher, where a win could seal his spot in College Station and a loss could show him the road.
Multi-Box Games: 13 Washington State at UCLA (3 p.m., PAC-12 Network); Virginia Tech at 5 Florida State (3:30 p.m., ABC); Wake Forest at Clemson (3:30 p.m., ACC Network)
Washington State is rolling towards PAC-12 contention and already have the PAC-2 Championship under their belts. UCLA’s young signalcaller, Dante Moore, has struggled at times in his first season, but Chip Kelly often coaxes the most out of his players. Florida State has struggled in recent weeks with Clemson and Boston College(?), so if they want to stay in playoff and title contention, a convincing win over the floundering Hokies will do that. Finally, this is a light time slot. Clemson is hoping to build up for a dark horse ACC run, and Wake Forest is hoping to recapture some of the offense that made them an ACC contender in recent years with Sam Hartman at quarterback.
5-8 p.m. EST
Game of the Slot: 20 Kentucky at 1 Georgia (7 p.m., ESPN)
The AP Poll still has the Dawgs on top, but they’ve got to prove something against Kentucky. The passing attack, minus Stetson Bennett and Todd Monken, has struggled early. The defense is dealing with massive turnover the past couple years and is not as talented as we’ve all come to expect from Georgia. The bill’s due, and it’s time for Georgia to pay up as the top team in the nation.
On Kentucky’s side, however, Mark Stoops’s team is looking to show that they are an SEC contender. With offensive coordinator Liam Coen returning from the NFL ranks and transfer quarterback Devin Leary at the helm, Kentucky has built an offense that can run in the SEC alongside their trademark strong Stoops defense.
My matchup to watch in this game? Kentucky tailback Ray Davis against the Georgia front seven. Unlike recent years, the Dawgs aren’t stopping the run. In fact, they gave up 219 yards on the ground last week against a poor Auburn team. Davis has 579 yards and eight scores already, and is averaging 7.8 yards a carry. He’s one of the conference’s best backs and will keep Georgia’s hands full. I think this game comes down to who wins this battle.
Multi-Box Games: 10 Notre Dame at 25 Louisville (7:30 p.m., ABC); 24 Fresno State at Wyoming (8 p.m., FOX); Colorado at Arizona State (6:30 p.m., PAC-12 Network)
Notre Dame still has a top 10 rank despite one loss, and they’re matched up on the road against a very hot Louisville team. I expect Marcus Freeman to get the Irish ready to go after their loss to Ohio State, and Louisville gives them a decent springboard to playoff contention. Fresno State and Wyoming might not appear the best game on the surface, but I think it has potential to be the most fun game of the weekend this side of Red River. Fresno State doesn’t care about the loss of Jake Haener and are picking up the mantle as the Mountain West’s best program. Wyoming, on the other hand, has a Power Five win over Texas Tech and forced Quinn Ewers into his worst game of the season. Plus, the game’s in Laramey, which always breeds chaos. Finally, you know you want to watch Coach Prime and his Buffs. Bonus points for Arizona State’s injury-induced quarterback carousel that could make this a Sicko game.
PAC-12 After Dark
Game of the Slot: Arizona at 9 USC (10:30 p.m., ESPN)
This game was a lot more intriguing before Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura suffered an ankle injury against Stanford two weeks ago. He’s listed as questionable at the writing of this article, so there’s a chance he might play. But that’s the fun of PAC-12 After Dark, right?
Either way, I expect USC to run away with this game. They’re just too good, and I don’t trust Arizona’s offense to keep up with the Caleb Williams show. But, there’s a tiny part of me that feels like this has PAC-12 After Dark chaos written all over it. Might be worth a watch to find out.
Multi-Box Game: 15 Oregon State at California (10 p.m., PAC-12 Network)
The only other game after dark has a similar setup to the prime-time game. Oregon State should run away with this one. Cal does have a talented back in Jadyn Ott that can make this interesting, though.