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Time to turn it up a notch?
The Irish cruised through a warmup with Navy on foreign soil, then overcame first quarter jet lag to get their body clocks right, ultimately pounding Tennessee State without breaking much of a sweat.
We got quite a few entertaining matchups in general, including watching Deion/Travis Hunter/Dylan Edwards/Colorado turn the college football world on its head for a few hours... but now teams are going to start settling in and finding identities, and we're going to start seeing some answers to those "are they for real?" questions.
Early-season hints that this could be a year of chaos, as no one stands out yet, and even the top dogs have QB questions. Those that don't have QB questions have other glaringly-obvious deficiencies (looking at you, USC and Alex Grinch) that need to be corrected, addressed, or otherwise overcome.
Can the Irish avoid the chaos, and answer some questions of their own? Can some perceived heavy-hitters survive matchups that could prove tougher than they look on paper?
Let's find out!
THURSDAY, SEPT. 7
- The only schools brave enough to compete with the opening night of the NFL... give them your focus for an hour in honor of their courage. Louisville looked like Jekyll and Hyde last week against GT from half-to-half. Brohm has some stabilizing to do.
- Now here's a guy that made it on the list because there aren't any other college football games on TV. Slide on over to NBC and see if the Lions can back up any of the small amount of hype they've generated for the first time in what seems like forever.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 8
- Football's on!
- Football's on! Jk, this matchup actually has the potential to get weird. Both teams have a recent history of being either wildly competent, or totally inept. Bert Bielema is involved, so he always has a spot on the Watch Party Grid... he was once quoted that "the watch party thread at Irish Envy is borderline erotic."
SATURDAY, SEPT. 9 - WAKE UP, THERE'S FOOTBALL
- SPECIAL EARLY KICKOFF/SCOUT THE FUTURE OPPONENT: You get to ignore the talking-head shows an hour early. Clark Lea will usually have a spot on the Watch Party Grid. Scout Wake Forest.
- GO IRISH. BEAT WOLFPACK. Time for ND to wake up and open things up a bit against not just an opponent with a pulse, but an opponent that has a QB capable of turning this into a long afternoon if they let him move around and find open checkdowns. Corners will be tested and asked to hold up in coverage if the pass rush can't get home, as the LB's will be clearing out to cover the RB's in the flats. Gonna be a good test for the defense. A heavy dose of Estime early on can settle some road-game nerves for the offense before letting Hartman settle in... he hasn't played well against NC State.
- The Utes have to avoid a hangover against an undermanned Baylor squad. Arranda might find a way to turn this into a defensive dogfight if Utah isn't ready early.
- Is Colorado for real? Nebraska might be okay, but they're like 2016 ND... a decent team, just cursed to keep losing close games. Can Rhule find a statement somehow and knock down the high-flying Buffs?
- Commercial-break fodder
- Commercial-break fodder
SATURDAY, SEPT. 9 - AFTERNOON SLOG
- This matchup should kick ass (which is good, because the afternoon is kind of trash in general). Kiffin takes his guys on the road to face Michael Pratt and the Green Wave. Vegas expects a high-scoring, closely-contested affair. We can only hope to be so lucky in a game that Kiffin is involved in.
- What a gross matchup. Don't feel good rooting for either team. I hope it's an ugly, unimpressive game that leaves both sides pissed off.
- El Assico. Hammer the under.
- Only here because UTEP IS FAVORED ON THE ROAD AGAINST A POWER 5 TEAM. My, how quickly Northwestern has fallen.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 9 - NO MAN'S LAND
- It seems like a shitload of the usual 3:30 matchups are getting floated to 5-6pm timeslots... TV/commercial shenanigans? Not complaining, as it allows a chance to watch Drake Maye between the 3:30 games and the late games
- Is Okalahoma gonna be decent this year? Idk, but tune in and see if you catch a Peyton Bowen sighting.
- GO BEARCATS. You can all join me in rooting for UC against our old friend the Nard-dog, right? Especially since this game is hilariously being covered on The CW LOL. Seriously though, UC took a page from Deion and basically rented their QB and entire WR room. Will it work? Idk, but I hope so!
SATURDAY, SEPT. 9 - LATE
- Hell yes. This is a "Welcome to College Football Season" matchup on a Saturday night. Both of these teams have questions. Let's see how they start to answer them. Will be especially critical of Bama's OC, duh.
- Texas Tech entered year two under HC Joe McGuire with some legit hype... and promptly got upset (on the road, to be fair) at Wyoming, falling by a two-point conversion in OT. Can they bounce back and scare the Ducks?
- Not super interested in this game, but I expected more from Boise last week against Washington. I don't like UCF. Maybe the Broncos get their mojo back on the Smurf Turf?
- UPSET ALERT: A tricky road trip for Fickell's boys for game two! I don't expect WSU to be good, but Pullman can be a tough place to play, and Wiscy needs more time in Longo's offense.
- UPSET ALERT: That's a huge line for UCLA, going against a team that wants to kill the clock, under the new clock rules, with Chip already complaining about the new clock rules. Dante Moore is gonna need to air it out early if the Bruins want to not just cover, but keep the whole game from being a dog fight.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 9 - NIGHT CAP
- SCOUT THE FUTURE OPPONENT(S): Stanford takes their unique, new-look offense to LA. Can they keep it close for any amount of time? Scout both teams.
- War Eagle goes West! A weird late-night matchup for an SEC team making a long flight. Tune in, relax, and enjoy a drink while you fall asleep on the couch.
- If you can find a stream of this one somewhere, it feels like a matchup that could get weird.
- HAWAI'I TEST. 11:59PM Kickoff. Do you have what it takes to stay up until 3:30am to see out the college football weekend??? I don't!
The Irish cruised through a warmup with Navy on foreign soil, then overcame first quarter jet lag to get their body clocks right, ultimately pounding Tennessee State without breaking much of a sweat.
We got quite a few entertaining matchups in general, including watching Deion/Travis Hunter/Dylan Edwards/Colorado turn the college football world on its head for a few hours... but now teams are going to start settling in and finding identities, and we're going to start seeing some answers to those "are they for real?" questions.
Early-season hints that this could be a year of chaos, as no one stands out yet, and even the top dogs have QB questions. Those that don't have QB questions have other glaringly-obvious deficiencies (looking at you, USC and Alex Grinch) that need to be corrected, addressed, or otherwise overcome.
Can the Irish avoid the chaos, and answer some questions of their own? Can some perceived heavy-hitters survive matchups that could prove tougher than they look on paper?
Let's find out!
THURSDAY, SEPT. 7
| TIME | MATCHUP | COVERAGE | VEGAS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:30 PM | Murray State @ Louisville | ACCN | Whoops! |
| 8:20 PM | Detroit Lions @ Kansas City Chiefs | NBC | KC -4.5 | Total 53.5 |
- The only schools brave enough to compete with the opening night of the NFL... give them your focus for an hour in honor of their courage. Louisville looked like Jekyll and Hyde last week against GT from half-to-half. Brohm has some stabilizing to do.
- Now here's a guy that made it on the list because there aren't any other college football games on TV. Slide on over to NBC and see if the Lions can back up any of the small amount of hype they've generated for the first time in what seems like forever.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 8
| TIME | MATCHUP | COVERAGE | VEGAS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00 PM | Indiana State @ Indiana | BTN | Whoops! |
| 7:30 PM | Illinois @ Kansas | ESPN 2 | KU -3 | Total 58 |
- Football's on!
- Football's on! Jk, this matchup actually has the potential to get weird. Both teams have a recent history of being either wildly competent, or totally inept. Bert Bielema is involved, so he always has a spot on the Watch Party Grid... he was once quoted that "the watch party thread at Irish Envy is borderline erotic."
SATURDAY, SEPT. 9 - WAKE UP, THERE'S FOOTBALL
| TIME | MATCHUP | COVERAGE | VEGAS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:00 AM | Vanderbilt @ Wake Forest | ACCN | WAKE -10 | Total 56 |
| 12:00 PM | #10 NOTRE DAME @ NC State | ABC | ND -7.5 | Total 51 |
| 12:00 PM | #12 Utah @ Baylor | ESPN | UTAH -8 | Total 47 |
| 12:00 PM | Nebraska @ #22 Colorado | FOX | COL -3 | Total 59.5 |
| 12:00 PM | Purdue @ Virginia Tech | ESPN 2 | VT -3 | Total 46 |
| 12:00 PM | James Madison @ Virginia | ESPNU | JMU -6 | Total 40.5 |
- SPECIAL EARLY KICKOFF/SCOUT THE FUTURE OPPONENT: You get to ignore the talking-head shows an hour early. Clark Lea will usually have a spot on the Watch Party Grid. Scout Wake Forest.
- GO IRISH. BEAT WOLFPACK. Time for ND to wake up and open things up a bit against not just an opponent with a pulse, but an opponent that has a QB capable of turning this into a long afternoon if they let him move around and find open checkdowns. Corners will be tested and asked to hold up in coverage if the pass rush can't get home, as the LB's will be clearing out to cover the RB's in the flats. Gonna be a good test for the defense. A heavy dose of Estime early on can settle some road-game nerves for the offense before letting Hartman settle in... he hasn't played well against NC State.
- The Utes have to avoid a hangover against an undermanned Baylor squad. Arranda might find a way to turn this into a defensive dogfight if Utah isn't ready early.
- Is Colorado for real? Nebraska might be okay, but they're like 2016 ND... a decent team, just cursed to keep losing close games. Can Rhule find a statement somehow and knock down the high-flying Buffs?
- Commercial-break fodder
- Commercial-break fodder
SATURDAY, SEPT. 9 - AFTERNOON SLOG
| TIME | MATCHUP | COVERAGE | VEGAS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3:30 PM | #20 Ole Miss @ #24 Tulane | ESPN 2 | MISS -7.5 | Total 67 |
| 3:30 PM | #23 Texas A&M @ Miami (FL) | ABC | TAMU -4 | Total 51 |
| 3:30 PM | Iowa @ Iowa State | FOX | IOWA -4 | Total 36.5 |
| 3:30 PM | UTEP @ Northwestern | BTN | UTEP -1.5 | Total 38.5 |
- This matchup should kick ass (which is good, because the afternoon is kind of trash in general). Kiffin takes his guys on the road to face Michael Pratt and the Green Wave. Vegas expects a high-scoring, closely-contested affair. We can only hope to be so lucky in a game that Kiffin is involved in.
- What a gross matchup. Don't feel good rooting for either team. I hope it's an ugly, unimpressive game that leaves both sides pissed off.
- El Assico. Hammer the under.
- Only here because UTEP IS FAVORED ON THE ROAD AGAINST A POWER 5 TEAM. My, how quickly Northwestern has fallen.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 9 - NO MAN'S LAND
| TIME | MATCHUP | COVERAGE | VEGAS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5:15 PM | Appalachian State @ #17 North Carolina | ACCN | UNC -18 | Total 58 |
| 6:00 PM | SMU @ #18 Oklahoma | ESPN+ | OU -15.5 | Total 68.5 |
| 6:30 PM | CINCINNATI @ Pittsburgh | THE CW NETWORK LOL | PIT -7.5 | Total 45.5 |
- It seems like a shitload of the usual 3:30 matchups are getting floated to 5-6pm timeslots... TV/commercial shenanigans? Not complaining, as it allows a chance to watch Drake Maye between the 3:30 games and the late games
- Is Okalahoma gonna be decent this year? Idk, but tune in and see if you catch a Peyton Bowen sighting.
- GO BEARCATS. You can all join me in rooting for UC against our old friend the Nard-dog, right? Especially since this game is hilariously being covered on The CW LOL. Seriously though, UC took a page from Deion and basically rented their QB and entire WR room. Will it work? Idk, but I hope so!
SATURDAY, SEPT. 9 - LATE
| TIME | MATCHUP | COVERAGE | VEGAS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00 PM | #11 Texas @ #3 Alabama | ESPN | ALA -7 | Total 54 |
| 7:00 PM | #13 Oregon @ Texas Tech | FOX | ORE -6.5 | Total 69 (nice) |
| 7:00 PM | UCF @ Boise State | FS1 | UCF -3.5 | Total 60.5 |
| 7:30 PM | #19 Wisconsin @ Washington State | ABC | WIS -6 | Total 58.5 |
| 7:30 PM | UCLA @ San Diego State | CBS | UCLA -14.5 | Total 48.5 |
- Hell yes. This is a "Welcome to College Football Season" matchup on a Saturday night. Both of these teams have questions. Let's see how they start to answer them. Will be especially critical of Bama's OC, duh.
- Texas Tech entered year two under HC Joe McGuire with some legit hype... and promptly got upset (on the road, to be fair) at Wyoming, falling by a two-point conversion in OT. Can they bounce back and scare the Ducks?
- Not super interested in this game, but I expected more from Boise last week against Washington. I don't like UCF. Maybe the Broncos get their mojo back on the Smurf Turf?
- UPSET ALERT: A tricky road trip for Fickell's boys for game two! I don't expect WSU to be good, but Pullman can be a tough place to play, and Wiscy needs more time in Longo's offense.
- UPSET ALERT: That's a huge line for UCLA, going against a team that wants to kill the clock, under the new clock rules, with Chip already complaining about the new clock rules. Dante Moore is gonna need to air it out early if the Bruins want to not just cover, but keep the whole game from being a dog fight.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 9 - NIGHT CAP
| TIME | MATCHUP | COVERAGE | VEGAS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:30 PM | Stanford @ #6 USC | FOX | USC -29 | Total 69.5 |
| 10:30 PM | Auburn @ California | ESPN | AUB -6.5 | Total 54.5 |
| 10:30 PM | Oklahoma State @ Arizona State | ??? | OKST -3 | Total 56.5 |
| 11:59 PM | UAlbany @ Hawai'i | ??? | HAWAI'I TEST |
- SCOUT THE FUTURE OPPONENT(S): Stanford takes their unique, new-look offense to LA. Can they keep it close for any amount of time? Scout both teams.
- War Eagle goes West! A weird late-night matchup for an SEC team making a long flight. Tune in, relax, and enjoy a drink while you fall asleep on the couch.
- If you can find a stream of this one somewhere, it feels like a matchup that could get weird.
- HAWAI'I TEST. 11:59PM Kickoff. Do you have what it takes to stay up until 3:30am to see out the college football weekend??? I don't!
