Wednesday, September 4, 2013

College Football Week 2 Viewing Guide

The week 1 viewing guide was a success, and I think I will be making this a weekly series for the remainder of football season, and maybe even carry it into college basketball. Sadly there are not any good games on Thursday and Friday this week, except for maybe Wake Forest @ Boston College on Friday night.  I am just going to jump straight to Saturday, which is full of great games that ends with an epic battle at the Big House.

Saturday September 7th, 2013
It's the first weekend in September, and you can now officially say that it is football season.

11:45 AM: College Gameday (ESPN):
Tune in at 11:45 to see what Corso, Herbstreet, and the guest picker have to say about Saturday's games.  Or you could be like me and watch all 3 hours.  This week, the crew are live from Ann Arbor, Michigan for the Notre Dame @ Michigan game.

12:00 PM: #12 Florida @ Miami (FL):
This is a must watch.  This classic rivalry comes to Miami in what should be a great game of football.  It will be chippy, aggressive, and vulgar, as neither of these teams like the other very much. Though Florida is ranked, and Miami isn't, I expect these two to play to a very close game.  Watch for: electrifying Miami running back Duke Johnson.

12:00 PM: Cincinnati @ Illinois (ESPN 2):
This is a good one to have on "last" during the UF-Miami game.  Cincinnati is making the rounds of the Big Ten, after dismantling Purdue last week.  Illinois is also coming off of a win, and this could be a major game to kick-start both of these teams' seasons.  Watch for: Illinois 4th year starter quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase who threw for a career high 416 yards last week.

3:30 PM: #2 Oregon @ Virginia (ABC/ESPN2):
This will be Oregon's first major test in the post-Chip Kelly era.  Watch for: If Oregon can hold up in a hostile environment, and if Virginia's defense can do anything to stop their offense.

4:30 PM: #6 South Carolina @ #11 Georgia (ESPN):
Georgia opened against Clemson, and lost a tight one, while South Carolina took care of business against UNC.  This is almost a must-win at this point for Georgia if they want to think about a BCS bowl.  An absolutely decisive game for week 2, and Athens, GA with be crazy.  This is another must see game.  Watch for: South Carolina's two quarterback system, which seems to work for some reason.  Also: obligatory Jadeveon Clowney mention.

6:00 PM: Syracuse @ #19 Northwestern (BigTenNetwork):
Syracuse is another team that is making the rounds in the big ten after losing close to Penn State last week. The "Battle of Really Good Journalism Schools" (I totally made that up) was a good game last year, and will be again this year.  Watch for: Northwestern's two best players, Kain Colter and Venric Mark were both banged up in their last game.  If they aren't available, this is a totally different game.

7:00 PM: #15 Texas @ BYU (ESPN 2):
A crucial year where Texas head coach Mack Brown could be on the hot seat, this is Texas' first real road test of the year.  Watch for: BYU's defensive unit is a strong one, and see if they can neutralize Texas' edge speed.

7:00 PM: West Virginia @ #16 Oklahoma (FOX):
The story of last year for West Virginia was the inability of being able to stop anyone.  They could put up points, but their defense was very bad, and it appears to be the same this year.  Will they be able to score enough to make a statement in Norman? Watch for: OU's quarterback situation, as whoever starts could have a very short leash.

8:00 PM: #14 Notre Dame @ #17 Michigan (ESPN):
This is my marquee game of the week (if you only watch one, watch this one).  It is only the second night game at Michigan in their history.  They played the first night game two years ago, and if you don't remember: THIS happened.  These two teams have played some incredible games over the last few years, and this is a guarantee to live up to the hype.  Watch for: Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner's ability to make plays with his arm and his legs.

What a great Saturday! I can't wait for the Michigan-Notre Dame game... if history is any indication, it will be a great one! The games are only getting better every week! 'Til next time.

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