Forty names, games, teams and trivia making news in faculty soccer (“Reqiuem for a Pylon Route” T-shirts bought individually in College Station):
FIRST QUARTER
THE OCTOBER BLOCKBUSTER WEEKEND IS COMING
This week is why faculty soccer all the time wins, regardless of itself. No matter how a lot the individuals in cost attempt to screw it up, they’ll’t totally spoil it. No matter how grasping the ability brokers are, how heedless they’re with cash, how a lot they push across the followers, how rudderless the whole enterprise is—the game all the time delivers. It offers us weeks like this.
We are heading into one of many biggest October Saturdays in current reminiscence. Three matchups of undefeated teams. Two top-ten clashes. Major showdown games in each Power 5 convention. There are College Football Playoff implications. Conference championship implications. Heisman trophy implications. This goes to be massive.
The settings: huge stadiums in Knoxville and Ann Arbor; up-by-their-bootstraps venues in Fort Worth and Salt Lake City; the one indoor venue within the Power 5 even will get a star flip. The schedule is ready for a noon-to-midnight feast, protecting three time zones and that includes teams from Upstate New York to Los Angeles. Schedule your loved ones go to to the pumpkin patch for a unique day.
For this upcoming October Saturday, we will shelve dialogue of contract buyouts, realignment TV worth and who’s mendacity to whom. We can watch faculty soccer do what it all the time does: heal itself from all of the self-inflicted wounds of the offseason. Let’s go. Here is a Dash breakdown of the games you can’t afford to overlook:
Alabama-Tennessee (1). Time: 3:30 ET. Location: Neyland Stadium. Records: Alabama is 6-0, Tennessee is 5-0. Rankings: The Crimson Tide is No. 3 within the AP ballot, the Volunteers are No. 6. Sunday Line: Alabama favored by 9.5.
Let’s simply say this up entrance: the Volunteers needs to be favored. For the early line to favor ‘Bama by more than a touchdown is a nod to history, consistency and the assumption that Bryce Young will be 100% Saturday—but it doesn’t take into consideration which crew has performed higher over the course of this season. The alternative hasn’t been this ripe for Tennessee within the twenty first century. The final time the Vols had been undefeated going into the Alabama sport was 1998, once they gained their final nationwide championship.
When Alabama and Tennessee met final October, the Tide gained 52-24, largely because of a 28-point fourth quarter efficiency.
Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel/USA TODAY NETWORK
Who has extra to show: Tennessee, clearly. Josh Heupel is fast-tracking the rebuilding job, however that is the sport that may present a measuring stick for whether or not Tennessee is actually again (much more than Georgia in November). The third Saturday in October has became an annual humiliation for the Vols, shedding a staggering 15 straight—13 of them by 14 or extra factors. They’re oh-for-Saban since he arrived in Tuscaloosa. The dwelling crew badly wants a cigar social gathering Saturday.
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Penn State-Michigan (2). Time: midday. Location: Michigan Stadium. Records: Penn State is 5-0, Michigan is 6-0. Rankings: The Wolverines are No. 5, the Nittany Lions are No. 10. Sunday line: Michigan favored by 5.5.
Penn State has one massive benefit, coming off an open date and having further relaxation and preparation whereas the Wolverines are coming off consecutive street games—and hoping for the perfect for working backs coach Mike Hart, who was handled for a reported seizure that occurred on the sideline throughout Saturday’s sport at Indiana. But after a gentle non-conference schedule, the Wolverines handed some exams in beating Iowa and Indiana by a mean of 17 factors. Not spectacular, however stable.
Who has extra to show: Penn State. This was the purpose within the schedule final yr the place the Nittany Lions collapsed, going from 5-0 to 7-6. They haven’t gained the Big Ten East since 2016, whereas the Wolverines are the defending division and convention champions. Is Penn State prepared to significantly problem Ohio State and Michigan? This is the time to seek out out.
Oklahoma State-TCU (3). Time: 3:30. Location: Amon G. Carter Stadium. Records: Oklahoma State is 5-0, TCU is 5-0. Rankings: The Cowboys are No. 8, the Horned Frogs are No. 13. Sunday line: TCU favored by two.
The Big 12 makeover continues with this surprising marquee sport — the second straight for TCU, coming off an exhilarating win at Kansas on Saturday. Oklahoma State has flown underneath radar this season, however it’s tied with TCU for the top-scoring offense within the league at 46.4 factors per sport. Expect a shootout, with two very proficient quarterbacks and receiving corps going at it.
Who has extra to show: TCU, nonetheless, regardless of hammering Oklahoma and profitable the high-profile sport over the Jayhawks. Oklahoma State performed within the Big 12 title sport final yr, then gained the Fiesta Bowl. Under first-year coach Sonny Dykes, TCU is rising from a four-year hibernation on the finish of the Gary Patterson Era.
Dykes took over at TCU in November of 2021 after spending 5 years as SMU’s coach.
Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports
USC-Utah (4). Time: 8 p.m. Location: Rice-Eccles Stadium. Records: USC is 6-0, Utah is 4-2. Rankings: The Trojans are No. 7, the Utes are No. 20. Sunday line: Utah is favored by 2.5.
This is one other shocking line, given how totally the Utes had been overwhelmed at UCLA and the truth that the Trojans are coming off their fifth double-digit victory in six games. Utah has given up greater than 400 yards of offense in consecutive Pac-12 games for the primary time since 2018. USC, whereas rather less potent within the passing sport now than within the first three weeks, nonetheless possesses ample firepower to check that protection.
Who has extra to show: Actually, it’s USC. The Trojans have the rating and the report, however they should show some endurance as a Pac-12 contender and a nationwide high ten crew. Utah gained the league final yr, and though its begin is disappointing given preseason expectations, this system’s repute is established. A USC win in Salt Lake, adopted by an open date and three very winnable games, would make a closing rivalry stretch of UCLA and Notre Dame loom very massive.
North Carolina State-Syracuse (5). Time: 3:30. Location: JMA Wireless Dome (it’ll all the time be the Carrier Dome to The Dash). Records: N.C. State is 5-1, Syracuse is 5-0. Rankings: The Wolfpack is No. 15, the Orange is No. 18. Sunday line: N.C. State favored by 4.
The surprising ACC Atlantic gauntlet continues, with the Wolfpack coming off a loss to Clemson and a two-point win over Florida State to now face the improbably unbeaten Orange. N.C. State quarterback Devin Leary was knocked out of the sport in opposition to the Seminoles with a shoulder harm (coach Dave Doeren stated X-rays had been destructive Saturday evening, however an MRI will observe). Syracuse has the posh of an open date and a walkover in opposition to Wagner on Oct. 1 main into this sport.
Who has extra to show: Syracuse, clearly. The Orange have had one profitable season within the final eight, and their undefeated report is stuffed with empty energy. The solely opponent they’ve overwhelmed that has a profitable report is Purdue, and that required a full-fledged Boilermaker penalty meltdown within the remaining minute. Starting with this one, each remaining sport on the Syracuse schedule is losable. So if the Orange wish to get to bowl eligibility, they higher begin now.
And a bonus ACC sport: Clemson-Florida State (6). Time: 7:30. Location: Doak Campbell Stadium. Records: Clemson is 6-0, Florida State is 4-2. Rankings: The Tigers are No. 4, the Seminoles are unranked. Sunday line: Clemson favored by 6.5.
This is a throwback ACC rivalry sport that has misplaced its luster in recent times, however is making a touch of a comeback with FSU not less than respectable once more. Clemson in all probability deserves extra credit score than it has gotten for consecutive wins over Wake Forest and North Carolina State, each of that are undefeated in opposition to the remainder of their schedules up to now. The Seminoles have been hooked on drama, enjoying thrillers in opposition to LSU, Louisville and North Carolina State (win, win, loss).
Clemson QB DJ Uiagalelei has turned it round and helped lead the Tigers to a 6-0 season.
Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports
Who has extra to show: Florida State, in fact. But Clemson is combating for College Football Playoff respect, and its subsequent two games would possibly present the one remaining alternatives to beat a top quality opponent (FSU and at Notre Dame on Nov. 5).
FOUR FOR THE PLAYOFF
Each week, The Dash assumes the position of one-man College Football Playoff choice committee, handing down the bracket on stone tablets as if at present had been Selection Sunday. This week: some shakeups are so as.
Peach Bowl: Top seed Ohio State (7) vs. fourth seed Tennessee (8).
The Buckeyes (6-0) cruise into their open date unchallenged for the reason that opener in opposition to Notre Dame, having blistered three straight Big Ten opponents by the mixed rating of 150-51. And they nonetheless haven’t been at full power, with numerous accidents. The schedule hasn’t been nice, however the crew is. Next up for Ohio State: Iowa in Columbus on Oct. 22.
The Volunteers (5-0) had a press release win at LSU Saturday, routing the Tigers and demanding a rating. So they slip into the bracket whereas Alabama and USC slide out. (Obviously, Alabama and Tennessee can settle this—and loads else—on the sector Saturday.) Hendon Hooker continues to have a season worthy of Heisman consideration, stretching his streak of games with out an interception to eight. Next up for Tennessee: see above.
Fiesta Bowl: Second seed Georgia (9) vs. third seed Clemson (10).
The Bulldogs (6-0) scuffled round with Auburn for some time earlier than getting untracked, burying an opponent for the primary time in a number of weeks. Georgia’s 292 dashing yards had been its most in a sport since 2020. Next up for Georgia: Vanderbilt on Saturday.
The Tigers (6-0) crash the bracket after a reconsideration of their high quality wins over Wake Forest and North Carolina State. The Clemson offense continues to re-establish itself after final yr’s low ebb—the Tigers have scored not less than 30 in each sport this season, after doing so simply as soon as of their first seven in 2021. Next up for Clemson: at Florida State Saturday (additionally see above).
Also thought of: Alabama, Michigan, Penn State, TCU, Oklahoma State, UCLA, USC, Mississippi, Wake Forest.
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