FAVORITE TEAMS

5. CENTRAL ARKANSAS AT UAB – 5PM PT / 8PM ET on ESPN3 [THURSDAY]

Central Arkansas owned Austin Peay for the majority of the game, but their offense suffered three turnovers and must clean it up. Luckily, their defense and Austin Peay’s long snapper’s bad snaps kept them alive. The same won’t be said when they visit UAB, who’s coming off their third straight winning season off hiatus. Their defense and run game was the reason for their success and should be about the same, but their passing game could improve too. Obviously, UAB is favored but we’re not sure how prepared they are after their return to fall practice a month ago. If they come out sluggish, Central Arkansas continues their momentum from last week.

4. ARKANSAS STATE AT MEMPHIS – 5PM PT / 8PM ET on ESPN [SATURDAY]

This matchup spells plenty of points. Arkansas State was in the Top 30 in scoring while Memphis was in the Top 10. The Tigers return quarterback Brady White after throwing 4,014 yards for 33 touchdowns. Arkansas State has two good quarterbacks, but Logan Bonner reclaims his starting role coming off a hand injury. Expect Layne Hatcher to play some as well. Defenses aren’t so keen for both teams, but Memphis has leverage. However, they went through coaching changes (even though Mike MacIntyre was a good hire), and haven’t had enough time to get acquainted with the roster. This weekend’s game is determined by Memphis’s acclimation to coaching changes, less practice time, and losing running back Kenneth Gainwell after opting out for personal reasons.

3. MIDDLE TENNESSEE AT ARMY – 10:30AM PT / 1:30PM ET on CBS SPORTS NETWORK [SATURDAY]

This is an underrated matchup worth watching. Mid Tenn returns seven players on offense led by dual threat quarterback, Asher O’Hara (threw for 2,626 yards and ran for 1,058). They also have a backup who ran for over 1,000 yards, which could be a lethal combination to some degree. Army comes off a disappointing 5-8 season due to a progressive, weekly beefed up 2019 schedule. Their triple-option run offense was 3rd in the nation, but behind Navy and Air Force, that’s technically ranking last. Defense should be as good as last year, but the offense must improve to bounce back. Army could easily overpower Mid Tenn’s rebuilding defense since they had less practice time during COVID. If Mid Tenn’s offense struggles, this could be a long and insufferable game overall.

2. HOUSTON BAPTIST AT NORTH TEXAS – 4:30PM PT / 7:30PM ET on ESPN3 [SATURDAY]

This game could be more interesting than most people would think. North Texas’s overall record against Southland opponents is 78-36-6, but they’re replacing quarterback Mason Fine and three players on the offensive line. They also expect to play two quarterbacks this weekend. Houston Baptist comes off a 5-7 season, and that alone is significant improvement from a team that started their program in 2013. An upset win over South Dakota and a 36-34 loss to UTEP shows there is progression for the Huskies. Quarterback Bailey Zappe, is one of the best in the FCS after throwing 3,811 for 35 touchdowns (both 2nd in FCS). This is a potential high-scoring game and the Huskies have a shot at an upset over an FBS opponent in their seven season existence.

1. BYU AT NAVY – 5PM PT / 8PM ET on ESPN [MONDAY]

There’s no UCF/UNC, no Alabama/USC, no Virginia/Georgia, no Michigan/Washington, no TCU/Cal, no Baylor/Ole Miss, no North Dakota State/Oregon, no BYU/Utah, and no Notre Dame/Navy (yes, I went down the list of marquee matchups). HOWEVER, there is BYU/Navy, and how can you not be excited about this classic matchup? The grinding, blue collar mindset of BYU battling the dangerous triple-option team that is Navy. There may not be a Holy War nor an Ireland Showdown, but this is still a classic matchup worth watching. BYU retains quarterback Zach Wilson and the whole offensive line while Navy’s coming off an 11-2 season with leadership still intact on defense, led by linebacker Diego Fagot. Navy is favored because it’s hard to tell BYU’s preparation against the triple-option, and they unfortunately lose their tight end Matt Bushman after rupturing his Achilles tendon.