10) ILLINOIS AT #20 MINNESOTA – 9AM PT/12PM ET [ESPN2]
On one side, Illinois is in a fight for their lives for bowl eligibility. On the other side, Minnesota’s at the top of the Big Ten West while Iowa falters and Wisconsin’s digging out of their hole. The Gophers’ run game and defense are the main cogs for their team. There’s no mistake that Illinois will play their hearts out. With one loss away from elimination, they’ll bring that grit to Minnesota.
9) #4 OREGON AT WASHINGTON – 4:30PM PT/7:30PM ET [ABC]
Oregon currently holds a 2-game win streak over Washington but both were by four points or less. This is the first matchup post Justin Herbert-era and any guy for Washington’s quarterback that goes by the name of Jake or Jacob. Washington may be the underdog, but they bite more to keep the game close. If Washington can force some mistakes on Oregon throughout the game, Washington may have an upset bid.
8) BOISE STATE AT #23 FRESNO STATE – 4PM PT/7PM ET [CBS SPORTS NETWORK]
Fresno State controls their own destiny in the Mountain West while Boise State tries to stay alive for a Mountain division title. Fresno State’s offense proved to challenge virtually anybody, no matter how strong their defense is. The Bulldogs’ defense is also coming along well and disrupting offenses from time to time. Since Jeff Tedford became Fresno State’s coach, they are 2-2 all-time against Boise State. Previously between 2001 and 2014, they were 2-13. Boise State is a hard out but Fresno State has more offensive firepower and plans to put the nail in the coffin on Boise’s division hopes.
7) #9 WAKE FOREST AT NORTH CAROLINA – 9AM PT/12PM ET [ABC]
Wake Forest arrives in Chapel Hill as the rare remaining undefeated ACC team in the division and conference. Led by quarterback Sam Hartman, the offense is dangerous and will compete for all four quarters. UNC meets their biggest challenge of the season and their defense already allowed around 40 points per game while Wake Forest scores around 43 per game. UNC must go on a full, offensive assault and find some way to slow down Wake if they want to spoil their big season.
6) MARSHALL AT FAU – 3PM PT/6PM ET [Facebook TV]
Marshall and FAU are two of the remaining three tied in the C-USA East division with Western Kentucky. Marshall won the last three meetings and holds a 7-1 overall record against FAU. However, Boca Raton is a difficult place to play for Marshall as their average margin of victory is 27 points overall in four games. This could be FAU’s game to win as Marshall quarterback Grant Wells is slightly down statistically with an interception problem. FAU is strong in that area defensively and could be their goal to win the game.
5) #11 OKLAHOMA STATE AT WEST VIRGINIA – 12:30PM PT/3:30PM ET [ESPN]
Oklahoma State bounced back with a beat down against Kansas, but now they hit the road to Morgantown. Defeating West Virginia sounds simple but playing in Morgantown is a difficult place for any opponent, and Iowa State and Virginia Tech were victims and were also ranked too. Oklahoma State is the final ranked team in Morgantown and West Virginia’s looking to end their run. The Cowboys have an impressive defense but can their offense overcome West Virginia’s hostile environment? Quarterback Spencer Sanders will be counted on to manage the game better unlike last time against Iowa State. What it’ll take for the Mountaineers to succeed is scoring enough points while containing Sanders and the running backs. Simple task at home, right?
4) TENNESSEE AT #18 KENTUCKY – 4PM PT/7PM ET [ESPN2]
Tennessee and Kentucky battle for second place in the SEC East, and Tennessee dominates this series dating back to 1985. Kentucky won three games since 2011, but coach Mark Stoops won two of the last four as head coach. It doesn’t sound like much given the overall history, but this is massive progress. Kentucky currently lost two straight games and are struggling on offense. Their scoring offense in three road games averaged 15 points per game and haven’t scored 20 points in any of them. The good thing is that those struggles were on the road. At home, they average around 34 points, comfortably. Tennessee’s offense has the talent to compete but scoring less than 30 points against Kentucky could mean a loss unless they prevent the Cats from scoring 20 or more.
3) ARMY VS. AIR FORCE – 8:30AM PT/11:30AM ET [CBS]
Army and Air Force compete for the Commander-In-Chief Trophy, and Air Force already won their first game against Navy. Air Force’s win over Army makes them the winner of that trophy. Army started the season 4-0 before dropping three straight in October. They’re looking for redemption but it all depends on the health of quarterback Christian Anderson. Air Force lost a close one to San Diego State and three injured key players are questionable for this game. Army’s weakness is turnovers due to fumbles and Air Force is very good in that category. It’s potentially a close game, but Air Force (if one of their key players are healthy to play) has leverage and should win the trophy for the first time since 2016.
2) UTSA AT UTEP – 7:15PM PT/10:15PM ET [ESPN2]
You probably haven’t heard about UTEP’s recent success this season, but this is a must-watch game. Both teams are playing for first place in the C-USA West division alongside UAB and technically Rice. The last time UTEP had that great of a start was in 2004. Also, the last time UTEP went bowling was back in 2016 during Packers running back Aaron Jones’ last season. UTSA is off to their best start in program history since joining the FBS. The credit goes to quarterback Frank Harris, running back Sincere McCormick, and a stellar run defense with a high, positive turnover margin. They played a tough non-conference schedule against Illinois and Memphis and triumphed over them. UTEP is undefeated at home, but UTSA is their biggest obstacle to overcome. UTSA is favored to win, but three of their four road games were decided by seven points or less. Don’t be surprised if it turns into another close game for the Roadrunners.
1) #13 AUBURN AT #14 TEXAS A&M – 12:30PM PT/3:30PM ET [CBS]
Auburn and Texas A&M are still alive for the SEC West division alongside Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Alabama. A&M already upset the Tide while Auburn still has that game in the Iron Bowl. A lot happened within the SEC West, but how the division shapes up depends on this game. Auburn controls their own destiny if they defeat Texas A&M. Quarterback Bo Nix is very valuable in this situation and the game depends solely on him. Texas A&M needs a win and help from Auburn to defeat Alabama if the Aggies want to win the division. It’s a tall ask with a big downside. A&M doesn’t have a win at home against Auburn since joining the SEC (0-4). The defense is tasked to slow down the run game and shut down Nix, but the pressure is on quarterback Zach Calzada and the offense to put up some points. As I said, this game shapes how the SEC West will look in the next three weeks for Auburn and A&M. The Aggies’ keys to success are ball control, forcing turnovers, and shutting down Bo Nix. Failure to do so means Auburn wins this game at College Station for the fifth straight time.
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