Preview Roundups
September 23, 2017
UNLV at Ohio State 12:00 PM ET
Ninth-ranked Ohio State looks to continue seeing progress as it readies for the meat of the Big Ten season when the Buckeyes host UNLV on Saturday in the finale of its non-conference schedule. Senior quarterback J.T. Barrett stepped up with his finest performance of the young season last week as he completed 25-of-33 passes for 270 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Ohio State’s 38-7 win over Army.
NC State at Florida State 12:00 PM ET
Florida State had plenty of time to work out what went wrong in a season-opening loss to Alabama back on Sept. 2 and will finally get a chance to take the field again when it hosts North Carolina State in its ACC opener on Saturday. The 11th-ranked Seminoles had their scheduled home opener against Louisiana-Monroe cancelled on Sept. 9 and had a meeting with Miami last weekend postponed due to Hurricane Irma.
Kent State at Louisville 12:00 PM ET
Louisville entered last weekend believing it had a shot of becoming a top-10 team and exited with more questions than answers following a disappointing home loss to Clemson. The 20th-ranked Cardinals attempt to pick up the pieces Saturday when they host Kent State.
Texas A&M at Arkansas 12:00 PM ET
Texas A&M has built itself some momentum following a heartbreaking season-opening loss - and the Aggies are going to need all the good mojo they can get as they visit Arkansas on Saturday afternoon. Texas A&M has two winnable games on the ledger before opening a brutal four-game stretch against teams currently ranked in the top 20 in the nation.
Massachusetts at Tennessee 12:00 PM ET
Some losses are harder to recover from, of course, and Tennessee will face that scenario to the extreme Saturday when it hosts Massachusetts in a non-league affair. The Volunteers suffered one of the most crushing defeats in school history last weekend as Florida scored on a Hail Mary at the buzzer to win, 26-20.
West Virginia at Kansas 12:00 PM ET
West Virginia has bounced back nicely from a tough 31-24 season-opening loss to in-state rival Virginia Tech, scoring a total of 115 points in back-to-back wins over East Carolina and Delaware State. The Mountaineers, knocking on the door of the Top 25, will try and make it three in a row when they travel to Kansas for the Big 12 Conference opener for both schools Saturday afternoon.
Texas Tech at Houston 12:00 PM ET
Houston will get its toughest test of the season when old Southwest Conference foe Texas Tech visits on Saturday afternoon. The high-scoring Red Raiders will try to snap the Cougar's home win streak - a FBS-best 16 straight.
Army at Tulane 12:00 PM ET
Tulane worked hard over the last season-plus under head coach Willie Fritz to build a dangerous triple-option offense. The Green Wave will get a close-up look at what a dangerous triple-option looks like when they host Army and its NCAA-best rushing attack on Saturday.
Pittsburgh at Georgia Tech 12:20 PM ET
Georgia Tech has a victory, a defeat and a cancelation so far in the opening month of its season, so it looks to Saturday’s home game against Pittsburgh as a chance to establish a normal rhythm. A loss to Tennessee on Labor Day was followed five days later with a victory over Jacksonville State before Hurricane Irma scrubbed last week’s trip to UCF, giving coach Paul Johnson a chance to revisit fundamentals entering this week’s ACC opener.
New Mexico at Tulsa 1:30 PM ET

After two of three games on the road to start the season, Tulsa returns home to Chapman Stadium for three of the next four starting with Saturday afternoon's game against New Mexico. The Golden Hurricane's lone victory on the season came at home against Louisiana 66-42 on Sept. 9.

Old Dominion at Virginia Tech 2:00 PM ET
The one-game-at-a-time mantra surrounding No. 13 Virginia Tech looms large as the Hokies prepare to host Old Dominion on Saturday -- one week prior to their ACC opener versus No. 2 Clemson. Virginia Tech also has a license to feel good about itself after a 64-17 dismantling of East Carolina in Greenville, N.C., last week, but the focus appears to be on the Monarchs.
Central Florida at Maryland 3:00 PM ET

Following two weeks of cancellations because of Hurricane Irma, Central Florida returns to action this week when the Knights visit Maryland on Saturday afternoon. While UCF has been not played since its season-opening victory against Florida Atlantic on Aug. 31, Maryland was off last week after opening with a pair of non-conference victories to start its campaign.

Southern California at California 3:30 PM ET
USC will try to maintain its recent dominance against California when the No. 5 Trojans hit the road for the first time this season to play the Golden Bears on Saturday. USC has won 13 straight games against California and 12 straight overall, but two of its three wins this season were much closer than expected, a big reason why the Trojans dropped a spot in the coaches' poll this week.
Georgia Southern at Indiana 3:30 PM ET
Indiana looks to notch back-to-back wins when it hosts Georgia Southern for the first time on Saturday. The Hoosiers bounced back from a 49-21 setback to ninth-ranked Ohio State with an impressive 34-17 road win against Virginia before Hurricane Irma forced the cancellation of the matchup with Florida International.
Rutgers at Nebraska 3:30 PM ET
While Rutgers is expressing relief after ending an 11-game losing streak, the panic alarm appears to be close to going off in Nebraska following a second straight setback last week. Third-year coach Mike Riley will try to calm the masses beginning Saturday when the Cornhuskers host the Scarlet Knights in the Big Ten opener for both teams.
Boston College at Clemson 3:30 PM ET

After two straight wins over top-15 opponents, things seemingly get easier for No. 2 Clemson when the Tigers return home to face struggling Boston College on Saturday. The Tigers have won six straight in the series, including a 56-10 rout last season, and Boston College hasn’t won at Clemson since 2007.

Duke at North Carolina 3:30 PM ET
The Duke-North Carolina rivalry is more synonymous with basketball - but with the way these two teams have been putting up points so far, don't be surprised to see a March Madness-like point tally as these two football programs do battle Saturday in Chapel Hill. Yet, while the Blue Devils are off to an unbeaten start, the Tar Heels are looking to build off last week's win after dropping their first two games.
Toledo at Miami 3:30 PM ET
It's back to football for the Miami Hurricanes, who haven't played since their 41-13 opening win over Bethune-Cookman due to Hurricane Irma. The 14th-ranked Hurricanes, who have been practicing in Orlando, return home on Saturday to face a Toledo team coming off a 54-51 shootout win over Tulsa.
Wake Forest at Appalachian State 3:30 PM ET
Wake Forest will travel some 86 miles to play at Kid Brewer Stadium for the first time when it faces Appalachian State on Saturday in a non-conference game. The Demon Deacons and the Mountaineers have an extensive history having played 22 times between 1975 and 2001, but this will be the first meeting in Boone, N.C.
Louisiana Tech at South Carolina 3:30 PM ET
Unable to do so last week, South Carolina will need to find a way to win without its top playmaker in Saturday's non-conference game against visiting Louisiana Tech. Junior wide receiver Deebo Samuel had six touchdowns in three games, including a 68-yard touchdown catch on the first play from scrimmage in last week's loss to Kentucky, but suffered a broken left leg and was lost for the season for the Gamecocks, who are unbeaten in five games against the Bulldogs.
Alabama at Vanderbilt 3:30 PM ET
Top-ranked Alabama looks to post its fourth straight victory when it visits upstart Vanderbilt on Saturday in the SEC opener for both teams. The Crimson Tide are still smoothing out rough spots with this year's group while the Commodores are surprisingly unbeaten after three games for the first time since 2011.
Texas Christian at Oklahoma State 3:30 PM ET
By scoring on its first seven possessions at Pittsburgh last week, Oklahoma State and its Heisman Trophy candidate Mason Rudolph made a statement that the No. 7 Cowboys are a serious contender for a Big 12 and even a national title. The next step to accomplish both begins Saturday when equally high-powered and 15th-ranked TCU visits in the conference opener for both teams.
Cincinnati at Navy 3:30 PM ET
Teams trying to find themselves on the offensive side meet Saturday when Navy puts a long American Athletic Conference winning streak on the line against Cincinnati. Navy, which upended Tulane 23-21 in its conference opener on Sept. 9, has won 14 consecutive regular-season games played on its home field, Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
Michigan at Purdue 4:00 PM ET
Eighth-ranked Michigan looks to stay unbeaten when it hits the road to face Purdue in the Big Ten opener for both teams on Saturday. The Wolverines are ranked fifth nationally in total defense after allowing an average of 208 yards per game after wins over then-No. 22 Florida (33-17), Cincinnati (36-14) and Air Force (29-13) but quarterback Wilton Speight hopes to kick start a unit which has scored just one touchdown in 10 trips inside the 20-yard line.
Nevada at Washington State 6:00 PM ET
Off to its first 3-0 start since 2005, No. 18 Washington State will be missing its defensive leader Saturday when the Cougars face visiting Nevada. The Cougars boast the top pass defense in the Pac-12 but will need to adjust to life without senior middle linebacker Peyton Pelluer, who suffered a season-ending foot injury in last Saturday’s 52-23 win over Oregon State.
Oklahoma at Baylor 6:30 PM ET
Third-ranked Oklahoma owns the nation's longest active winning streak at 13 games heading into Saturday night's Big 12 opener at Baylor. The Sooners, who have won 16 consecutive Big 12 contests, can match the school record of 17 straight Big 12 victories accomplished from 2003 to 2005, with a win over the Bears.
Mississippi State at Georgia 7:00 PM ET
No. 19 Mississippi State launched itself into the national rankings with an impressive rout of LSU last week in its SEC opener, and now it hits the road for a rare matchup against No. 12 Georgia on Saturday looking to continue building itself as a challenger in the SEC West. Everything went right for Mississippi State last week as quarterback Nick Fitzgerald accounted for four touchdowns, but coach Dan Mullen acknowledged to reporters Tuesday this week presents a new challenge.
Syracuse at Louisiana State 7:00 PM ET
Coming off a humbling loss to open SEC play, LSU aims to take out its anger on visiting Syracuse on Saturday. The Tigers were pounded by Mississippi State, 37-7 in Week 3, dropping them from the No. 11 team in the country all the way to 23rd nationally.
Arkansas State at Southern Methodist 7:00 PM ET
Scoring points won't be a problem when Arkansas State travels to SMU on Saturday night. The Red Wolves average 42 points while the host Mustangs average 49.3 points behind strong passing games.
San Diego State at Air Force 7:00 PM ET

The player who has garnered all three of the Mountain West Conference’s Offensive Player of the Week awards this season is the same player who leads the nation in rushing at 196 yards per game. And that’s why San Diego State’s Rashaad Penny has the undivided attention of host Air Force this week with the 25th-ranked Aztecs set to visit Saturday n

Penn State at Iowa 7:30 PM ET
No. 4 Penn State faces a major test in its first road game of the season when it visits fellow unbeaten Iowa on Saturday night in the Big Ten opener for both teams. The Nittany Lions steamrolled through their first three opponents at home by a combined score of 141-14, and their bevy of offensive stars shined brightly in last week's rout of Georgia State.
Florida at Kentucky 7:30 PM ET
Fresh off their dramatic last-second 26-20 triumph over Tennessee, 22nd-ranked Florida heads to Kentucky on Saturday for their first SEC road game of the season. The Wildcats come off their fourth straight victory over South Carolina, but they are on the wrong end of the streak this time around as the Gators have won the last 30 meetings with Kentucky, the longest active win streak in the NCAA.
Auburn at Missouri 7:30 PM ET

Auburn has had a tough time getting things clicking on offense the past two games, but a trip to face a struggling Missouri defense on Saturday might provide just the remedy. No. 16 Auburn aims to open conference play with a road victory when the two Tigers tangle for the first time since the 2013 SEC Championship game.

Notre Dame at Michigan State 8:00 PM ET
Michigan State looks to return from a week off and resume the momentum of a 2-0 start when it hosts long-time rival Notre Dame on Saturday night. The Spartans earned home victories over Bowling Green and Western Michigan prior to a bye week, while the Irish are coming off a victory over Boston College last weekend.
Southern Illinois at Memphis 8:00 PM ET
Memphis looks to build on its big win over then-nationally ranked UCLA when it hosts FCS school Southern Illinois in a Saturday-night matchup. The Tigers won a 48-45 shootout last Saturday with the Bruins 48-45 to improve to start 2-0 for the third straight season.
Oregon at Arizona State 10:00 PM ET
Arizona State has lost two of its first three games for the first time since 1999, and the schedule won't get any easier when the Sun Devils host No. 24 Oregon in the Pac-12 opener for both teams on Saturday night. The Ducks have won 10 straight games against the Sun Devils and are 3-0 this season, though their best win against Nebraska was watered down when the Cornhuskers lost at home to Northern Illinois the following week.
Washington at Colorado 10:00 PM ET
Sixth-ranked Washington finally gets to measure itself against a strong opponent when it visits Colorado on Saturday in the Pac-12 opener for both schools. The Huskies weren't tested while opening with victories over Rutgers, Montana and Fresno State while the Buffaloes are looking for their first 4-0 start since 1998.
UCLA at Stanford 10:30 PM ET
Two teams looking to bounce back from heartbreaking non-conference losses meet Saturday as Stanford hosts UCLA. Stanford fell to 1-2 for the first time since 2008 after losing 20-17 to San Diego State last Saturday, while UCLA’s injury-plagued defense allowed 560 yards in a 48-45 setback against Memphis.