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Let’s rank the best college football games of the weekend.
The college football season is in full swing, and boy do we have a heavy slate for you this week. We’re smack dab in the middle of conference play, and every game here is important to not only races towards the conference championship, but to the New Years’ Six as well.
If you want to see some good football this weekend, follow us as we head out west for some fireworks and amazing QB play.
Here are the five best college football games of the weekend.
5. Iowa at Wisconsin
Yes, we know. A week after weighing in on Just how “Big Ten West” the game between Illinois and Nebraska was, we are listing a Big Ten West game for you to watch.
Still, this game will have some implications for the conference. While neither team is ranked, these are the only teams in the Big Ten West with records above .500, and they are the only teams in the division with winning records in the conference. The winner of this game has an inside track to the Big Ten West title.
Plus, the Heartland Trophy is at stake. What is that you ask? A 72-pound brass bull designed by Frank Strub, who played for the Hawkeyes.
Still no dice? Well, this game kicks off at 4:00 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, so maybe just flip over to it when the top game on this list is in a commercial break.
4. Miami (25) at North Carolina (12)
On one side of the field you have Drake Maye, who is one of the top quarterback prospects in the country and has played some clean football in the past two weeks. After a two-interception performance against Minnesota in mid-September, Maye completed 22 of 30 passes for 296 yards and a touchdown in a win over Pittsburgh. He followed that outing by going 33 of 47 for 442 yards and three scores against Syracuse.
This is a chance for him to have a big night on a big stage.
But then there is Miami, and let’s face it. Some of us in the content game are just waiting to see if head coach Mario Cristobal faces another late-game decision …
3. USC (10) at Notre Dame (21)
Any hopes Notre Dame had of a dream run to a national championship were likely dashed last week, when they lost on the road to Louisville to drop them to 5-2 on the season. Saturday night brings to a close a brutal four-game stretch against ranked opponents, as they take on USC in their annual rivalry game.
However, Marcus Freeman and company would love to play the role of spoiler, and they’ll get a chance against a Trojans team that has its own share of weaknesses. USC has given up an average of 27 points per game this season, which is tied with FIU for 77th in the nation. They do some things well, as they are in the top five as a team in sacks and tackles for a loss, but Notre Dame’s offense could have a “get right” game Saturday night.
Still, with Caleb Williams at the helm, USC has the offense to overcome those kind of games.
2. UCLA (18) at Oregon State (15)
The Pac-12 is going out in style.
As JP predicted back in August, the final season of Pac-12 might offer some of the best football in the country. While the Oregon-Washington tilt is the Game of the Week this week, UCLA versus Oregon State is one heck of an undercard. The Bruins are coming off a win at home over a Washington State team that entered Week 6 on the cusp of the top ten, and that victory vaulted UCLA back into the rankings with a 4-1 record.
On the other side of the field, Oregon State has just one loss on the season of their own, a three-point defeat at the hands of those same Cougars, But they rebounded from that loss with a stunning upset of Utah at home, keeping themselves in the mix in the Pac-12.
While a three-way round robin plays out atop the conference standings, there is a scenario where USC, Oregon, and Washington beat each other up and open the door for a team to crash the conference championship game party in Las Vegas. The winner of this one can keep such a dream alive.
1. Oregon (8) at Washington (7)
This meeting between Pac-12 rivals has potential “Game of the Year” written all over it, and if last year’s game is any indication, we are in for a treat.
Not only do you have two of the top-ten teams in the nation going at it, but you also have two of the quarterback battling for the coveted “QB3” title in the upcoming draft class behind Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. Bo Nix has put up huge numbers in his time with the ducks, and has thrown for 1,459 yards and 15 touchdowns this season, against just one interception. His counterpart, Michael Penix Jr., has put up even bigger numbers, throwing for 1,999 yards and 16 touchdowns, against a pair of picks.
As a result, both offenses are explosive. Oregon comes into the game ranked second in scoring offense, averaging 51.6 points per game. Washington is just behind them, averaging 46 ppg. They are also the two top teams in total offense, with Washington averaging 569.4 yards per game, just ahead of Oregon’s 555.8.
There is also this factor: It could be a Pac-12 title game preview. There is a scenario where these two teams meet again in Las Vegas.
The winner of this game could have the inside track to not only the College Football Playoff, but the winning QB could take over the lead in the Heisman trophy race as well.
Finally, it is the first time these rivals meet with both ranked in the top ten.
If we have not convinced you yet, we are not sure we ever will.
Or you are an Iowa or Wisconsin fan.
