College Football Viewing Guide – Week 3 – CXF | Culture Crossfire

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Week 3 Featured Games

Thursday
#24 TCU at Texas Tech, 7:30/4:30 PM, ESPN
Spread: TCU -3
Announcers: Rece Davis, Jesse Palmer, David Pollack

All-Time Series: Texas Tech leads 29-18-3
Last Meeting: 10/20/12 Texas Tech 56, TCU 53

Reason to Watch: These two combined for 109 points when they squared off last year and TCU’s defense made LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger look surprisingly good a couple of weeks so this could be a another high scoring affair. The Frogs will be without starting quarterback and professional Edward James Olmos impersonator Casey Pachall for two months after breaking his non-throwing arm last week.

Back Up Game: Troy at Arkansas State, 7:30/4:30 PM, ESPNU

Friday
Air Force at Boise State, 8:00/5:00 PM, ESPN
Spread: Boise State -23.5
Announcers: Carter Blackburn, Danny Kanell

All-Time Series: Boise State leads 1-0
Last Meeting: 10/22/11 Boise State 37, Air Force 26

Reason to Watch: Although there wasn’t a lot of buzz regarding them going into the season, Boise’s hopes of a BCS bid this year ended very quickly back in Week 1 after being slaughtered by Washington 38-6. But they shouldn’t have much trouble with Air Force. It’s Friday night, there’s blue turf, and you have nothing better to do.

Early Saturday
#16 UCLA at #23 Nebraska, Noon/9:00 AM, ABC
Spread: Nebraska -4.5
Announcers: Sean McDonough, Chris Spielman

All-Time Series: Nebraska leads 6-5
Last Meeting: 9/8/12 UCLA 36, Nebraska 30

Reason to Watch: This is the only other Top 25 game on the schedule this week so it’s odd that it’s getting the early time slot. Nebraska’s defense is an abomination (they gave up over 600 yards to Wyoming!) so this should be a shootout. Okay that’s not saying much, this is college football in 2013, defense is completely optional.

Back Up Game: Bowling Green at Indiana, Noon/9:00 AM, ESPNU

Mid-day Saturday
#1 Alabama at #6 Texas A&M, 3:30/12:30 PM, CBS – ***GAME OF THE WEEK***
Spread: Alabama -7.5
Announcers: Verne Lundquist, Gary Danielson

All-Time Series: Alabama leads 3-2
Last Meeting: 11/10/12 Texas A&M 29, Alabama 24

Reason to Watch: Do you really need one? If your family tries to drag you out of the house during this game you might just have to murder them. If you live in Tuscaloosa it will probably be considered justifiable homicide and you’ll just have to do some community service but thankfully not on Saturdays.

Back Up Game: Tennessee at #2 Oregon, 3:30/12:30 PM, ABC

Primetime Saturday
Vanderbilt at #13 South Carolina, 7:00/4:00 PM, ESPN
Spread: South Carolina -13.5
Announcers: Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge

All-Time Series: South Carolina leads 18-4
Last Meeting: 8/30/12 South Carolina 17, Vanderbilt 13

Reason to Watch: This should be a decent game and I think the spread is too large as I think Vandy covers. But we’re stuck with this as your best option for the primetime slot this week in part because ESPN and the Longhorn Network relegated the Ole Miss/Texas game to the failed one school network experiment in a desperate attempt to gain additional carriage. So 98% of the country will not be able to watch the entertaining train wreck that is the Texas football program. An additional fuck you to ESPN for subjecting the nation to Notre Dame/Purdue in the plum ABC primetime slot this week.

Back Up Game: Mississippi State at Auburn, 7:00/4:00 PM, ESPN2

Late Night Saturday
#20 Wisconsin at Arizona State, 10:30/7:30 PM, ESPN
Spread: Arizona State -5.5
Announcers: Dave Pasch, Brian Griese

All-Time Series: Arizona State leads 2-1
Last Meeting: 9/18/10 Wisconsin 20, Arizona State 19

Reason to Watch: This should be a fantastic game that is going to be lost in the shuffle with the Game of the Terrannum going on earlier in the day. Arizona State should definitely be in the Top 25 already and I think is a sleeper team to upset either Oregon or Stanford to earn the Rose Bowl bid. It would be a great achievement for Todd Graham before he takes the USC job next year.

Back Up Game: Oregon State at Utah, 10:00/7:00 PM, FOXS1

Week 3 Game Rankings

1. Alabama at Texas A&M
2. Wisconsin at Arizona State
3. UCLA at Nebraska
4. Tennessee at Oregon
5. TCU at Texas Tech (Thur.)
6. Mississippi at Texas
7. Vanderbilt at South Carolina
8. UCF at Penn State
9. Mississippi State at Auburn
10. Oregon State at Utah
11. Washington vs. Illinois
12. Ohio State at California
13. Georgia Tech at Duke
14. Bowling Green at Indiana
15. Boston College at USC
16. Virginia Tech at East Carolina
17. Iowa at Iowa State
18. Tulsa at Oklahoma
19. Kansas at Rice
20. Fresno State at Colorado
21. Air Force at Boise State (Fri.)
22. Louisville at Kentucky
23. Maryland at Connecticut
24. Nevada at Florida State
25. Notre Dame at Purdue
26. Marshall at Ohio
27. Louisiana-Monroe at Wake Forest
28. Kent State at LSU
29. Troy at Arkansas State (Thur.)
30. Ball State at North Texas
31. Memphis at Middle Tennessee
32. Western Michigan at Northwestern
33. Central Michigan at UNLV
34. Stanford at Army
35. Southern Miss at Arkansas
36. UTSA at Arizona
37. New Mexico at Pittsburgh
38. Tulane at Louisiana Tech (Thur.)
39. Eastern Michigan at Rutgers
40. Florida Atlantic at South Florida
41. UTEP at New Mexico State
42. Western Kentucky at South Alabama
43. Northern Illinois at Idaho
44. Akron at Michigan
45. Massachusetts at Kansas State
46. Georgia State at West Virginia