Week 3 - The Call Sheet

America's Team, a Friday night slugfest and rivalries at the ready.

Rising concerns? - In Saturday’s 23-12 win over Baylor, Utah quarterback Cam Rising exited the game with a finger/hand injury. For Utah’s sake, he better be healthy. The Utes failed to score against Baylor without him and the team’s Big 12 title chances rest on his health.

Boomer or bust - On a day filled with odd scorelines, Oklahoma beating Houston 16-12 highlighted the group. Perhaps it was a one-off, but only scoring 16 points against this version of Houston is…concerning. Let’s keep an eye on Oklahoma in the lead-up to its big matchup against Tennessee in a few weeks.

Ponies are a mess - SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee refuses to give up the two-quarterback system and on Friday, both signal-callers under-performed in a surprising 18-15 loss at home to BYU. Selling my 2024 SMU stock looks better by the week.

The Monangai Monster - Rutgers running back Kyle Monangai is the best college running back you’ve never heard of. Through two games (albeit against subpar competition), he’s amassed 373 yards and 4 touchdowns and is easily the biggest offensive threat on the roster. I’m excited to see his running continue in Big 10 play.

Perfect Timing - I missed this Saturday night, but the Nebraska football team celebrating in the locker room to Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders’ single “Perfect Timing” is pretty hilarious.

On the other hand, have some shame, Husker fans. Storming the field against a four-win team last year is a bit of a joke.

Army’s illusion - Army unleashed a pretty epic fake field goal turned option play against FAU on Saturday. That’s the good stuff.

Golden Asses - Kent State hit a new low on Saturday, losing at home to a school called St. Francis (PA). Big yikes.

5-Wide

The 5 games you’re not gonna wanna miss this weekend.

Arizona State vs. Texas State

It’s a bit of a strange week for games, which means this matchup has the chance to be a Thursday night banger.

Styles make fights and this game poses a beautiful clash of styles with Arizona’s vicious run game with running back Cam Skattebo versus Texas State’s flaming arrow passing style with quarterback Jordan McCloud.

For Arizona State, this game will be all about continuing to dominate on the ground and controlling the clock. Last week, the Sun Devils largely dismantled Mississippi State’s defense as Skattebo went for 262 yards on 33 carries. The Sun Devils can’t really throw the ball, so the ground-and-pound game will be crucial.

Can Arizona State’s offensive line dominate against? I can’t wait to find out.

Texas State’s offense is a stark dichotomy from the Sun Devils’ offense. According to GameonPaper, the Bobcats rank second in the country in plays per game (82), with 43 of them on average being pass plays. Translation: Texas State wants to go fast and sling the ball around.

*Source: GameonPaper.com

Last year, the Bobcats relied on Auburn transfer quarterback TJ Finley. This time around, it’s former James Madison signal-caller Jordan McCloud running the offense. I like what I’ve seen from McCloud so far.

Last week, Texas State made mince meat out of the UTSA defense en route to a monster blowout win. If GJ Kinne’s team keeps up this output, I don’t see why they can’t compete for a Sun Belt title.

Although ASU looked good last week, I’m riding with Texas State a.k.a America’s Team.

No. 20 Arizona vs. No. 14 Kansas State

Last weekend was almost a Let-Down-Look-Ahead Sandwich (S/O The Solid Verbal) for both of these teams. Arizona let Northern Arizona hang around far too long, while Kansas State just eeked out a road game against an upstart Tulane team.

I suspect both teams had one eye on this matchup.

Fun fact: Despite both teams being members of the Big 12 Conference, this will technically be counted as a non-conference game due to the fact it was scheduled back in 2016.

On a scale of 1-10 on the FUN meter, this game just might land on the 8.5 side of things. I’m very excited to see this play out.

The field will be littered with playmakers on Friday night. Arizona’s stars are quarterback Noah Fifita and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. Kansas State boasts a dual-threat star in the making with quarterback Avery Johnson.

I suspect this game will be on the higher-scoring side of things. Arizona boasts a nasty offense and after seeing Kansas State give up 27 points to Tulane, I have some questions about its secondary. For Kansas State, I think a key to the game will be its ability to run the ball effectively and control the clock. If the Wildcats can control the tempo, I like its chance a lot more.

Sit back, relax and be sure not to miss this one. You’ll regret it if you do.

No. 4 Alabama vs. Wisconsin

Can we call this a helmet game? Maybe?

Nevertheless, I probably would’ve been more intrigued by this matchup two years ago than I am right now. Alas, let’s dive into the preview.

Label me as concerned about what I’ve seen from Wisconsin over two weeks. In Year 2 of the Luke Fickell era, I expected a little more dominance from the Badgers considering the level of competition. The defense has held up OK through two games, but man, the offense has been a real slog.

Understandably, things have started a little slow with attempting to integrate transfer quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, but it’s been slower than expected from where I sit. And the stats agree with me.

According to GameonPaper, the Badgers have an EPA/Play of just 0.06 on pass plays, which is middle of the road nationally. You’d like to see more from an Air Raid team. On the other hand, the Badgers might be the best rushing Air Raid team we’ve seen in quite some time. Perhaps it isn’t a surprise considering the OC, but it’s a pleasant surprise to see the Badgers have a 51.2% Success Rate when rushing the football.

This is all important because the numbers tell us the Alabama defense is better at stopping the pass than the run game. This is also pretty surprising considering the Tide have a reworked secondary filled with younger players.

*Source: GameonPaper.com

Let’s keep an eye on Wisconsin’s offensive game plan. Alabama had a hard time stopping the run last week against USF. If Wisconsin can piece together an effective run game, things could get interesting.

On the other side, I’m banking on Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe having a big game against the Badgers’ defense. As a dual threat, he has the potential to make life hard on multiple fronts for any defense, and I’ve been less than impressed with Wisconsin’s ability to get off the field through two weeks.

This is the first big test for new Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer. I can’t wait to see how the Crimson Tide look on the road.

No. 24 Boston College vs. No. 6 Missouri

This matchup is far more appealing now than it might’ve been two months ago.

Boston College, fresh off wins against a down-trodden Florida State team and Duquesne will walk into Columbia with its sights set on a major upset. Missouri has not been tested yet this year, but returns a ton of firepower and is my sneaky pick for a College Football Playoff berth.

I cannot wait to see Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos against a solid, SEC-level defense. Castellanos’ ability to run the ball on designed run plays and scramble on designed pass plays just gives the Eagles a different offensive identity. And as we saw against Florida State, the offensive line and running backs are more than formidable. Can they play bully ball against a legitimate defense? I can’t wait to find out.

On the other side, I’ve got my eyes on Missouri quarterback Brady Cook. I’ve been banging the Brady Cook drum all offseason. He’s a high-quality college quarterback and wouldn’t be shocked at all if he makes a run at the Heisman Trophy ceremony.

Boston College ranks 14th overall in Expected EPA against the pass, albeit against poor passing teams. Does this mean the Eagles have a legit secondary? Or can the connection of Cook and standout receiver Luther Burden get the Tigers going? It should be a fun one.

Missouri’s offense has been solid through two weeks, but oddly enough hasn’t created any explosive plays whatsoever. Keep an eye on this.

I’m riding with Missouri to the ends of the earth.

Memphis vs. Florida State

Buyer beware: This upset-worthy matchup has gotten so trendy that I’m worried Memphis might not live up to the bargain.

Am I intrigued to see this? Yes, of course. Mainly because I want to see just how low this thing might go for the Seminoles.

The college football world has been disappointed by DJ Uiagalelei’s play at quarterback, but I’ve been more disappointed by the lines of scrimmage. Entering the season, we were told that FSU had a great defensive line and through two games it has been anything but. The Seminoles got bullied twice by ACC opponents. Not good.

Aside from the LOS, I’ll be watching Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan. Henigan was excellent last season, and you just know he’ll love the chance to dunk on a big-time program. Memphis will likely try to spray the ball around the field and make life hard on the FSU secondary.

Side note: Both teams need this win. FSU needs to steer this ship away from the rocks and Memphis could use this victory to boost its chances to make a College Football Playoff bid.

Games I’m Keeping An Eye On 👀

West Virginia vs. Pitt - The Backyard Brawl is always a physical game and should be a worthwhile watch.

No. 9 Oregon vs. Oregon State - There’s no way Oregon could lose, right? Right?

Washington State vs. Washington - This feels like the kind of game you take the over. Tensions should be high and both teams are lacking on defense.

Cincinnati vs. Miami (Ohio) - I am getting dangerously close to taking the Redhawks in this one.

The Brent Musburger Gambling Guide

My official locks of the week. (Lines are locked in at the time of writing)

Overall: +4 units

-17 Coastal Carolina vs. Temple - I might just bet against Temple for the rest of the season.

Oregon vs. Oregon State OVER 50.5 - Run. It. Up.

Houston vs. Rice OVER 42.5 - The H-town Showdown.

Boston College vs. -16 Missouri - To the end of the earth.

What I’m Reading This Season

SID Sports - Don’t forget to subscribe to Griffin Olah’s SID Sports newsletter. As a former Divison I sports information director, Olah has a great grasp of the sport and I really enjoy his work.

This week, he has a newsletter breaking down the House v. NCAA settlement hearing last week, along with his weekly Game of the Slot newsletter that breaks down the week’s biggest matchups.

2201 Kimball Ave | Cameron Morgan - 2201 Kimball Ave is essential reading for all followers of Kansas State football. As a lifelong K-State fan and former player, Cameron brings a unique and thoughtful approach to the analysis of the Wildcats' football team. His newsletters are rational and insightful and I genuinely learn something new with every newsletter.

Split Zone Duo | Alex Kirshner, Richard Johnson and Steven Godfrey - SZD is essential reading and following for CFB ball knowers. Godfrey, Richard and Alex are the Holy Trinity for college football analysis and insight. Each member brings a unique flavor to the conversation, which makes for insightful and downright hilarious banter about the sport we all love. If I had someone ask me where to start for smarter college football coverage, this SZD is where I'd send them.