Pick the top marquee game on Saturday.
Go on, I’ll wait.
I’ll throw out some choices: Florida State at Clemson. Tigers can officially beat down any claim a young Seminoles team has of coming “back” for “their” ACC Championship.
Oklahoma at Cincinnati. Big brother comes into backyard of (new) little brother, in first-ever Big 12 Conference game in C-Town. Catch is, OU didn’t have a great year in 2022, and this is the conference opener this season for both.
Auburn at Texas A&M, in College Station. Hugh Freeze’s first big test as Auburn’s coach, first test back on the SEC stage after “exile” from Ole Miss. And the second test for coach Jimbo Fisher and offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, after the pop quiz in Miami – well, didn’t go too well.
Colorado at Oregon. Deion vs. Donald (Duck). Bo Nix and his Heisman chances can take a major leap if he can sink the high-flying (flying?) Buffaloes. And Colorado could shut any remaining critics if they could beat the Ducks in their own house, presumably without star cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter, out with injury.
Ole Miss at Alabama? Texas at Baylor?
How about this one? Ohio State at Notre Dame?
Did I mention it was a top-10 matchup?
The Associated Press did, here in this pretty spot-on preview (No. 6 Ohio State gets a chance for a big statement in Saturday night showdown at No. 9 Notre Dame), where they point out that scoring could be a premium.
Ohio State is third in total defense, and Notre Dame, fourth, both of them so stingy that neither is allowing more than 235 yards a game.
Now, we’re not talking the 1985 Chicago Bears here, or even the 1992 Alabama defense that stymied Geno Torretta (1993 Sugar Bowl – #1 Miami vs. #2 Alabama Highlights – YouTube). But a night contest, on NBC, with a bit of pressure on Ohio State to get out unscathed due to a (perceived) weaker Big 10 schedule, and Notre Dame needing quality wins of their own?
Hey, I’ll take it. Saturday’s got a heck of a college football menu. This one’s a pretty solid dinner.
