As the calendar turns to October, it's great to see the story of the season start to take shape. And we've finally hit a weekend with several great matchups throughout the different conferences. A lot of eyes will be on the multitude of ranked matchups, and rightly so. But here are some games that could become interesting in their own little way.
Florida at Tennessee
Wow, has this game fallen! What was once the premiere matchup of the entire SEC has now become the Noon game on the SEC Network. But I do see some significance on this one. For Florida, this game is a huge opportunity to show that the Gators have still got it...or at least "enough" of it to keep going at least a little longer with its current staff. For the Vols, a chance to shake off yet another "near-win" against Georgia, finally get that elusive win against the Gators, and demonstrate that the program is legitimately on the rise with Butch Jones and not just "Moral Victory U".
NC State at Clemson
Both programs played valiantly against Florida State, but in both cases, the Seminoles found a way to victory. Clemson rebounded quite nicely last week, with a convincing win against UNC. For the Wolfpack, here comes their chance at redemption. Was that performance against FSU really indicative of an improved NC State squad...or just an inspired performance that comes and goes on a whim? This game will allow both teams to contend for "runner-up" status in the ACC (or hold out hope for ACC Atlantic contention, should FSU find a way to stumble)...which just might be what it takes for an Orange Bowl bid to replace FSU if the Noles are indeed CFP bound.
Michigan at Rutgers
The Wolverines seem to be making headlines this week, but for all the wrong reasons. For starters, a lousy start to the season - coupled with an injury-related debacle - has generated some "Fire Brady Hoke NOW" buzz. With so much media scrutiny surrounding Ann Arbor this week, it cannot be understated that there is a game this weekend...with a decent Rutgers team to boot! Rutgers would love nothing more than to atone for that close loss against Penn State than to net a win against another "big boy" of the Big Ten...and to help keep that negative Michigan buzz going.
Memphis at Cincinnati
I've mentioned before that Cincy and ECU seem to be the two favorites in the American Conference, and for the "Group of 5" spot. But after a somewhat lackluster performance against Ohio State, after high hopes of being able to pull the upset, I wonder if Cincy has a bit of a hangover back at home this week. Memphis can compete - after all, they hung in there with UCLA and Ole Miss. It would not surprise me to see the Tigers contend for this one too - and perhaps become a conference contender themselves (while putting Cincy's AAC hopes a bit more in doubt)!
California at Washington State
Both of these teams have played some highly entertaining ball thus far. Washington State has played Oregon closer than anyone so far this season, and the Cougars managed to give Utah its first loss of the season by rallying from a 21-0 first quarter. Meanwhile, a much-improved Cal team has been on both ends of last-minute thrillers in the last two weeks: losing on a Hail Mary to Arizona, followed by a high-flying multi-OT victory against Colorado. It's a late game on the PAC-12 Network, but I certainly look forward to seeing how this one goes!
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