College football viewers’ guide: LSU-Auburn, Ohio State-TCU, USC-Texas provide pivotal matchups this weekend
It’s another weekend of college football, which means it’s time to cancel your other Saturday plans to binge-watch games from morning until late night. The Times’ Eduardo Gonzalez lets us know what will be on our televisions and computer screens this weekend:
FRIDAY
Georgia State (1-1) at Memphis (1-1), 4 p.m., ESPN
Memphis lost to Navy 22-21 last week even though Tigers running back Darrell Henderson ran for 212 yards and three touchdowns in 13 carries. Georgia State gave up more than 500 yards in a 41-7 loss to North Carolina State last week.
SATURDAY MORNING
Florida State (1-1) at Syracuse (2-0), 9 a.m., ESPN
What type of team is Florida State exactly? We’ll find out when the Seminoles take on a Syracuse team that has pulled off upsets at home in recent seasons. Seminoles quarterback Deondre Francois has as many interceptions (three) as touchdown passes. Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey passed for five touchdowns in a win over Wagner last week.
Vanderbilt (2-0) at No. 8 Notre Dame (2-0), 11:30 a.m., Channel 4
Notre Dame hopes to clean things up after a shaky 24-16 win over Ball State last week. Brandon Wimbush passed for 297 yards but had no touchdowns and had three passes intercepted. Vanderbilt has outscored its two opponents 76-17.
9 a.m.: Georgia Southern at No. 2 Clemson, ESPNU; Middle Tennnessee at No. 3 Georgia, ESPN News; No. 5 Oklahoma at Iowa State, Channel 7; Kent State at No. 11 Penn State, FS1; No. 21 Miami at Toledo, ESPN2; Troy at Nebraska, Big Ten Network (Big Ten); Hawaii at Army, CBS Sports Network (CBSSN); Rutgers at Kansas, Fox Sports West; Ball State at Indiana, Big Ten, Temple at Maryland, Big Ten; Murray State at Kentucky, SEC Network (SEC); Texas El Paso at Tennessee, SEC.
9:30 a.m.: Georgia Tech at Pittsburgh, Prime Ticket.
11 a.m.: UC Davis at No. 9 Stanford, Pac-12 Networks (Pac-12).
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
No. 12 Louisiana State (2-0) at No. 7 Auburn (2-0), 12:30 p.m., Channel 2
The battle for the best Tigers team in the SEC West will be decided in a matchup of division rivals. Auburn rushed for more than 400 yards last week in a 63-9 win over Alabama State. LSU defeated Southeastern Louisiana 31-0 behind Joe Burrow, who passed for 151 yards and two touchdowns, and Nick Brossette, who ran for 137 yards in 19 carries.
No. 17 Boise State (2-0) at No. 24 Oklahoma State (2-0), 12:30 p.m., ESPN
Boise State travels to Stillwater to take on an Oklahoma State team that has outscored opponents 113-30. Boise State is averaging 59 points a game and . quarterback ’sBrett Rypien has passed for 667 yards and seven touchdowns. Oklahoma State’s Taylor Cornelius has passed for 728 yards and six touchdowns with three interceptions.
No. 1 Alabama (2-0) at Mississippi (2-0), 4 p.m., ESPN
The last two meetings in Oxford between these teams were decided by six points or fewer. Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa passed for 228 yards and four touchdowns and Najee Harris ran for 135 yards and a touchdown in a 57-7 win over Arkansas State last week. Mississippi’s Jordan Ta’amu passed for 448 yards and five touchdowns in a 71-41 win over Southern Illinois.
No. 4 Ohio State (2-0) vs. No. 15 Texas Christian (2-0), 5 p.m., Channel 7
This will be the last game for Ohio State without suspended coach Urban Meyer on the sidelines. Buckeyes quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr. passed for 233 yards and four touchdowns in a 52-3 win over Rutgers last week. If the Big 12 wants a playoff contender, an upset by TCU in Arlington, Texas, would help.
No. 22 USC (1-1) at Texas (1-1), 5 p.m., Channel 11
USC will try to rebound on the road against a Texas team that has struggled in its first two games. USC’s JT Daniels passed for 215 yards and had two passes intercepted in a 17-3 loss at Stanford last week. Sam Ehlinger passed for 237 yards and two touchdowns in helping Texas to a 28-21 victory over Tulsa.
12:30 p.m.: Brigham Young at No. 6 Wisconsin, Channel 7; Southern Methodist at No. 19 Michigan, Big Ten; South Florida at Illinois, Big Ten; Duke at Baylor, FS1; Lehigh at Navy, CBSSN; Miami, Ohio at Minnesota, Big Ten.
1 p.m.: Texas San Antonio at Kansas State, Fox Sports West; Colorado State at Florida, SEC; North Texas at Arkansas, SEC.
1:15 p.m.: Houston at Texas Tech, Channel 11.
1:30 p.m.: Ohio vs. Virginia in Nashville, ESPN2.
2 p.m.: San Jose State at No. 20 Oregon, Pac-12; New Hampshire at Colorado, Pac-12.
3 p.m.: Idaho State at California, Pac-12.
4 p.m.: Oregon State at Nevada, ESPNU; Arkansas State at Tulsa, CBSSN.
4:30 p.m.: Louisiana at No. 16 Mississippi State, ESPN2; Louisiana Monroe at Texas A&M, SEC; Missouri at Purdue, Big Ten; Northern Iowa at Iowa, Big Ten; Massachusetts at Florida International, beIN; Akron at Northwestern, Big Ten.
5 p.m.: Eastern Washington at Washington State, Pac-12.
SATURDAY EVENING
No. 10 Washington (1-1) at Utah (2-0), 7 p.m., ESPN
Washington will face a road challenge at Salt Lake City, where Utah has developed a reputation for crushing opponents’ playoff hopes. Huskies quarterback Jake Browning bounced back from a rough Week 1 by passing for 313 yards and two touchdowns in a 45-3 win over North Dakota last week. Utah barely held off Northern Illinois 17-6.
7:30 p.m.: No. 23 Arizona State at San Diego State, CBSSN; Fresno State at UCLA, FS1.
8 p.m.: Southern Utah at Arizona, Pac-12.
Twitter: @edmgonzalez
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