WAKE UP! Third Saturday College Football schedule, viewing guide and why-to-watch

Rejoice, for this could be an historical day in this, the 100th meeting of Alabama-Tennessee. The Third Saturday in October. The ‘Bama game is on CBS at 3:30 EST (sorry, for your four hours of commercials.) But, that’s not all we’ll keep an eye on today.

College Gameday is live in Happy Valley at 9:00 EST. Below is your schedule for Week 8 (all times Eastern.) Here’s what else we’re watching today and why.

No. 10 Oklahoma State at Texas (+7) 12:00 EST

Texas actually put up a fight last week in the Oklahoma game. It’s not the first Top 10 team they’ve given a bit of a scare to. Can the ‘Horns finally get a signature win under Herman? Is this a game the Cowboys overlook? The talent disparity isn’t as bad as the records.

Iowa State at Texas Tech (-7) 12:00 EST

Hard to believe, but these two teams are in contention for the league crown and/or a nice January bowl. The Cyclones have come 180-degrees as a team from the last few seasons. The Red Raiders running game and defense has, for them at least, gotten dimensions better as well. This is an under-the-radar fun (and improbably important) game.

Louisville at Florida State (-6) 12:00 EST

If Michigan-Penn State and USC-Notre Dame are the most important games of the day, this one between two ACC underachievers isn’t far behind. Can FSU continue its slow rebound from an 0-and-2 start? Can Louisville replicate its absolute destruction of the ‘Noles from last season? The loser has a lot of very hard questions to ask itself in the offseason...provided the outcome of this one doesn’t send them into a premature death spiral. The winner gets some valuable momentum. And, in the case of FSU, a win keeps it in contention for the ACC crown.

No. 20 USC at Navy (+7.5) 3:30 EST

The Knights have laid waste to everyone on their schedule, including blasting a good Memphis team. However, UCF hits the road today for one of the harder games in CFB: Navy. A shootout is probably in the works, but the winner will be the one who gets a critical late defensive stop. For UCF, and maybe Navy, a win keeps it in contention for a big money New Year’s Six bowl. For Navy, a win can help create a logjam at the top of the AAC, presumably behind USF. Like Iowa State-Texas Tech, this is improbably important and will likely be entertaining as hell.

Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Kentucky at Mississippi State (-13) 4:00 EST

The Bulldogs are a different team at home. Sitting at 4-2 and somewhat exposed, they host what may be the nation’s worst one-loss team, the Wildcats. Has Bully rebounded from being whacked by Auburn and Georgia? Or can they recapture some of that tough-nosed early play. For the Wildcats, this is a barometer game: is Big Blue the team that struggled with Eastern Kentucky, or the one who mainly stifled Florida? A bad loss here gives Stoops haters more fuel. This game may not tell us much about the winner, but we’ll learn a whole lot about the loser.

BYU at East Carolina (+6.5)

Do you hate yourself? If so, this may be the worst game of the year. ECU is the worst team I’ve seen this season with my own eyes. And BYU isn’t far behind. The Cougars have the worst offense in college football. The Pirates have the worst defense. Fans of morbid curiosity and tar heroin should get a kick out of this. I’m oddly aroused at how bad this game is.

No. 24 LSU at Ole Miss (+7.5) 7:15 EST

LSU is riding high after piecing together two nice back-to-back wins. They hit the road against rival Ole Miss tonight. This should be a rout, given how awful the Rebels are along both lines. But, you can also see Da’ Coach O pooping the bed too. This shouldn’t be close. It will be.

No. 19 Michigan at No. 4 Penn State (-9.5) 7:30 EST

Last year, with nothing resembling a functional offense, the Wolverines laid a 49-10 beatdown for the ages on Penn State. The Nittany Lions have lost just once since, while collecting wins over Ohio State and a Big 10 Championship. Think they’re looking for some revenge in Happy Valley? It’s hard to undersell this game. In terms of the divisional, conference, and national picture, it’s a huge game.

No. 11 USC at No. 13 Notre Dame (-3.5)

This is a playoff elimination; it’s that simple. Both teams have a loss to a Top 15 opponent. For Notre Dame, it’s also a chance to seriously enter the playoff picture after mixed results against Georgia and Michigan State. There is no margin for error in this century-old intersectional rivalry.