Spread Offense 10/13/17: College Football Week 7 Preview

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta

Week 6 provided us with some serious shake-ups to the top 10, I'll go straight to my top 10 ballot here.


WEEK 7 TOP TEN

10.Wisconsin (last week: NR)
9. Miami ( last week: NR)
8. Washington State (last week: 10)
7. Ohio State (last week: 8)
6. Washington (last week: 6)
5. TCU (last week: 8)
4. Georgia (last week: 4)
3. Penn State (last week: 3)
2. Alabama (last week: 2)
1. Clemson (last week: 1)

The top 4 remained the same from last week, but the rest all got jumbled around as we have 2 new teams to the top 10. I've been severely reluctant to rank Wisconsin in the top 10 because they have an incredibly soft schedule until November, but they come in at 10 which is where they'll top out at until they get themselves a big win on the resume. The Miami Hurricanes kept their undefeated season alive with a last second win against Florida State, and make their debut in my top 10 by coming in at #9. They are currently 5-0 and have a few big games coming up in November that will truly show if this team is a playoff contending team.

With 2 debuts in the top 10 means that 2 teams are out of the top 10. First, the Michigan Wolverines dropped a tough game to in-state rival Michigan State, 14-10. The defense did what they could but the offense turned the ball over 5 times and it's practically impossible to win under those circumstances. The Oklahoma Sooners lost a game at home to an Iowa State team that was just 2-2 on the season. The Sooners were 31 point favorites in this game and had a 24-10 lead before squandering the lead and eventually losing 38-31. They nearly coughed up a game the week before to a winless Baylor team and now this loss, Oklahoma needs to get it together soon with Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and TCU looming.


HEISMAN WATCH

5. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
4. Luke Falk, QB, Washington State
3. Bryce Love, RB, Stanford
2. Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
1. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

A little movement in the Heisman watch this week, Baker Mayfield slides down to 5 after an Oklahoma loss in which he did not perform very well. Stanford RB Bryce Love continues to climb up the watch list, he has 1240 yards and 9 TD's in 6 games this season putting him on an incredible pace to be well over 2,000 yards.

Saquon Barkley holds down the #1 spot, as he accounts for nearly 40% of Penn State's offense. A bye week this week then back to back tests against Michigan and Ohio State will be a huge proving ground for his Heisman campaign.



WEEK 7 PREVIEW



#12 Oklahoma vs Texas - 3:30 PM

The Red River Rivalry kicks off at 3:30 in the Cotton Bowl, one of the biggest rivalries in the entire country. Oklahoma has not looked very good these past 2 games, a narrow win against Baylor followed by a home loss to unranked Iowa State. They will need QB Baker Mayfield to be the true leader of the team and right this ship, they still can make the playoffs if they win out so this is the beginning of "must win" games for the Sooners. Texas' new Head Coach, Tom Herman, started out last season with a win over the Oklahoma Sonners when he was coaching the Houston Cougars. He'll need more of that success here as this would be a signature win for him and also keep Texas in the Big 12 title game picture. As it goes for any rivalry, this one has proven to be wildly unpredictable and with the way both teams have been playing, do not be surprised at any outcome.

PREDICTION: Oklahoma 37-27


#10 Auburn at LSU - 3:30 PM

SEC West foes collide right here. Auburn is starting to climb their way back up the polls and are making people believe that they are a contender still. They lost a lopsided game in week 2 at Clemson and have been on a roll ever since, winning 4 straight which includes a 49-10 drubbing of then #24 Mississippi State. QB Jarrett Stidham has been leading this team on offense as they've put up at least 44 points in each of the last 3 games. LSU has been their kryptonite though as they've lost their last 8 trips to Baton Rouge, and LSU is looking to make it 9 here. LSU had high expectations this season, but a conference loss to Mississippi State and then an upset loss against Troy 2 weeks later really derailed those expectations. They had a bounce back game last week though against Florida, defeating the #21 ranked Gators 17-16. They have a tough defensive front that will look to shut down Stidham, much like Clemson did. They'll ride their running attack on offense, led by Darrius Guice, in order to move the ball and pull off the upset.

PREDICTION: LSU 19-17


Utah at #13 USC - 8:00 PM

This game lost a bit of it's luster after Utah, ranked #20 at the time, lost a close game to Stanford which dropped them out of the top 25. Physicality will be the name of the game for Utah, they'll look to control the trenches on both sides of the ball in order to dictate the flow of the game. Their defense was gashed by Stanford RB Bryce Love last week, but their run defense still is #1 in the Pac-12 with only giving up 108 rushing yards a game. They should also get a boost if QB Tyler Hunley is back for this game, he injured his shoulder in a game against Arizona two weeks ago and missed last week's game against Stanford. If he cannot go then Utah will turn to QB Troy Williams, who started for the Utes last season.

For USC, it will be controlling Utah's pass rush and not turning the ball over. Turnovers have haunted the Trojans this season, QB Sam Darnold has thrown 9 INT's and lost a fumble this season and they've been their own worst enemy in games this season. They are one of the most talented teams in the country, but always seem to either play down to competition or make crucial mistakes that keep opposing teams in the game and it's bit them once(Washington State) and could bite them again here.

PREDICTION: USC 30-14

Spread Offense 9/14/17: College Football Week 3 Preview

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta

Plenty of statements were made in week 2, as there are definitely some shake ups in my top 10 after a week that featured 4 big games.


WEEK 3 TOP TEN

10. Oklahoma State (last week: NR)
9. Louisville (last week: 10)
8. Michigan (last week: 9)
7. Washington (last week: 5)
6. Georgia (last week: 8)
5. Clemson (last week: 6)
4. Oklahoma (last week: 7)
3. Penn State (last week: 4)
2. USC (last week: 3)
1. Alabama (last week: 1)

Clemson, Georgia, USC and Oklahoma all picked up some monster wins over the weekend. Clemson answered a huge test as they stifled Auburn, Georgia went on the road with a true freshman QB to squeak out a win over Notre Dame, USC showed their potential in an impressive showing against Stanford and Oklahoma got revenge on the Buckeyes to the tune of 31-16. So with all that happening last Saturday, the rankings are jumbled up from the previous week, with Alabama the only team that didn't move as they remain the #1 team in the country.

Ohio State was the big loser of the weekend, falling from 2nd to out of the top 10. The Buckeyes are probably at 11 or 12 to me and have as much talent as any team in the country, but the offensive struggles have carried over from last season and will need to show improvement before they can truly be considered an elite team. Taking their spot in the top 10 are the Oklahoma State Cowboys, whose offense can outscore anyone and they may be finding a pretty good defense to go along with that.

Washington moved down a bit only due to not playing a good team yet while others all proved a point that they should be in the top 5. Their time is coming soon though and we will find out about the Huskies down the road.


WEEK 3 HEISMAN WATCH

5. Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
4. Saquan Barkley, RB, Penn State
3. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
2. Sam Darnold, QB, USC
1. Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville

After a slow week 1, the QB's all picked it up big time in week 2. Under normal circumstances, a big win on the road to the #2 ranked team in the country would bolster Baker Mayfield's Heisman hype, but Sam Darnold gashed a good Stanford defense for 4 TD's and 316 yards while Lamar Jackson put on a show against UNC with 3 passing and 3 rushing TD's.

Only change is UCLA QB Josh Rosen now making the list at #5, replacing UGA RB Nick Chubb. Rosen led a huge 34 point comeback win over Texas A&M in week 1 with a 491 yard and 4 TD performance, and followed it up with a 326 yard and 5 TD performance against Hawaii. This combined with UGA seemingly wanting to be a RB by committee team, as RB Sony Michel had more carries and rushing yards against Notre Dame, means that Rosen is in while Chubb is out.


WEEK 3 PREVIEW

#23 Tennessee at #24 Florida - 3:30 PM

One of the biggest rivalries in the SEC kicks off here, with the Tennessee Volunteers headed to Gainesville to take on the Florida Gators. Last season, Tennessee broke an 11 game losing streak to the Gators as they made a big 28 point comeback to win 38-28. Their season collapsed after that however, so this season they are really needing this one in order to be on the track of making the SEC title game. The Volunteers will look to their offense to put up the points, they've score 40+ in both outings this season. Florida has to figure something out at QB, they've only played one game due to last weeks game being cancelled, but they put up some atrocious numbers in their opener against Michigan. If Florida cannot find any consistency on offense then this could be a long game, and long season for them.

PREDICTION - Tennessee 28-16


#3 Clemson at #14 Louisville - 8:00 PM

This game has electric written all over it. Clemson passed their first big test last week, with a 27-6 win over Auburn. The offense still looks good and QB Kelly Bryant is finding his stride at QB. Louisville's defense has not been impressive this season so far, so Clemson has the ability to put up some big numbers in this game and put it out of reach. But the big matchup in this game will be Louisville QB Lamar Jackson against the front 7 of Clemson. The Tigers kept Auburn in check all last week, the defensive line especially dictated the entire game. They now face the most electric dual-threat QB in the country in Lamar Jackson, who is eyeing his 2nd Heisman trophy. If he is able to find a rhythm and beat the pressure that Clemson will be sending then this game will be going Louisville's way. The game will undoubtedly come down to who gets the better of who between Jackson and the Clemson front 7, expect this one to be a pretty high scoring affair.

PREDICTION - Clemson 37-33


Texas at #4 USC - 8:30 PM

This game is only a marquee match-up due to the programs involved and it's the first meeting between them since their epic game for the BCS national championship back in 2005. Texas is still in a growing pains period, and in week 1 they took a lopsided loss at home to Maryland by a score of 51-41. They followed it up with a 56-0 win over San Jose State, but they will be walking into the belly of the beast here Saturday night as they head to Los Angeles. The Trojans showed exactly what they are made of, and their championship talent was on display last Saturday. They took care of Stanford 42-24 with QB Sam Darnold leading the way with 4 TD passes, 2 of them to star WR Deontay Burnett, and they showed off their 2-headed RB tandem with both Ronald Jones II and Stephen Carr going over 100 rushing yards. Texas will need to play lights out here and hope that USC has an off game in order to possibly pull off the upset, again it's a cool game just based on the history of the programs but don't expect another instant classic between them here.

PREDICTION - USC 56-31

Spread Offense, College Football Week 6: The Bridge Episode

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta

Now that was a fun last Saturday, wasn't it? Last second dramatic wins with multiple lead changes in the final minute in the Tennessee-Georgia and North Carolina-Florida State game, 2 Big Ten heavyweights in Michigan and Wisconsin just pulverizing each other in a great defensive game, and did Louisville and Clemson put on a show or what? Last Saturday delivered big time overall, those types of exhilarating games are what makes this sport so great.

Each season of a TV series has something called a bridge episode. TV series typically start fast to hook you in followed by an episode or two that is more about building characters and storylines by being dialogue heavy while taking away the majority of action. That episode's purpose is to bridge the beginning of the season to the finale, hence the "bridge episode" name. This is what week 6 seems to be, with only 4 games involving 2 ranked teams it seems as though this will be less about the action on the field and more about what's to follow based off of this week. We are starting to get into conference play and we have some rivalry games this week so it will still hold everyone's attention, but this will be a natural come down after week 5's fantastic games and finishes. 

SATURDAY OCT 8TH

Noon kickoffs are headlined by Texas and #20 Oklahoma playing in their annual Red River Rivalry game. Oklahoma came in to last year's game at a perfect 5-o and ranked #10 in the country while Texas was a disappointing 1-4 at the time. They always say to throw the records out in a rivalry game though and last year was a perfect example, as the Longhorns handed Oklahoma their only regular season loss by a score of 24-17. This year, both teams are in need of a big win as Oklahoma just evened their record out to 2-2 after outlasting TCU 52-46 last weekend, and a promising start to the season for Texas has turned sour after 2 straight losses. Texas coach Charlie Strong will be calling defensive plays now after the Longhorns gave up 49 points to Oklahoma State, some reports are saying that this is a make or break game for him as far as determining his future as coach of the team.

They'll need to slow down an Oklahoma offense that finally got rolling last weekend and looked like the playoff contender that they were expected to be. Oklahoma's main concern will be the 2 QB system that Texas runs, last week they had a ton of problems with stopping TCU and Texas is the type of team that could put up some points if they find a weakness. The luster may be off this rivalry game a bit since both teams are just 2-2, but there's a lot at stake for these two teams and always expect some great moments when bragging rights are on the line.

We also have LSU at #18 Florida at noon. The post Les Miles era started out big for LSU as they rolled Missouri 42-7. Florida gets their starting QB back, Luke Del Rio, as they hope that provides a spark on the offense that they were missing last weekend against Vanderbilt. They still managed to win but the offense was stagnant overall and they coasted to a 13-6 victory. Can a rejuvenated LSU team go on the road and knock off a healthy Florida team on the road? It's a pretty big task for interim head coach Ed Orgeron.

The 3:30 games give us 2 of the 4 games involving 2 ranked teams. In ACC action, we have the #25 Virginia Tech Hokies going on the road to face the #17 North Carolina Tar Heels. The Hokies have moved on from "Beamer ball" and are now running a full time spread offense under 1st year head coach Justin Fuente. The switch is paying off right now, as they are averaging 40 points per game and QB Jerod Evans has found himself on some Heisman sleeper lists. After suffering their lone loss on the season (45-24 to Tennessee), the Hokies have shut out Boston College 49-0 and rolled East Carolina 54-17. North Carolina has also been putting up some impressive numbers on offense, along with pulling out games in crunch time. In back to back weeks, the Tar Heels outscored Pitt 14-3 in the 4th quarter to win 37-36 then had a last second drive against Florida State culminating in a 54 yard game winning field goal for the 37-35 win. Bud Foster's Virginia Tech defense may be the key factor in this, he's one of the best at game planning and disguising blitzes in order to rattle the opposing teams' QB, if he can dial up a game plan to get Mentor, Ohio's own Mitch Trubisky off his game then that will be the deciding factor. It will be close though and North Carolina thrives in close games, expect this game to play out in the final minutes.

We also have the #9 Tennessee Volunteers at the #8 Texas A&M Aggies. Tennessee seems to be living a charmed life, they start slow and sloppy and as it looks like they are going to lose, they seem to do just enough to get the win. OT win against Appalachian State, uninspired win against Ohio, 21 point comeback against Florida and then last week, a last second Hail Mary win over Georgia. This will be their toughest task to date, Texas A&M looks very good and Kyle Field provides a big home field advantage. The Aggies use a balanced attack to put up nearly 40 points and 520 yards per game, with QB Trevor Knight leading the charge for them. Their defense also seems legit this season, as 24 points is the most that they have given up in a game. If they hold Tennessee to that then they have a very good chance of winning this game. This game will tell us a lot about both teams, starting with how serious a contender each team is going forward.

The 7 pm start time takes us to Fayetteville where the #16 Arkansas Razorbacks host the #1 Alabama Crimson Tide. Arkansas looks for a statement win right here to show that they aren't a middle of the road type team. QB Austin Allen is the type of QB that has given Alabama's defense problems in the past and the Razorbacks are going to need him to play at his peak in order to win this game. Arkansas will also look to their 2 RB's, Rawleigh Williams and Devwah Whaley, to provide a big punch and balance out the attack so the Crimson Tide won't have the benefit of keying on Allen. If Arkansas does become one dimensional then that plays right into Alabama's hands, their defense thrives on getting after the QB to force sacks and turnovers. The Crimson Tide offense will look for the same success as Texas A&M had against Arkansas, which is the big play.

The Razorbacks, while a good defensive team overall, are susceptible to giving up big plays and that was their Achilles heel in their 45-24 loss to the Aggies. The Tide does have the weapons, both in their running and passing game, to score quickly and Arkansas has got to do a better job of containment if they want to stay in this game. This is Alabama's 1st of 4 straight big games with Tennessee on deck, Texas A&M in the hole and LSU awaiting after a bye week. Arkansas needs this one badly if they want any shot of earning the SEC West title.

Then our 8pm primetime matchup pits 2 in-state rivals against each other, with the #23 Florida State Seminoles facing off against the #10 Miami Hurricanes. At the beginning of the season, not many people would have believed that FSU would be the team with 2 losses while Miami is undefeated. The Seminoles rebounded against South Florida after the beating they took against Louisville, only to lose on a last second field goal last week to North Carolina. FSU certainly has the talent on offense, starting with RB Dalvin Cook, but miscues on defense have haunted them this season. Mark Richt has revitalized the Miami program already in his 1st season as head coach, and people are starting to buy into this team. This will be their chance to really prove it though as they have yet to play a ranked team and their opponents have a combined 7-13 record.

Their offense, led by QB Brad Kaaya and RB Mark Walton, have been lighting up the scoreboard while their defense has been one of  the stingiest in the country. If they can take advantage of FSU's problems on defense and keep their offense rolling then this could be a long night for the Seminoles. We will see just how good they are though in this game, whether they are a contender in the ACC or fool's gold that put up numbers due to softer competition. Rivalry games always bring an added amount of intrigue and with two teams ranked in the top 25 and with the history they have for playing close, memorable games, then this is a perfect game for that 8pm time slot.

Spread Offense, College Football Week 5: Clear Your Weekend Schedule

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta


For most people, the weekends are a time to catch up on things around the house. Whether it's yard work or house work or even a DIY project, most of those chores occur on the weekend since the majority of people usually don't have the time throughout the week. Friday and Saturday night are also popular date nights. Dinner and a movie, maybe a stop at a local bar for a few drinks or a walk in the park even, perfect time to stay out a little bit later and spend some quality time together.

I'm here to tell you to clear that schedule and give yourself a whole weekend of free time in order to watch football. The house work can be done early Saturday morning or pushed to Sunday or even next weekend, it can wait. As for date night, hopefully you are fortunate enough to be with someone that also enjoys college football, maybe even have a date night that is football-centric (can't go wrong with a sports bar). If not, then hopefully he/she understands your passion of football and will understand that you want to just sit home and watch TV all weekend, make it up to them  by taking them out to a Sunday morning brunch and/or buy them something to show your appreciation for their understanding (just some suggestions).

Before we get started, I just wanted to fit in a little paragraph on my thoughts on LSU firing Les Miles. I see some people saying that if they would have snapped the ball just a half second sooner against Auburn then he would still have a job and his only other loss this season being by 2 points to a top 10 team in Wisconsin. Fair points, but after last season where LSU practically fired him then brought him back, he basically had to win a national championship in order to keep his job this season. If a program is sold on not retaining their current head coach then it's much more beneficiary to let him go earlier in the season rather than later, especially for recruiting. Les Miles will land on his feet somewhere, he had a great run at LSU and a coaching career that most would love to have. He'll be fine but the writing was blatantly on the wall that his time was up, LSU made the right call for their program.

Week 5 is loaded with games and you won't want to miss a snap,  here's a rundown of the top games, starting on  Friday night.

FRIDAY SEPT 30TH

We get a battle of 2 top 10 teams on Friday Night. The #7 ranked Stanford Cardinal is 3-0 and every one of their games has been spotlighted so far in my weekly article (Kansas State, USC, UCLA). They face the #10 ranked Washington Huskies in Seattle, who have yet to play a marquee game. The Huskies have a lot of preseason hype and so far their record is beginning to prove themselves, but this will be the big test in truly showing that they belong. Rutgers, Idaho and Portland State followed by an OT win against Arizona have been Washington's current schedule, so while both sides of the ball has looked impressive, many are waiting for this game before giving them credit. To show that they deserve a top 10 ranking, they'll need to slow down Ryan Burns and Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey was stifled, for his standards, against UCLA last week but in crunch time the Cardinal found different ways to get the job done. While offensive players like McCaffrey and Washington's QB Jake Browning get a lot of attention, it's been both teams' defenses that have truly been their strong point. Washington leads the NCAA in takeaways while only giving up an average of 14.5 points per game, Stanford is even a bit better there with only 12 points per game. Get ready to see some big plays sprinkled in with an overall defensive game in this highlighted Friday night game.

SATURDAY OCT. 1ST

Ok...so I lied. If there's a time to do some house or yard work then during these noon games would be it. #13 Baylor at Iowa State, #23 Florida at Vanderbilt, #22 Texas at Oklahoma State, #14 Miami at Georgia Tech and Rutgers at #2 Ohio State makes this a somewhat "meh" start to the college football day. By all means still watch but if there's a pressing needs that has to get done then there's definitely some time to take care of it here.

At 3:30 though, we get rolling! #11 Tennessee, coming off their big win over rival Florida, heads to Athens to take on the #25 Georgia Bulldogs. The Vols finally broke the losing streak against Florida (11 straight), are still undefeated and have their sights set on the SEC East title. Georgia was undefeated until last week, where they were outplayed and overmatched by Ole Miss, ending in a 45-14 lopsided loss. Tennessee still has a history of slow starts and one of these games it is going to get them unless they can get it together and start figuring out how to have better starts. They are currently in the gauntlet stretch of their schedule, with Texas A&M and then Alabama looming, so it's time for them to put a full 4 quarters together. Georgia has to find another playmaker other than Nick Chubb to step up in order to win this game. They've scraped by in their first 3 games and then did not have an answer for Ole Miss, it's also time for them to play to their full potential and see what kind of team they truly are or else this could end up being a long season for them.

Also at 3:30 is a battle of 2 of the top teams in the Big Ten, which btw, is the best conference in the NCAA. #8 Wisconsin, coming off a statement win against Michigan State, travels to the mitten again to face the #4 Michigan Wolverines. Wisconsin looked about as a good as a team could look last weekend, their defense stymied the Spartans and their offense continually picked up big first downs on their way to a 30-6 win in East Lansing. MSU and LSU (who Wisconsin defeated in week 1) typically have 2 of the best offensive and defensive lines in the country and the Badgers controlled the trenches all game against both teams. They'll need to do so again if they want to remain undefeated by beating the Michigan Wolverines. Michigan is looking like a well-oiled machine this year, the kind of team we come to expect from Jim Harbaugh. QB Wilton Speight has been way more than a game manager and he throws to 2 of the country's elite WR's (Darboh, Chesson) along with a top Tight End(Butt). The return of CB Jourdan Lewis is big for an already good defense and their LB/DB/KR/PR/WR(practically everywhere) playmaker, Jabrill Peppers, has become of the most electric players in the country. Wisconsin has been battled tested and will go on the road in this one, Michigan looks to pass their first big test by playing and beating a top 10 team, this game has everything a college football fan wants.

Smothered in between the 3:30 and 8pm games is a 5pm kickoff between the Oklahoma Sooners and the #21 TCU Horned Frogs. Not sure if anyone predicted in the offseason that the Oklahoma Sooners, Big 12 champs and college playoff team from last year, would be unranked with a 1-2 record. Fortunately for them, both losses were non-conference games, meaning they still control their own destiny in winning the Big 12. They will need a good defensive game on top of good performances from Mayfield, Mixon and Perine on offense though if they want to avoid 1-3. TCU sits at 3-1, with their lone loss being an OT thriller against Arkansas. Former Texas A&M QB Kenny Hill has been their dual-threat that they need for this offense and RB Kyle Hicks has been a big complement to him in the run game. Both teams leave a lot to be desired on defense though, both giving up more than 380 yards and 25 points a game on average. This game looks to be a offensive firepower game that we are all so used to when it comes to the Big 12.

And then, we arrive at our main event of the evening. #3 Louisville vs. #5 Clemson in a conference clash that takes place in Death Valley. Before we get to the game, be sure to tune in for the pregame where they will almost for certain show the Clemson entrance. It is easily the best entrance in all of college football, they arrive via bus and enter through the stands and run down a hill and onto the field. Trust me, it's worth tuning in early for and if it doesn't get you hyped up for the game then you may not have a pulse. The game will be about the QB's here, Lamar Jackson of Louisville and Deshaun Watson of Clemson. Both are top 5 in the Heisman race with Lamar Jackson right now being the heavy favorite to win it. After a slow start in the first 2 weeks and just when people started to wonder if something is wrong with Clemson, they have turned it up big time and are looking like they are in full form now. Louisville has started off fast and continued a torrent pace of putting up ungodly offensive numbers, including a 63-20 beat down at Florida State. Both defenses have looked good this season as well, Clemson's has kept them in those first two games while their offense struggled and Louisville's just doesn't get the talk that it deserves considering how good their offense has looked. Clemson has one of the best home-field advantages in the country and Louisville has already gone on the road this season and won a big game, this game just looks so close and so good on paper, it's truly a can't miss game.

TV Weekend 9.16 - 9.17

By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

Z Nation, PREMIERE (FRI, Syfy, 8pm)
New Japan Pro Wrestling (FRI, AXS TV, 8pm)
Masters Of Illusion (FRI, The CW, 8pm & 8:30pm)

New Japan Pro Wrestling (FRI, AXS TV, 9pm)

Burgers, Brew & Que (FRI, Food Network, 10pm)
ELeague (FRI, TBS, 10pm)
Dark Matter, SEASON FINALE (FRI, Syfy, 10pm)
Quarry (FRI, Cinemax, 10pm)
High Maintenance, PREMIERE (FRI, HBO, 11pm)

======

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Baylor @ Rice (FRI, ESPN, 8pm)
Arkansas State @ Utah State (FRI, CBS SportsNet, 9pm)
Arizona State @ Texas-San Antonio (FRI, ESPN 2, 9:30pm)

Florida State @ Louisville (SAT, ABC, 12pm)
Miami @ Appalachian State (SAT, ESPN, 12pm)
North Dakota State @ Iowa (SAT, ESPN 2, 12pm)
Iowa State @ TCU (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 12pm)
Ohio @ Tennessee (SAT, SEC, 12pm)
Akron @ Marshall (SAT, CBS SportsNet, 12pm)
Georgia State @ Wisconsin (SAT, Big Ten, 12pm)

Oregon @ Nebraska (SAT, ABC, 3:30pm)
Alabama @ Mississippi (SAT, CBS, 3:30pm)
Pittsburgh @ Oklahoma State (SAT, ESPN, 3:30pm)
Boston College @ Virginia Tech (SAT, ESPNU, 3:30pm)
Colorado @ Michigan (SAT, Big Ten, 3:30pm)
Western Michigan @ Illinois (SAT, ESPNews, 4pm)
East Carolina @ South Carolina (SAT, SEC, 4pm)

Texas A&M @ Auburn (SAT, ESPN, 7pm)
Mississippi State @ LSU (SAT, ESPN 2, 7pm)
Ohio State @ Oklahoma (SAT, FOX, 7:30pm)
Michigan State @ Notre Dame (SAT, NBC, 7:30pm)
USC @ Stanford (SAT, ABC, 8pm)

UCLA @ BYU (SAT, ESPN 2, 10:15pm)
Texas @ California (SAT, ESPN, 10:30pm)

NFL
Top 10: Free Agents (FRI, NFL, 8pm)
A Football Life: Curtis Martin (FRI, NFL, 9pm)

MLB
Tigers @ Indians (FRI, STO, 7pm)
Yankees @ Red Sox (FRI, MLB, 7pm)

Yankees @ Red Sox (SAT, FOX, 1pm)
(SAT, MLB, 1pm)
Tigers @ Indians (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 4pm)
(SAT, MLB, 10pm)

NASCAR & RACING
Camping World Truck: Chicagoland (FRI, FOX Sports 1, 8:30pm)
XFINITY Series: Chicagoland (SAT, NBC, 3:30pm)

MMA & BOXING
Bellator MMA Live (FRI, Spike, 9pm)

UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Johnson - Prelims (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 8pm)
UFC Fight Night: Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Johnson (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 10pm)

HOCKEY
World Cup of Hockey Preview (FRI, ESPN 2, 7pm)
2016 World Cup of Hockey: Team USA vs. Team Europe (SAT, ESPN 2, 3:30pm)

SOCCER
English Premier League: Everton FC vs. Middlesbrough FC (SAT, NBC, 12:30pm)

WNBA
Minnesota Lynx @ Indiana Fever (FRI, NBA TV, 7pm)
San Antonio Stars @ Los Angeles Sparks (FRI, NBA TV, 10:30pm)

OTHER SPORTS
Volleyball: FIVB World Tour Finals, Women's Gold Medal Game (SAT, NBC Sports, 4pm)

Spread Offense: College Football Week 3: A Storm On The Horizon

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta


While week 2 provided us with some stunning games and dramatic finishes, it lacked the overall "star power" as there were no games featuring teams in which both were ranked. Week 3 makes up for that though, as we are treated to not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 games that involve both teams being ranked, one of them being an early season conference game.

This week will start to shape the playoff contenders to the playoff pretenders as we head into a full schedule of conference games in the weeks to come. The storm is definitely coming and it will provide some great games.

SATURDAY SEPT. 17TH

We kick off Saturday's noon slate of games with the game that ESPN's College Gameday will be tailgating for. #2 Florida State at #10 Louisville, in a game where both offenses will be on full display.

Florida State overcame early game woes against Ole Miss to make a big comeback and pull out a win against the Rebels. Redshirt freshman QB Deandre Francois seems to be getting very comfortable in the pocket and Heisman hopeful RB Dalvin Cook is helping by taking a ton of pressure off of him. When they are running on all cylinders, they've shown how unstoppable they can be, and may in fact be the best team in the ACC (Clemson was the preseason landslide favorite in the conference.)

Speaking of what a team is capable of when running on all cylinders, the Louisville Cardinals have turned plenty of heads this season already with their high powered offense. Led by QB Lamar Jackson, who accounts for 13 TD's, the Cardinals have put up 132 points in 2 games. The detractors will say that it was against Charlotte and Syracuse, but Louisville will have home field and a big time chance to prove that they are for real in this game against the Seminoles.

In the 3:30 games, we will see the #22 ranked Oregon Ducks travel to Lincoln to face the unranked(for now) Nebraska Cornhuskers. Oregon always seems to have a lightning quick, score at will offense, and this year seems no different as they have put up 53 and 44 points in their 2 games. Their defense seems to be the question though as they gave up 28 points to UC Davis and 26 points to Virginia. On the other hand, Nebraska has not only been scoring a lot of points but their defense is not giving up many. The Cornhuskers look to make a big statement here by welcoming in the Ducks, if they can slow down that Oregon offense  then this game is very winnable for them.

But the big game at 3:30 that most will be watching intently, will be the #1 team in the country playing their Achilles heel. The Alabama Crimson Tide have only lost 3 games in the past 2 seasons, 2 of those losses have been to the Ole Miss Rebels. The #19 team in the country needs this game big time, as they have already lost 1 game this season and any chance of playoffs will fade away with another loss. In order for Ole Miss to win this one, it will be in the hands of QB Chad Kelly and his offensive line. If Kelly has time then we can see him make some plays happen out there and have Ole Miss in position for an upset bid. The Crimson Tide, looking to exercise their Ole Miss demons, will be keeping pressure on Kelly while getting their offense rolling the way it did against USC. All signs point to the Tide here, but Ole Miss has had their number in the past.

Then we head to 7:30, where we will see non-conference rivals face off as #12 Michigan State heads to South Bend to take on the #17 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Spartans had a less than stellar performance in their season opener against Furman, where their defense looked every bit as good as we've come to know from them but their offense looked rather lackluster. Thanks to an oddly timed bye in week 2, MSU has had an extra week to prepare for Notre Dame and work out the kinks with their offense. The Fighting Irish are fighting for their playoff lives in this game, as they have already lost once this season. The 2 QB controversy seems to be past them now as Deshone Kizer has taken the ranks and the offense has flourished under him. Notre Dame will need him to perform at his peak against this defense in order for them to win, a big win in front of their home crowd would put them right on track as a potential playoff team.

In the other 7:30 game, a big clash in Norman will happen with the #14 Oklahoma Sooners welcoming the #3 Ohio State Buckeyes to town. Oklahoma is 1-1 with a loss to the Houston Cougars while Ohio State is 2-0 with wins over Bowling Green and Tulsa. The biggest test for Ohio State is how their young team of first time starters handles the hostile environment that they'll be walking into. Also, early season struggles on the offensive line could be the place that Oklahoma exploits in order to slow down J.T. Barrett and the OSU offense. The Sooners will need to establish the running game, which they are capable of doing, and also get QB Baker Mayfield back into Heisman form in order to put up the necessary points to win this game. Oklahoma is in a "do or die" situation when  it comes to the playoffs as one more loss seals their fate, while Ohio State looks to remain unblemished and staying on course to the playoffs.

While the 1st quarter is finishing up in those 7:30 games, our 8pm game will be set for kickoff. The ABC prime time game features a conference game which has budded into a nice little rivalry as of late. The USC Trojans will be taking on the#7 Stanford Cardinal, an early season Pac-12 game that has the writing on the wall of being a very good showdown. The Trojans are looking to jump back into the rankings after being demolished 52-6 by the Alabama Crimson Tide in week 1. They have the playmakers, but it looks to be another year of preseason hype followed by in-season let down. They could reclaim some of that hype though and play spoiler here, as the Stanford Cardinal are the favorites to win the Pac-12 again and make a strong case for the playoffs. Stanford seems to center around one guy, Christian McCaffrey, as he is that 5 tool player that just does it all for Stanford. They may have also found a solid QB in Ryan Burns to help the offense out even more, making Stanford an even tougher task to defeat. If USC is going to pull off the upset, they'll need to fully utilize their playmakers and get some turnovers on defense, otherwise this Cardinal team looks to be too much for the Trojans to handle.

And finally, if you are a night owl or have some insomnia, there's a pretty good game that kicks off at 10:30 this week. The #11 Texas Longhorns head out on the road to play the Cal Golden Bears. While this Texas team made a big statement by defeating Notre Dame in week 1, many still think the jury is still out on them. They've played well before and have won big games in the past, but have also had many lapses and lost games that they should have won(including last season's game against Cal.) The Golden Bears are still looking for that big leader now that Jared Goff is in the NFL, and new QB Davis Webb could be that guy. So far, Davis has looked the part and has filled the shoes of Goff rather nicely, but Cal's defense has been a big problem for them, giving up 45 points in a loss to San Diego State last week. Cal will need the defense to step up big time, especially against the run, and will look to Davis to lead the offense down for numerous scores. Texas will continue to use their 2 QB system, Shane Buechele as the starter with Tyrone Swoopes coming in for designed run plays. That back and forth system has shown a bunch of positive results so they will keep going with that until it gets stopped (if it does.) Texas will also have to keep an eye on Cal WR Chad Hansen, who has developed into a go-to playmaker and could be the big factor in this game. If Texas continues to do what they've been doing on offense then it looks as though Cal will have no answer for them. A big night crowd in Berkeley combined with Texas' road woes(1-4 last season) could play a role in this late night affair.

TV Tonight 9.4

By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

MLB
Marlins @ Indians (STO, 4pm)
Nationals @ Mets (ESPN, 8pm)

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Notre Dame @ Texas (ABC, 7:30pm)

NASCAR & RACING
Sprint Cup Series: Bojangles' Southern 500 (NBC, 6:15pm)

TENNIS
U.S. Open, Round of 16 (ESPN 2, 7pm)

WNBA
Indiana Fever @ Los Angeles Sparks (NBA TV, 7pm)

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Big Brother (CBS, 8pm)

Fear The Walking Dead (AMC, 9pm)
Power (Starz, 9pm)
Ray Donovan (Showtime, 9pm)
The Last Ship (TNT, 9pm)

Talking Dead (AMC, 10pm)
BrainDead (CBS, 10pm)
The Strain (FX, 10pm)
Survivor's Remorse (Starz, 10pm)
Murder In The First (TNT, 10pm)

Spread Offense 8.31.16: It's College Kickoff Time!

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta

After a long, long offseason, college football is officially back! Fans around the country will be treated to games from Thursday through Monday as the NCAA rolls out the red carpet to spotlight their product in a big way. College football takes full advantage of a 3-day weekend combined with no NFL games to start the season out with a huge bang. Here's what to look forward to on the first full slate of games of the season.

Thursday Sept. 1st

Thursday games are more of the appetizer, something to watch but nothing that would fill a college football fans' hunger.

The SEC will be on display as the big game of the night is a conference match-up between South Carolina and Vanderbilt. While neither team is ranked, the intrigue here is Will Muschamp in his 1st season as Gamecocks Head Coach, taking over for Steve Spurrier who retired after 11 seasons at South Carolina. Muschamp was once the heir apparent at Texas, but after a disasterous tenure as Head Coach of the Florida Gators, he is now looking to bounce back and regain that coaching reputation that he once had.
Again, it may not be much but it's football. 

Other games of note: Appalachian State at #9 Tennessee, Oregon State at Minnesota.

Friday Sept. 2nd

While Thursday was something to just get us started, Friday offers us a big spotlight game.

Kansas State at Stanford gives us a big time Heisman candidate in Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey looks to lead the Cardinal this season to another Pac-12 title and hopefully a playoff berth this season. The Heisman runner-up goes up against a Kansas State defense that allowed over 450 yards of offense. Uncertainty at QB could be the achilles heel for Stanford, Kevin Hogan is now gone and Head Coach Davis Shaw has said that both Ryan Burns and Keller Chryst will play as they are not yet ready to name either as a lock for the job.

In order for Kansas State to pull off the upset, they will have to rely on their offense to keep pace with Stanford. QB Jesse Ertz is back as starter after a season-ending injury on the first snap of the season last year,  he along with their run game attack could cause problems for Stanford.

Other games of note: Colorado State vs. Colorado at Sports Authority field in Denver, Northwestern St at #23 Baylor and Furman at #12 Michigan State.

Saturday Sept. 3rd

And away we go! The first Saturday of College Football delivers in a big way with marquee matchups at every turn.

The noon games give us a big time matchup as the #3 Oklahoma Sooners are at the #15 Houston Cougars. Oklahoma looks to return to the playoffs this season, but a big test to start the season(both this week and in week 3 against Ohio State) could derail their chances. QB Baker Mayfield is a Heisman candidate and could start an early campaign with a statement win here. Houston bursted onto the scene last season under 1st year Head Coach Tom Herman. Led by QB Greg Ward Jr., Houston rolled to a 13-1 record last season capping it off with a Peach Bowl win over Florida State. They are experienced and have performed well on the big stage before, this game could be very dynamic.

Heading into 3:30, we have not one but two big match-ups.

#13 UCLA and their sophomore phenom QB Josh Rosen look to be the team to knock Stanford off in the Pac-12. The Bruins will head to Texas A&M to take on an Aggies team that had quite a tumultuous offseason. On paper, UCLA is the better team and should win this game. The Bruins are a potential playoff team while the Aggies have seen both their 5 star QB recruits transfer, numerous current commits back off their commitment after a coach's tweet and 2 assistant coaches suspended after degrading comments towards women(at a symposium for female fans to help educate them about the game). But never count out the Aggies at home, Kyle Field provides one of the biggest home field advantages in the country and will be a big struggle for UCLA to get over that key component there.

And in the other 3:30 big game, #5 LSU heads way north to take on Wisconsin with the game being played at Lambeau Field. The focus for LSU centers around RB Leonard Fournette, with some saying that he's not only a Heisman candidate, but the Heisman frontrunner. Wisconsin though is always known for the rough, tough defense and although they lost their defensive coordinator(to LSU, ironically), their defense that ranked #2 in total yards last season looks to continue their dominance and do what they can to contain Fournette. LSU's speed may prove to be the biggest factor as they may make it tough for Wisconsin to move the ball much on offense, even with Corey Clement returning after a hernia cut his 2015 season short.

Sandwiched in between the 3:30 and the 8pm games, is a big 5:30 matchup between two ranked teams. #22 North Carolina takes on #18 Georgia on a "neutral" field(game is played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta), in a game that could be decided by UNC's run defense. North Carolina's run defense seemed to be non-existent toward the end of last season and with RB standout Nick Chubb being medically cleared to play for the Bulldogs, it could be a matter of how improved the Tar Heels are, if at all. UGA still has not named a QB even, so North Carolina's ability to stop Chubb and make their QB throw looks to be the big factor.

And then, the main event kicks off at 8pm! With the game being played at Jerry World in Dallas, the #20 USC Trojans face off against the defending national champs and preseason ranked #1, the Alabama Crimson Tide. This game will feature playmakers everywhere on the field, from Alabama's Cam Ridley and O.J. Howard to USC's JuJu Smith-Schuster, Adoree Jackson and Ronald Jones II. The Alabama defense though, will be the big thing to watch as they have 1st round talent at all 3 levels, including 2 at linebacker. USC will need newly named starting QB Max Browne to be smart and precise with his decisions in order for the Trojans to win this game, utilizing his playmakers while not turning the ball over. Alabama yet again is replacing their starting QB and RB, with the way they recruit though there's little doubt that they have the players to step up and not miss a beat on offense. This top match-up is the type of fireworks on week 1 that gets the college football fans' heart racing!

But there's still 1 more to go on this Saturday night, kicking off at 9pm. Under the lights at Jordan-Hare Stadium, the Auburn Tigers host the #2 Clemson Tigers. Clemson QB Deshaun Watson will be the center of attention here, as he seems to be garnering the most Heisman hype but the Tigers have their eyes set on getting back to the college football championship game and avenging their loss to Alabama. Auburn is a team with a lot of unknowns, especially on offense. There isn't a lot of experience and numerous true freshmen may be getting some playing time, not exactly a good formula for going up against the #2 team in the country. They will need that home crowd to give them the big, much needed advantage but looks like Clemson will be too much for them.

Other games of note: Bowling Green at #6 Ohio State, Hawaii at #7 Michigan, Rutgers at #14 Washington.

Sunday Sept. 4th

On Sunday, we get one primetime game that kicks off at 7:30 pm between 2 blue blood programs, with #10 Notre Dame heads to Austin to take on the Texas Longhorns. Both teams have big questions marks at QB, Notre Dame saying they will play 2 QB's while Texas is not announcing who their starting QB is. While some are considering Notre Dame as a possible playoff team this season, the Irish are among the teams that are returning the least amount of starters, and also have a few players suspended for this game. The Longhorns are looking for a statement win to start the season and build on that. Although they only won 5 games last season, two of those wins came against Oklahoma and Baylor. If the Longhorns can start the season with a big win and use it to propel them this season, then they could end up as a "surprise" team in the Big 12.

Monday Sept. 5th

One last game to cap off week 1, Monday Night Football college edition starts up at 8 pm. #11 Ole Miss and #4 Florida State link up in the Citrus Bowl, quite the grand finale for an epic Holiday weekend of games. Florida State boasts Heisman hopeful Dalvin Cook at RB,who will be relied on heavily as Florida State will be starting redshirt freshman Deandre Fracois at QB(although last time they started a redshirt freshman, it turned out ok for them.) Ole Miss, on the other hand, has no questions about their starting QB as Senior Chad Kelly may be a dark horse Heisman candidate this season. This game should be electric with both offenses being able to move the ball and create big plays, as this game could just be a perfect ending to an exhilarating opening weekend.