A pretty quiet week in college football yields just two ranked matchups happening in the SEC. Several teams could be on upset as alert as they face unranked opponents looking to create chaos. Let’s take a look at five matchups outside of SEC play that you need to look out for.
No. 25 Tulane Green Wave @ Navy Midshipmen | Saturday @ 11:00 a.m. on ESPN2
We are so close to a back-to-back playing of Army vs Navy in December, but Navy must defeat the Tulane Green Wave as they come to town looking to clinch a spot in the AAC title game. Navy bounced back at South Florida after dropping two straight games to Rice and Notre Dame. Tulane has been rolling, winning seven straight games since their loss to Oklahoma in week three. Navy’s offense and defense will have to be at their best to stay in the game. Turnovers were a huge problem for them in the loss to Notre Dame. I am a supporter of our nation’s military and would love to see the Navy vs Army AAC title game. I’m going with Navy in a high scoring game. Navy 38 | Tulane 35
No. 20 Clemson Tigers @ Pittsburgh Panthers | Kickoff @ 11:00 a.m. on ESPN
Clemson looks to keep the momentum going as they travel to Pittsburgh in a tough road game. The Panthers are also looking to bounce back after two straight losses to SMU and Virginia. Clemson is currently in second place after Miami’s loss to Georgia Tech so a win would keep their hopes alive late in the season. The Tigers suffered an embarrassing home defeat to Louisville two weeks ago, but followed that up with a gritty win at Virginia Tech. I think Clemson has shown resilience in a year where some people didn’t think Dabo Swinney would have a potential playoff team. I like the Tigers to get the win this weekend.
Clemson 24 | Pittsburgh 10
No. 13 Boise State Broncos @ San José State Spartans | Kickoff @ 6:00 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
Boise State looks to keep their college football playoff hopes alive when they travel to California to face the San José Spartans. It’s a big opportunity for the Spartans who are trying to hang around in the Mountain West standings. Other at large teams like Army, Tulane, and others will have their eyes on the game as well hoping a loss from Boise State could boost their hopes on making the 12-team playoff. Heisman hopeful Ashton Jenty of Boise State will look to keep his impressive run going this weekend. He’s racked up over 1,700 yards rushing and 23 touchdowns. Crazy stats! The Broncos can’t overlook their opponents. The Spartans have beaten teams such as Oregon State, Nevada, and even had a narrow 54-52 loss to Washington State. Boise State 27 | San José State 20
No. 1 Oregon Ducks @ Wisconsin Badgers | Kickoff Saturday @ 6:30 p.m. on NBC/Peacock
Oregon continues their march through the BIG 10 at Wisconsin. It’s a tough place to play, but so far, ranked teams have not had any trouble when visiting Camp Randall. It’s been an inconsistent season for the Badgers. They lost two straight games to Alabama and USC, before reeling off three straight conference wins. Now, the Badgers are on a two game losing streak from losses to Penn State and Iowa. Meanwhile, Oregon has been relentless. After a signature win over Ohio State, the Ducks are on a five game winning streak including convincing wins over Michigan and Maryland. I like Oregon to win this game and win it big! Oregon 41 | Wisconsin 17
Arizona State Sun Devils @ No. 17 Kansas State Wildcats | Kickoff Saturday @ 6:00 p.m. on ESPN
You may wonder why this is a game you need to watch, but there’s a possible scenario that could produce absolute chaos in the BIG 12. As it stands, Colorado is going to play BYU for the BIG 12 championship and a berth in the college football playoff. Should they lose, there are currently four two loss teams including Arizona State, Kansas State, Iowa State and West Virginia that could fill that second place spot. Some of these teams still have to play each other including this matchup that I am previewing so there will be some clarity. For Arizona State, it’s been a total revitalization under head coach Kenny Dillingham. The Sun Devils are enjoying their first winning season since 2021. For Kansas State, it’s been a good season, but their season took a hit this past weekend when they were upset by Houston. The Wildcats have not lost a game at home this season which is a big factor in my pick of this game. I think the Wildcats protect the home field, but they win in a high scoring game. Kansas State 42 | Arizona State 21
