College football’s Week 10 slate is loaded, but the headliners are impossible to miss.
If you’re only circling a couple of games on Saturday, make them these: No. 7 BYU at No.
3 Utah at 12 p.m. EST on ESPN, and No.
1 Miami at No. 4 Notre Dame at 7:30 p.m.
EST. Those are the matchups that will do the real damage to the CFP picture.
The day starts with the BYU-Utah Holy War, and it comes with all the buildup you’d expect from a rivalry game in that spot. The source material calls it “the best game of the entire glorious weekend,” and there’s no shortage of ways to sell it. It also notes, “Here are seven reasons why it's the best game of the entire glorious weekend.”
Later, Miami heads to Notre Dame in a game the source describes this way: “In the should-be-named Holy Cow-We-Gotta-Win War, Miami visits Notre Dame, and man, do the Fighting Irish need a victory to have a fighting chance at making the 12-team CFP.”
If you want to get the weekend rolling early, Friday already brings a pair of ranked teams into the mix. No.
22 New Mexico, 7-1, plays at Nevada at 9 p.m. on CBSSN, and TCU faces No. 24 Arizona at 10:15 p.m. on ESPN.
Friday’s full FBS schedule also includes Virginia Tech at SMU at 7 p.m. on ESPN, South Florida at East Carolina at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2, and Nebraska at Illinois at 8 p.m. on FOX.
Saturday’s board is packed from noon all the way into the late-night windows. Along with BYU-Utah, the early slate includes No.
8 UCLA at Minnesota on FOX, No. 7 Texas at No.
18 Missouri on ESPN, Iowa State at Baylor on FS1, Clemson at Syracuse on ESPN2, Florida State at Boston College on ACC Network, North Carolina at UConn on CBSSN, and Tulsa at Tulane on ESPNU.
There’s also Duke at NC State at 12:30 p.m. on the CW, Maryland at Purdue at 12:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network, Arkansas at Auburn at 12:45 p.m. on SEC Network, Oklahoma State at Kansas State at 1 p.m. on TNT, and a long list of afternoon games that keep the day moving.
The middle of the day brings another heavyweight stretch, with No. 5 Alabama at No.
14 LSU at 3:30 p.m. on ABC, No. 23 Oregon at No.
12 Ohio State at 3:30 p.m. on CBS, Cincinnati at No. 17 Houston at 3:30 p.m. on FOX, and Penn State at Washington at 3:30 p.m. on FS1.
Then comes the night slate, where the biggest spotlight lands on No. 1 Miami (Fla.) at No.
11 Notre Dame at 7:30 p.m. on NBC and No. 2 Georgia at No.
10 Ole Miss at 7:30 p.m. on ABC. Also in that window: No.
19 Iowa at Northwestern on FOX, Colorado at Arizona State on ESPN2, Louisville at Georgia Tech on ACC Network, Michigan State at Michigan on Peacock, Air Force at Army on CBS, and Oklahoma at No. 24 Florida at 7:45 p.m. on SEC Network.
The late games finish things off with West Virginia at No. 15 Texas Tech at 9:30 p.m. on ESPN, Fresno State at Utah State at 9:30 p.m. on USA Network, Hawai’i at UTEP at 9:30 p.m. on FS1, Texas State at Oregon State at 10:30 p.m. on the CW, and Wyoming at UNLV at 10:30 p.m. on CBSSN.
The weekend doesn’t stop at the FBS level, either. The schedule is stacked with FCS games, including Brown at Yale, Dartmouth at Princeton, Columbia at Harvard, Penn at Cornell, Richmond at Villanova, Mercer at Chattanooga, South Dakota State at UNI, Montana State at Idaho State, and UIW at SE Louisiana.
There are also DII and DIII games on the board, with matchups such as Southwestern Oklahoma State at Ouachita Baptist, Albany State vs. Fort Valley State in Columbus, Ga., Miles at Tuskegee, Alma at Kalamazoo, Hope at Calvin, and Rowan at William Paterson.
For a weekend this crowded, the message is simple: if you can only make time for two, start with BYU-Utah and end with Miami-Notre Dame.
In Other News...
BYU Is Making A Visible Helmet Change Fans Will Notice
BYUs football helmets are about to look a little different, with the school and Trucordia announcing an expanded multiyear corporate sponsorship agreement that will put the companys logo on the helmet bumpers beginning Nov. 7. It is a visible addition, one that will be hard for fans to miss once the Cougars take the field.
The move is part of a broader effort to raise Trucordias profile among BYU fans while also providing support for the football program. For a team with a passionate following, even a small change to the helmet carries extra attention, and this one will be part of the look from here on out. [Read more 🡒]
BYUs Utah Hopes Suddenly Center On One Crucial Return
A viral snap from former BYU offensive lineman Connor Pay has given Cougar fans something unexpected to argue about online, with the clip drawing more than 3 million views and turning a routine football exchange into a minor social media debate. The video shows the ball landing in a throwing position with the laces on the fingers, and while some viewers hailed it as a perfect snap, others pushed back on that description.
All the while, BYU is getting ready for Utah with a much more consequential storyline on the field: the possible return of running back LJ Martin from injury. In a rivalry game where every healthy body matters, Martins status could end up carrying far more weight than any viral highlight ever will. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Faces Its Biggest Test Yet With One Major Concern
BYU heads into its showdown with Utah with plenty on the line and just as much attention, as the matchup brings together two top-10 teams in one of the most anticipated games on the schedule. The Cougars have spent the week preparing for a Utah defense that has been sturdy and a Utes offense that presents its own challenges, while offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick is already looking at ways to adjust the running game if needed.
The biggest concern for BYU is the likely absence of key offensive player LJ Martin because of injury, a development that could force the Cougars to lean on depth and creativity in a game where every possession matters. Coaches have talked through the preparation and the strategy, but the real test will come on the field, where BYU will have to find answers against a rival that rarely makes things easy. [Read more 🡒]