Forty names, games, teams and minutiae making news in college football, where landmark victories mean marketing opportunities for star quarterbacks. First Quarter: Twelve Angry Men. Second Quarter: Vandy’s Rise. Third Quarter: Coaching Hot Seats.
Fourth Quarter: Spicy New/Old League Showdowns
The Old Big Ten visits the New Big Ten this week, with major showdowns in Eugene, Ore., and Los Angeles (plus Minnesota visiting Pasadena for the first time since 1978). There also is a rekindled Big 12 rivalry (Colorado–Kansas State) and a relocated Big 12 rivalry (Texas-Oklahoma is now an SEC production). And an ancient clash on the bayou. Five games that will have major impacts on conference races:
Ohio State Buckeyes at Oregon Ducks (33)
When: 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday. TV: NBC/Peacock. AP rankings: Ohio State (5–0) is No. 2; Oregon (5–0) is No. 3. Series record: Ohio State leads, 9–1. Last meeting in Eugene: Oct. 7, 1967. Program vanity symbol: Putting “The” in front of Ohio State; uniforms that are way too extra. Line: Ohio State by 3.5, per DraftKings.
Skinny: The teams have one common opponent, Michigan State, and produced similar results—Ohio State beat the Spartans by 31 on the road, Oregon beat them by 21 at home, with near-identical stats. This is a major step up in class for both pass defenses, with prolific quarterbacks and talented receivers on both sides. How does Gamblin’ Dan Lanning do on fourth downs?
Dash pick: Ohio State 34, Oregon 28.
Penn State Nittany Lions at USC Trojans (34)
When: 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday. TV: CBS. AP rankings: Penn State (5–0) is No. 4; USC (3–2) is unranked. Series record: USC leads, 6–4. Last meeting in Los Angeles: Sept. 14, 1991. Program vanity symbol: Penn State’s plain uniforms; USC’s white horse. Line: Penn State by 4.5, per DraftKings.
Skinny: USC should be desperate after two early league losses, while Penn State is playing its first Big Ten road game. The Nittany Lions have given up just 17 second-half points this season, putting teams away with a physical running game and punishing defense. This would be an important game for Lincoln Riley to script a fast offensive start, shifting some pressure onto the Penn State passing game.
Dash pick: USC 24, Penn State 21.
Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners (35)
Where: Cotton Bowl, Dallas. When: 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday. TV: ABC. AP rankings: Texas (5–0) is No. 1; Oklahoma (4–1) is No. 18. Series record: Texas leads, 63–51–5. Last meeting in Dallas: Last year. Program vanity symbol: Texas’s extreme sensitivity to Horns Down; Oklahoma’s extreme sensitivity to Lincoln Riley. Line: Texas by 14.5, per DraftKings.
Skinny: This is a big spread for a game that is usually close. Aside from the Longhorns annihilating a quarterback-depleted Sooners team 49–0 in 2022, the last nine regular-season meetings have all been decided by one score. Quinn Ewers is expected back from injury for this one, while Oklahoma is expected to keep rolling with freshman Michael Hawkins Jr., who has seen meaningful action in just two college games.
Dash pick: Texas 21, Oklahoma 14.
Mississippi Rebels at LSU Tigers (36)
When: 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday. TV: ABC. AP rankings: Ole Miss (5–1) is No. 9; LSU (4–1) is No. 13. Series record: LSU leads, 65–43–4. Last meeting in Baton Rouge: 2022. Program vanity symbol: Mississippi irritation when not referred to as “Ole Miss”; LSU refusing to wear anything but white at home. Line: Mississippi by 3, per DraftKings.
Skinny: Rebels have lost seven straight times in Tiger Stadium, and 11 out of 12 times this century. Can the Tigers continue to keep quarterback Garrett Nussmeier clean? LSU and its elite pass-blocking offensive tackles have given up an SEC-low two sacks, but Ole Miss has registered an SEC-high 24 sacks. The Tigers have an open-date advantage, while the Rebels are playing a second straight road game.
Dash pick: LSU 34, Mississippi 32.
Kansas State Wildcats at Colorado Buffaloes (37)
When: 10:15 p.m. ET Saturday. TV: ESPN. AP rankings: K-State (4–1) is No. 18; Colorado (4–1) is unranked. Series record: Colorado leads, 45–20–1. Last meeting in Boulder: 2010. Program vanity symbol: The Colorado coach wears sunglasses at night; K-State’s vanity is celebrating its lack of vanity. Line: Kansas State by 4.5, per DraftKings.
Skinny: What realignment tore asunder, it has now brought back together. The Big Eight/old Big 12/new Big 12 semi-rivals played annually from 1948 to 2010. Late-night games at Folsom Field have gotten wild since Deion Sanders’s arrival, so don’t rule anything out. But expect the Wildcats to run until the Buffaloes can stop them—and although the Colorado run defense has improved, it might not be improved enough for this matchup.
Dash pick: Kansas State 34, Colorado 27.
Coach Who Earned His Comp Car This Week
Sam Pittman (38), Arkansas Razorbacks. With Clark Lea and Vanderbilt lauded elsewhere in The Dash, let’s give some love to Pittman for the Hogs’ goalpost-leveling home upset of Tennessee on Saturday. That moved Arkansas to 4–2, its best record through six games since 2021, and in a season where Hot Seat Sam very much needed it. Welcoming former Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino back into the football facility as offensive coordinator had to be a bit of a blow to the ego, but Pittman did what was best for the program. The bigger story, though, is an Arkansas defense that is allowing just 19.2 points per game and held Tennessee to 14.
Coach Who Should Take the Bus to Work
Mike Gundy (39), Oklahoma State Cowboys. He hasn’t had a losing record since his debut season in Stillwater, in 2006, but this season is headed that direction. After a 3–0 start, the Pokes are 3–3, with each loss progressively worse: an offensive no-show at home against Utah; a defensive no-show in a wipeout at Kansas State; and a full-system failure in a home loss to West Virginia. A team flush with returning experience looks like it’s in danger of unraveling.
Point After
When hungry and thirsty in the nascent football hotbed of Bloomington, Ind., The Dash recommends a visit to the Upland Brewery (40). There is a cornucopia of good eating and drinking options, but get yourself a burnt end banh mi and a Dragonfly IPA and thank The Dash later.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Forde-Yard Dash: Five New and Old Conference Showdowns to Watch.
