Lubbock is the center of the college football universe this week.
No. 8 BYU visits No. 9 Texas Tech on Saturday for the first top-10 matchup in a Big 12 conference game since 2021. ESPN’s “College GameDay” show is going to set up shop at Jones AT&T Stadium for the first time since 2008 and a tent city has sprung up outside the gates with eager students hoping to get the first crack at the best seats.
Locals say the buildup for this one matches or exceeds the one for a sixth-ranked Texas Tech’s 39-33 win over a No. 1 Texas in 2008. Michael Crabtree caught the winning 28-yard touchdown pass with 1 second left that night.
Second billing this week goes to No. 3 Texas A&M’s game at No. 19 Missouri. The Aggies, playing a third straight on the road, are going for their first 9-0 start since 1975. The Tigers are facing their third top-10 opponent in four games and a loss here all but kills their College Football Playoff hopes.
No. 6 Oregon goes to Iowa in the game of the day in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes are 4-4 over the past 10 years at Kinnick Stadium against top-10 opponents. They played an 11th-ranked Indiana within 20-15 at Kinnick in late September.
No. 12 Virginia, the highest-ranked team in the Atlantic Coast Conference, puts its seven-game winning streak on the line at home against Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons had won five in a row in the series before Virginia rallied from 13 points to win 31-30 last year.
Best game
No. 8 BYU (8-0, 5-0 Big 12) at No. 9 Texas Tech (8-1, 5-1), Saturday, noon ET (ABC)
The winner will take sole possession of first place in the Big 12, and it’s possible the teams will meet again Dec. 6 in the conference championship game in Arlington, Texas.
The Cougars come in unbeaten but banged up, and Texas Tech appears to have regained its mojo with quarterback Behren Morton healthy again. The Red Raiders were a 10-point favorite as of midweek, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
BYU’s top rusher, LJ Martin, hurt his shoulder against Iowa State on Oct. 25 and his status was uncertain at the start of the week. The Cougars also have been dealing with injuries in the secondary and at linebacker.
Under the radar
Tulane (6-2, 3-1 American) at No. 22 Memphis (8-1, 4-1), Friday, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Tulane’s hopes of representing the Group of Five in the CFP all but disappeared with its loss to UTSA last week. Memphis cleared a big obstacle by knocking off South Florida after stumbling at UAB. The finishing schedule against Tulane, East Carolina and Navy is no joke.
The Tigers are 31-6 at home under sixth-year coach Ryan Silverfield and have won 11 in a row at Liberty Stadium. Tulane has won 17 of its last 21 on the road.
Heisman watch
Ohio State QB Julian Sayin has emerged as the Heisman front-runner in the wagering markets, with BetMGM Sportsbook listing him as the 7-4 favorite ahead of Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza (9-4) and Alabama QB Ty Simpson (7-2).
Sayin completed 20 of 23 passes for 316 yards and four touchdown passes against Penn State last week. It was his fifth 300-yard game and seventh straight with multiple touchdown passes. Sayin leads the nation in completion rate (80.7%) and QB rating (197.1) and is third in TD passes (23).
Sayin should pad his stats when the top-ranked Buckeyes visit Purdue. The Boilermakers have given up 32 pass plays of 20-plus yards, tied for 113th in the nation. Rutgers is the only Big Ten to allow more (36).
Numbers to know
4% — Coastal Carolina’s FBS-worst fumble rate (18 fumbles on 450 rushes, receptions or kick returns), according to Sportradar.
15 — FBS-leading pass plays of 40-plus yards by San Jose State quarterback Walker Eget.
81 — Combined points by which Utah and Arizona outscored Colorado, the biggest negative differential over the last two weeks. Oklahoma State’s minus-59 differential is next biggest.
151 — San Diego State’s point differential during its 7-1 start, largest since the Aztecs outscored their opponents by 210 points during an 8-0 start in 1975.
2004 — The last season when neither Clemson nor Florida State had a winning record when they met. (Their 2007 game was the season opener.)
Hot seat
It’s been rinse-and-repeat for four-plus seasons at Maryland under Mike Locksley. The Terrapins are 19-3 in August and September games since 2021 and 9-25 in October and November.
There was hope in College Park once again while freshman quarterback Malik Washington was leading the Terrapins to a 4-0 start against soft nonconference opponents and, well, Wisconsin. Then came the annual fall in the fall.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 35 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
