Forty names, games, teams and minutiae making news in college football, where we can only hope that Michigan interim coach Biff Poggi goes sleeveless Saturday for the Connor Stalions Bowl against Central Michigan. First Quarter: When Your Forever Coach Stops Getting the Job Done. Second Quarter: The ACC’s Number Crunch. Third Quarter: Can the Big Ten Outspend the SEC?
Fourth Quarter: Sixteen Games of Interest
This Saturday looks good upon first examination and great upon closer scrutiny. It might not have three Top 10 matchups like Week 1 did, but there are intriguing games all day that could have long-lasting effects on the season. The Dash breezes through all of them.
Back-to-the-wall games (32)
These are pretty much must-win situations for at least one side, if not both.
No. 16 Texas A&M at No. 8 Notre Dame
When: 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday.
Line: Notre Dame by 6.5.
Stakes: If the Fighting Irish lose, they’re 0–2 and verging on elimination from College Football Playoff contention. The rest of the schedule might not offer enough quality wins to climb back into the bracket, even at 10–2.
Dash pick: Notre Dame 28, Texas A&M 21. Early season losses have been staples of the Marcus Freeman era, and so are bounce backs.
Wisconsin at No. 19 Alabama
When: Noon ET Saturday.
Line: Alabama by 20.5.
Stakes: Two coaches need it, but only one can have it. Kalen DeBoer is trying to avoid a full-fledged fan meltdown that would come with a 1–2 start. Luke Fickell is trying to pull his tenure with the Badgers out of the muck.
Dash pick: Alabama 31, Wisconsin 10. If the Badgers don’t have QB Billy Edwards Jr.—Fickell was non-committal Monday—this could be a Bama walkover.
Florida at No. 3 LSU
When: 7 p.m. ET Saturday.
Line: LSU by 9.5.
Stakes: Beating LSU last year helped Billy Napier save his job, and darned if he’s not in need of a similar bailout this year. The Tigers don’t want a home loss that knocks them down the playoff pecking order.
Dash pick: LSU 24, Florida 20. No outcomes would surprise The Dash in this one.
Pittsburgh at West Virginia
When: 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday.
Line: Pitt by 6.5.
Stakes: The Backyard Brawl has intrinsic stakes of its own, but there is more. Rich Rodriguez’s return hit an early pothole with an upset loss at Ohio last Saturday, and he could use a good showing here to bolster belief that RichRod 2.0 is going to work. Last time he was the West Virginia coach against Pitt, the Panthers’ stunning upset ruined the Mountaineers’ national championship dreams and effectively ended Rodriguez’s first tenure.
Dash pick: Pitt 26, West Virginia 16. Panthers have better personnel, and career 1,800-yard rusher Jahiem White has reportedly been lost for the season for West Virginia.
Nemesis games (33)
One team has the other’s number … but it might be time for that to change.
No. 6 Georgia at No. 15 Tennessee
When: 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday.
Line: Georgia by 3.5.
Who has the upper hand: The Bulldogs have won eight straight and 19 out of 25 this century.
Dash pick: Tennessee 24, Georgia 21. Josh Heupel is 26–4 at home, and the Bulldogs are completely untested after playing Marshall and Austin Peay. And, as noted, the Volunteers are overdue in this rivalry.
No. 12 Clemson at Georgia Tech
When: Noon ET Saturday.
Line: Clemson by 9.5.
Who has the upper hand: Clemson has won eight straight.
Dash pick: Georgia Tech 23, Clemson 22. The line on this game likely reflects the uncertain status of Tech QB Haynes King, who missed last week against Gardner-Webb in concussion protocol. But backup Aaron Philo is also capable, and the differences between the two makes for a preparation headache for Clemson. If the Yellow Jackets stop with the turnovers (five in two games), they have what it takes to beat an underwhelming Tigers team.
In-State Sneak-Attack Games (34)
There are clear differences between the programs here. Which only serves to put a bull’s-eye on the big boys.
No. 18 South Florida at No. 5 Miami
When: 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday.
Line: Miami by 18.5.
Stakes: Vegas seems to be expecting a Bulls letdown after two huge wins in a row—that’s a very big number. The Hurricanes have been clean and sharp so far and should win, but The Dash doesn’t expect a wipeout.
Dash pick: Miami 30, South Florida 16. Of all the impressive Canes thus far, nobody has been better than defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. (a forced fumble, an interception, 1.5 sacks and nine total tackles).
Ohio at No. 1 Ohio State
When: 7 p.m. ET Saturday.
Line: Ohio State by 31.5.
Stakes: A Bobcats victory might stop the Earth cold in its rotation. Don’t expect it—but you can’t help but admire Ohio’s pluck in beating West Virginia and scaring Rutgers. We’ll see if the Bobcats can at least make this a second-half game.
Dash pick: Ohio State 45, Ohio 17. Earth keeps rotating.
Old Dominion at Virginia Tech
When: 7 p.m. ET Saturday.
Line: Virginia Tech by 7.5.
Stakes: Hokies are desperately trying to stop the bleeding after an 0–2 start punctuated by a second-half collapse against Vanderbilt. The Monarchs (1–1) have the chance to make their season against an ACC opponent.
Dash pick: Old Dominion 29, Virginia Tech 27. Old Dominion quarterback Colton Joseph is a problem (581 yards total offense in two games), and the Hokies can’t deal with any more problems.
Body clock games (35)
Geography and circadian rhythms are working against a few teams this week.
No. 4 Oregon at Northwestern
When: Noon ET Saturday, which is a 9 a.m. PT kickoff for the Ducks.
Will it matter? No.
Dash pick: Oregon 40, Northwestern 10.
Boston College at Stanford
When: 10:30 p.m. ET Saturday, which is bad for BC.
Will it matter? No. Have you seen the Cardinal?
Dash pick: Boston College 30, Stanford 13.
Minnesota at California
When: 10:30 p.m. ET Saturday, which is 9:30 p.m. CT for the Gophers.
Will it matter? Depends whether the Calgorithm can work some voodoo on the Gophers.
Dash pick: Cal 20, Minnesota 17.
Yardstick games (36)
The winners of these five matchups of unbeatens might be off to a big season.
Vanderbilt at No. 11 South Carolina
When: 7:45 p.m. ET Saturday.
Line: South Carolina by 5.5.
Dash pick: Vanderbilt 34, South Carolina 31. Delectable quarterback matchup between dual-threat alpha males. Call The Dash crazy, but the Commodores have a never-before-seen aura about them.
Arkansas at No. 17 Mississippi
When: 7 p.m. ET Saturday.
Line: Ole Miss by 8.5.
Dash pick: Mississippi 33, Arkansas 28. Another interesting QB matchup, if the Rebels’ Austin Simmons is 100% after an ankle injury late in the Kentucky game. A 300-pound wild boar broke through a sliding-glass door and chased police who came to apprehend it, which would seem like a good omen for the Razorbacks—but it was in Florida. Not sure the Hog’s rampage will travel.
USC at Purdue
When: 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday.
Line: USC by 21.5.
Dash pick: USC 35, Purdue 21. The Trojans have been a statistical juggernaut, leading the nation in scoring offense, total offense and yards per play. But the Boilermakers are significantly improved, and this is a multi-time-zone game—the kind that bedeviled USC last year. Trojans win, Boilers cover.
No. 20 Utah at Wyoming
When: 8 p.m. ET Saturday.
Line: Utah by 22.5.
Dash pick: Utah 25, Wyoming 10. Cowboys have allowed seven points this season and are fifth nationally in yards allowed per play. But that bumps up against what has been a very productive Utes offense. Pokes will keep it competitive, but this is too big a step up in class.
Literary Corner
If you’re looking for football reading, The Dash recommends Iron in the Blood: How the Alabama vs. Auburn Rivalry Shaped the Soul of the South (37). Friend of The Dash Jay Busbee dives into not just the most heated of football grudges, but its cultural underpinnings and historical context. A great read, and a great gift for the other football fans in your life.
Coach Who Earned His Comp Car This Week
Alex Golesh (38), South Florida. He’s posted the biggest wins of his three-season tenure twice in a row, from routing Boise State in the season opener to shocking Florida in The Swamp. In the latter, the Bulls became the first program from the state of Florida not named Miami or Florida State to defeat the Gators in Gainesville, Fla., since Stetson in 1938.
After the game, an emotional Golesh quoted the words of the late Bulls men’s basketball coach, Amir Abdur-Rahim: “This ain’t the same old South Florida, my brother.” What a moment.
Coach Who Should Take the Bus to Work
Lance Leipold (39), Kansas. Losing at Missouri was an expected result, but Leipold’s contribution to his team’s demise was a puzzling decision. Trailing 35–31 in a game where the Jayhawks struggled to stop the Tigers, his call to punt on fourth-and-7 from the Kansas 28 with 2:35 remaining effectively ended things. Mizzou scored three plays later to put the game out of reach before the Jayhawks got the ball again.
Point After
When thirsty in the underrated town of Greenville, S.C., The Dash recommends a trip to Fireforge Brewery (40). They have a cornucopia of selections, but start with a Spirito Santo IPA and thank The Dash later.
More College Football on Sports Illustrated
Listen to SI’s new college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Forde-Yard Dash: Week 3 Guide to Games That Could Have Long-Lasting Effects.