It's somehow already Halloween weekend. It feels like Week 0 was only yesterday.
This has been the season of the near-upset. The playoff contenders have often looked shaky but have rarely been toppled. The sport feels wide open this year, but not in a 2007 chaos way. Things have been unpredictable but orderly.
But it means we have a monster November on deck, full of elimination games. This week, the last week of October, is slim, but consider it like the setup episode of a television season when storylines begin coalescing.
No, it's not a blockbuster week, but I'm still excited to kick back and enjoy this slate. But first, let’s look at some things to know nationwide.
Enjoy the games, and let's get to the window.
The defending Big 12 champions lost a pair of early games but have been rounding into shape, dominating TCU last week.
Houston comes to town following an exhausting trio of games – first against rivals Texas Tech, then a roller coaster in the Holgerson Bowl, and then a loss to Texas in perhaps the most anticipated game in recent program history.
Do the Cougars have enough left in the tank to battle K-State on the road as 17-point 'dogs?
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Stuckey’s Spots is some of my favorite written content on these electronic pages.
His column this week lays out a compelling case for the Jayhawks at home catching Oklahoma in a vulnerable spot.
This might be another long day for Spencer Rattler on the road, who has recently been terrorized by opposing defensive lines behind porous protection. South Carolina is dead last in FBS in sacks allowed, while Texas A&M is fourth in sacks.
Rattler might be without his favorite target, Xavier Legette, who did not finish the game last week against Missouri.
Although it hasn’t scored a touchdown since Oct. 7, Army's laying 10.
The Knights also might be without starting quarterback Bryson Daily again.
Texas welcomes in BYU for their first game without Quinn Ewers. Maalik Murphy gets the initial nod under center for Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns.
Murphy better hope he plays well enough for not just a win but a comfortable win, one that has the Longhorns covering this 19-point spread. Otherwise, Texas fans will be clamoring for Arch Manning.
This game opened with a total of 51.5, but that has dipped to 46.5 at most shops as two offensive stars, one on each side, might miss this game with injury.
Duke quarterback Riley Leonard is the straw that stirs the drink for the Devils. He gutted through an ankle injury last week against Florida State but couldn't finish the game.
Louisville running back Jawhar Jordan is one of the most underrated ball carriers in the country, but he's also on the injury report this week.
The SEC's biggest game of the week is the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, where Georgia is a two-touchdown favorite.
It just means bigger spreads in the SEC.
This is Georgia’s first game without Brock Bowers, the game-breaking tight end who commanded the lion’s share of their offense. How will the Bulldogs respond without him?
Both teams had an extra week to prepare and rest for this rivalry matchup.
Some of the last Saturday action in the MAC of the season before we switch into Midweek MACtion mode (stay tuned for Stuckey’s MAC Manifesto).
This game lost a lot of intrigue when Miami (OH) lost Brett Gabbert with a season-ending injury.
It’s the decisive game in the MAC East division between the division’s top two contenders, but now it’s a touchdown-spread game without Gabbert.
This week’s premiere matchup earns the Mega Guide treatment from us, where we get our whole college football staff together and hunt for a consensus spread and total pick.
Our staff is often split on these games, but we lean heavily toward Oregon and the Over here.
Utah has won 27 straight games at Rice-Eccles Stadium but is still a home 'dog to Bo Nix and Co. It should be a fun game.
USC is a ten-point favorite and still ranked in the AP Top 25 despite sporting an atrocious defense and losing back-to-back games. The Trojans are committing PR blunders, Lincoln Riley is missing practice due to illness, and they are not beating the allegations of being a “soft” team. Never catch a falling knife.
Marshall’s pass defense and Coastal’s passing offense would be a magnificent battle of strength-on-strength, except Grayson McCall will miss this game after a gnarly late hit last week.
McCall’s precision passing has been the trademark of this recent Coastal football renaissance – that, or perhaps the struggles of his backups when he has missed time.
UCLA’s quarterback carousel continues, and Chip Kelly remains mum.
True freshman Dante Moore has struggled despite his blue-chip status, and veteran Ethan Garbers shouldered the workload against Stanford.
Regardless of who pilots the offense, the defense has been the Bruins’ calling card.
Both teams play fast, ranking in the top ten in plays per second.
The Dukes have been a covering machine lately, covering the number five games in a row.
But none of those spreads were bigger than a touchdown, and this one is almost three.
Our Havoc report shows a wild discrepancy in the Royal Rivalry, as the Dukes are tops nationally in Havoc created, while the Monarchs are 12th in Havoc prevented.
Look for JMU’s excellent defensive line to cause chaos, as they have all season.
Jayden de Laura, who has started most of the past two seasons in the desert, was cleared this week to return for the Arizona Wildcats after an injury kept him out for a few weeks.
Noah Fifita has been starting in his place and has looked more than capable, perhaps even better than de Laura (he's certainly more trustworthy with the football). Head coach Jedd Fisch will not name a starter until Saturday.
Keep an eye on this one, as the Wildcats are a live home dog against an Oregon State that might be overvalued in the market.
