3 football games BYU fans should watch during the bye week
The undefeated BYU Cougars won't be taking the field this week, as they'll take their second bye of the season in preparation for the biggest game of the year in the Holy War revival.
So with the Cougars taking a break, but our hunger for college football growing more insatiable by the minute, how can we possibly quell our appetite? Where shall we direct our empty gaze? Which college football games this week should keep my attention?
Well, for an undefeated and top-10 ranked football team, suddenly nearly every top-10 matchup is of great significance for BYU. If a one-win team ahead of Kalani's unbeaten Cougs loses, then BYU may get to climb without doing anything to deserve it necessarily.
When BYU isn't on the weekend schedule, we can collectively breathe a sigh of relief that the undefeated season will last yet another week. The following teams don't have that luxury, and a loss could have a major impact for teams like BYU, Iowa State, Indiana, and other disrespected unbeatens.
Here are three matchups you should keep your eye on this weekend.
4 Ohio State vs. 3 Penn State | 10:00 AM, FOX
Team with most to gain: Penn State
Team with most to lose: Ohio State
A top-4 Big 10 battle has major implications for both teams, and Penn State will host the Ohio State Buckeyes this weekend for a noon Eastern Time kickoff. The Nittany Lions enter this game with an undefeated record on the line, while Ohio State can't stand to lose this game for fear of rocketing down the polls.
Both teams have looked shaky at different points in the year, but Ohio State is the only one with a permanent blemish on their report card. Though they played a good game against Oregon, the Ducks now stand unbeaten at the top of the sport. A second loss would be catastrophic for Ryan Day's Buckeyes.
Ohio State is favored to win this battle, but a Penn State victory could essentially seal the Nittany Lions' spot in the College Football Playoff. BYU fans should cheer for PSU this weekend--a loss for Ohio State could allow the Cougars to leapfrog.
Texas Tech vs. 11 Iowa State | 1:30 PM, ESPN
Team with most to gain: Iowa State
Team with most to lose: Iowa State
A few weeks ago, we may have expected Texas Tech to walk into this matchup unbeaten in conference play. Suddenly, a two-loss skid has left the Red Raiders scrambling. Lose this game, and their hopes of playing for a conference championship are dead.
But Iowa State has much more at stake in this one, as the Cyclones are fighting for not only a chance at the Big 12 championship, but the first 10-win season in program history. I'm sure Matt Campbell isn't feeling any pressure to succeed at this point.
The Cyclones enter November undefeated, and with 3 more wins to grab before securing that elusive 10th win. This year's Big 12 Conference is pure chaos, however, and this could be the week they fall, despite all indications they should roll Tech.
18 Pittsburgh vs. 20 SMU | 6:00 PM, ACC Network
Team with most to gain: SMU
Team with most to lose: Pitt
Despite what their ranking may suggest, Pitt is undefeated this year. Standing with the likes of Army and Indiana, an undefeated record doesn't hold much merit in today's age of Big 10 and SEC bias in the polls. Do you know what does help teams trying to earn some national respect? Beating a top-25 opponent. That's the difference between Pitt and BYU right now.
Speaking of BYU, the SMU Mustangs are entering this game with a 7-1 record. For the team's first season with the ACC, that's a highly impressive mark. So what happened for that one loss to the otherwise untarnished Mustangs? That would be BYU.
Still unable to escape the effects of their lone loss to BYU, SMU enters this matchup with something to prove: undefeated or not, this team from Dallas wants to ruin your season and feel perfectly confident that they can.
The stakes of this battle are clear: win, and take control of the ACC with Clemson. Lose, and fall into obscurity, and likely out of the top-25 entirely.
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