We don’t have an Army game this weekend, friends. It’s sad, I know, but the Bad Boys need to rest up ahead of their epic clash with the evil Irish of Notre Dame.
Thankfully, we’ve still go some college football to watch. In our everlasting attempt to help you fine folks avoid infinite sadness, we’ve laid out five games we think you might want to watch this week.
Note: Betting lines come via ESPN.
Relentless determination to move to 9️⃣-0️⃣.
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) November 14, 2024
Game 9 Victory Reel 🎥 pic.twitter.com/agqJks5PDT
5. North Texas at UTSA (Tonight, 8:00 pm ET on ESPN2)
Betting Line: UNT (-1); Over/Under: 72.5
This game features two good but not great teams from the American Athletic Conference playing for bowl eligibility and/or to salvage their seasons. North Texas (5-4, 2-3 in the AAC) in particular will be looking to get bowl eligible for the fourth week in a row, having hit five wins a full month ago. Since then, they’ve dropped three straight to Memphis, Tulane, and your Army Black Knights. But those are the best teams in the conference. Now they have to turn on a short week to play at the Alamodome against a UTSA team that has looked both awesome and pedestrian at times this season.
Has UTSA (4-5, 2-3 in the AAC) finally settled in? They lost to Tulsa three weeks ago after allowing a truly wild comeback in the second half. They then beat AAC powerhouse Memphis in the ‘Dome, 44-36. Then they had a bye. Now they host arguably the conference’s best offense, but they’ll meet them having had a rest week and within the comforts of their own building. This team plays much better at home.
Black Knights fans, we’ll see this UTSA team in just two weeks.
4. Arizona State at #16 Kansas State (7:00 pm ET on ESPN)
Betting Line: KSU (-7.5); Over/Under: 51.5
Arizona State (7-2, 4-2 in the Big 12) and K-State (7-2, 4-2 in the Big 12) currently stand tied with Iowa State and West Virginia for third place in the Big 12. Colorado stands ahead of them at 5-1 in the conference. BYU looks safe in first place at 6-0. All of which means that a lot can still happen in the Big 12, and more to the point, whoever wins this game has a very real chance to perhaps play for the conference championship.
Though Kansas State has arguably the better record, they dropped a game at Houston last week. Consistency — or lack thereof — kills in college football. By comparison, ASU can control its own destiny with a win this week followed by a win next week over BYU.
Both these teams feature good power running games and solid defenses. This should be a good one.
Nothing beats home pic.twitter.com/pEV1w0ij1P
— K-State Football (@KStateFB) November 14, 2024
3. #13 Boise State at San Jose State (7:00 pm ET on CBS Sports)
Betting Line: BSU (-14); Over/Under: 62.5
Can Coach Ken do his old friend, Army Head Coach Jeff Monken, a solid and beat Boise State (8-1, 5-0 in the Mountain West) this weekend? Such an upset would give the Black Knights an inside lane to the College Football Playoff.
Not a lot of folks have mentioned this particular would-be upset in their previews this week, but a win this weekend would also keep SJSU’s (6-3, 3-2 in the Mountain West) fleeting conference title hopes alive. More to the point, Boise has looked distinctly mortal at times over the past month, especially last week at home against a bad Nevada team.
SJSU doesn’t need to stop RB Ashton Jeanty cold. They just need to slow him down enough to give their own high-powered aerial attack a chance to keep up on the scoreboard. We’ll see if they can do that.
2. #7 Tennessee at #12 Georgia (7:30 pm ET on ABC)
Betting Line: UGA (-9.5); Over/Under: 47.5
If the Vols had this game at home with a fully healthy QB Nico Iamaleava under center, we’d feel good about their chances. As it is, however, they have to go on the road with a running quarterback who’s been a bit gimpy.
The SEC Title chase has become a trainwreck. Georgia (7-2, 5-2 in the SEC) currently stands fourth, and there is absolutely no guarantee that they’ll be able to get back to Atlanta to play for the title even if they win this weekend. Texas and Texas A&M both stand ahead of them, though the Bulldogs hold the tiebreaker over the Longhorns. Meanwhile, Tennessee (8-1, 5-1 in the SEC) somehow holds first place in the conference despite having lost to Arkansas (!) and living on a wing and a prayer throughout most of this season.
The good news is that defense travels, and the Vols defense is legit. Moreover, Georgia’s offense often leaves something to be desired. However, the Vols so-called high-powered offense has definitely sputtered — a lot! — this season, and the Dawgs also play a bit of defense.
If Tennessee wins, they will probably play for the title. If the Dawgs win, we might see some shenanigans. Unfortunately, this might also be the last true regular season test for both of these teams. That’s the worst part of this entire affair. However, it also means that this game legit means everything.
𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞…𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 😤#GBO 🍊 pic.twitter.com/l6BJ95iG3T
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) November 15, 2024
#25 Tulane at Navy (Noon ET on ESPN2)
Betting Line: Tulane (-7); Over/Under: 51.5
If Tulane (8-2, 6-0 in the AAC) wins, they’ll meet Army for the American Conference Championship with the venue to be determined. If the Mids (8-2, 6-0 in the AAC) win, a lot of potential scenarios come into play, not the least of which will be back-to-back Army-Navy Games.
Navy’s got a good defense and an explosive offense, but they allow more rushing yardage than you might think, and they punt a lot. Despite their rep, these Mids don’t typically drive the length of the field with long, punishing drives. They usually hit explosive plays against busted coverage. By comparison, Tulane features a balanced attack buttressed by an outstanding running game. Friends, if you haven’t seen RB Makhi Hughes, the dude is legit. The Green Wave also give up just 18.7 points/game on defense.
Tulane looked mortal at home against Rice a month ago. Since then, though, they’ve hit their stride and started blowing teams out of the water.
They might blow Navy out of the water, too.
However, this game is at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, and the Mids play much better at home. We’ll see if they can overcome the odds and hand Tulane its first conference loss. Expect a close one.
Enjoy the games this weekend, friends. We’ll talk more next week.
Go Army! Beat Notre Dame!!!
Cover image via @Vols_Football.
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