One of the coolest things about living in California, aside from paying taxes that makes Belgians wince, is the fact that college football is in full swing as I breakfast: usually a fiber-rich muesli bought fair trade from Andean Indiginos. After my exfoliating regimen, making a lease payment on my Range Rover, and my Scientology self-affirmations, I begin my game-watching.
Here are my games of interest. Let's hear yours...
12:00 PM ET UCF at No. 2 Texas FSN
This game is of interest to...Texas fans. Our offense is currently averaging 319 yards per game against Big 12 opponents, ranked solidly behind Iowa State and Kansas State. Nice to see a C-USA team. Anything to get away from the juggernauts of CU and Tech.
12:00 PM ET Northwestern at No. 4 Iowa ESPN
Iowa is 9-0. Really. Them. This is a marvel as inexplicable as the Joanie Loves Chachi Happy Days spinoff. I will tune in during Texas game commercials to see Ricky Stanzi fire off bizarre interceptions and Northwestern QB Mike Kafka metamorphisize into a giant cockroach. Iowa is favored by...16.5? What am I missing?
12:21 PM ET South Carolina at Arkansas
O vs. D. I think Ole Ball Coach gonna take him a loss now. Dadgummit, Stephen Garcia! (slams visor, continues to live off of early 90's reputation, SEC press fawns)
2:30 PM ET Navy at No. 22 Notre Dame NBC
You need something to tide you over until 3:30. Watching the Middies try to cover Golden Tate and Michael Floyd (now back from collarbone injury) should be interesting... I'd expect Navy to give their defense some grief
3:30 PM ET No. 9 LSU at No. 3 Alabama CBS
Must see. I have no idea what the over/under is but anything higher than 32 is ambitious. Alabama has real problems at LT and Greg McElroy is in regression. I expect that a heavy dose of Bama D and Mark Ingram is sufficient to get it done in a hard-hitting game.
3:30 PM ET No. 16 Ohio State at No. 11 Penn State CBS
Come for the pageantry! Stay for the punt exchanges! I'll tune in occasionally to see what unique ways Jim Tressel has devised to prevent Pryor from ever being used appropriately. Psssst, he's 6-6 245 and runs really well. Run some zone read. Some Michael Bishop-style lead draws. It's legal. You'll be amazed at how open your WRs get when he play actions off of it. All the field goals your little heart desires, Jimmy!
3:30 PM ET No. 8 Oregon at Stanford
The iron law of college football states that when a team with a program-defining victory goes on the road the following week and plays someone scrappy they're going to need to bring it. I like Harbaugh a lot, but Oregon's offense is a machine right now.
7:15 PM ET Vanderbilt at No. 1 Florida ESPN 2
You have to see HIM. If only for a moment.
8:00 PM ET No. 24 Oklahoma at Nebraska ABC
A much bigger game for both teams than the rankings or media attention would suggest. OU has a really solid chance of winning out if Suh doesn't dismember OU's interior OL and use their limbs to bludgeon Landry Jones to death. NU Freshman QB Cody Green is really going to be good, but not in this game. I expect Ryan Broyles to steal this game from the Huskers along with several gallons of premium unleaded.
What ya got?