This week’s college football schedule has some big games. Colorado St. plays at San Jose St. at 10:30 p.m. on Friday. Then, UCLA plays at Arizona St. and Hawaii plays Fresno St. at 10:30 p.m., a later start time than the others.
As with any other sport, college football scheduling can be a bit complex. Not only must it fit available dates, but it also needs to appease coaches and school administrators. Some conferences play more games than others. For example, Florida State was not thrilled to play Wake Forest and Clemson back-to-back after the Oklahoma game. Meanwhile, Alabama’s schedule featured a bye week before its two Big 12 games.
The week’s schedule also features several matchups between No. 6 Alabama and No. 24 Mississippi State, which both have plenty of offensive firepower. In addition, No. 20 Texas plays No. 11 Oklahoma State, which is coming off a disappointing loss this year. In the week’s final game, No. 2 Ohio State will play No. 20 Texas.
Most conferences are eight-game leagues that play four home games and four on the road. The Pac-12 has nine conference games, but these games are not always at home. Some conferences want to play seven home games a year, while others seek to balance their schedule by playing four games on neutral sites. Having rivals to play is a blessing and a curse.
Another important factor in making a college football schedule is to find available dates for games. There are many schools that want to play each other and sometimes it is tough to find a date that works for everyone. Some schools schedule all their games before October, while others schedule them as they go. Still others leave it up to conferences.
The week’s college football schedule also includes a couple of games on non-major networks. On Saturday, the Tennessee Volunteers will face the Georgia Bulldogs and the LSU Tigers will face the Alabama Crimson Tide. For those who prefer to watch a game online, there are several live streams that are available.
The Tennessee Volunteers have accomplished great things despite the injury to star Cedric Tillman. He had 12 touchdown catches last season, but hasn’t played since Sept. 17. He may return this week. The Kansas Wildcats are 11th in rushing yards. This means that they are a big favorite in this game.