Florida football: Your Saturday viewing guide (10/5)

Florida football is set to once-again take center-stage in the college football universe on Saturday, but there is plenty of action in the SEC and around the country to keep an eye on.

9:00 AM ET

College GameDay (ESPN) – Early start for Florida football fans with College GameDay coming to Gainesville. Expect Corso to pick Albert.

https://twitter.com/CollegeGameDay/status/1178152014427099142

12:00 PM ET

Utah State at #5 LSU (SECN) – I heard some whispers in the offseason that this Utah State team might give the Tigers some issues, but after LSU’s impressive first month, those whispers have been silenced. The Aggies gave an undefeated Wake Forest trouble to open the season, but LSU ain’t no Wake Forest. Look for Burrow to put up massive numbers in this one to set up the Gators’ second straight game against an undefeated opponent.

#21 Oklahoma State at Texas Tech (FS1) – The Red Raiders tend to cause problems in Lubbock. Oklahoma State took care of Kansas State last week and is expected to do so in this one, but the Cowboys don’t always live up to expectations. This one has a chance to be the most entertaining game in the noon window.

#14 Iowa at #19 Michigan (FOX) – Did the Wolverines finally put it together last week against Rutgers? Or were they just playing Rutgers? My guess is the latter. Michigan is favored in this game, but no one would be surprised if Iowa walks out of the Big House with a win.

Tulane at Army (CBSSN) – My under-the-radar pick of the week. Tulane was held to six points in week two against Auburn, but the Green Wave has been an offensive machine when playing within their weight class. Tulane (3-1) put up 42 on a Florida International squad that some liked to contend for the CUSA title in the preseason and pulled a big 38-31 upset over Houston on the play below. If anyone can slow Tulane’s roll, it’s Army. Look for the Black Knights to chew clock. This may not be the prettiest game to watch, but it could be a nice pick if the other games aren’t living up to expectations.

3:30 PM ET

The Game of the Day

#7 Auburn at #10 Florida (CBS) – On paper, Auburn seems to have quite a resume, but do we really know how good Oregon and A&M are this season? Credit to the Tigers for walking away with wins in both games, but I don’t believe they’ve been tested against a defense like they’ll see in Gainesville. Auburn is more dependent on its running game than Florida, so if the Gators can bottle up the Tigers on the ground, Florida should prevail. Unrelated note: I would swap the throwbacks for Auburn for the orange jerseys in a heartbeat.

https://twitter.com/GatorsFB/status/1179931783141429248

Baylor at Kansas State (ESPN2) – Kansas State played tough in Stillwater last week. The Bears almost blew a 20 point lead late against a tough Iowa State team but found a way to recover and win. If Baylor expects to challenge for a spot in the Big 12 title game, they must avoid the upset in Manhattan.

4:00 PM ET

Troy at Missouri (SECN) – Mizzou is a heavy favorite in this one, but the Trojans are no stranger to pulling an upset in SEC Country. Troy’s offense has posted at least 35 points in each of its games and can push this Missouri defense. However, the offensive firepower from Missouri should be too much in this one. Either way, look for lots of points in Columbia.

7:00 PM ET

#3 Georgia at Tennessee (SECN) – The Bulldogs will dominate, but I want to see how Tennessee responds after a bye week. Will there be personnel changes? Any new formations/concepts on either side of the ball? Trick-plays? Not likely, but worth tuning in for a bit to find out while waiting for the late kickoffs.

7:30 PM ET

Vanderbilt at Ole Miss (SECN) – Must-win for Vandy to have any bowl hopes. Slowing down the Rebs will be a challenge for Derek Mason’s defense, so the Commodores’ offense will need to step up in this one. It’s viewed as a winnable game by both sides.

#25 Michigan State at #4 Ohio State (ABC) – Sparty lost 48-3 in their last trip to Columbus and managed to only put up six points in last year’s game. Typically, Michigan State has played Ohio State tough under head coach Mark Dantonio, but the offensive firepower just isn’t there. ESPN tried to make too much out of OSU’s trip to Nebraska last week and I’m afraid they’re making the same mistake this week.

8:00 PM ET

Cal at #13 Oregon (FOX) – Cal finally took a loss last week against Arizona State. Their steady defense has led the way and the offense typically does just enough to lock-in a win, but once in a while, that strategy will backfire. If Oregon jumps out to a quick lead early, this could get ugly, but Cal can absolutely make this a game if the defense shows up to play.

Remember, No. 10 Florida football will host No. 7 Auburn at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at The Swamp.