Florida football: Your Saturday viewing guide (10/19)

Florida football travels north to face Will Muschamp and a Carolina team fresh off an upset over Georgia.

12:00 PM ET

The Game of the Day

#9 Florida at South Carolina (ESPN) – The Gamecocks will have to prove that they can string together back-to-back performances. The upset over Georgia means that Muschamp may have his team bowl-bound despite facing one of the toughest schedules in the nation.

Florida’s defense should revert back to its stellar form against an overmatched opponent and the South Carolina offense is just what Florida football needs after being shredded last week. Hopefully, Greenard and Zuniga will sit out this weekend in order to use it as extra time to get healthy before Georgia in three weeks.

I may have just looked ahead to Georgia, but after Carolina’s upset in Athens last week, you can be assured that South Carolina will have Florida’s full attention.

#11 Auburn at Arkansas (SECN) – The Tigers have a chance to send a message before their showdown with LSU, but Arkansas has been scrappy of late. Unlike last year’s version of the Hogs, this team has not been blown out. If the Razorbacks were to hang around in this one, folks in Fayetteville should consider that a win.

Iowa State at Texas Tech (FS1) – The Cyclones are very much still in the hunt for the Big 12 Championship game. Texas Tech, which much like Iowa State, let a win slip through their fingers at Baylor and should put up a good fight against Matt Campbell & Co. This could be an entertaining watch down the stretch.

3:30 PM ET

#2 LSU at Mississippi State (CBS) – The Tigers should win big here. Mississippi State has struggled to score. The Bulldogs are ranked 12th ranked in the SEC in total offense and should be no match for an LSU offense that leads the league in total offense. I mentioned last week that the odds of Tennessee beating Mississippi State are about as good as the odds of Joe Moorhead taking the Rutgers job. Bulldogs fans might be happy to see Joe head to Piscataway after this game.

#12 Oregon at #25 Washington (ABC) – Washington bounced back in the desert after an atrocious loss to Stanford. Thanks to that loss, the stakes have been lowered in this game. The Huskies have two Pac 12 losses (Cal and Stanford) while the Ducks are sitting at 3-0 in the conference. A win here would almost lock Oregon in for a Pac 12 title appearance and could vault the Ducks back into the playoff equation with a winnable schedule down the stretch: vs Washington State, at USC, vs Arizona, at Arizona State (potential Pac 12 Championship game preview), and Oregon State.

Temple at #19 SMU (ESPN2) – Another potential conference championship game preview. Temple is 2-0 in the conference and undefeated SMU is riding right behind Boise State for the Group of Five New Year’s Day Six slot. The Mustangs played sloppy against Tulsa but managed to find a way to win in their last time out. SMU had a bye last week while Temple won a hard-fought home game against Memphis. If the Mustangs take down the Owls, get ready for UCF fans to complain about SMU not being considered for a playoff spot.

4:00 PM ET

#18 Baylor at Oklahoma State (FOX) – The Baylor Bears just keep finding ways to win…but this may be the end of their journey into the 2019 college football season as an unbeaten. The Bears play good defense, but Okie State should be able to outpace a Baylor offense that seems to do just enough (and nothing more) from week-to-week.

All SEC Football

#22 Missouri at Vanderbilt (SECN) – The penthouse and the cellar of the SEC East will tangle in Nashville. Aside from bringing shame to the conference by losing to Mountain West schools, Mizzou and Vandy don’t have much in common this season. Expecting the Tigers to roll in this one and maintain their temporary hold on the top of the East.

6:00 PM ET

Kentucky at #10 Georgia (ESPN) – The Dawgs sent shockwaves around college football with a missed field goal in double overtime. Kentucky is capable of playing tough defense like South Carolina, but expect the Georgia coaching staff to unleash the offense and let it play. A big win here would be a boost for Georgia morale heading into The World’s Largest Cocktail Party.

#17 Arizona State at #13 Utah (Pac 12 Network) – Currently visiting family in New Jersey. No Pac 12 Network. The Pac 12 needs to either a) make better deals with cable companies or b) stop hiding quality games from the nation. In the meantime, enjoy your anonymity, Pac 12. For those of you that get the game, the winner walks away in the driver’s seat of the Pac 12 South.

7:00 PM ET

Tulane at Memphis (ESPN2) – I saw this Tulane team play live on opening night against FIU. The Green Wave can score in bunches, but still, need to prove that they belong among the upper echelon of the American Athletic Conference. They’ll have plenty of chances to do so over the next month with remaining games against the top-tier of the AAC: Navy, Temple, UCF, and SMU. If the Wave can continue to roll against Memphis, they will be a team to watch down the stretch.

7:30 PM ET

#16 Michigan at #7 Penn State (ABC) – We have an idea of where Michigan stands. How good is Penn State? We haven’t seen the Lions face top-competition yet this season. PSU has been pushed by Pitt and Iowa and, theoretically, Michigan should be able to do the same. Not sure what to think of this game, but I’m not sure how much thought this game requires since it’s simply going to show us which team has the leg-up on finishing second in the Big Ten East.

Texas A&M at Ole Miss (SECN) – The best 3-3 team in America takes on one of the stronger 3-4 teams in the country. If A&M can find a way to win in Oxford, the Aggies should be able to run their record to 7-3 (next three games: vs Miss. St., vs UTSA, and vs South Carolina) before wrapping up the season on the road against Georgia and LSU. The Rebels will likely put up a good fight and this could be a good game to flip over to if Jim Harbaugh fails to show in a big game on ABC.

Florida State at Wake Forest (ACCN) – The 62 points Louisville hung on the Demon Deacons last week overshadowed a comeback attempt that left Wake with 59 points. “Claw-ffense” is alive and well in Winston-Salem while nothing is alive and well in Tallahassee. This seems like a game in which Wake should roll, but to quote Corso, “Not so fast, my friend!” I know we’re not supposed to say good things about FSU on this website, but the Noles showed some improvement before their trip to Death Valley last week. Expect a shootout here. It could be the most entertaining game in this time-slot.

9:00 PM ET

Tennessee at #1 Alabama (ESPN) – The Third Saturday in October hasn’t been much of a rivalry over the last decade. Bama looks to extend their win-streak to 13 over the Vols. Tennessee has only stayed within 31 points twice since 2010 and the Volunteers have not won in Tuscaloosa since 2003.

9:30 PM ET

Arizona at USC (Pac 12) – Arizona took a beating last week at the hands of Washington while USC nearly pulled off a comeback on the road at Notre Dame. Each team has flashed in games this season, but consistency has been lacking for both teams. The winner still controls its’ destiny in the Pac 12 South. A win here doesn’t buy Clay Helton much job security, but a loss could be the beginning of the end of the Helton era in L.A.

10:15 PM ET

#14 Boise State at BYU (ESPN2) – Speaking of job security, BYU’s Kalani Sitake could really use a win after a road loss at struggling USF. Both teams will likely rely on their backup quarterback in this one. The Broncos should be able to walk away with a victory, but never underestimate a trip to Provo.

11:00 PM ET

Air Force at Hawaii (CBSSN) – Both teams enter the game at 4-2. Air Force drubbed Fresno State 43-24 last week after a disappointing loss to Navy. Hawaii is coming off of a tough loss on the blue turf, but this group of Warriors should provide a tough test for the Falcons.

And remember, No. 9 Florida football will take on South Carolina in Columbia at noon Saturday.