Florida football: Your Saturday football viewing guide (11/2)

Florida football faces judgment day this week. A win over the Bulldogs on Saturday means 2019 will magically morph into a potential dream season where we receive confirmation that Mullen has solved all that has ailed the Florida football program over the last decade in under two years.

All eyes will be on Jacksonville. But here are some appetizers and desserts to keep you busy in the meantime.

12:00 PM ET

Not a great noon slate this week, so bear with me.

Nebraska at Purdue (FOX) – A loss here will likely end Nebraska’s chances to go bowling this season. Both teams have been a disappointment, but bowl practices would be highly beneficial to Scott Frost‘s still developing program.

Northern Illinois at Central Michigan (CBSSN) – Check in on how Jimmy Mac is doing in Mount Pleasant. The Chippewas are still in the hunt for a MAC West title and a win here would set up a CMU-Ball State showdown next week.

I can’t in good conscience recommend Michigan at Maryland on ESPN. So, I’ll go with another tough sell instead:

Houston at UCF (ESPN2) – The Knights have been out of the spotlight since dropping two games earlier in the season. Cougars head coach Dana Holgorsen is having a rough first year. Something tells me this matchup will worth noting over the next few years since both schools should be regular contenders for the AAC crown. That’s a weak sell on the 2019 game, but it’ll be interesting to see how Heupel and Holgorsen matchup in their first meeting.

2:30 PM ET

Virginia Tech at #16 Notre Dame – QB Ian Book and the offensive line looked atrocious last weekend in Ann Arbor. Can they bounce back against an up-and-down Virginia Tech team?

3:30 PM ET

The Game of the Day
#8 Georgia vs #6 Florida (Jacksonville) (CBS) – Have the Gators caught/surpassed Georgia? Or has Smart played 2019 close to the vest to save ammo for this game? Dan Mullen mentioned in the offseason that the biggest difference he sees between these programs is depth. Luckily, Florida football is relatively healthy heading into this one and the Gators will welcome Jonathan Greenard, Jabari Zuniga, and Kadarius Toney back into the fold. I expect this game to go one of two ways: 1) we see a top-level performance out of Georgia this season and the Bulldogs finally live up to preseason expectations or 2) Florida’s passing game nullifies a stout Georgia run defense and the Gators outpace the Dawgs.

Miami at Florida State (ABC) – Will only be on my second television for viewing during the Florida-Georgia commercials. If Miami wins, FSU will face a must-win trip to BC to become bowl eligible.

TCU at Oklahoma State (ESPN) – Should be a high-scoring affair. TCU downed the Horns last week. Will they be able to follow up on their big win?

Army at Air Force (CBSSN) – Double the military academy, double the option football, double the fun.

#22 Kansas State at Kansas (FS1) – The Purple Cats get their first shot at Les coming off a huge upset over Oklahoma. Rock Chalk took Texas down to the wire two weeks ago and snuck a win out over Texas Tech last week after the Red Raiders fumbled a lateral off of a blocked field goal in the closing seconds of the game. Kansas recovered and kicked the winning field goal on its’ second attempt.

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— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) October 27, 2019

Rutgers at Illinois (BTN) – Rutgers-Illinois fact of the week: both teams are coming into this game off of wins.

4:00 PM ET

#9 Utah at Washington (FOX) – The Utes face a tough road test in Seattle. If Oregon knocks of USC, Utah would be in control of the Pac-12 South with a win here. The Pac-12 South has to be the weirdest division race in the country at the moment and a Utah loss would only complicate things. Expect a feisty Washington team in this one after dropping its third Pac-12 game two weeks ago at home against the Ducks.

Mississippi State at Arkansas (SECN) – Two second-year coaches strugglin’. State comes in riding a four-game losing streak. The Hogs have lost five straight. Someone gets to take home a “W.”

7:00 PM ET

Ole Miss at #11 Auburn (ESPN) – The Tigers need to take the opportunity to exercise some frustration on the Rebels before their bye week leading up to Georgia.

More from Hail Florida Hail

UAB at Tennessee (SECN) – Pruitt & Co. seem to finally have some momentum on their side. Will it continue or will UAB bring back the Georgia State nightmares?

Northwestern at Indiana (FS1) – The Hoosiers are finally winning the close ones and are sitting pretty at 6-2. Indiana is 6-2, you read that right, Indiana is 6-2. Northwestern has struggled to move the ball this season and if the Indiana offense, which has scored 30 or more points in five straight games, can keep rolling, the Hoosiers may be in the hunt for an Outback Bowl bid.

7:30 PM ET

#15 SMU at #24 Memphis (ABC) – The AAC spotlight has left Orlando and will be fixated squarely upon the Liberty Bowl on Saturday night. SMU is chasing a New Year’s Six bid and if it gets by a tough Memphis squad, the Ponies face a manageable schedule down the stretch. An SMU loss will end a bid for New Year’s Six bid, but not necessarily knock the Mustangs out of contention for the conference title since Memphis still has an upcoming bout with Cincinnati.

Vanderbilt at South Carolina (SECN) – More Mason interviews, please.

8:00 PM ET

#7 Oregon at USC (FOX) – The Trojans control their destiny in the Pac-12 South, but unfortunately, their destiny has brought the Ducks in for a visit. Oregon notched a big win up in Seattle two weeks back, survived a Mike Leach upset attempt, and is in full control of not only their own conference destiny but with Oklahoma’s loss last week, the Ducks seem to be in a good position to control their own playoff destiny. The Pac-12 is alive and well.

9:00 PM ET

Colorado at UCLA (Pac-12 Network) – For those of you that are able to watch, UCLA is sneakily involved in the Pac-12 race with upcoming games against Utah and USC. Can they take care of business in a game they’re expected to win?

10:00 PM ET

BYU at Utah State (ESPN2) – Depending on your perspective, the Cougs are the most interesting or frustrating 3-4 teams in America. Wins against Tennessee, Southern Cal, and Boise State, but they’ve also stacked up losses to Toledo and South Florida. Utah State was pummeled by Air Force last week. The Aggies will look to bounce back against their in-state rival.

Next. Who's up and who's down for Florida ahead of Georgia. dark

Remember, No. 6 Florida football will take on No. 8 Georgia at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2 in Jacksonville.

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