Weekend Preview: Big Games and Rivalries Dot the Schedule

October 24, 2022 by Staff

No. 2 Ohio State's visit to No. 12 Penn State is this week's only matchup of teams ranked in the Super 16 Poll, though there are two additional matchups of AP Top 25 teams. All three games are conference battles.

The FBS slate is the lightest of the season with just 48 games as 36 teams take a bye week to prepare for the November finish.

Ohio State is No. 1 in the Congrove Computer Rankings while Penn State ranks 11th. The AP Poll has the Buckeyes ranked 2nd and the Nittany Lions at 16. Penn State won 6 of the 8 games played in this series when it was a non-conference affair. But as Big Ten conference foes since 1993, Ohio State is 21-8 and Penn State victories have been getting farther and farther apart. The Buckeyes have taken 5 straight, but none were decided by more than 13 points and two came down to a single point. That's interesting to note because Ohio State opened at 15.5 at FanDuel Sportsbook while the computer puts the margin at 17.94. A Penn State upset would put Michigan in the outright lead of the eastern half of the ledger, if.....

.... Michigan handles Michigan State, as expected. The Wolverines opened as 23.5-point favorites at home and a 15.18-point computer play. This will be the 115th meeting in a rivalry in which Michigan holds a commanding 71-38-5 lead. However, the Spartans have won the last two and dealt the Wolverines their only loss in the regular season a year ago. Michigan lost as a 4.5-point favorite in 2021, and a 25.5-point favorite in 2020.

SEE: Odds and Picks

The other two games involving AP-ranked teams are No. 3 Tennessee hosting No. 19 Kentucky, and No. 11 Oklahoma State visiting No. 17 Kansas State.

Tennessee hosts the 118th edition of what was known as the Beer Barrel game for over 70 years (1925-1997). The Vols hold a lopsided 82-26-9 edge over Kentucky in the series and won every game played between 1985 and 2010. Kentucky has won 2 of the last 5 to make the rivalry more interesting. Last year's 45-42 win by Tennessee ended an 11-game losing streak to AP-ranked teams. The Vols opened as 13-point favorites and are a 10.37-point computer pick.

Oklahoma State visits Kansas State in the "We Blew Big Leads Over TCU" Bowl. Two weeks ago, the Cowboys surrender a 17-point lead and lost 43-40. This past Saturday, the Wildcats led by 18 and lost 38-28. Kansas State lost QB Adrian Martinez in the first quarter to a leg injury, but backup Will Howard helped build the early cushion. Star LB Daniel Green went out in the 3rd quarter with an injury. Nothing is known on the status of Martinez or Green for Saturday's game, and Howard also suffered a shoulder injury during the game that knocked him out for a series. Oklahoma State has since rebounded from its loss to TCU by rallying past Texas for a 41-34 home win. Oklahoma State QB Spencer Sanders, according to head coach Mike Gundy, has been playing through pain from various injuries. With all of that in consideration, the homestanding Wildcats opened as the favorite at most sportsbooks by a very slim amount of 1-1/2 points or less. The computer likes the visitors from Stillwater by 5.60. Oklahoma State leads the series 42-26 and has taken the last 3 in-a-row.

The Florida-Georgia game in Jacksonville has all the makings of a major blowout with the unbeaten Bulldogs ranked 1st in the Super 16, AP, and Coaches polls, and second in the computer rankings. Meanwhile, Florida enters with records of 4-3 over-all and 1-3 in the SEC. The Gators opened strong with a home upset of Utah, but have lost 5 straight to ranked opponents from the SEC. Georgia opened as a 22-point betting favorite and gets a 22.71-point lean from the computer. The 'Dawgs lead the series 53-44-2 after capturing four of the last five meetings.

Syracuse faces a third straight tough foe as Notre Dame comes to town after the Orange have faced Clemson and NC State in the previous two games. Syracuse had the upset win in its grasp this past Saturday, but Clemson rallied for the 27-21 win and handed the Orange their first loss. Syracuse opened as a 3-point favorite and some sportsbooks, and 2-1/2 at others. The computer has the Orange by 1.94.

Currently, the odds-on favorites to win the National Championship are Ohio State and Georgia at +180 with Alabama trailing at +350.

FCS vs. FBS

There will be 119 FBS vs. FCS matchups this season with App State, Army and Marshall each playing two such games, and 116 other FBS schools playing one apiece.

Only one of the season's remaining 6 FBS games against FCS schools takes place this week with Appalachian State entertaining a Robert Morris program that is 0-3 in such contests. App State is 7-1 vs. FCS schools since moving back into 1-A football (FBS) in 2014 with the lone loss occurring in 2014 to Liberty, 55-48, four years before the Flames moved up. The FBS schools have dominated their FCS brethren this season, as usual, by winning 105 of the 113 games played to date.

Looking forward, Lamar visits New Mexico State on November 12, and the final FBS-FCS matchups occur on November 19 with Austin Peay at Alabama, Utah Tech at BYU, ETSU at Mississippi State, and North Alabama at Memphis.

The FBS is 105-8 vs. the FCS this year, and 1,679-148 (.919) since we began tracking this in 2003.

Here are the FCS wins in 2022:
September 2: William & Mary 41, Charlotte 24
September 3: Delaware14, Navy 7
September 10: Weber State 35, Utah State 7
September 10: Incarnate Word 55, Nevada 41
September 10: Holy Cross 37, Buffalo 31
September 10: Eastern Kentucky 59, Bowling Green 57 (7 OT's)
September 17: Southern Illinois 31, Northwestern 24
September 24: Sacramento State 41, Colorado State 10

Streaks - Current FBS Longest

CLEMSON - Won 14 straight over-all; Won 38 straight home games.
Last: Won 27-21 at home over Syracuse on Saturday, October 22.
Next: at Notre Dame on Saturday, November 5.

CINCINNATI: Won 19 straight conference games.
Last: Won 29-27 at SMU on Saturday, October 22.
Next: at UCF on Saturday, October 29.

GEORGIA - Won 9 straight true road games.
Last: Won 55-0 at home over Vanderbilt on Saturday, October 15.
Next: Plays Florida in Jacksonville on Saturday, October 29.

AKRON - 7 straight losses.
Last: Lost 33-27 at Kent State on Saturday, October 22.
Next: Hosts Miami (O) on Saturday, October 29.

MASSACHUSETTS - Lost 10 straight to FBS schools.
Last: Lost 34-7 at home to Buffalo on Saturday, October 15.
Next: Hosts New Mexico State on Saturday, October 29.

NORTHWESTERN - Lost 6 straight at home.
Last: Lost 31-24 at Maryland on Saturday, October 22.
Next: at Iowa on Saturday, October 29.

VANDERBILT - Lost 25 straight conference games.
Last: Lost 17-14 at Missouri on Saturday, October 22.
Next: Hosts South Carolina on Saturday, November 5.

NEW MEXICO STATE - Lost 21 straight road games.
Last: won 21-9 at home over New Mexico on Saturday, October 15.
Game vs. San Jose State on Saturday, October 22nd was canceled due to the death of a San Jose State team member the day before the game.
Next: Visits UMass on Saturday, October 29.