What Texas fans should be watching during the Longhorns' second bye
The Texas Longhorns might be off this week, but a number of games going on around the country are worth tracking for fans especially with the first College Football Playoff rankings set to be released on Tuesday.
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Matchups in the top-25, within the Southeastern Conference, the Big 10, and even in the American Athletic Conference will have an effect on the Longhorns’ resume.
We’ll be talking about it in the Week 10 Other Games Thread, but these are the big ones to follow this weekend.
Top 25 Matchups
No. 4 Ohio State at No. 3 Penn State
Penn State is a 3.5-point underdog for an 11 a.m. kickoff in Happy Valley. A win for the Nittany Lions solidifies their status as a title contender and gives them an inside track to the Big 10 title. A loss for Penn State just muddies the waters, but a victory for James Franklin might knock Ohio State out of the title picture.
No. 18 Pitt at No. 20 SMU
We have @Sneezybeltran at Gerald Ford Stadium for live coverage of a historic Atlantic Coast Conference matchup on the ACC Network at 7 p.m.
Non-SEC games of note for Texas
No. 1 Oregon at Michigan
The Wolverines are 14.5-point underdogs at home and with good reason. Oregon can get past its last big challenge before the Big 10 Championship, but an upset from Michigan would be a major boost for Texas’ resume.
Remaining opponents in action
Florida vs. No. 2 Georgia
Our Ian Boyd has a great breakdown of what to look for from Texas’ remaining opponents on Saturday. The Gators are marching DJ Lagway out for the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, a tall task for the true freshman and Billy Napier in Jacksonville.
Top 10
- 1Live
OSU vs. PSU
Live updates: Ohio State at Penn State
- 2
Frustrated Franklin
Penn State HC not happy with officiating
- 3Hot
Herman confronts Golesh
Tom Herman, Alex Golesh heated postgame
- 4
Pat McAfee
McAfee fires shot at FOX Big Noon Kickoff
- 5
Bryson Daily
Army QB ruled out vs. Air Force
No. 19 Ole Miss at Arkansas
This morning kickoff (sorry, Lane Kiffin) could eliminate the Rebels from playoff contention and provide a lot of useful data for the Longhorns ahead of their November 16 trip to Fayetteville.
Kentucky at No. 7 Tennessee
The Kentucky offense is worth watching, mostly due to its futility.
No. 10 Texas A&M at South Carolina
A battle between two similarly-built teams. Can the Gamecock defensive line make life difficult for Marcel Reed and company?
Checking on the rest of the out-of-conference schedule
Colorado State at Nevada
The Rams are 5-3 and 3-0 in the Mountain West. They’ll have to top some former Longhorns in Jeff Choate‘s program to make it to bowl eligibility.
UL-Monroe at Marshall
The Warhawks are 5-2, and Bryant Vincent may have done enough to already coach of the year honors.
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Memphis at UTSA
The Roadrunners host the 7-1 Tigers today and need a win to keep hopes of another trip to a bowl game alive. UTSA being the worst team from Texas’ non-conference opponents is a shock even taking into account the lack of Frank Harris.
