National Game of the Week: #7 BYU @ #8 Texas Tech
Have I intentionally gone out of my way to name games outside the SEC as the game of the week from time to time? Perhaps. But this week is not one of them. Two legitimate top ten teams from the Big 12 will play with a shot at the conference championship game potentially in the balance. Both schools have adapted to the new era with donors providing big NIL budgets. Both coaches have also done well to develop depth from within. While Kelani Sitake and Joey McGuire are not the biggest names in CFB coaching, both have done a great job in recent years and have a chance to elevate their profiles this weekl
Also of note
- #9 Oregon @ #20 Iowa- The Ducks have had ups and downs this year. Going into Kinnick Stadium is always a big challenge. Will Iowa be able to move the ball against a tough Oregon defense? If they do, the defense is definitely good enough to power an upset.
- LSU @ #4 Alabama- Even with the Tigers coach-less, unranked, and mired in a bizarre political tug-of-war, this is one of the more fun rivalries in CFB.
- Navy @ #10 Notre Dame- It’s too bad Navy lost to North Texas last time out or they could’ve come into this game undefeated and in the top-25. Even so, it’s a tradition-rich game, and whenever one of the service academies can actually push the Irish, it’s great entertainment.