Five Intriguing Games This Weekend – From the Bird’s Nest

Boy, will you be surprised about three of the games I've selected.

Well, maybe you won't.

This week, there's not one, not two, but three games involving top ten teams playing each other.  October is the month you start to see the separation as schools from Power Five conferences start beating each other.  And, we don't have to wait for Saturday to get the party started.  The other two games?  When we start talking about coaches making a move to another school, there are a couple of games to keep an eye on.

Here we go....

FRIDAY

#7 STANFORD (3-0, 2-0)  at #10 WASHINGTON (4-0, 1-0) (-3') -- 7:00pm, ESPN-The Huskies played three fluff games, then opened league play with a pedestrian win over Arizona, winning by a touchdown in a game they were favored by 17.  Stanford, meanwhile, has already beaten both USC and UCLA.  This is the kind of game Washington brought Chris Peterson to the Apple State to win.  The former Boise State wizard gets the first big test of his time at Washington.  Playing at home is a big plus.  Don't expect a lot of offensive fireworks in this one.

SATURDAY

#22 TEXAS (2-1,0-0) at OKLAHOMA STATE (2-2, 0-1) (-2') -- 11am, ABC--The bloom came off the rose in a hurry for the Longhorns following their loss at California and Notre Dame's 1-3 start.  This is a chance to being righting the ship.  OSU lost its Big 12 opener at Baylor last week and if they're going to be relevant in the Big 12 race, they have to have this one.  LSU fans should be rooting big time for Texas.  The more they lose, the less chance Tom Herman is going to be available.

#8 WISCONSIN (4-0, 1-0) at #4 MICHIGAN (4-0, 1-0) (-10.5)  2:30pm, ABC--Everyone thought it was a bit of a fluke when the Badgers knocked off LSU, especially after Georgia State gave Wisky all they wanted and then some.  Then the Badgers went to East Lansing and dominated Michigan State.  Now, folks are saying they might actually be good.  This will be Michigan's first big test of the season.  They got an awful lot of preseason love and have been really good offensively.  We'll find out if that #4 ranking is warranted this week.  With a win, Michigan should have clear sailing until their meeting at Michigan State at the end of the month.  As for the Badgers, they get Ohio State next week.  Whew...

WESTERN MICHIGAN (4-0, 0-0) at CENTRAL MICHIGAN (3-1, 0-0) (+3') --Both teams have beaten Power Five schools this year (well, sort of) with the Chippewas getting that win (?) at Oklahoma State.  The Broncos have a pair of wins in the Big Ten.  The MAC Western Division is normally solid and this a great way for the league to kick off its conference season.  The schedule lightens for the Broncos after this one.  A win here gets them into, or close to the top 25...and it could set up a showdown with Toledo at the end of the season, by which time WMU could be 11-0 and that Fleck guy's name really starts circulating concerning a lot of jobs.

#3 LOUISVILLE (4-0, 2-0) at #5 CLEMSON (4-0, 1-0) (+2) -- 7pm ABC--Now, THIS is a way to end the day....Louisville was held to just 59 points last week against Marshall, prompting everyone to ask what the problem is with the Cardinals' offense.  Okay, that isn't true.  Not only has no one stopped Bobby's bunch, no one has even slowed them down.  Clemson has scored 59 in a game as well.  OK, it was against South Carolina State.  Clemson's defense has been pretty solid.  But if they're going to win against this Cardinals' team, Deshaun Watson must play like the Heisman contender we thought he was.