Welcome to the first time in recent memory that Tennessee will visit a Big Ten stadium. The Volunteers typically don’t play Big Ten teams during the regular season, in part because SEC teams usually matched with Big Ten opponents in bowl season.
After two blowouts in the first two games of the College Football Playoff, now comes a game that most expect to be a blowout. Texas has only lost twice all year, and both defeats came against No. 2 seed Georgia.Â
There’s one good thing about all of this conference realignment nonsense: it gives us some good December games. We’ve got the Apple Cup on the hardwood, and there are genuine questions about whether the home team is tough enough to play in this game.
Which team is the real Butler? Is it the team that showed it could play at a power conference level when it beat Mississippi State and Southern Methodist? Or is it the one that spotted North Dakota State a 23-point lead and lost to both the Bison and Austin Peay?
There’s about 198 miles that separate Bloomington and South Bend on the roads of Indiana. On the football field, there’s about a lifetime of separation.
With West Virginia already having fired its coach, the Mountaineers face the awkward situation of having to figure out how to play with an interim leader. Even though Rich Rodriguez has already announced his return to Morgantown, he’s not involved with the preparations for the Frisco Bowl.
It’s the final game of the regular season, and an odd situation at that. Army arrives having already played 12 games, by virtue of winning the American conference title last week.Â
Welcome to the biggest game that SMU football has seen in over 40 years. The Mustangs were already thinking win and in for the postseason, but with Boise State and Arizona State both winning, they probably have no margin for error.
The magnitude of this game will be clear by the time kickoff happens. By the time Iowa State and Arizona State reach Arlington, they’ll know if they’re definitely playing for a top-four seed or not.