Join your fellow UW fans in watching other teams play football today.
BYE weeks not only provide a break for players and recruiting opportunities for coaches. They also provide fans of all ilks the opportunity to turn off their TV or put their tailgating supplies away and enjoy whatever other passions they have in life.
The good news for me is that I have none others. So I’ll be watching some football today and, for the first time in forever, I do so with no real rooting interests above and beyond some fun upsets that I’d love to see materialize. Some of the games I’ll be watching:
#2 Clemson at #22 Boston College
This one could happen people. Clemson is feasting off a weaker-than-normal ACC conference schedule. BC, on the other hand, is the WSU of the East. They have something that is hard to describe in terms of character and momentum. Call it the “it factor” if you like. This one is high on my radar.
#8 WSU at Colorado
The rumor is that Laviska Shenault will be back today. He has been practicing but may not be 100%. The question for me is whether or not he can be the difference. The Buffs have not won a game in which he has not started. But I think they win today.
Navy at #12 UCF
I wouldn’t want to play a service academy on Veteran’s Day weekend. Nobody is rooting for you and you kind of lose even if you win. Navy hasn’t had their best season, but they still are incredibly well run and have upset capability within them.
#18 Mississippi State at #1 Alabama
I’m kind of intrigued by this one as I think even more so than LSU, I think this is a real Alabama heat check. The Bulldogs have allowed just 9 defensive TDs this year and have a defense that I think is better coached than LSU’s. I’m not expecting an upset, but ‘Bama’s 29 points against LSU was a hint that maybe the Tide offense can be contained. We shall see.