HOUSTON – Twenty-seven college football coaches were named to the American Heart Association’s Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award watch list this past week, and this coming weekend will feature 19 contests with teams coached by those selected to the watch list.
In two of those contests – No. 7 Alabama at No. 11 Tennessee and No. 5 Georgia at No. 1 Texas, watch list selections will coach opposite one another.
Pittsburgh, Ohio State, Penn State, Liberty, Louisiana Monroe and Boise State are off this week.
This week’s watch list games include:
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18
No. 2 Oregon (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) at Purdue (1-5, 0-3 Big Ten) [FOX]
The undefeated Ducks head to West Lafayette, Ind. for a Friday matchup with the Boilermakers. Oregon holds a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series, winning the last two matchups in 2008 and 2009. Oregon is looking for its 28th consecutive win against unranked opposition, and the 21st under head coach Dan Lanning.
Oklahoma State (3-3, 0-3 Big 12) at No. 13 BYU (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) [ESPN]
Streaks collide in this Big 12 tilt in Provo, as Oklahoma puts its 3-0 all-time series lead on the line against BYU’s undefeated 6-0 record this season. The last time these two teams met was last season, when OSU picked up a 40-34, double-overtime win in Stillwater. With a win, BYU coach Kalani Sitake would have his second 7-0 start since taking the helm of the BYU program.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19
No. 6 Miami (6-0, 2-0 ACC) at Louisville (4-2, 2-1 ACC) [ABC/ESPN+]
Third-year head coach Mario Cristobal has the Hurricanes off to a 6-0 start for the first time in his tenure. The path to 6-0 has not been easy, as evidenced by last week’s 25-point, second-half comeback in a 39-38 win at Cal. Prior to that game, ACC teams were 1-401 in the last 20 years when facing a 20-point deficit.
Virginia (4-2, 2-1 ACC) at No. 10 Clemson (5-1, 4-0 ACC) [ACC Network]
Clemson is looking to move to 5-0 in conference play for the eighth time under head coach Dabo Swinney – which would be Clemson’s 16th time hitting that mark since joining the ACC in 1953. On the opposite sideline is former Clemson player Tony Elliott, who returns to his alma mater for the first time as a head coach. The Tigers have been dominant at home during the College Football Playoff era, posting a 68-3 record at Death Valley during that span.
Nebraska (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) at No. 16 Indiana (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) [FOX]
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti has wasted no time turning the Hoosiers into a winner (as he suggested, we Googled him). This week’s matchup with Nebraska may be the toughest game of the year to date for the Hoosiers, as Matt Rhule has the Cornhuskers at 5-1 on the year with the one loss being an overtime setback to then-No. 24 Illinois.
East Carolina (3-3, 1-1 American) at No. 23 Army (6-0, 5-0 American) [ESPN2]
The Black Knights moved into the top 25 this week for the first time since the 2020 season after starting 6-0 for only the third time since 1950 (1950, 1996, and 2024). The Black Knights bring the longest winning streak in FBS – 10 games – into this weekend’s matchup with East Carolina. The 10-game streak is tied for the longest streak under head coach Jeff Monken, who won 10 consecutive games from 2018-19.
Arizona State (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) at Cincinnati (4-2, 2-1 Big 12) [ESPN+]
Saturday’s meeting will be just the third all-time meeting between the two schools, who have not met since the 1976 season. Cincinnati holds a 2-0 advantage in the series. The two teams have exceeded expectations thus far, as both teams had just three wins a year ago under first year head coaches and were picked to finish 14th (UC) and 16th (ASU) in the Big 12 Preseason Media Poll. The three combined losses for the two teams have been by a combined 12 points – with eight of the two teams’ combined games being decided by one score. The changing fortunes at Arizona State under head coach Kenny Dillingham have come with a host of new faces in Sun Devil uniforms – ASU has 60 newcomers in uniform this year, the ninth-most of any FBS school.
No. 7 Alabama (5-1, 2-1 SEC) at No. 11 Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC) [ABC/ESPN+]
This marquee matchup features a pair of watch list coaches in Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer and Tennessee’s Josh Heupel. A finalist for last year’s Bear Bryant Coach of the Year award, DeBoer has led the Crimson Tide to a 5-1 mark in his first season in Tuscaloosa, while Heupel has his Volunteers off to an identical mark in his fourth campaign on Rocky Top. The meeting will be the 107th all-time between the two schools, with Alabama holding a 60-38-8 advantage – including a 27-21-1 mark in Knoxville.
No. 12 Notre Dame (5-1) at Georgia Tech (5-2) [ESPN] [Game played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium]
The 12th-ranked Fighting Irish are vying for their fifth consecutive win in the 38th all-time meeting between Notre Dame and Georgia Tech. Notre Dame holds a 30-6-1 record in the series, with a 13-2-1 mark in road games. Head coach Marcus Freeman’s squad is coming off a dominant defensive performance last weekend at Stanford, leading all Power 4 teams in fewest passing yards allowed (87), and offensive yards allowed (200) in a 49-7 win.
No. 24 Michigan (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) at No. 22 Illinois (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) [CBS/Paramount+]
Illinois head coach Bret Bielema brings his Fighting Illini into Saturday’s matchup against the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines, opening a stretch of seven games where Illinois will play five teams currently ranked in the top 25. Saturday’s matchup marks the first time that two teams ranked in the AP Top 25 have faced one another inside Memorial Stadium since Sept. 23, 2000.
Charlotte (3-3, 2-0 American) at Navy (5-0, 3-0 American) [CBS Sports]
Head coach Brian Newberry is looking to lead Navy to its first 6-0 start since the 1979 season, and just the seventh in program history. Charlotte and Navy are two of the five remaining undefeated teams in the American Athletic Conference, with the 49ers entering Saturday’s matchup as winners of three of their previous four games. The Midshipmen have been bolstered this season by an improved offense – the 218 points through five games this season are six more points than Navy scored all of last year.
Baylor (2-4, 0-3 Big 12) at Texas Tech (5-1, 3-0 Big 12) [ESPN2]
Texas Tech will look to extend its four-game winning streak to five and remain atop the Big 12 standings in Saturday’s tilt against Baylor. The Red Raiders are 14-3 all-time at home under head coach Joey McGuire, and are meeting for the 83rd time in the all-time series. Baylor holds a 41-40-1 advantage in one of the longest-running series in the Big 12 Conference as the two charter members of the Big 12 were also members of the old Southwest Conference. Since joining the Big 12 in 1996, Texas Tech holds a 19-9 advantage in the series.
No. 14 Texas A&M (5-1, 3-0 SEC) at Mississippi State (1-5, 0-3 SEC) [SEC Network]
Aggies head coach Mike Elko leads his Texas A&M squad east to Starkville for a conference matchup against the Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium. The all-time series between the two schools currently sits at 8-8 and dates back to the 1912 season. This year, the Aggies boast one of the nation’s top rushing offenses at a ninth-in-the-nation 212.3 yards per game, and also one of the top scoring defenses, allowing just 16.7 points per game.
No. LSU (5-1, 2-0 SEC) at Arkansas (4-2, 2-1 SEC) [ESPN]
Tigers head coach Brian Kelly leads his LSU squad into Fayetteville Saturday for the annual Battle or the Boot. LSU holds an all-time 44-23-2 advantage in the series against the Razorbacks, with Kelly holding a perfect 2-0 mark against Arkansas. LSU has won seven of its last eight meetings with the Razorbacks, and enters play Saturday as winners of five consecutive games. Kelly is the winningest active coach in NCAA football regardless of division with a career record of 309-105-2, having also coached at Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Central Michigan, and Grand Valley State.
Ball State (2-4) at Vanderbilt (4-2) [ESPN+/SECN+]
Commodores’ head coach Clark Lea enters this weekend’s non-conference matchup after leading Vanderbilt to back-to-back wins over then-No. 1 Alabama and Kentucky. While Saturday’s matchup is the first-ever meeting between Ball State and Vanderbilt, the Commodores are 11-1 all-time against MAC schools with the most recent win coming in the 2022 season against Northern Illinois. In Vanderbilt’s wins over the Crimson Tide and Wildcats, the Commodores never trailed – the first time since at least 1960 that Vanderbilt led for the entirety of consecutive SEC contests.
No. 5 Georgia (5-1, 3-1 SEC) at No. 1 Texas (6-0, 2-0 SEC) [ESPN]
Another marquee matchup comes to us courtesy of the Southeastern Conference this weekend, as fifth-ranked Georgia heads to Austin to face top-ranked Texas. Coach Kirby Smart has led the Bulldogs to a 5-1 mark, with just a 41-34 loss at Alabama standing between the Bulldogs and an undefeated record. Meanwhile, Steve Sarkisian has his Longhorns firing on all cylinders this season – the 6-0 Longhorns have won each of their games by two scores or more, with the closest win coming on Sept. 7 – a 31-12 win over defending national champion Michigan.
UCF (3-3, 1-2 Big 12) at No. 9 Iowa State (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) [FS1]
Head coach Matt Campbell will attempt to match the best start in Iowa State history and move to 7-0 for the first time since 1938, while also moving to 4-0 in conference play for the first time in program history. A win for Iowa State would give the Cyclones their second consecutive undefeated October and the fourth perfect October under Campbell’s direction. Campbell became the winningest coach in Iowa State history earlier this season, surpassing Dan McCarney’s previous mark, and has 59 wins in his ninth season in Ames.
No. 17 Kansas State (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) at West Virginia (3-3, 2-1 Big 12) [FOX]
K-State heads to Morgantown for a difficult matchup against a West Virginia squad whose only losses are to teams whose coaches are on the Bear Bryant Award watch list (Penn State, Pitt, Iowa State). The Wildcats, 5-1 under sixth-year head coach Chris Klieman, look to win their third consecutive contest. K-State recovered nicely after its loss to BYU, knocking off No. 20 Oklahoma State 42-20 and winning 31-28 at Colorado. The Wildcats are ranked in the CFB Top 25 for the 12th consecutive poll, the sixth-longest active streak in the nation.
No. 21 SMU (5-1, 2-0 ACC) at Stanford (2-4, 1-2 ACC) [ACC Network]
The Mustangs are off to a 5-1 start under head coach Rhett Lashlee, with the lone setback on the season coming in a non-conference matchup against BYU. SMU has been capable road warriors of late, picking up seven consecutive road wins – the second longest such streak in FBS. The 2-0 start in conference play for SMU is a first for teams jumping into a Power 4/5 conference in their first season. Saturday’s matchup will be just the second all-time meeting between the two schools – Stanford picked up a 7-0 win over SMU in the 1935 Rose Bowl Game.
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH
- Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson has seen his team excel on both sides of the ball this season – the Broncos’ 4.83 sacks per game lead all of FBS, while their 523 yards per game rank third nationally. The BSU offense is led by all-everything running back Ashton Jeanty, who has put up some of the most prolific rushing numbers since Bo Jackson virtually suited up in the Tecmo Bowl franchise. This year, Jeanty’s 1,248 rushing yards outpace all but 23 FBS teams’ entire rushing output – and through six games played, Jeanty has already racked up more rushing yards than 12 FBS teams did all of last season. While the Broncos are off this week, Jeanty will still have outrushed a large number of all FBS squads when Boise State returns to action at UNLV on Oct. 25.
- Miami quarterback Cam Ward became the first Hurricanes quarterback in history to open his career with six straight performances of 300 passing yards or more. Last time out, the senior signal-caller threw for a season-high 437 yards. Ward will attempt to keep that streak alive against a Louisville defense that has allowed just 216.5 yards per game through the air this season. Wa/rd has been the catalyst for a prolific Miami offense that has racked up an FBS-best 583.8 yards per game this season and has converted over 60 percent of its third downs.
- Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti has a well-established record of turning around the fortunes of his teams in short order. He has continued that trend thus far at Indiana. In his first job – at Division II Indiana (Pa.), Cignetti took a team that had gone 4-10 in conference the two seasons prior to his arrival to the playoffs in his second year. His next head coaching position came at Elon, where he took the Phoenix from six consecutive losing seasons to two consecutive appearances in the FCS playoffs. When Cignetti became the head coach at James Madison, the Dukes made a seven-game improvement in his first year and appeared in the playoffs in each of the three years JMU was a member of FCS during his tenure.
- Perhaps no opponents this week are as familiar with one another as the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Tennessee Volunteers. In a series billed as the Third Saturday in October since 1939, the two teams will meet as top-20 teams for the 22nd time. The Volunteers will be looking for their second consecutive home win over Alabama – a win would give Tennessee consecutive wins over the Crimson Tide since the 2004 and 2006 games. First year head coach Kalen DeBoer will be coaching against Tennessee for the first time as a head coach, while Josh Heupel is 1-2 against Alabama.
- The Texas Longhorns are the consensus No. 1 team and have been dominant through six weeks of play. Three times this season, coach Steve Sarkisian’s squad has put up 50 or more points, and in just two games – the 31-12 win over Michigan and the 35-13 win over Mississippi State – have opposing teams finished within three scores. The Longhorns hold a 4-1 advantage in the all-time series against Georgia, with the Bulldogs’ lone win over UT coming on Jan. 2, 1984 – a 10-9 Bulldogs win in the 48th Cotton Bowl Classic.
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