Saturday Blitz
Fansided

College Football 2023: Each Week’s Most Underrated Game

By Sonny Martinez

Dec 3, 2022; Boise, Idaho, USA; Boise State Broncos tight end Matt Lauter (85) leads the team onto the field prior to the first half of the Mountain West Championship game Fresno State Bulldogs versus the Boise State Broncos at Albertsons Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 3, 2022; Boise, Idaho, USA; Boise State Broncos tight end Matt Lauter (85) leads the team onto the field prior to the first half of the Mountain West Championship game Fresno State Bulldogs versus the Boise State Broncos at Albertsons Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
Nov 26, 2022; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mel Tucker walks on the field during a warm up prior to the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 26, 2022; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mel Tucker walks on the field during a warm up prior to the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports /

College Football Week Zero: Ohio @ San Diego State

10-win Ohio travels to the west coast to take on a Mountain West dark horse in San Diego State. The Bobcats won the MAC East last year and are a threat to win the conference once again this season. The Aztecs look primed to challenge for their first conference championship since 2016.

This season is important for San Diego State for more than just conference title reasons: rumors have been swirling that the Aztecs will be invited to join the Pac-12 conference. A win over Ohio wouldn’t catapult San Diego State into the top 25, but it would start the season on the right foot for a team that is essentially auditioning for its future.

Week 1, Thursday: NC State @ UConn

Listen, go ahead and call me crazy for choosing this game over Nebraska/Minnesota. But after last year, Jim Mora’s UConn Huskies are starting to show they aren’t the pushovers they used to be. The Huskies won six games last year, which doesn’t sound impressive until you realize they only won seven from 2017-2021. They also made their first college football bowl game since 2015.

Timing is very important here. NC State is coming off a disappointing season in which many thought they could win the ACC, but instead went 8-5. They lost Devin Leary, one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the nation, but replaced him with experienced former Virginia starter Brennan Armstrong who will be making his Wolfpack debut. Even better for timing? The following week, the Wolfpack host Notre Dame the following week. Looking past UConn might not bode well for a team that struggled in its season opener last year.

Week 1, Friday: Central Michigan @ Michigan State

It wasn’t long ago that Mel Tucker was riding high at Michigan State. 11-2, a Peach Bowl victory, and a huge contract extension were what Tucker experienced in year two at the helm. Year three started with a preseason number 15 ranking but finished with a 5-7 record which included losing to Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State by a combined score of 113-43. What followed was multiple starters entering the college football transfer portal after the spring game and even more heat to a coach that had been riding high.

In comes Central Michigan, a team that finished 4-8 last season but gave Oklahoma State quite the run to start last season. Central Michigan typically comes out firing at the start of their season, and Michigan State will be looking to prove that 2021 is Mel Tucker’s reality, not 2022. Will that motivate the Spartans, or bring out uncharacteristic mental errors that assist the Chippewas?

Week 1, Saturday: Boise State @ Washington

Boise State is looking to reclaim its spot as the top Group of Five team in college football, a spot it held for most of its existence. What better way to do that than a road victory against Heisman contender Michael Penix and National Championship dark horse Washington? Boise might be the favorite in the Mountain West this season. They return nine starters on offense, including quarterback Taylen Green, who exploded on the scene late last season. They also bring back five starters on defense.

Washington finished 11-2 with a road loss to UCLA and a baffling loss to Arizona State. The aforementioned Penix leads what might be the nation’s most explosive offense this year. The questions for Washington will be on defense, where they need to tighten things up after giving up 28 or more points in six contests. This game should be one of the best shootouts of the season.

Home/College Football News