College Football 2023: Each Week’s Most Underrated Game

Week 8: Army @ LSU

We’ve seen what the Triple Option offense can do to defenses. More specifically, we’ve seen what that offense can do to Brian Kelly’s defenses. Some of his most frustrating games as coach at Notre Dame were against Navy’s Triple Option. In the recent past, Army has taken premier college football programs like Michigan and Oklahoma to the limit. LSU might be the next one.

In doing some research about this, I was stunned to see how well Brian Kelly teams do against the option. Since joining Notre Dame in 2010, Kelly is 15-2 against option teams with an average final score of 39-21. A lot of Irish fans will say that these games oftentimes feel much, much closer. Either way, you know a service academy like Army isn’t going to just lie down for LSU. This is going to be a fight until the end.

Week 9: Colorado @ UCLA

Something about Coach Prime roaming Los Angeles makes this a must-watch. We shouldn’t expect Deion to turn the ship in Boulder around in one year, but what a win this would be. You know there are going to be a lot of recruits at the game. Especially at the Rose Bowl, I wouldn’t be surprised to see kids there with similar interests in both programs.

On the field, by this point in the season, the Buffaloes should be significantly improved from the opening few weeks when they face Nebraska and TCU. Sanders built Jackson State into a power and a few key players from that group have followed him. This game is huge for Colorado in terms of bowl eligibility as well. I kind of expect Colorado to come into this game at 3-4. If they lose this one, with Oregon State and Utah still to come, Coach Prime’s first season might end in November rather than December.

Week 10: UCF @ Cincinnati

An AAC matchup in the Big 12. These two always play meaningful games against each other, but this year is a little different.  This is yet another game that could determine which team plays during Bowl Season and which team stays home. That’s not a knock on the quality of these teams, but a sign of the step up in competition on a week-to-week basis. TCU was a dominant force in the Mountain West and Conference-USA, but really struggled to get off the ground in the Big 12, winning only five conference games in their first two years.

Both teams have difficult roads to this point but should be sitting within striking distance of what would be considered a successful debut. Three of the last four contests between these programs have been decided by a margin of four or fewer points. This year should be no exception, although there probably won’t be a New Year’s Six bowl berth on the line.

Week 11: Eastern Michigan @ Toledo

MACtion at its finest. Another weeknight game, this is a Wednesday evening game. Eastern Michigan is one of the hardest places to win, cut Chris Creighton has done an unbelievable job of not only making the Eagles respectable but also a strong team within the MAC. Creighton led Eastern Michigan to nine wins last season, their highest win total since 1987. In fact, Creighton’s 46 wins are more than they’ve had in the previous 15 years.

So what’s the importance of this game? It could very well decide the MAC West division. Eastern Michigan has never experienced a conference title game, while Toledo’s rich MAC history contains 12 conference championships. This is very much a game of the “haves” versus the “have nots” and this is a game that could change the future of Eastern Michigan football.

Week 12: South Carolina @ Kentucky

Week 12, AKA SEC Cupcake Week, actually features two good conference games. You can hardly call Tennessee/Georgia “underrated” but you can certainly use that term for this showdown. Unfortunately for these two, nobody’s dethroning Georgia in the East, but this game could be for second place (Tennessee will have a lot to say about that.)

Kentucky brings in former NC State starting quarterback Devin Leary in a move that will lead to some stability in Lexington. He’ll square off with Spencer Rattler in a game that’ll feature two of the most exciting playmakers in the nation. South Carolina got red hot at the end of 2022, defeating both Tennessee and Clemson in back-to-back weeks. A loss to Notre Dame left a sour taste, but those two games were an example of what South Carolina football could be in the future. As for Kentucky, if Leary lives up to his potential, this game could have some New Year’s Six implications.

Week 13, Black Friday: Air Force @ Boise State

Every game is a big game during college football rivalry week, so it’s tough to pick out of the bunch. But if you want to talk New Year’s Six implications, look no further than this game. There’s actually a good chance this game is a preview of the Mountain West championship game the following week.

Air Force has been a great program in recent years, winning 10 or more games in each of the last three seasons excluding 2020 when only six games were played. Looking at the schedules, it’s entirely possible that Air Force comes into this game undefeated. There’s a shot that Boise comes in with 10 or 11 wins by this point as well. Boise State has had Air Force’s number over the last few years, going 5-1 in the last six meetings. With so much on the line in this game, anything could happen.

Week 13: Saturday: Wisconsin @ Minnesota

Once again, how do you pick from such great games on Thanksgiving weekend, the one weekend of the year where really nothing flies under the radar? We’ll go with the battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe in yet another contest that could decide the winner of a division.

After a 14-year run of Wisconsin dominance, the gap has not only reduced but totally closed. The Gophers have won three of the last five contests with the last three all being decided by ten points or less. This edition should be no different. Even if you’re not a fan of a more defensive style of football, this is always a great, physical game, especially when it comes to the run game. In the midst of Ohio State/Michigan and Alabama/Auburn, don’t forget about this great rivalry.