College Football

Full Week 8 college football TV schedule guide: FSU-Clemson leads monster Saturday

A bona fide top-five battle, the top two teams in conference action, LSU-Ole Miss and USC-Notre Dame all in action at night? Sign. Us. Up.

by Adam Jacobi

Updated Oct 18, 2013, 5:10 PM UTC

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Streeter Lecka

Note: We’ve removed days that have already happened. All that remains is Saturday.

Noon ET	UConn, 0-5	at	Cincinnati, 4-2	ESPNU
Noon ET	Southern Miss, 0-5	at	East Carolina, 4-2	FSN
Noon ET	SMU, 1-4	at	Memphis, 1-4	ESPN Regional
Noon ET	Purdue, 1-5	at	Michigan State, 5-1	Big Ten Network
Noon ET	Minnesota, 4-2	at	Northwestern, 4-2	ESPN2
Noon ET	TCU, 3-3	at	No. 21 Oklahoma State, 4-1	FOX
Noon ET	No. 11 South Carolina, 5-1	at	Tennessee, 3-3	ESPN
Noon ET	No. 15 Georgia, 4-2	at	Vanderbilt, 3-3	CBS
Noon ET	No. 16 Texas Tech, 6-0	at	West Virginia, 3-3	FS1
Noon ET	Navy, 3-2	at	Toledo, 3-3	ESPNews
12:21 p.m. ET	No. 22 Florida, 4-2	at	No. 14 Missouri, 6-0	SEC Network
12:30 p.m. ET	Syracuse, 3-3	at	Georgia Tech, 3-3	ACC Network
1 p.m. ET	Ohio, 4-2	at	Eastern Michigan, 1-5	ESPN3.com
1 p.m. ET	Akron, 1-6	at	Miami, 0-6	ESPN3.com
1:05 p.m. ET	Army, 3-4	at	Temple, 0-6	ESPN3.com
2 p.m. ET	Charleston Southern, 7-0	at	Colorado, 2-3	Pac-12 Network
2 p.m. ET	Ball State, 6-1	at	Western Michigan, 0-7	ESPN3.com
2 p.m. ET	Colorado State, 2-4	at	Wyoming, 4-2	ROOT Sports
3 p.m. ET	No. 23 Northern Illinois, 6-0	at	Central Michigan, 3-4	ESPN3.com
3 p.m. ET	Kent State, 2-5	at	South Alabama, 2-3	ESPN3.com
3:30 p.m. ET	Massachusetts, 1-5	at	Buffalo, 4-2	Time Warner Cable
3:30 p.m. ET	BYU, 4-2	vs	Houston, 5-0	ESPNews
3:30 p.m. ET	No. 18 Oklahoma, 5-1	at	Kansas, 2-3	ABC/ESPN/ESPN2
3:30 p.m. ET	North Texas, 3-3	at	Louisiana Tech, 2-4	CBSSN
3:30 p.m. ET	Indiana, 3-3	at	Michigan, 5-1	Big Ten Network
3:30 p.m. ET	Iowa, 4-2	at	No. 4 Ohio State, 6-0	ABC/ESPN2
3:30 p.m. ET	No. 9 UCLA, 5-0	at	No. 13 Stanford, 5-1	ABC/ESPN2
3:30 p.m. ET	No. 24 Auburn, 5-1	at	No. 7 Texas A&M, 5-1	CBS
3:30 p.m. ET	Duke, 4-2	at	Virginia, 2-4	Regional Sports Net
3:30 p.m. ET	Maryland, 5-1	at	Wake Forest, 3-3	ESPNU
6 p.m. ET	No. 20 Washington, 4-2	at	Arizona State, 4-2	Pac-12 Network
7 p.m. ET	Arkansas, 3-4	at	No. 1 Alabama, 6-0	ESPN
7 p.m. ET	Iowa State, 1-4	at	No. 12 Baylor, 5-0	ESPNU
7 p.m. ET	No. 6 LSU, 6-1	at	Ole Miss, 3-3	ESPN2
7 p.m. ET	Old Dominion, 4-2	at	Pittsburgh, 3-2	Regional Sports Net
7 p.m. ET	Georgia State, 0-6	at	Texas State, 3-3	ESPN3.com, Sun Belt Net
7:30 p.m. ET	USC, 4-2	at	Notre Dame, 4-2	NBC
8 p.m. ET	Nevada, 3-3	at	Boise State, 4-2	CBSSN
8 p.m. ET	No. 5 Florida State, 5-0	at	No. 3 Clemson, 6-0	ABC
8 p.m. ET	No. 25 Wisconsin, 4-2	at	Illinois, 3-2	Big Ten Network
8 p.m. ET	Rice, 4-2	at	New Mexico State, 0-6	AggieVision.tv
9 p.m. ET	Utah State, 3-4	at	New Mexico, 2-4	ROOT Sports
10 p.m. ET	Utah, 4-2	at	Arizona, 3-2	Pac-12 Network
10 p.m. ET	UNLV, 4-2	at	No. 17 Fresno State, 5-0	Mountain West Network
10 p.m. ET	Washington State, 4-3	at	No. 2 Oregon, 6-0	FS1
10:30 p.m. ET	Oregon State, 5-1	at	California, 1-5	ESPN2

Lunch shift

Best option: No. 11 South Carolina at Tennessee

Odds: South Carolina -7.5
Weather: 60s, overcast, 30 percent chance of rain

We’d love to put No. 22 Florida at No. 14 Missouri here — it’s by far the best noon game and one of the three best games of the week — but incredibly, it’s not on national television; you’ll need ESPN GamePlan for it if you’re outside the South, which is an utter travesty. The actual SEC Network can’t get here soon enough.

But if we must recommend a best game here that’s actually available, we’re tabbing South Carolina-Tennessee, as the Gamecocks are rounding into a frightful form with a 52-7 demolition of Arkansas last week, while the Volunteers have been tough foes for Florida and Georgia thus far.

Plan B: No. 16 Texas Tech at West Virginia

This is Texas Tech’s toughest road challenge, and while West Virginia is certainly reeling without Geno Smith at QB, keep in mind that “ranked team comes to Morgantown” went very, very poorly for then-No. 11 Oklahoma State a couple weeks ago.

Keep it in mind: No. 15 Georgia at Vanderbilt, TCU at No. 21 Oklahoma State

A couple of upset specials in the making here, as Georgia QB Aaron Murray looked shockingly average in the Dawgs’ loss to Mizzou last week and Oklahoma State’s vaunted offense often struggles against stout defenses like TCU’s.

In case of emergency: Purdue at Michigan State

The nation's best anything is usually worth a few minutes of your attention, and this one has a punchless Purdue offense featuring a true freshman at QB (Danny Etling) facing the nation's best defense. This will not be a pretty football game, or even a good one. But hey, if you've wanted to see what happens when someone goes from facing high school defenses in Terre Haute, Indiana to Michigan State's 11 snarling hounds of death, what luck!

Afternoon

Best option: No. 9 UCLA at No. 13 Stanford

Odds: Stanford -6
Weather: 70s, sunny

UCLA-Stanford is the matchup of the week out west, and we can’t think of a single more compelling matchup than UCLA’s sensational QB Brett Hundley facing Stanford’s punishing defense.

Plan B: No. 24 Auburn at No. 7 Texas A&M

Gus Malzahn vs. Johnny Football. Hell of a Plan B, eh? The Aggies' porous secondary was torched by Bo Wallace and Ole Miss last week, and Auburn's dizzying spread attack will be targeting the A&M defensive backs repeatedly on Saturday. But man, Johnny Manziel is a force of nature at QB, and if there's no ill effects from his knee scare last week, he'll run wild once again.

Keep it in mind: Indiana at Michigan, BYU at Houston

Some definite chaos potential here, as Indiana has a strong offense and laughably bad defense, which means it can beat or lose to just about anybody, Michigan included. BYU’s defense is probably good enough to keep Houston and QB John O’Korn in check, but if not, hello fireworks!

In case of emergency: Iowa at No. 4 Ohio State, No. 18 Oklahoma at Kansas

(/shaking head sadly)

Night shift

Best option: No. 5 Florida State at No. 3 Clemson

Odds: FSU -3
Weather: 60s, overcast, 40 percent chance of rain

Oh, hell yes. Make no mistake: whoever wins this game is firmly in the national championship picture and will have arguably done more to deserve No. 1 consideration than either Alabama or Oregon. Controversial, yes, but if FSU wins it has the biggest road win of the season, and if Clemson takes it it’ll have two wins over teams in the top five at the time.

Jameis Winston and Tajh Boyd are set to put on a passing clinic, and look for whoever wins the duel to take his spot atop the Heisman Trophy race, if only for a week or two (these things are mighty ephemeral in October).

Plan B: No. 6 LSU at Ole Miss

Keep it in mind: USC at Notre Dame, No. 20 Washington at Arizona State, Nevada at Boise State

USC and Notre Dame may be out of the Top 25, but they’re both compelling in their own ways. We get to see a Coach O-led Trojan team go up against a legit defense (sorry Arizona, but c’mon), and Notre Dame will see if it can maintain the momentum of its 37-34 win over Arizona State in Dallas. Washington-ASU is the rare 6:00 ET game, so if you have the Pac-12 Network, you get a game that has its kickoff and (presumably) endgame all to itself. Also, either team is wholly capable of dropping 45 on its opponent, so giddyup!

As for Nevada and Boise State, that one might just be a lot of fun.

In case of emergency: Washington State at No. 2 Oregon, Arkansas at No. 1 Alabama

Not often you see the top two teams in the nation playing conference foes at night and both being overshadowed, but the Cougars and Razorbacks are little more than sacrificial lambs here. Pay attention if either of these games are within 20 at the half; they shouldn’t be.