<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1LI9yU_0vU6Sjmg00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1LI9yU_0vU6Sjmg00" width="1210" height="806" ></figure><p>A half-baked idea I had for last year’s season—that’s still half-baked, but roll with me—was the throwback to riding the rails, commonplace for some teams in the pre-WWII era.</p><p>With the Big Ten ripping up any sense of geographic loyalty, though, and wholeheartedly embracing the almighty dollar, they have neglected those of us who are still operating on a budget.</p><p>With the first-ever three-time-zone Big Ten game kicking off this Saturday when Indiana travels to its first Rose Bowl in 56 years, I figured it was time to provide a cheaper range of alternatives for folks who want their Big Ten road trip fix...but have to travel a great distance to do so.</p><p>Take, for example...</p><h2>Indiana at UCLA (Sept. 14)</h2><h2>Planes</h2><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3kMYQQ_0vU6Sjmg00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3kMYQQ_0vU6Sjmg00" width="1040" height="517" ><p>Ouch. No thank you!</p><h2>Automobiles</h2><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2grxQh_0vU6Sjmg00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2grxQh_0vU6Sjmg00" width="395" height="531" ><p>Better take off soon! Kickoff’s only in two days! Charitably, that gas is going to run you...$3.25/gal, 550 miles to a tank in my Sonata, 15 gallons...let’s say $390ish. But that’s not factoring in the cost of gas in California, an oil change, and the 60 hours of your life you’d spend going to see Indiana play UCLA in football.</p><h2>Trains*</h2><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2eEtAT_0vU6Sjmg00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2eEtAT_0vU6Sjmg00" width="1199" height="480" ><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0pJZpQ_0vU6Sjmg00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0pJZpQ_0vU6Sjmg00" width="1191" height="292" ><p>Y’know, we had to play hypothetical baseball on this one, because—<i>shoot!</i>—you already missed the train! But don’t worry, by taking Amtrak you’re helping save the environment <i>and</i> saving money: it’d be just $332!</p><p>Where I think this exercise could be really beneficial, though, is for teams who are naturally connected by train lines and also play games in the 2024 season.</p><p>I’m talking, of course, about Washington and Rutgers.</p><p>Yes, the Unreachabowl is on September 28 in Piscataway, so you’ll want to reserve those Amtrak tickets now!</p><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3zsxyp_0vU6Sjmg00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3zsxyp_0vU6Sjmg00" width="1195" height="478" ><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=08g0hk_0vU6Sjmg00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=08g0hk_0vU6Sjmg00" width="1197" height="288" ><p>Ope, but wait! That only gets you to Philadelphia for $1043!</p><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0bx0nJ_0vU6Sjmg00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0bx0nJ_0vU6Sjmg00" width="1191" height="916" ><p>So that’ll come out to $1077.50 round-trip.</p><p>Start saving those pennies and taking those days off work, Husky fans!</p><p>Thankfully that’s as ugly as it—</p><p>Damnit.</p><h2>Thursday Evening</h2><h2>Don’t Watch This</h2><p><b>Northwestern State Demons at South Alabama Jaguars [6:30pm, ESPN+]</b></p><p>{MLB} Tampa Bay at Cleveland OR Boston at New York [6:15pm, FOX]</p><p>{WNBA} New York Liberty at Dallas Wings [7pm, Prime]</p><p>{NFL} Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins [7:15pm, Prime]</p><h2>Watch That</h2><h2>Arizona State Sun Devils at Texas State Bobcats</h2><p><b>6:30pm | ESPN | ASU -1.5 | O/U 59.5</b></p><p>Two years ago I actually had the good fortune to interview for a position at Texas State, followed by beers with Jesse Collins in an airplane hangar of a brewery outside Austin on the way back to the airport.</p><p>San Marcos, though...man. A town I think I actually would’ve enjoyed. (I got the job offer, but circumstances meant it wasn’t going to work.) Good vibes on the river/creek that runs through town and students all go sunbathing at, they put me up in a little BnB near downtown, I could walk/bike around...I would definitely go back. Especially if they wanted to pay me just a little more.</p><p>Plus, as past seasons of college football have informed us: things get weird in San Marcos after dark. The ASU -1.5 line oughta tell you — G.J. Kinne’s doing fun stuff with the run-and-gun at Texas State, with the 8-5 record and first-ever bowl game (a win) to prove it.</p><h2>Friday Evening</h2><h2>Don’t Watch This</h2><p>{USL1} Lexington vs. One Knoxville [6pm, ESPN+]</p><p>{NWSL} NC Courage vs. Bay FC [6pm, Prime Video]</p><p>{USL Super Lig} DC Power vs. Fort Lauderdale United [6:30pm, Peacock]</p><p>{USL Super Lig} Dallas Trinity vs. Lexington [7pm, Peacock]</p><p>{CPL} York vs. Valour [7pm, FS2]</p><p>{Liga MX} Atlas vs. Pachuca [8pm, TUDN]</p><p>{NWSL} Portland Thorns vs. Chicago Red Stars [9pm, Prime Video]</p><p>{Liga MX} Tigres vs. Atletico San Luis [9:05pm, FOX Deportes]</p><p>{Liga MX} Juarez vs. Mazatlan [9:10pm, Fox Soccer Plus]</p><p>{Liga MX} Necaxa vs. Pumas [10pm, TUDN]</p><p>{WNBA} lots of it on ion</p><h2>Watch That</h2><h2>UNLV Rebels at Kansas Jayhawks</h2><p><b>6pm | ESPN | KU -7.5 | O/U 58.5</b></p><h2>#20 Arizona Wildcats at #14 Kansas State Jayhawks</h2><p><b>7pm | FOX | KSU -7 | O/U 60.5</b></p><h2>Big Ten Volleyball</h2><p><b>#14 Arizona State at #5 Nebraska: 7pm, BTN</b></p><p><b>Duke at #3 Penn State: 7:30pm, FS1</b></p><h2>Big Ten Field Hockey</h2><p><b>#1 Northwestern at #9 Lhvl: 5pm, ACCN</b></p><p>If you’re a high school football coach in Kansas...uh...how do you feel about this?</p><p>And...like...why, Kansas? Why would both teams schedule a game on Friday night? Did one do it to spite the other? Was Kansas not going to let the Wildcats have top billing, so they figured they’d make Kansas—and America—choose?</p><p>It’s not quite Eastern Kentucky wearing white to Western Kentucky’s white-out—they lost 31-0, by the way—but...it’s something.</p><p>Poll</p><p><b>G’d evening!</b></p><h2>Saturday Morning</h2><h2>Don’t Watch This</h2><p><b>#4 Alabama Crimson Tide (-16, O/U 50.5) at wisconsin badgers [11am, FOX]</b></p><p><b>#16 LSU Tigers (-7, O/U 49.5) at Sakerlina Gamecocks [11am, ABC]</b></p><p><b>Arkansas State Red Wolves at #17 Michigan Wolverines (-23.5, O/U 47.5) [11am, BTN]</b></p><p><b>CMU Chippewas at Illinois Fighting Illini (-18, O/U 49.5) [11am, Peacock]</b></p><p><b>Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at NC State Wolfpack (-21.5, O/U 48.5) [11am, ACCN]</b></p><p><b>Cincinnati Bearcats (-3.5, O/U 46.5) at Miami Hydroxide Redhawks [11am, ESPNU] — BATTLE FOR THE BELL</b></p><p><b>#24 Boston College Eagles at #6 Missouri Tigers (-16, O/U 53.5) [11:45am, SECN]</b></p><p><b>UMass Minutemen at Buffalo Bulls (-3.5, O/U 44.5)</b></p><p>{EPL} Aston Villa vs. Everton [11:30am, NBC]</p><h2>Watch That</h2><h2>#13 Oklahoma State Cowboys at Tulsa Golden Hurricane</h2><p><b>11am | ESPN2 | OKSt -19 | O/U 62.5</b></p><h2>Memphis Tigers at Florida State Seminoles</h2><p><b>11am | ESPN | FSU -6.5 | O/U 52.5</b></p><h2>North Texas Mean Green at Texas Tech Red Raiders</h2><p><b>11am | FS1 | TTU -9.5 | O/U 69.5</b></p><p>We’re just chasing points and chasing rivalries on Saturday morning — spare me your highly-touted kickoff games and your B1G N00Ds, I want AAC quarterbacks throwing for half a G on a P5 defense.</p><p>Those three to watch are Chandler Morris of North Texas, Kirk Francis of Tulsa, and Seth Henigan of Memphis. Morris is already over 700 yards for the year in routs of South Bama and Stone Cold State, while Francis and Henigan were held back in a respective loss to Arkansas State and run-fueled win over Troy. The lines are a little weighty against each one—particularly because Ollie Gordon should run over Tulsa—but when each one takes to throwing the ball, look out.</p><h2>Saturday Afternoon</h2><h2>Don’t Watch This</h2><p><b>Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (-17.5, O/U 51.5) at Temple Owls [1pm, ESPN+]</b></p><p><b>Howard Bison vs. Morehouse Maroon Tigers [2pm, CNBC — at MetLife Stadium]</b></p><p><b>Balls Tate Robotbirds at #10 Miami Fluoride Hurricanes (-36.5, O/U 55.5) [2:30pm, ACCN]</b></p><p><b>Tulane Green Wave at #15 Oklahoma Sooners (-13.5, O/U 47.5) [2:30pm, ESPN]</b></p><p><b>#18 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-10, O/U 45.5) at Purdue Boilermakers [2:30pm, CBS]</b></p><p><b>Texas A&amp;M Aggies (-3.5, O/U 46.5) at Florida Gators [2:30pm, ABC]</b></p><p><b>Prairie View A&amp;M Panthers at Michigan State Spartans [2:30pm, BTN]</b></p><p><b>Nevada Wolf Pack at Minnesota Golden Gophers (-17.5, O/U 43.5) [2:30pm, BTN]</b></p><p><b>VMI Keydets at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets [2:30pm, ACCNX]</b></p><p><b>Morgan State Bears at Ohio Bobcats [2:30pm, ESPN+]</b></p><p><b>Troy Trojans at Iowa Hawkeyes (-22, O/U 38.5) [3pm, FS1]</b></p><p><b>UAB Blazers at Arkansas Razorbacks (-24.5, O/U 60.5) [3:15pm, SECN]</b></p><p><b>#12 Utah Utes (-20, O/U 44.5) at Utah State Aggies [3:30pm, CBSSN]</b></p><h2>Watch That</h2><h2>#9 Oregon Ducks at Oregon State Beavers</h2><p><b>2:30pm | FOX | UO -16 | O/U 50.5</b></p><h2>Washington State Cougars at Washington Huskies</h2><p><b>2:30pm | Peacock | UW -4.5 | O/U 55.5</b></p><h2>West Virginia Mountaineers at Pittsburgh Panthers</h2><p><b>2:30pm | ESPN2 | WVU -2 | O/U 63.5</b></p><h2>Appalachian State Mountaineers at East Carolina Pirates</h2><p><b>3pm | ESPNU | App -2.5 | O/U 60.5</b></p><p>LOOK at all the rivalries in this one! It is the official policy of DWT;WT that you should watch the dumbest and the most fun rivalries, and these fit the bill—so much so that there are three we’re leaving off!</p><ul><li>Utah-Utah State: because the Aggies are Not Good</li><li>Cincinnati-Miami (in the 11am window): because—zzzzzzzzzzzz</li><li>Notre Dame-Purdue: because ew, and also I don’t trust Purdue.</li></ul><p>In the era of realignment—and it looks like the Mountain West is on its way to blowing up in favor of the P5 money of the Pac-12—we need all the rivalries we can get. If that means they’re all packed into a narrow window in Week 3, I don’t love it, but I’m glad I have it at all.</p><p>Go Beavs. Go Cougs. And I don’t care who wins the other two, I just hope they burn a few couches and score a fuck-ton of points.</p><h2>Saturday Evening</h2><h2>Don’t Watch This</h2><p><b>UConn Huskies at Duke Blue Devils (-16.5, O/U 47.5) [5pm, ACCNX]</b></p><p><b>NC Central Eagles at North Carolina Tar Heels [5pm, ACCNX]</b></p><p><b>Virginia Tech Hokies (-14.5, O/U 48.5) at Old Dominion Monarchs [5pm, ESPN+]</b></p><p><b>South Carolina State Bulldogs at Georgia Southern Eagles [5pm, ESPN+]</b></p><p><b>Colgate Raiders at Akron Zips [5pm, ESPN+]</b></p><p><b>Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs at Charlotte 49ers [5pm, ESPN+]</b></p><p><b>#5 Ole Miss Rebels (-22.5, O/U 64.5) at Wake Forest Demon Deacons [5:30pm, The CW]</b></p><p><b>Bethune-Cookman Wildcats at WMU Broncos [5:30pm, ESPN+]</b></p><p><b>UTSA Roadrunners at #2 Texas Longhorns (-35, O/U 54.5) [6pm, ESPN]</b></p><p><b>Vanderbilt Commodores (-10.5, O/U 46.5) at Georgia State Panthers [6pm, ESPN+]</b></p><p><b>Jacksonville State Gamecocks at EMU Eagles (-2, O/U 52.5) [6pm, ESPN+]</b></p><p><b>Kennesaw State Owls at San Jose State Spartans (-19, O/U 43.5) [6pm, truTV]</b></p><p><b>Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors at Sam Houston State Bearkats (-4.5, O/U 50.5) [6pm, ESPN+]</b></p><p><b>USF Brahman Bulls (-11, O/U 57.5) at Southern Miss Golden Eagles [6pm, ESPN+]</b></p><p><b>#1 Georgia Bulldogs (-24, O/U 45.5) at Kentucky Wildcats [6:30pm, ABC]</b></p><p><b>UNI Panthers at #23 Nebraska Cornhuskers [6:30pm, BTN]</b></p><p><b>Eastern Illinois Panthers at Northwestern Wildcats [6:30pm, BTN]</b></p><p><b>New Mexico Lobos at Auburn Tigers (-28, O/U 60.5) [6:30pm, ESPN2]</b></p><p><b>Toledo Rockets at Mississippi State Bulldogs (-11.5, O/U 59.5) [6:30pm, ESPNU]</b></p><p><b>Air Force Falcons at Baylor Bears (-15.5, O/U 41.5) [6:30pm, FS1]</b></p><p><b>Colorado Buffaloes (-7, O/U 58.5) at Colorado State Rams [6:30pm, CBS]</b></p><p><b>Kent State Golden Flashes at #7 Tennessee Volunteers (-49, O/U 62.5) [6:45pm, SECN]</b></p><p><b>Maryland Terrapins (-2.5, O/U 57.5) at Virginia Cavaliers [7pm, ACCN]</b></p><p><b>Rice Owls at Houston Cougars (-4, O/U 44.5) [7pm, ESPN+]</b></p><p>{MLS} lots of games at 6:30 and 7:30 [AppleTV]</p><h2>Watch That</h2><h2>WKU Hilltoppers at MTSU Blue Raiders</h2><p><b>6pm | ESPN+ | WKU -7 | O/U 54.5 | 100 MILES OF HATE</b></p><h2>Indiana Hoosiers at UCLA Bruins</h2><p><b>6:30pm | NBC | IU -3 | O/U 45.5</b></p><h2>UCF Citronauts at TCU Horned Frogs</h2><p><b>6:30pm | FOX | UCF -2.5 | O/U 61.5</b></p><p>We’re still in that annoying phase where lots of Southern schools play later games in the non-conference slate, meaning this is just chock full of absolute ass. Even the non-conference stuff: Kennesaw State at San Jose? Why play that at 4pm local time? USF at Southern Miss? WAIT TIL THE LIGHTS GO OUT AND THE COCKROACHES ARE A-SINGIN’!</p><p>A few more rivalries in here, just...not quite as fun. We’ll highlight 100 MILES OF HATE, obviously, because it’s usually good for some points—even if Middle Tennessee is rebuilding from the Stockstill years. But Colorado-Colorado State? Meh. Rice-Houston for the Bayou Bucket? Could be competitive, but Willie Fritz’s Coogs are still figuring stuff out, and the Owls aren’t exactly lighting it up.</p><p>So let’s chase entertainment here: I genuinely want to see if Coach Cig’s Hoosiers are any good—while I don’t know that we’ll get that answer against a mediocre UCLA, this could be a slapstick, Northwestern-Duke-style comedy of errors in the Rose Bowl. And UCF-TCU should be good, dumb fun. Sonny Dykes and Gus Malzahn are annoying, but they can sure coach an offense.</p><p>Look out for a pair I didn’t list here: Ole Miss at Wake Forest, and Toledo at Mississippi State. Lane Kiffin’s bunch should torch an outmanned Deacs defense but could get sucked into a shootout, and Jason Candle’s bunch will wander into Starkvegas for what could be a little points-fest with a CLANGA squad that lost at Arizona State last weekend. I don’t hate the Rockets to cover...but I’m also an idiot.</p><h2>It’s late and I’m drunk...</h2><h2>Don’t Watch This</h2><p><b>NAU Lumberjacks at Utah Tech Trailblazers [8pm, ESPN+]</b></p><p><b>New Mexico State Aggies at Fresno State Bulldogs (-19.5, O/U 47.5) [9:30pm, truTV]</b></p><p><b>San Diego State Aztecs at California Golden Bears (-18.5, O/U 47.5) [9:30pm, ESPN]</b></p><p>{MLS} lots of games on AppleTV</p><h2>Watch That</h2><h2>#23 Nicholls Colonels at #11 Sacramento State BEEEEEES</h2><p><b>8pm | ESPN+ | both teams 0-2</b></p><h2>BYU Cougars at Wyoming Cowboys</h2><p><b>8pm | CBSSN | -11 | O/U 40.5</b></p><p>Y’know, not every week is a winner in the late-night slot.</p><p>This is one of those weeks.</p><p>Normally I’d say BYU-Wyoming under the lights would be a big slobber-knocker of a game...but the Pokes just lost at home to FCS Idaho last weekend (in a game I told you to watch, mind you). Jay Sawvel might be in over his head in Laramie...and he was the continuity candidate after Craig Bohl stepped down. Wyoming’s continued its tradition of “just find a quarterback who’s big like Josh Allen,” and QB Evan Svoboda has rewarded that over two games with an 0-2 record, a 16/39 passing rate for 143 yards, 1 TD, and 2 INT.</p><p>New Mexico State frittered away a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter, and quarterback Parker Awad’s statline, well...</p><p>9/22, 158 yards, 2 TD. The Aggies rushed 44 times for 117 yards.</p><p>San Diego State is going from Brady Hokeball to Sean Lewis’s FLASHFAST bit on offense, and they got shut out by Oregon State.</p><p>EVEN THE GAME BETWEEN RANKED (FCS) TEAMS IS BETWEEN TWO 0-2 SQUADS.</p><p>That’s how dire it is. </p><p>So I’ll go with the devil I know: shit gets weird under the lights in Laramie, and maybe what I’m not appreciating enough is that a 17-13 loss to the Vandals is EXACTLY how Craig Bohl would’ve done it—after all, they narrowly escaped everything from Tulsa and NIU to Montana State and Wofford over Bohl’s tenure.</p><p>So let’s lean into the insanity. Either two ranked FCS teams who are 0-2, or two former Mountain West foes who play dumb, bad football in weird atmospheres on strange channels at odd times of the night.</p><p>Nothing more DWT than that.</p><p>Enjoy the games, everyone. I get to go to Central Waters tomorrow.</p></div></body>

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Your Week 3 College Football Schedule Guide: Don’t Watch This; Watch That

A half-baked idea I had for last year’s season—that’s still half-baked, but roll with me—was the throwback to riding the rails, commonplace for some teams in the pre-WWII era. With the Big Ten ripping up any sense of geographic loyalty, though, and wholeheartedly embracing the almighty...

Your Week 3 College Football Schedule Guide: Don’t Watch This; Watch That

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