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Around the country college campuses from Maine to Hawaii, from Minnesota to New Mexico are pulsing with excitement as the NCAA football season gets into full swing. Here are some of the better contests for this weekend.
By now just about every team has two games under their belt and the jockeying for position is starting to be in full swing. Conference play will begin in earnest over the next couple of weeks and teams are looking toward the future, but nobody can afford to get caught looking past the next game for fear of getting knocked off in a trap game. This is what the college game is all about. Set back and enjoy today's gridiron action.
Ohio @ Marshall 12:00 Eastern CBS Sports Network
There is something about rivalry games that seems to bring out the best in both teams. These two mid-major schools are located about 90 minutes apart on opposite sides of the Ohio River. Each year the two do battle for possession of an old riverboat bell which serves as the trophy for the winner of this showdown. This year the Marshall Thundering Herd has a solid opportunity to go undefeated and be perhaps the best team on the outside looking in during the new playoff structure. The Ohio Bobcats would like nothing better than to throw a monkey wrench into coach Doc Holliday's plans for a historic season for the Herd. This game should be a good start to your Saturday afternoon.
#6 Georgia @ #24 South Carolina 3:30 Eastern CBS
After an old fashioned butt-whoopin' courtesy of the Texas A&M Aggies, the Gamecocks took a significant tumble in the polls. Now the Ol' Ball Coach looks to lead his team to a rebound against another top SEC foe. As my SB Nation colleague Bill Connelly states this is one of the more unique rivalries in the college game.
It pits neighbors against neighbors, both from a border-state perspective and when considering how many Gamecocks are native Georgians (27 members of the current roster, by my count). That means players from one team know some players from the other pretty well.
These two teams do not like each other, and a South Carolina loss will essentially take the Gamecocks out of the SEC East race and leave the Bulldogs in the driver's seat. This game could decide which school will represent the East during the SEC Championship game at the close of the season, so you can bet good money that with so much riding on an early season game, this one is going to be an all out war.
Iowa State @ Iowa 3:30 Eastern ESPN
Nationally this game may not have much significance attached to it, but anytime cross-state rivals meet there is no love lost between the two schools. To the folks in the Hawkeye State this game is as important as the Iron Bowl is in Alabama. That should lead to some hard fought action for fans around the country. An interesting side note to this showdown is the social media battle between the two campus police departments that it spurred.
@UIowa_Police Dare we ask "who's there?"
— IowaStateU Police (@ISUPD) September 9, 2014
@ISUPD pic.twitter.com/S9rWNloLsa
— U of Iowa Police (@UIowa_Police) September 9, 2014
@ISUPD *drops the mic, walks offstage*
— U of Iowa Police (@UIowa_Police) September 9, 2014
Things are always more fun when the police get involved.
Purdue @ #11 Notre Dame 7:30 Eastern NBC
The Boilermakers and Fighting Irish will meet on neutral ground, Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium to rehash their rivalry as this year's edition of the Shamrock Series. Like last week's game, this week will see the end of a traditional rival for the Irish as they meet Purdue for the 68th and final (for now) time. The winner of this contest will secure possession of the authentic Irish shillelagh, a war club that serves as the winner's trophy in this battle. It is anticipated that the earliest possible resumption of the cross state battle will be in 2020. That is a long time to hold bragging rights, and you know both teams are going to be fired up for that.
While Saturday only features one match up of ranked teams, there are some good rivalries that need to be settled, so there ought to be some good games this weekend. It is time to fire up the grill, ice down some beverages, and kick back on the couch and enjoy some action. Best of luck to your team on Saturday and as always we look forward to seeing you in the game day threads later this afternoon and on Sunday. Enjoy!
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