Welcome back to the Funvee Tailgate BLOG, The THUNDERBLOG’s Weekly College Football Series. If you noticed the emphasis on BLOG, that is because this season we have the podcast tying in as well! This week, Matty D and I were rolling through hypotheticals for the College Football Playoff. It’s never too early to get into CFP conspiracy theories. You definitely need to check it out and here’s the iTunes link to go subscribe. I’m still basking in the Eagles impressive win last night and that’s just the beginning of this incredible weekend of football. LET’S FIIIIRE IT UP!

Last Week’s Record:

6-7 ATS, 30-33 in 2017. I live and die with these close weeks. Let’s turn it around, shall we?

Friday Night Showtime:

Two games featuring ranked squads tonight, both on ESPN. First up, we have Clemson hitting the road to take on Syracuse. The Tigers have been rolling through teams up to this point and I wouldn’t expect that to change. Clemson is the best road team and they show shine tonight at the Carrierdome. After that, Washington State returns to Friday night football to show off their recently acquired Top 10 ranking. The Cougars hit the road to face a Cal squad that was hoping they’d be sitting in a better spot than 3-3. This one might be a bit closer, but that’s only because Clemson should really blow out Syracuse.

Saturday Slate

An intriguing weekend of football ahead of us as conference play really ramps up. No games between two ranked opponents and that doesn’t mean these games won’t be exciting. And there’s always the threat of the Upset Alert. #1 Alabama, #4 Georiga, #9 Ohio State, #14 Oklahoma State, #18 USF, and #22 UCF are your huge favorites who should win. Ohio State is at Nebraska and with Penn State coming in a few weeks, the Buckeyes shouldn’t overlook this Husker team. Let’s take a look at the rest of the slate…

• #17 Michigan (-8) at Indiana at noon on ABC–The Wolverines are out for revenge after the MSU loss last week. They’ll have their hands full with the Hoosiers but UM bounces back. Michigan wins and covers.
• #6 TCU (-6.5) at Kansas State at noon on FS1–This game is going to be fun. TCU almost slipped up against West Virginia last week and KSU wants to make a run at the Big XII Title Game. TCU wins but doesn’t cover.
• #20 NC State (-11) at Pitt at noon on ACC Network–We talked about the gauntlet that NC State has to run through on the pod and this is quite the kickoff for it. Pitt has held teams close at home, including Penn State. Hard to not see that here: NC State wins but doesn’t cover.
• #24 Texas Tech (+2.5) at West Virginia at noon on ESPNU–Texas Tech is back in the Top 25 for the first time in a while but this stay won’t be long. WVU looked good last week and I expect Will Grier to explode in this one. WVU wins and covers.
• Purdue (+17.5) at #7 Wisconsin at 3:30 on Big Ten Network–I want to think this could be a trap game for the Badgers but it’s not. Badgers win and cover (BIG).
• #10 Auburn (-7) at LSU at 3:30 on CBS–LSU is riding high after downing the Gators on the road. They’ll either carry that to a W or it deflates to smackdown loss. I’m thinking the latter. Auburn wins and covers.
• Georgia Tech (+6.5) at #11 Miami at 3:30 on ABC–Miami has been on a roll Malik Rosier is the big reason for it. He’ll continue to carry them as GT is probably close to their midseason meltdown. Miami wins and covers.
• #12 Oklahoma (-9) vs. Texas at 3:30 on ESPN at the Cotton Bowl–The Red River Shootout. Texas has seemed to always play this one close on their way to being “back.” Oklahoma needs to bounce back after a bad loss last week. They bounce back BIG. Sooners win and cover.
• #25 Navy (+3.5) at Memphis at 3:45 on ESPNU–Both teams enter this one having flown under the radar aside from Memphis’ upset of UCLA. QB Riley Ferguson was a big factor in that game and will be again here: Memphis wins and covers.
• Utah (+12.5) at USC at 8:00 on ABC–Utah could have had a good shot at this at home but on the road makes it a lot tougher. USC’s shakiness has me worried about those points. USC wins but doesn’t cover.
• #21 Michigan State (-4) at Minnesota at 8:00 on Big Ten Network–MSU propelled themselves into the Top 25 with the Michigan win. Like Texas Tech, I don’t think Sparty stays too long. Minnesota wins outright.
• Boise State (+6.5) at San Diego State at 10:30 on CBSSN–Look out for Rashaad Penny to continue to steam roll (993 rushing yards in six games). SDSU wins and covers.
• #5 Washington (-18.5) at Arizona State at 10:45 on ESPN–Jake Browning flies here but I don’t like the points on the road. Washington wins but doesn’t cover.
• Oregon (+10) at Stanford at 11:00–Bryce Love is worth more than just 10 points at home. Stanford wins and covers.