Good morning, Tide fans! How are we today?!

There’s a little game you might know that’s a little later tonight. But we still have a long day of football ahead of us before the main event begins tonight.

Here’s today’s grid schedule (as always from CFBgrid.com), plus what we’re seeing and why.

All times are in God’s correct central time zone (although I could do without daylight saving time).

Kentucky at OIE Miss – This is the first football substance Ole Miss has played after a month of a schedule that was literally softer than that of seven teams in the FCS Missouri Valley Conference. Still, it’s a 2-2 Kentucky team that can’t throw the ball and is eliminated at home by South Carolina. Still, the Wildcats have some decent players on the line, and at least the Rebels need to play something like football. I’ll watch how both teams react. This rivalry (and yes, it is unique) has been known over the years for its crazy finishes and strange shootouts.

Maryland in Indiana – Sneaky game in B1G between two offenses that can quickly cause a stir. Maryland looks to be in the middle tier of the Big Ten this year. But IU? The Hoosiers were outstanding. They had a light schedule and it’s not as bad as the Bruins screwing up UCLA, but it’s still a B1G W on the road. Are the Hoosiers as good as they looked? Is this Maryland offense ready to expose an Indiana defense that hasn’t really targeted anyone with outside weapons?

Oklahoma at Auburn — Half of the Sooners’ offense is on the triage list, but will they even need many points against a barn passing attack that loves to throw interceptions? Auburn ranks second to last in the nation in turnovers, and Payton Thorne is back under center after Hank Brown looked every bit the three-star “talent” he was recruited to be. How many ducks will the Tigers have? Can the Sooners bounce back from the Vols, aided by a new (seemingly competent) QB, and get their first-ever SEC win? Whose collapse will be more glorious after the L?

Colorado at UCF — A team cannot run and cannot stop the run. A team cannot pass and cannot stop the pass. This should be a lot of fun. High shootout potential in Orlando.

Illinois at Penn State — This game is everything UCF-Colorado is not. Both of these defenses are outstanding. The spread is quite large, but should it be that way? The Nittany Lions didn’t play anyone of note. The Illini are road-tested and have also picked up three wins against FBS teams. What is surprising for a Bielema team is that they are led by their passing attack. Both secondaries are phenomenal.

Okie Lite at K State — Which of these 3-1 teams is real? Are either one of them really? The Cowboys’ defense is atrocious and the Wildcats’ passing game is perhaps even worse. Given Utah’s dominance after a month of play and the B12 defeat each suffered, this is an elimination game… and I don’t think either of them expected to be here before October. Will the true contender please stand up? It’s Anti-Fraud Day in Manhattan.

Arkansas vs. Texas A&M – The annual Jerrydome rivalry is always full of unlikely endings and hurt feelings. The Aggies were sluggish after their loss to the Domers. Arkansas is now 3-1 and should be undefeated. They had two difficult roadies to Auburn and Stillwater, so they won’t mind the trip. Will it impact the Aggies, who haven’t left College Station all season?

Wisconsin at USC — Another game of contrasts. The Trojans’ new and improved defense was revealed last week when the Wolverines ran for over 300 yards on USC in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score. The Badgers, meanwhile, have some issues in the secondary. Can the men of Troy take advantage of this?

Wazzu at Boise State – The Cougars are an 8-point underdog on the Smurf Turf because their floor defense is terrible and BSU has the best (or second-best) running back in the country. The Broncos have looked good this year and have already been edged out with a win in Eugene. Can they derail the Cougars’ perfect start?

Meager

• LSU vs. South Alabama – The Tigers have four straight rivalry games after this, they have a lot of injuries, they have a terribly fast defense… and the USA has a shockingly good ground attack.
• Fresno State at UNLV – How will the Rebs (and their Cinderella season) react after losing their starting QB to a penny-ante NIL dispute? What a little slut.
• FSU at SMU — How bad can things really get in Tallahassee? The Ponies aren’t bad at all…and their secondary and running game could cause problems for the Noles
• Cincy at TTU – Like OSU/KSU, this is another battle between 3-1 B12 teams where it feels like both are pretty good, but how good remains unclear. The Bearcats are led by their defense; the Red Raiders through their frenetic passing attack. Something has to give.

So this is what we have today and why.

It’s your turn. Sign in. This is your thread for this day’s action. What are you looking at? What will be a hyped game that ends up failing? Besides ‘Bama, what’s the most meaningful game of the day?