No. 15 Michigan @ No. 18 Oklahoma – Saturday – 6:30 PM on ESPN
Going all the way back to New Year’s Day 1976, the Sooners took down the Wolverines, 14-6, in what is the only matchup between two of college football’s most historic programs. Now, Michigan will travel to Norman, Oklahoma, as both teams face off with new quarterbacks at the helm of their offenses.
Washington State transfer quarterback John Mateer got off to a solid start to kick off his career at Oklahoma. The redshirt junior threw for 392 yards and three touchdowns on an 81.1 completion percentage against Illinois State.
Michigan, on the other hand, will line up with freshman quarterback and former No. 1 recruit, Bryce Underwood, as he gets his first taste of college football on the road.
“Look at the team, the DNA of the offense,” Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables said in a press conference about preparing for a true freshman quarterback. “(Underwood) is a little different and he reminds me a lot of Trevor Lawrence. Quick, decisive, accurate, poised, tough, consistent and there’s a reason why he was the No. 1 player in America.”
No. 20 Ole Miss @ Kentucky – Saturday – 2:30 PM on ESPN
In the season’s first Southeastern Conference matchup, Ole Miss will pay a visit to Kentucky on a mission for revenge. In last season’s conference matchup, the Wildcats pulled off a 20-17 upset in Mississippi to take down the then No. 6 Rebels, effectively crushing their hopes of a college football playoff birth.
“I thought our guys did very well last week, being prepared, not about the opponent or who it was. Just preparing at a high level,” Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss head coach, said in a press conference. “When it comes to this matchup, it’s been a long offseason since we played them last. We need to go up and play better than we did last year.”
Eyes will be on Ole Miss sophomore quarterback Austin Simmons to replicate last week’s performance, which consisted of 341 yards and three touchdowns, barring his two interceptions.
No. 12 Arizona State @ Mississippi State – Saturday – 6:30 PM on ESPN2
The Arizona State Sun Devils will switch the heat for the ringing cowbells in Starkville, Mississippi.
After the loss to Texas in the CFP quarterfinals last year, redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt returned to lead the Sun Devils’ offense. However, without running back Cam Skattebo, who was lost in this past year’s NFL Draft, Leavitt was able to contribute to the running game, netting himself 73 yards and two touchdowns on the ground against Northern Arizona.
“I know that I can run, and the biggest thing was just not taking off too predetermined from last year,” Leavitt said. “I felt like that was one thing I extended well while pushing the ball down the field, which is one thing I really wanted to work on. I was proud of myself for that.”
