College Football on Sling: #12 Michigan State vs. #18 Notre Dame, #3 Ohio State vs. #14 Oklahoma, and Loads More Top 25 Games
#12 Michigan State Spartans (1-0) vs. #18 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-1)
7:30pm ET on NBC
The Spartans had a little more trouble than they should have in putting away the Furman Paladins (cool name) during their season opener. Antonio Wilcox’s 6-yard TD run pulled the Paladins to within 8 points with more than 13 minutes to play, but Tyler O’Connor put the cherry on top of a 12-play drive by hitting Jamal Lyles for a 12-yard touchdown pass with just under 5 minutes to play, to put the game out of reach. O’Connor, the senior starting QB with just 54 pass attempts under his belt in his previous 3 years, finished the day with 190 yards on 13-of-18 passing with 3 TDs and an interception, while sophomore running back LJ Scott rolled up 105 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. The MSU D held Furman to just 2 field goals, a touchdown and 206 yards, but the offense wasn’t as dominant as it should’ve been against a school like Furman, and the Spartans shot themselves in the foot with 10 penalties for 120 yards.
The Irish rebounded from an opening week 50-47 loss to Texas by beating up on lowly Nevada, scoring 32 unanswered points before coasting home to a 39-10 victory. Notre Dame QB DeShone Kizer kept his Heisman candidacy alive, hitting on 15 of 18 passes for for 156 yards and 2 TDs, though he did get picked off once. Kizer’s #1 target was Equanimeous St. Brown, with 6 catches for 85 yards, filling in for Torii Hunter Jr., who sustained a concussion against Texas the previous week. Though they won the game, the Irish lost cornerback Shaun Crawford to a torn Achilles that will have him miss the remainder of the season.
#3 Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0) vs. #14 Oklahoma Sooners (1-1)
7:30pm ET on FOX
Despite losing last season’s starting quarterback, leading rusher and top receiver to the NFL, the Ohio State Buckeyes thus far have outscored their two opponents by an aggregate score of 125-13, as head coach Urban Meyer has once again put together a scary talented team. Last week, against Tulsa, the offense got off to a slow start, scoring just a pair of field goals until there was about 3 minutes left in the first half. But they awoke from their slumber and in the end QB JT Barrett completed 14 of 22 pass for 149 yards, and ran 16 times for 55 yards and 2 TDs, running backs Curtis Samuel and Mike Weber combined for 170 yards on 25 carries, while safety Malik Hooker and cornerback Marshon Lattimore each ran back back an interception for a touchdown.
The Buckeyes and the Oklahoma Sooners represent the first real challenge of 2016 for each team. The Sooners stumbled in their season opener, losing 33-23 to Houston, the big blow coming midway through the 3rd when an Oklahoma field goal attempt fell short, into the waiting arms of defensive back Brandon Wilson, who ran the ball all the way back from deep in his own end zone for a 26-17 Houston lead. The following week, the Sooners took out their frustrations on lowly Louisiana-Monroe, a team with just three winning seasons in its 30 year history – a history that was interrupted by 12-year break that only ended in 1994. Oklahoma jumped out to a 42-0 lead at halftime, on their way to a 59-17 victory, with OU’s junior starting QB Baker Mayfield completed 14 of 20 for 244 yards and 3 touchdowns, before handing over the reins to freshman backup Austin Kendall, who hit on 12 of 15 for 108 yards and a pair of TDs. This week should prove to be a little tougher.
Thursday
#6 Houston Cougars (2-0) vs. Cincinnati Bearcats (2-0)
7:30pm ET on ESPN
Friday
#21 Baylor Bears (2-0) vs. Rice Owls (0-2)
8pm ET on ESPN
Saturday
#2 Florida State Seminoles (2-0) vs. #10 Louisville Cardinals (2-0)
Noon ET on ABC
Ohio Bobcats (1-1) vs. #15 Tennessee Volunteers (2-0)
Noon ET on SEC Network
North Dakota State Bison (2-0) vs. #13 Iowa Hawkeyes (2-0)
Noon ET on ESPN2
#25 Miami Hurricanes (2-0) vs. Appalachian State Mountaineers (1-1)
Noon ET on ESPN
#22 Oregon Ducks (2-0) vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-0)
3:30pm ET on ABC
#17 Texas A&M Aggies (2-0) vs. Auburn Tigers (1-1)
7pm ET on ESPN
Mississippi State Bulldogs (1-1) vs. #20 LSU Tigers (1-1)
7pm ET on ESPN2
North Texas Mean Green (1-1) vs. #23 Florida Gators (2-0)
7:30pm ET on ESPNU
#12 Michigan State Spartans (1-0) vs. #18 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-1)
7:30pm ET on NBC
Texas State Bobcats (1-0) vs. #24 Arkansas Razorbacks (2-0)
7:30pm ET on SEC Network
#16 Georgia Bulldogs (2-0) vs. Missouri Tigers (1-1)
7:30pm ET on SEC Network
#3 Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0) vs. #14 Oklahoma Sooners (1-1)
7:30pm ET on FOX
Portland State Vikings (1-1) vs. #8 Washington Huskies (2-0)
8pm ET on Pac-12 Network
USC Trojans (1-1) vs. #7 Stanford Cardinal (1-0)
8pm ET on ABC
#11 Texas Longhorns (2-0) vs. Cal Bears (1-1)
10:30pm ET on ESPN