College Football on Sling TV: Western Kentucky at #1 Alabama, Arkansas at #13 TCU, and More Week 2 Games
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (1-0) vs. #1 Alabama Crimson Tide (1-0)
(3:30pm ET Saturday, ESPN2)
The Hilltoppers enjoyed their best season ever in 2015, going 12-2, while going undefeated in Conference USA play, and finishing their season with a 45-35 victory over Southern Florida in the Miami Beach Bowl. And they haven’t missed a beat thus far in 2016, picking up where they left off, with a decisive 46-14 win over Rice in Week 1. Newly minted starting QB Mike White lit up the scoreboard, completing 25 of 31 for 517 yards and 3 touchdowns, with zero interceptions, for a cartoonish passing efficiency rating of 252.7.
The defending national champs opened their title defense with a 52-6 evisceration of the #20 USC Trojans, a game in which USC punted for more than twice as many yards as they gained, 403 to 194. Alabama’s Damien Harris had more than twice as many rushing yards, 138, as all of USC, 64. Alabama DB Marlon Humphrey scored as many points as USC… You get the idea. Suffice to say head coach Nick Saban has these guys poised for a run at a fifth national title during his tenure.
Arkansas Razorbacks (1-0) vs. #15 TCU Horned Frogs (1-0)
(7pm ET Saturday, ESPN/ESPN2)
After starting the 2015 season 2-4, the Razorbacks won four in a row, including victories over #19 Mississippi and #9 LSU, and six of their last 7, finishing with a 45-23 win over Kansas State in the Liberty Bowl. The 2016 season kicked off with a Week 1 nail-biter against Louisiana Tech, in which the Razorbacks had to convert on a pair of fourth-quarter 4th downs to set up their game-winning touchdown for a 21-20 final. Junior starting QB Austin Allen had earlier thrown a pair of first-half interceptions where the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs managed to score TDs on the ensuing drives, keeping things a little closer than necessary.
The TCU Horned Frogs started 8-0 last year, before losing to #12 Oklahoma State and #7 Oklahoma, before rebounding with wins over the new #7 Baylor in the regular season finale, and then #15 Oregon in the Alamo Bowl. TCU comes into the season with an offense gutted by graduation, as only one full-time starter returns, leaving them to rely even more heavily on their defense. This season started with a 59-41 win over South Dakota State, in which the Jackrabbits were able to keep it close by turning interceptions into TDs on back-to-back TCU possessions in the span of 7 minutes in the first half. INT’s aside, TCU quarterback Kenny Hill completed 33 of 49 for 439 yards and 2 TDs, while Frogs spread the ball around, with six guys rushing for 20 or more yards, and eight more who gained 20 or more through the air.
Friday, September 9
#13 Louisville Cardinals (0-0) vs. Syracuse Orange (0-0)
8pm ET Friday on ESPN2
Saturday September 10
Central Michigan Chippewas (1-0) vs. #22 Oklahoma State Cowboys (1-0)
Noon ET Saturday on FS1
Prairie View A&M Panthers (1-0) vs. **/#20 Texas A&M Aggies (1-0) Noon ET Saturday on PAC-12 Network
Central Florida Knights (1-0) vs. #5 Michigan Wolverines (1-0)
Noon ET Saturday on ABC/WatchESPN
Nicholls State Colonels (0-0) vs. #9 Georgia Bulldogs (1-0)
Noon ET Saturday on SEC Network
Prairie View A&M (0-0) vs. #20 Texas A&M (1-0)
Noon ET Saturday on SEC Network
Tulsa Golden Hurricane (1-0) vs. #4 The Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0)
3:30pm ET Saturday on ABC
Nevada Wolf Pack (1-0) vs. #18 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (0-1)
3:30pm ET Saturday on NBC
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (0-0) vs. #1 Alabama Crimson Tide (1-0)
3:30pm ET Saturday on ESPN2
SMU Mustangs (1-0) vs. #23 Baylor Bears (1-0)
3:30pm ET Saturday on FS1
Wofford Terriers (1-0) vs. #19 Ole Miss Rebels (0-1)
4pm ET Saturday on SEC Network
Idaho Vandals (1-0) vs. /#8 Washington Huskies (1-0) 5pm ET Saturday on PAC-12 Network
Arkansas Razorbacks (1-0) vs. #15 TCU Horned Frogs (1-0)
7pm ET Saturday on ESPN
Jacksonville State Gamecocks (1-0) vs. #21 LSU Tigers (0-1)
7:30pm ET Saturday on ESPNU
Virginia Tech Hokies (1-0) vs. #17 Tennessee Volunteers (1-0)
8pm ET Saturday on ABC/WatchESPN
Virginia Cavaliers (1-0) vs. #24 Oregon Ducks (1-0)
10:30pm ET Saturday on ESPN