College football
Finding motivation against Colorado couldn’t have been easier for Oregon after all the pregame trash talking, logo stomping and hype that fueled the Ducks’ showdown against the Buffaloes.
Utah quarterback Nate Johnson took responsibility for 10th-ranked Utah’s disappointing offensive output against UCLA, promising improvement as he looked ahead to Friday night’s game at Oregon State.
Mississippi and LSU bring high-scoring offenses into a matchup of ranked SEC West rivals. The 20th-ranked Rebels are trying to rebound from a division loss to Alabama.
Maryland has a chance to start 5-0 for the first time since 2001 when the Terrapins host Indiana this weekend.
Nevada and Fresno State are programs going in opposite directions. The 25th-ranked Bulldogs come into their Mountain West opener against the Wolf Pack on a 13-game winning streak that has vaulted them into the AP poll for the first time this season.
Texas Tech is going for its longest winning streak in the Houston series at six games in the first Big 12 meeting of the former Southwest Conference foes.
Minnesota hosts Louisiana for its homecoming game. The Gophers are favored by 11½ points, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Until recently, Florida’s only concern against Kentucky was how it would extend its decades-long winning streak rather than if.
Oregon State looks to bounce back from a 38-35 loss last weekend to Washington State on Friday night against visiting Utah.
Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams leads No. 8 Southern California into sold-out Folsom Field to play a Colorado team led by his Colorado counterpart Shedeur Sanders.
No. 8 Southern California visits Colorado on Saturday in Boulder. The Trojans defeated Arizona State 42-28 last weekend but the Sun Devils closed to within 24-21 in the third quarter and USC had to rally for the victory.
Washington looks to avoid a letdown in the final Pac-12 meeting against Arizona. The Huskies opened last season 4-0, then lost their first road game to UCLA and took another loss to Arizona State to drop out of the College Football Playoff conversation.
Arizona State visits California looking to snap a seven-game losing streak against FBS opponents. The Sun Devils lost 42-28 to Southern California last week.
LSU is set to visit Mississippi in a matchup of ranked SEC West teams with dangerous offenses. The 13th-ranked Tigers are already 2-0 in the league.
Arkansas in a long stretch of SEC games away from home. The Razorbacks play the second of four such games Saturday when they play Texas A&M in their annual neutral-site game at AT&T Stadium.
The UCF Knights felt they left plays on the field against defending champion Kansas State in their Big 12 opener.
Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz hasn’t spent much time thinking about getting the Tigers back into the Top 25 for the first time since 2019.
No. 12 Alabama hopes to continue its domination of Mississippi State and improve to 2-0 in SEC play with a 16th consecutive series victory.
Georgia Tech, led by quarterback Haynes King, will look for back-to-back wins for the first time this season when it faces Bowling Green.
TCU will try to extend a 10-game winning streak in Big 12 regular-season games in a visit from West Virginia.
Syracuse gets its first real test of the 2023 season with a noon showdown at home against the Clemson Tigers.
No. 6 Penn State looks to improve to 5-0 when it visits Northwestern. The Nittany Lions have won nine straight since a loss to Ohio State on Oct. 29.
No. 23 Missouri finally plays its Southeastern Conference opener making the Tigers the last team in the league to play an SEC opponent.
No. 9 Oregon visits Stanford in search of its first 5-0 start to the season since 2013. The Ducks are fresh off a 42-6 win at home over Colorado last week but want to avoid of a repeat of their last visit to Stanford when they lost in 2021 as the third-ranked team in the country.
No. 24 Kansas plays at No. 3 Texas in a battle of two of the Big 12’s last three unbeaten. And it is another big chance for a program-elevating win for Kansas and coach Lance Leipold.
No. 6 Penn State comes into Saturday’s game at Northwestern on a roll. The Nittany Lions have outscored their opponents by a combined 127 points.
The top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs are making their first road trip of the season. The Bulldogs are set to visit Auburn in the Deep South’s oldest rivalry after opening with four home games.
Both BYU and Cincinnati are looking to avoid falling to 0-2 in Big 12 play. The Cougars surrendered 21 points on three turnovers in a 38-27 loss to Kansas.
No. 14 Oklahoma trying to keep focus on Iowa State and its stingy defense before showdown with Texas
Oklahoma had several seasons crippled by plucky underdogs in recent years. Iowa State has been one of the Sooners’ biggest nuisances.
Louisville will go for a 5-0 start when it visits North Carolina State on Friday night. The Cardinals can also reach 3-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
No. 12 Alabama seeks 2-0 SEC start at last-place Mississippi State, which wants first league victory
Alabama’s first winning streak this season offers promise as it pursues offensive consistency. The No. 12 Crimson Tide hope to find the rhythm they’re used to at struggling Mississippi State, which looks to end a two-game slide and climb out of the SEC West basement.