Saturday Viewing Guide: September 26
By the end of the fourth week of the season, we should have a pretty good idea of what's what. Usually, we'll have seen enough at that point to know who's good, who's bad and what teams' flaws and strengths are.
Although a Saturday with Sooner football beats one without it, OU fans do have the good fortune of being able to sit back and watch the rest of the college football world go by at this crucial milestone. With that in mind, here's how Homerism recommends you structure your day.
Saturday Viewing Guide: September 26 (All Times EST)
Before Noon: House Arrest (HBO Comedy)
The GameDay crew is coming at you live from State College. Apparently, some schmuck correspondent drew the short straw and has been camping out in "Paterno-ville" this week. That segment sounds about as interesting as a special on the scoreboard at Cowboys Stadium.
How about a zany 1996 comedy starring curmudgeonly Kevin Pollak and Activia's own Jamie Lee Curtis instead? Hi-jinks ensure when two kids lock their divorcing parents in the basement, giving their classmates some mischievous ideas. The fun kicks off at 9:35 am.
Noon to 3:30 pm: Southern Miss at Kansas (FSN)
Mark Mangino's squad stands a perfect 3-0 after polishing off some tasty non-conference morsels. The Jayhawk defense was considered the team's Achilles heel before the season started, and that unit has yet to really prove itself against a quality outfit. Larry Fedora's potent spread offense should provide a good test for KU and shed a little insight on the Jayhawks' potential to compete for the Big 12 North crown.
This is a decent slate for the early games. Other contests worth keeping an eye on include Fresno State-Cincinnati (ESPN GamePlan), Michigan State-Wisconsin (ESPN) and North Carolina-Georgia Tech (Raycom, GamePlan).
3:30 pm to 7 pm: Miami at Virginia Tech (ABC, GamePlan)
California-Oregon (ABC, GamePlan) also should be a great game, but this ACC clash is huge for Oklahoma. The Hokies represent the best defense Miami and star quarterback Jacory Harris will have faced so far this season. We'll know by tomorrow night if the dynamic 'Cane offense is for real. In truth, OU fans should pull for The U if for no other reason than the Sooners need as many good-looking wins as they can get if they want to keep their national championship hopes alive.
7 pm to 8 pm: Florida at Kentucky (ESPN2)
Click over to this SEC mismatch for an hour to see if the Wildcats can put a scare into the mighty Gators. Tim Tebow and Company really haven't wowed the country as expected so far, sparking speculation that Florida may not be as invincible as everyone thought. I have a sneaking suspicion the Gators drop the hammer Saturday, so an hour is all you'll need of this.
8 pm to 8:15 pm: Order a pizza.
8:15 pm to 11:45 pm: Texas Tech at Houston (ESPN2)
Put the coffee on, because this shootout may not end until the wee hours. The Red Raiders showed some spunk in last week's game at Texas, surprising many. They clearly lack a playmaker on the level of a guy like Michael Crabtree, but with coach Mike Leach pulling the levers, Tech will never lack for points. The home team doesn't host visitors like Tech too often, so Cougar Town should be as fired up as a commuter school gets.
Otherwise, the networks are throwing out a bunch of completely uninteresting games between big names that are sure to leave you wishing it was next weekend already: Iowa-Penn State (ABC), Notre Dame-Purdue (ESPN), Washington-Stanford (FCS).