Top 10 Games of First Three Weeks of 2018

[Jonny2TheP]

I had a little extra time this morning, so for the fun of it, I looked at it the first three weeks of NCAA games this year and picked my top 10 games for each week. I tried to not have any NU/Big Ten bias and looked at this from a national perspective. I also factored in if there was any additional intrigue to the game because of an off the field story line (i.e. I included Tennessee's first game because of the whole fiasco around their off season head coach hire and I also included a Texas @ Maryland game because of how Maryland went down to Austin last year and whooped the Longhorns). Thought I'd share, and interested to hear if there are any major differences in opinion.

Week 1 (games during the weekend of 9/1)
1) Michigan @ Notre Dame
2) Washington @ Auburn
3) Miami (FL) @ LSU
4) Virginia Tech @ Florida State
5) Louisville @ Alabama
6) Tennessee @ West Virigina
7) Ole Miss @ Texas Tech
8) Texas @ Maryland
9) Northwestern @ Purdue
10) BYU @ Arizona

Week 2 (games during the weekend of 9/8)
1) USC @ Stanford
2) Clemson @ Texas A&M
3) Michigan State @ Arizona State
4) Georgia @ South Carolina
5) UCLA @ Oklahoma
6) Colorado @ Nebraska
7) Iowa State @ Iowa
8) Penn State @ Pitt
9) Duke @ Northwestern
10) Arizona @ Houston

Week 3 (games during the weekend of 9/15)
1) Ohio State @ TCU
2) USC @ Texas
3) LSU @ Auburn
4) Oklahoma @ Iowa State
5) Alabama @ Ole Miss
6) BYU @ Wisconsin
7) Boise State @ Oklahoma State
8) Houston @ Texas
9) Washington @ Utah
10) West Virginia @ NC State

 

[willycat]

I had a little extra time this morning, so for the fun of it, I looked at it the first three weeks of NCAA games this year and picked my top 10 games for each week. I tried to not have any NU/Big Ten bias and looked at this from a national perspective. I also factored in if there was any additional intrigue to the game because of an off the field story line (i.e. I included Tennessee's first game because of the whole fiasco around their off season head coach hire and I also included a Texas @ Maryland game because of how Maryland went down to Austin last year and whooped the Longhorns). Thought I'd share, and interested to hear if there are any major differences in opinion.

Week 1 (games during the weekend of 9/1)
1) Michigan @ Notre Dame
2) Washington @ Auburn
3) Miami (FL) @ LSU
4) Virginia Tech @ Florida State
5) Louisville @ Alabama
6) Tennessee @ West Virigina
7) Ole Miss @ Texas Tech
8) Texas @ Maryland
9) Northwestern @ Purdue
10) BYU @ Arizona

Week 2 (games during the weekend of 9/8)
1) USC @ Stanford
2) Clemson @ Texas A&M
3) Michigan State @ Arizona State
4) Georgia @ South Carolina
5) UCLA @ Oklahoma
6) Colorado @ Nebraska
7) Iowa State @ Iowa
8) Penn State @ Pitt
9) Duke @ Northwestern
10) Arizona @ Houston

Week 3 (games during the weekend of 9/15)
1) Ohio State @ TCU
2) USC @ Texas
3) LSU @ Auburn
4) Oklahoma @ Iowa State
5) Alabama @ Ole Miss
6) BYU @ Wisconsin
7) Boise State @ Oklahoma State
8) Houston @ Texas
9) Washington @ Utah
10) West Virginia @ NC State

NU v.Duke, really?

 

[Jonny2TheP]

NU v.Duke, really?

Let me guess, you didn't even look at the other games in Week 2 and just found something you didn't like? Go ahead and look at the games that week and tell me which ones I didn't include that are better than NU vs. Duke (two bowl teams from last year and one that had 10 wins. Also a slight bit of additional intrigue to it with that 10 win team getting whooped by the other team last year).

Same with Week 3- some of those games at the bottom of my top 10 aren't great, but there wasn't a ton else out there that was that intriguing.

 

[EvanstonCat]

NU v.Duke, really?

Most teams are playing non-conf puffs still in week 2. NU vs. Duke is a power 5 matchup of bowl teams expected to go to bowls again this year. What don't you understand?

 

[LACatFan]

While I work to get motivated at the office today, I'll provide my feedback to your interesting breakdowns. I assume the 1-10 is a top down ranking. With that being said, my changes & comments are in bold.

Week 1 (games during the weekend of 9/1)
1) Michigan @ Notre Dame
2) Washington @ Auburn (actually a 'supposed' neutral field game. If Atlanta is in any way an actual 'neutral' location. It's not.)
3) Miami (FL) @ LSU
4) Virginia Tech @ Florida State
5) Louisville @ Alabama
6) Tennessee @ West Virigina
7) Texas @ Maryland
8) Northwestern @ Purdue
9) Ole Miss @ Texas Tech (moved this non conf match-up down two spots. Texas Tech is dreadful and Ole Miss is hamstrung)
10) BYU @ Arizona

Week 2 (games during the weekend of 9/8)
1) Clemson @ Texas A&M
2) USC @ Stanford (SC is starting a freshman QB and the PAC-12 was meh in 2017. I think Clemson vs A&M gets the top billing)
3) Michigan State @ Arizona State
4) Georgia @ South Carolina
5) UCLA @ Oklahoma
6) Penn State @ Pitt (giving the rivalry nod to this match-up vs. the Buffs @ the Huskers. But CU vs. UNL is intriguing)
7) Colorado @ Nebraska
8) Iowa State @ Iowa
9) Duke @ Northwestern
10) Arizona @ Houston

Week 3 (games during the weekend of 9/15)
1) LSU @ Auburn (I'm not SEC fanboy, but this game will have lead up and implications galore)
2) Washington @ Utah (Early playoff impacting game for the Huskies)
3) Ohio State @ TCU
4) USC @ Texas
5) Alabama @ Ole Miss
6) Oklahoma @ Iowa State
7) Boise State @ Oklahoma State
8) Houston @ Texas
9) West Virginia @ NC State
10) BYU @ Wisconsin (BYU is dreadful. Game will be over by the end of Q1)