We have come to the much-needed bye week for Auburn as the Tigers are 3-2 through five games of the Hugh Freeze era. The weekend gives Tiger fans a chance to reset, take a little break and possibly get some of those chores they have been putting off during the past five weeks done.
But let's face it: we only get so many of these precious college football Saturdays, and missing out on one is just not an option for many of us. And, if you are like me, you will spend the next 48 hours catching up on other teams and other important games.
Need to know what to watch? Well, I am here to help as I give a viewing guide to all of the action from Friday evening to late Saturday night. Here are the weekend's top matchups as the Tigers try to get healthy before heading into their final seven games of the 2023 season.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (All times Central.)
Kansas State at Oklahoma State (6:30 PM, ESPN)
Are either of these teams good? That's an excellent question, as both have been disappointing to start the season. The Cowboys are coming off a blowout loss to South Alabama and a defeat to Iowa State. The Wildcats took down a familiar face in Gus Malzahn two weeks ago. As far as Big 12 matchups go, this one is a little meh.
Nebraska at Illinois (7:00 PM, FS1)
The first year of the Matt Rhule era in Lincoln is going about as well as the last decade-plus for the Cornhuskers, and by that, I mean badly. Nebraska was blown out of Michigan Stadium in a 45-7 loss last week. As for Bret Bielema's Illini, their only wins are close defeats of Toledo and FAU. Yuck. Also, Bielema still has me blocked on Twitter/X.
EARLY SATURDAY ACTION
No. 12 Oklahoma vs. No. 3 Texas (11:00 AM, ABC)
Oh yes, this historical SEC rivalry played every year in Dallas will be another doozy as the Sooners have rebounded from a disastrous 2022 season while the Longhorns are, dare I say it, back. If you don't want to watch these two teams who will enter the conference next season, you can switch to ...
No. 23 LSU at No. 21 Missouri (11:00 AM, ESPN)
Brian Kelly's defense got taken to the woodshed last week against Ole Miss, allowing an eye-popping 706 yards of offense, including 317 on the ground. Yikes! Eli Drinkwitz's Tigers are a surprising 5-0 and challenging for the SEC East title. I'm still not buying the Mizzou hype.
LATE AFTERNOON VIEWING WHILE ALSO TAKING A NAP
No. 13 Washington State at UCLA (2:00 PM, Pac-12 Network)
Okay, so this one might be hard to find unless you somehow have the Pac-12 Network, but if you do, I suggest watching Wazzu solely because of quarterback Cameron Ward. He's electric and will make you forget that you are watching a game being played in the Rose Bowl, the biggest dump out West.
No. 11 Alabama at Texas A&M (2:30 PM, CBS)
To those calling this one of the most critical games of the Nick Saban era at Alabama, please shut your mouth. That's a stupid take. On the other hand, a loss by the Aggies would have the 12th Man calling for Jimbo's head once again. I wonder what kind of jokes the Yell Leaders will have for Midnight Yell. I'm sure they will be original.
UCF at Kansas (3:00 PM, FOX)
Oh, Gus, Gus, Gus. Sigh. I still can't believe what I saw last week from UCF and the Gus Bus. That was just magical in the worst kind of way. Lance Leipold is one of the best coaches no one talks about in FBS and will one day be at a major program. He's also a nice guy.
SATURDAY EVENING GAZING
No. 20 Kentucky at No. 1 Georgia (6:00 PM, ESPN)
UPSET ALERT!!! I'm calling it right now: the Cats win this one and take a commanding lead in the SEC East race. Now Kirby and the Dawgs have some doubt that they can come back to when they win the SEC by 30 points. Anyway, Kentucky wins 28-24.
Arkansas at No. 16 Ole Miss (6:30 PM, SEC Network)
Can the Rebels return from cloud nine after their big win against LSU? Will the Razorbacks stop being so Jekyll and Hyde-like? Is Sam Pittman actually a good coach? And are the mothers of Fayetteville safe from Lane Kiffin? We are about to find out.
Arizona at No. 9 USC (9:30 PM, ESPN)
Still awake and sober enough to enjoy this one? Good. Arizona has two close losses against Mississippi State and No. 7 Washington, while the Trojans and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams are plowing their way through the Pac-12 in the last year of its existence. This could be a sneaky good matchup.
