Your Watch Grid guide to ... well, it’s a college football weekend! [Week 11]

SB Nation ^ | November 8, 2018 | Jason Kirk

[C19fan]

The Watch Grid motto: every college football weekend is a good college football weekend. Time to put that to the test!

Week 11 boasts shockingly few real stakes, at least until the upsets start happening. The upsets gods must find a way to see us through.

Below, the Watch Grid attempts to sort your weekend by watchability. As always, watchability is not determined by the quality of your favorite football team, because such glory cannot be contained within a spreadsheet of any size.

[C19fan]

Unlike last week there are no monster clashes between top 10 teams although the 2 big SEC games turned out to be dogs. The noon ET window has #10 THE Ohio State University visiting #18 Sparty. The matchup is between a inconsistent sometimes putrid Sparty offense against a flawed THE Ohio State University defense. The 3:30 ET top billing is #16 Mississippi State being led to the sacrificial altar at #1 'Bama. This game is an inverted version of last week's game in the sense the Bulldogs have an excellent defensive line with a suspect back 7. Perhaps this would have been a more interesting game if it was at Starkvegas where MSU has had some offensive production but with the game at Tuscaloosa Las Vegas has 'Bama as a 24 point favorite. When the game at 'Bama is effectively over one can switch to a bunch of other middling games, for example, the Bedlam Game between Okie State and OU at Norman. The prime time window starts with #24 Auburn visiting Athens where UGa hoped to keep their playoff hopes alive. Gus Malzhan has done enough to keep his job plus a $30 MM buyout being too rich even for Auburn. Auburn has to be one of the most disappointing teams this year. Malzhan has failed to get the most out of a very good QB. If the 7 pm game turns into a dud one can switch at 7:30 pm to see how #3 Notre Dame does against dumpster fire Florida State. Notre Dame QB Ian Book is out for the game so Notre Dame is just going to run it against FSU with Wimbush. Notre Dame will probably be compiling 300+ yards on the ground. The weather is going to be cold and raw in South Bend so the FSU players will just want to get the game over with to go back to Florida. If that game gets out of hand one can switch at 8 pm ET to see another warm weather team travel north as #2 Clemson pays a visit to Boston and #17 Boston College. Too bad a Northeaster is not occurring to make things even. The weather will be around 30 degrees with 10 - 20 MPH winds. Clemson is almost a three TD favorite. If these prime time games hold to form it will be an early bedtime.

[RayChuang88]

This week isn't that great for football, except for tonight's Panthers at Steelers game. Remember, the Panthers aren't pushovers anymore, and the Steelers have been playing a lot better lately.

As for the college games, it's kind of a yawner week. We may not have an exciting week until Thanksgiving weekend with all the rivalry games.

[C19fan]

If you are a fan of snuff movies, Michigan is exiting at Exit 9 of the NJ Turnpike to visit Rutgers. Michigan is around a 40 point favorite against the worst Power 5 team in the country. I would give the points. I would be surprised if Rutgers even crosses the midfield line.

[yarddog]

One of the better games which no one will be watching is Troy at Georgia Southern.

[Yo-Yo]

The noon ET window has #10 THE Ohio State University visiting #18 Sparty. The matchup is between a inconsistent sometimes putrid Sparty offense against a flawed THE Ohio State University defense.

How I wish it were so, but Sparty isn't #18, they're #24, and lucky to be ranked that high.

If Lewerke starts, look for a Buckeye blowout. If Rocky Lombardi starts, we might have a game.