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Saturday’s college football TV schedule

November 02, 2012

TODAY’S TV GAMES

NOON

NoonFlorida vs. MissouriESPN2 NoonLouisville vs. Temple WJLA-7, WMAR-2 NoonIowa State vs. Oklahoma pay-per-view NoonMississippi State vs. Texas A&M ESPN NoonKentucky vs. Vanderbilt ESPNU NoonMinnesota vs. Michigan Big Ten Network NoonArmy vs. Air Force CBS Sports Network NoonCincinnati vs. Syracuse MASN NoonDelaware vs. Towson NBC Sports Network NoonArkansas vs. Tulsa WDCW-50 12:30Maryland vs. Georgia Tech WTTG-5, WJZ-13

No. 16 Texas A&M at No. 17 Mississippi State is the best of an underwhelming early slate, if only because of Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel. The redshirt freshman who answers to Johnny Football has rushed for three touchdowns in two of his last three games and has 13 rushing touchdowns on the season, which ties him (with Robert Griffin III, among others) for the most by an FBS freshman quarterback in the BCS era.

Texas A&M had a light practice last week against circling-the-drain Auburn, a 63-21 rout in which Manziel played a little more than a half but accounted for five touchdowns. Mississippi State, meantime, thudded back to earth in a 38-7 loss to top-ranked Alabama. The Bulldogs have yet to lose a game at home this season, but wins over Jackson State, Auburn, South Alabama and two Tennessees (Middle and regular) aren’t anything to shout about.

afterNOON

2Colorado vs. StanfordFX 3West Virginia vs. TCU WTTG-5, WBFF-45 3:30Navy vs. Florida Atlantic CBS Sports Network 3:30Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh WRC-4, WBAL-11 3:30Georgia vs. Mississippi WUSA-9, WJZ-13 3:30Texas Tech vs. Texas ESPN2 3:30Michigan State vs. Nebraska WJLA-7, WMAR-2 3:30Ohio State vs. Illinois ESPN 3:30Purdue vs. Penn State ESPNU 3:30Indiana vs. Iowa Big Ten Network 3:30Wake Forest vs. Boston College pay-per-view 3:30Maine vs. James Madison Comcast SportsNet 3:30Liberty vs. Charleston Southern MASN2 4Louisiana Tech vs. Texas-San Antonio MASN

Three Pittsburgh players, including leading rusher Ray Graham and leading receiver Devin Street, were charged Thursday with simple assault and conspiracy over an incident last month, charges they deny. Thus, they will play when the Panthers visit No. 4 Notre Dame. Notre Dame will look to improve to 9-0 for the first time since 1993. . . .

Texas Tech quarterback Seth Doege threw 13 touchdown passes in wins over West Virginia and TCU before being limited to only two in a loss to Kansas State last weekend. Now, when the 20th-ranked Red Raiders host Texas, he could again pad his stats against a defense that has allowed opposing quarterbacks to compile a 140.4 rating (94th in the country).

Night

7USC vs. OregonWTTG-5, WBFF-45 7Duke vs. Clemson ESPN2 7South Florida vs. Connecticut ESPNU 7Central Florida vs. Southern Methodist CBS Sports Network 8LSU vs. Alabama WUSA-9, WJZ-13 8Kansas State vs. Oklahoma State WJLA-7, WMAR-2 10:30Oregon State vs. Arizona State ESPN2 10:30Boise State vs. San Diego State CBS Sports Network

Oregon has scored at least 40 points in 11 straight games, last failing to do so in a 38-35 loss to USC last season, which derailed the Ducks’ national title hopes. So revenge will be in the air when second-ranked Oregon visits the 18th-ranked Trojans, a team that failed to halt similarly speedy Arizona in a 39-36 loss last weekend.

LSU Coach Les Miles can use every bit of sorcery he has in his weird arsenal — all the fourth-down attempts and fake kicks and grass-eating and unorthodox, splayed-fingered clapping — and it might not be enough when the No. 5 Tigers host No. 1 Alabama. The Crimson Tide is No. 1 in five defensive categories — total defense, rushing defense, scoring defense, pass efficiency defense and passing yardage defense — while LSU has been decidedly one-sided in its attack, with its running backs carrying the load while quarterback Zach Mettenberger struggles (the Tigers average just 177.4 passing yards per game, 106th nationally).

— Matt Bonesteel