Welcome back, oh great and wonderful college sports fans, to episode 718 of the GCR which is all about the 97 games today, following the 14 earlier this week. It is October, the air is becoming crisper after a brutally hot summer, the World Series has started (the winner this year will have its first ever championship), the WBNA is in the finals, the NBA season has started, but it feels like football. We are in the second half of the season, which means many teams are on their bye week – 44 to be exact. There’s a (sort of) joke in the southern US that if a couple wants to get married in the fall, find the bye week or there won’t be any guests.
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This season, like all of them, has been about surprises. Teams that looked like they were on a magical ride, forgot how to play for a game or two. Teams that seemed down and out, upset a good team – often on the road. Vegas hasn’t done well predicting winners (that’s mostly the gamblers, but go with it), nor have the pundits, nor has the GCR. After yesterday’s games we head into Saturday with just a 6-5 record straight up and 7-7 against the spread. The only reason we haven’t punted on predictions (especially against the spread) is that everything that we’re reading says most of the folks who do this are having the same problem. One can find a few people with great prediction records, but they are only picking 3-5 games a week. En masse prediction is less accurate because we don’t cherry pick. Is it the NIL? Is it the seemingly annual transferring of players? We don’t know. Football (college or pro) has always been about fast turnover. Sure, even in the very limited transfer days, top players would have 2-3 really solid years starting every game, but the underbill, the support players, if you will, generally played less – maybe a player started as a senior, but the next year someone else had that role. We just think that the parity has grown. Here’s what we mean. If we said, in the preseason, that we think Ohio St, Georgia, Alabama, Oregon, LSU, and Michigan are going to be fighting for the top spot, you would probably not bat an eye. It’s been that way for a long time. In the past year or two, we just need to add Texas Tech, Miami FL, BYU, and Indiana – at least. These aren’t complete lists, but before rosters could be updated as quickly as they are now, the rich stayed rich. The Clemson’s rising up to join that group and hanging around for more than a decade, just didn’t happen that often. Rapid rising and falling could become the norm – even to the point that the core dynasties may even falter. The transition period is rough, but the direction of more parity, having “new” champions and dynasties, and expanding the game are good for football.
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| Time (ET) | Games of October 24th | Conference | Vegas | GCR | Cover | TV |
| 12:00 | West Virginia (4-3/76) at TCU (3-3/60) | B12 | TCU -11.5 | TCU | WVU | ESPN2 |
| 12:00 | W Michigan (5-2/65) at Toledo (5-2/63) | MAC | TOL -2.5 | TOL | TOL | CBS Sports |
| 12:00 | Indiana (6-1/12) at Michigan (4-2/43) | B10 | IND -7.5 | IND | IND | Fox |
| 12:00 | Rutgers (2-4/119) at Northwestern (5-1/17) | B10 | NW -15.5 | NW | NW | Peacock |
| 12:00 | Pittsburgh (5-2/38) at Miami FL (6-0/1) | ACC | MIAF -20.5 | MIAF | MIAF | ESPN |
| 12:00 | Rice (1-6/165) at FAU (4-2/73) | AAC | FAU -8.5 | FAU | FAU | ESPNU |
| 12:00 | Texas Tech (6-0/4) at Cincinnati (4-2/42) | B12 | TXTC -11.5 | TXTC | TXTC | Fox Sports 1 |
| 12:00 | California (3-4/107) at SMU (5-1/27) | ACC | SMU -18.5 | SMU | SMU | The CW |
| 12:00 | LSU (5-2/16) at Auburn (4-2/30) | SEC | LSU -7.5 | LSU | AUB | ABC |
| 12:00 | San Diego (3-4/192) at Dayton (5-1/139) | PFL | DAY -5.5 | DAY | DAY | YouTube |
| 12:00 | Albany (4-3/142) at Rhode Island (4-3/157) | CAA | NL | ALB | — | FloFootball |
| 12:00 | Wagner (1-6/265) at Duquesne (2-4/242) | NEC | DUQ -13.5 | DUQ | DUQ | NEC Front Row |
| 12:00 | St Thomas (5-2/155) at Marist (4-3/153) | PFL | STTH -4.0 | MARI | MARI | ESPN+ |
| 12:00 | Cornell (3-2/151) at Brown (2-3/162) | IVY | BRO -0.5 | CORN | CORN | ESPN+ |
| 12:00 | New Haven (2-5/213) at C Connecticut (3-3/206) | NEC | NL | CCON | — | NEC Front Row |
| 12:00 | Stonehill (2-5/223) at Long Island (3-5/246) | NEC | LIU -2.5 | STON | STON | NEC Front Row |
| 12:00 | New Hampshire (2-6/247) at Merrimack (2-5/236) | CAA/FCSIND | MERR -2.5 | MERR | MERR | ESPN+ |
| 1:00 | Baylor (4-2/40) at Kansas (2-4/95) | B12 | BAY -1.5 | BAY | BAY | TNT |
| 1:00 | Akron (1-6/173) at Kent St (2-5/136) | MAC | KTST -3.5 | KTST | KTST | ESPN+ |
| 1:00 | Miami OH (4-3/91) at C Michigan (3-4/112) | MAC | CMI -3.5 | MIAO | MIAO | ESPN+ |
| 1:00 | Campbell (6-1/147) at Maine (1-6/251) | CAA | CAMP -11.0 | CAMP | MAIN | FloFootball |
| 1:00 | Bucknell (1-6/249) at Holy Cross (2-5/228) | PAT | HC -10.0 | HC | HC | ESPN+ |
| 1:00 | Jackson St (6-1/145) at Bethune (4-3/205) | SWAC | JAST -8.5 | JAST | BETH | SWAC TV |
| 1:00 | Presbyterian (4-3/176) at Valparaiso (3-4/175) | PFL | VAL -3.0 | VAL | VAL | ESPN+ |
| 1:00 | Lafayette (2-4/221) at Fordham (2-6/254) | PAT | NL | LAF | — | ESPN+ |
| 1:00 | Butler (5-2/154) at Drake (2-5/185) | PFL | BUT -3.0 | BUT | BUT | ESPN+ |
| 1:30 | Norfolk St (4-3/215) at SC St (5-2/149) | MEAC | SCST -15.5 | SCST | SCST | ESPN+ |
| 1:30 | Dartmouth (2-3/183) at Columbia (4-1/158) | IVY | NL | COLA | — | ESPN+ |
| 1:30 | E Tenn St (5-2/177) at VMI (0-7/262) | SoCon | ETSU -33.5 | ETSU | VMI | ESPN+ |
| 2:00 | Stony Brook (4-3/178) at Bryant (5-2/163) | CAA | SB -3.5 | BRY | BRY | FloFootball |
| 2:00 | North Dakota (6-2/138) at South Dakota (6-2/127) | MFC | SDAK -2.0 | SDAK | SDAK | ESPN+ |
| 2:00 | Monmouth (5-2/171) at Hampton (1-6/260) | CAA | MONM -27.0 | MONM | HAMP | FloFootball |
| 2:00 | Tarleton (7-0/105) at West Georgia (1-6/259) | UAC | NL | TAR | — | ESPN+ |
| 2:00 | Colgate (4-3/150) at Richmond (5-2/184) | PAT | RICH -2.5 | COLG | COLG | ESPN+ |
| 2:00 | TN Tech (6-1/125) at Citadel (2-5/252) | SoCon | NL | TNTC | — | ESPN+ |
| 2:00 | N Iowa (3-3/209) at S Illinois (3-5/216) | MFC | SILL -4.0 | NIA | NIA | ESPN+ |
| 2:00 | Mercyhurst (1-6/263) at Robert Morris (3-4/200) | NEC | NL | RM | — | NEC Front Row |
| 2:00 | Stetson (1-6/243) at Morehead St (1-6/237) | PFL | NL | MHST | — | ESPN+ |
| 2:00 | Samford (1-6/226) at Furman (2-5/227) | SoCon | NL | SAM | — | ESPN+ |
| 2:30 | Chattanooga (4-3/140) at W Carolina (3-4/196) | SoCon | WCAR -2.5 | CHAT | CHAT | ESPN+ |
| 3:00 | Oregon (4-2/26) at Illinois (3-3/74) | B10 | ORE -9.5 | ORE | ILL | Big Ten Network |
| 3:00 | Howard (3-4/253) at Morgan St (5-2/189) | MEAC | MORG -7.0 | MORG | MORG | ESPN+ |
| 3:00 | Weber St (5-3/180) at Montana St (6-1/86) | SKY | NL | MTST | — | ESPN+ |
| 3:00 | Indiana St (2-5/234) at Illinois St (5-2/128) | MFC | NL | ILST | — | ESPN+ |
| 3:00 | Ark Pine Bluff (3-3/208) at Florida A&M (2-5/250) | SWAC | FLAM -2.5 | APB | APB | HBCUGo |
| 3:00 | Southern (3-4/244) / TX Southern (1-5/255) (N) | SWAC | TXSO -1.0 | SOUT | SOUT | SWAC TV |
| 3:00 | Chicago St (1-6/235) at Lindenwood (2-4/245) | FCSIND/BSOV | LIN -24.0 | CHST | CHST | ESPN+ |
| 3:00 | SEMO (4-3/187) at E Illinois (2-5/231) | BSOV | NL | SEMO | — | ESPN+ |
| 3:00 | West Florida (4-2/168) at E Kentucky (2-5/225) | UAC | NL | WFLA | — | ESPN+ |
| 3:00 | Princeton (4-1/122) at Harvard (5-0/117) | IVY | HARV -10.5 | HARV | PRIN | ESPN+ |
| 3:00 | Murray St (1-6/266) at South Dakota St (5-2/134) | MFC | NL | SDKS | — | ESPN+ |
| 3:00 | Nicholls (2-5/261) at Nwestern St (0-7/256) | SLAN | NICH -11.5 | NWST | NWST | ESPN+ |
| 3:30 | North Texas (4-2/64) at Navy (2-4/114) | AAC | NTEX -3.5 | NTEX | NTEX | CBS Sports |
| 3:30 | Oklahoma (3-3/55) at Mississippi St (4-2/35) | SEC | OKLA -2.5 | MSST | MSST | SEC Network |
| 3:30 | Hawaii (1-6/166) at N Illinois (0-6/197) | MWC | HAW -3.5 | HAW | HAW | MW+ |
| 3:30 | Michigan St (2-5/100) at UCLA (6-0/2) | B10 | UCLA -14.5 | UCLA | UCLA | CBS |
| 3:30 | Iowa (5-1/19) at Minnesota (4-2/59) | B10 | IOWA -7.5 | IOWA | IOWA | Fox Sports 1 |
| 3:30 | Sacramento St (1-6/202) at Ball St (2-5/143) | MAC | BLST -14.5 | BLST | SAC | ESPN+ |
| 3:30 | Boston College (3-3/71) at Georgia Tech (2-4/97) | ACC | GT -6.5 | BC | BC | ACC Network |
| 3:30 | BYU (6-0/6) at UCF (3-3/53) | B12 | BYU -7.5 | BYU | BYU | Fox |
| 3:30 | Tennessee (6-1/15) at South Carolina (3-3/50) | SEC | SCAR -2.5 | TENN | TENN | ESPN |
| 3:30 | Bowling Green (2-5/131) at Buffalo (4-3/94) | MAC | BUFF -3.5 | BUFF | BUFF | ESPN+ |
| 3:30 | Texas A&M (4-3/47) at Alabama (5-2/8) | SEC | ALA -13.5 | ALA | ALA | ABC |
| 3:30 | Chrls So (3-4/238) at TN St (2-5/241) | BSOV | NL | CHSO | — | ESPN+ |
| 3:30 | Lehigh (6-1/111) at Villanova (3-4/211) | PAT | NL | LEH | — | ESPN+ |
| 3:30 | Georgetown (2-4/207) at William & Mary (3-4/248) | PAT | W&M -5.5 | GTOW | GTOW | ESPN+ |
| 3:45 | Kansas St (4-2/49) at Arizona St (3-3/85) | B12 | KSST -1.5 | KSST | KSST | ESPN2 |
| 4:00 | E Michigan (4-4/116) at Ohio (5-2/56) | MAC | OHIO -9.5 | OHIO | OHIO | ESPNU |
| 4:00 | ULM (1-6/174) at Troy (3-3/103) | SUN | TROY -11.5 | TROY | TROY | ESPN+ |
| 4:00 | Houston Chr (4-3/212) at Lamar (5-2/152) | SLAN | LAM -10.0 | LAM | LAM | ESPN+ |
| 4:00 | UT Martin (3-4/230) at W Illinois (3-4/217) | BSOV | NL | WILL | — | ESPN+ |
| 5:00 | Louisiana (5-2/51) at Southern Miss (1-5/182) | SUN | LAU -9.5 | LAU | LAU | ESPN+ |
| 5:00 | Old Dominion (2-5/137) at LA Tech (4-2/75) | SUN | LATC -13.5 | LATC | LATC | ESPN+ |
| 5:00 | San Jose St (4-3/87) at Nevada (2-4/108) | MWC | NEV -6.5 | SJST | SJST | MW+ |
| 5:00 | Utah Tech (0-7/264) at Cal Poly (4-4/190) | SKY | CP -17.5 | CP | CP | ESPN+ |
| 5:00 | McNeese (3-4/232) at Incarnate Word (3-4/198) | SLAN | NL | IW | — | ESPN+ |
| 5:00 | S Utah (3-4/186) at Idaho (2-5/229) | SKY | NL | SUT | — | ESPN+ |
| 5:00 | Rio Grande (3-5/201) at C Arkansas (2-5/240) | SLAN/UAC | CARK -3.5 | RG | RG | ESPN+ |
| 6:00 | Boise St (5-1/31) at Washington St (1-6/172) | PAC | BOIS -14.5 | BOIS | BOIS | USA |
| 6:00 | SELA (4-3/170) at Steph F Austin (7-0/102) | SLAN | NL | SFA | — | ESPN+ |
| 6:00 | Portland St (2-5/258) at Idaho St (4-3/126) | SKY | IDST -14.5 | IDST | IDST | ESPN+ |
| 6:30 | San Diego St (3-4/121) at Colorado St (2-4/135) | PAC | SDST -1.5 | SDST | COST | The CW |
| 7:00 | Georgia St (4-2/62) at Arkansas St (3-4/118) | SUN | GAST -2.5 | GAST | GAST | ESPN+ |
| 7:00 | Colorado (2-4/106) at Oklahoma St (4-2/28) | B12 | OKST -13.5 | OKST | OKST | Fox Sports 1 |
| 7:00 | Virginia Tech (5-2/36) at Clemson (4-2/45) | ACC | CLEM -2.5 | VT | VT | ESPN |
| 7:00 | N Colorado (3-5/191) at UC Davis (4-3/194) | SKY | UCD -9.5 | NCOL | NCOL | ESPN+ |
| 7:00 | Prairie View (3-5/224) at East Texas (2-5/219) | SWAC/SLAN | ETEX -3.5 | ETEX | ETEX | ESPN+ |
| 7:00 | Austin Peay (6-2/132) at North Alabama (4-3/179) | UAC | NL | AP | — | ESPN+ |
| 7:30 | Vanderbilt (3-4/96) at Kentucky (6-1/20) | SEC | KENY -10.5 | KENY | KENY | SEC Network |
| 7:30 | Syracuse (2-4/101) at North Carolina (4-2/39) | ACC | NCAR -9.5 | NCAR | NCAR | ACC Network |
| 7:30 | Mississippi (5-1/10) at Texas (4-2/25) | SEC | TEX -3.5 | MISS | MISS | ABC |
| 7:30 | Iowa St (3-3/57) at Arizona (5-1/14) | B12 | ARIZ -10.5 | ARIZ | ARIZ | ESPN2 |
| 7:30 | Southern Cal (6-1/18) at Wisconsin (4-2/33) | B10 | SCAL -2.5 | SCAL | SCAL | NBC |
| 7:30 | Utah St (2-4/123) at Texas St (3-3/92) | PAC | TXST -14.5 | TXST | TXST | CBS Sports |
| 8:00 | UTSA (6-1/52) at Tulane (3-3/89) | AAC | UTSA -2.5 | UTSA | UTSA | ESPNU |
| 10:00 | North Dakota St (6-1/29) at New Mexico (5-1/32) | MWC | NMEX -5.5 | NMEX | NDST | The CW |
| 10:15 | Houston (6-1/13) at Utah (6-0/7) | B12 | UTAH -6.5 | UTAH | UTAH | ESPN |
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That’s it for today. Tune in tomorrow for the Week 8 Top 266. Until then, thank you for reading, commenting, and sharing with others, JoJo and G.
