Ole Miss and SMU are the only ranked teams favored by less than 10 points this weekend. The average line for matchups involving top-25 teams is 32 points, a product of fewer teams scheduling marquee nonconference games in the playoff era. For much of the preseason Top 25, this weekend's slate is less about survival and more about checking boxes.
That makes the scoreboard only part of the story. When the hard-driven narratives -- upset bids, playoff implications and statement wins -- are largely off the table, the details become the attraction. How quickly do new quarterbacks settle in?
Which position groups look ready for the real tests ahead? Can a contender's depth live up to the hype? And perhaps most importantly, does a team look like the version its ranking suggests?
These games may resemble glorified practices, but there are still plenty of reasons to watch. Here are a few must-check boxes for those ranked teams playing overmatched foes. Teams this involves: No. 4 Notre Dame (vs.
Wisconsin), No. 7 Miami (at Stanford), No. 8 Texas A&M (vs. Missouri State), No. 13 Alabama (vs. Idaho), No. 23 Houston (vs.
Oregon State), No. 25 Missouri (vs. Arkansas Pine Bluff) Two of us at CBS Sports have picked Notre Dame to win the national championship this season. After last season's slow start, a strong performance as a 20.5-point favorite against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field is vital.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
