Real Kato Blog: College Football 2016: Week 8 Preview

Michigan plays Illinois; NCSU plays Louisville.

Michigan vs Illinois, 3:30 PM BTN
Illinois is not very good. They did beat Rutgers last week, but they're probably going to start a third-string quarterback this week, and on defense the backfield looks extremely vulnerable to giving up big plays. This might not be a 78-0 blowout, and Illinois might even pop out a surprise score or two, but I can't see this game remaining close.

Prediction: Michigan 51, Illinois 3.

NC State at #7 Louisville, 12:00 PM ABC
NCSU's narrow loss at Clemson got everyone's attention. NCSU is significantly better than people thought, and is probably still being underrated as a 20-point underdog. Louisville has looked frighteningly good sometimes, but they're no more invincible than Clemson is.

But something I haven't seen from the Wolfpack recently is the ability to finish big games. The defense seems to wear down, and mental mistakes kill the offense. (13 penalties for 120 yards last week... yikes.) I need to see the team maintain their intensity and energy for a full game before I can predict big upsets.

Prediction: Louisville 30, NCSU 24.

Games to Watch on TV
At noon, the NCSU-Louisville game is on ABC. #10 Wisconsin plays at Iowa on ESPN, and if both teams play to form, Wisconsin should win easily. Indiana is at Northwestern on BTN in a battle for bowl relevancy.

At 3:00 PM, Colorado plays at Stanford on the Pac-12 network, in an important conference game.

At 3:30 PM, Michigan plays Illinois on BTN. The Game of the Week is #1 Alabama at home against #6 Texas A&M. Everyone is hoping the Aggies can show us that Alabama is mortal. #20 Western Michigan is playing a surprisingly good Eastern Michigan team on ESPN3 online.

At 4:00 PM, #19 Utah is at UCLA on Fox.

At 6:00 PM, #17 Arkansas is at #21 Auburn on ESPN.

At 8:00 PM, #2 Ohio State plays at Penn State on ABC. Penn State has improved and might keep it competitive... for a half.

At 9:00 PM, #23 Mississippi plays at #25 LSU on ESPN.

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