COLLEGE FOOTBALL MATCHUPS

Before kicking off the usual interesting college football weekend, got to get the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State advance news posted.

The Lobos play Friday at UNLV and is a 17-point underdog. Saturday, the Aggies are home to Florida International and favored by 17 points.

Pity poor Rutgers, which got away to a 2-0 start and now plays at 3rd-ranked Ohio State Saturday as a 41-point underdog, the biggest of the weekend.

Then there’s No. 1 Georgia picked by 29 against visiting Missouri, No. 2 Alabama surprisingly favored by a whooping 18 points at No. 20 Arkansas, No. 4 Michigan only five points better on the road at Iowa, No. 5 Clemson an 8-point pick at No. 10 Arkansas, and No. 9 Oklahoma State a 2-point underdog at No. 16 Baylor.

Can’t forget No. 6 Southern California a 20-point choice over visiting Arizona State, No. 7 Kentucky a 2-point underdog at No. 4 Mississippi, and No. 8 Tennessee has a bye weekend and plays next on Oct. 8 at LSU.

That covers nine undefeated teams, with the rest being North Carolina State a 4-point underdog at Clemson, No. 11 Penn State a huge 25-point pick over visiting Northwestern, No. 21 Minnesota over visiting Purdue by 8 points, No. 23 Florida State at home and favored by only 2 points over Wake Forest.

And No. 18 Oklahoma, which comes off yet another loss to nemesis Kansas State, has a tough go at unranked, undefeated TCU. And at Georgia Tech after its head coach Geoff Collins and its athletic director were fired last week, plays host to No. 24 Pittsburgh as a 21-point underdog. And in another close one between unranked Duke at home and unranked Virgina, the Blue Devils are a tight 3-point favorite.

Friday night, it’s No. 15 Washington picked by five at unranked UCLA, unranked Houston a 3-point choice home game versus unranked Tulane, and up at unranked Boise State, it’s favored by six over unranked San Diego State.

The top anticipated matchups have to be Michigan at Iowa, N.C. at Clemson, Kentucky at Ole Miss, Oklahoma State at Baylor, Oklahoma at TCU, and Wake Forest at FSU.

And there will be the usual surprises that could include any of the 16 undefeated teams.

And the daily New Mexican has a good one sending No, 25 Kansas State against Kansas State and no doubt it won’t happen.