College football’s calendar in 2024 delivers 14 weeks instead of 13 between the Labor Day and Thanksgiving weekends, meaning schools will have two bye weeks instead of one.

This week Navy and Virginia Tech — who takes its bye before a Thursday night game like NFL teams should — are off while Maryland and James Madison play weekday night games, giving us a sparsely populated local Saturday. And that’s a good thing because there are more than enough major matchups that warrant our complete attention.

While the best showdown technically might be the evening affair between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Oregon, the biggest game, as is often the case on the second Saturday of October, is Texas vs. Oklahoma. The top-ranked Longhorns face the one-loss Sooners under the SEC banner for the first time, but the intense rivalry has survived multiple conference changes for both schools. And once again this game will have conference as well as national implications.

But for many, this showdown will be merely a side dish as the Texas State Fair is in full swing, and as a public service to our readers we touch upon the award-winning foods once again this fall. All descriptions are courtesy of the State Fair of Texas’ Big Tex Choice Awards, and once again it’s kind of understood that each of these items is fried, deep fried or double-deep fried.

As the team with the higher ranking that has lost five times over the last 11 years, we recognize that “every dog has its day.” So, we kick off with the Dominican Fritura Dog. “This savory dish brings an explosion of flavor that starts with fritura cheese and Dominican salami. Split open and topped with garlic plantain chips, top-secret Dominican sauce, and cilantro.”

For those looking for a “lighter salad-like item” there’s The Drowning Taquitos.

“Served in a cup, these fresh, hand-rolled corn tortillas are stuffed with tender shredded chicken and then deep-fried to perfection. To further encapsulate the savory flavor, the taquitos are then ‘drowned’ with a tangy cream sauce, jalapeño, guacamole salsa, shredded lettuce, avocado, tomatillo, pico, and Cotija cheese.” See, I told you there was lettuce in the equation!

Finally, for those looking for something appropriate for breakfast, lunch or dinner there’s the Hot Chick-in Pancake Poppers. “Authentic Nashville hot chicken and pimento cheese are rolled into a ball, dunked into pancake batter, and fried to a golden brown, then topped with a drizzle of Sriracha honey and a sprinkle of Nashville hot powdered sugar.”

What else do you need? Outside of TUMS …

Thursday’s Game

James Madison (4-1, 0-1 Sun Belt) vs Coastal Carolina (4-1, 1-0), 7:30 p.m., ESPN2

There’s a saying you can’t let a team beat you two weeks in a row, and JMU must put the sting of its two-point defeat at UL Monroe out of its system two days earlier than normal with a Thursday night game. These two teams have previously played in late November, and the games haven’t been close with the Dukes winning 47-7 in 2022 and 56-14 last year.

But the Chanticleers have the hot hand in quarterback Ethan Vasko, who’s coming off a career-high 367 yards passing in a win over Old Dominion. But he’s no Alonza Barnett III, who hasn’t thrown an interception since August. The key matchup pits the JMU pass rush (third in the SBC with 13 sacks) against a Coastal offensive line that’s allowed three sacks (fewest in the conference).

Presto’s Pick: Dukes rebound with a 31-17 win.

Friday’s Game

Maryland (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten) vs Northwestern (2-3, 0-2), 8 p.m., FOX

Both teams enter this game off losses to unbeaten Indiana after being close at the half, with the Terps having to spend their bye week stewing in their defeat at the Hoosiers. The Wildcats have won three of four games in this series, and for a dose of déjà vu they upset Maryland last season when the Terps were coming off their bye week. Offensively they’ve yet to hit their stride, ranking 17th in the Big Ten in scoring thanks to the balance of the 15th best ground game and 15th best passing attack.

Northwestern’s defense allows over 250 yards passing per game, but Maryland wide receivers Kaden Prather and Tai Felton are question marks for the contest. Coach Mike Locksley mentioned this week that they’ve had issues in the “middle eight,” in effect the final possessions of the first half and opening possession of the third quarter. He also cites the big play differential — the lack of explosive plays for the offense and too many allowed by the defense — as what’s holding this team back.

Can the Terps begin the “middle eight” of their schedule with a strong showing?

Presto’s Pick: TGIF stands for “Terrapins Get in Focus” as they win 31-17.

Saturday’s Game: Virginia (4-1, 2-0 ACC) vs Louisville (3-2, 1-1), 3:30 p.m., ACCN

The Cavaliers aren’t holding parades in Charlottesville, but they’ve already won more games this fall than they did in the two previous years under head coach Tony Elliott. The Cardinals have lost two straight after being ranked as high as No. 15, but they still boast the best defense in the ACC on third down (allowing 27% conversions) while U.Va.’s 33.8% offensive efficiency ranks 15th in the conference.

The Cardinals also bring a competent quarterback in sixth-year senior Tyler Shough, who has shown off his arm for two other schools (Oregon and Texas Tech) before landing in the Bluegrass State. Can U.Va. deliver a repeat showing of its defensive gem pitched against Boston College last weekend?

Kippy and Buffy have a long-standing rule not to repeat wine choices during the tailgate season, while also understanding that, despite the movie “Sideways,” a good merlot can go a long way. That’s why they’re going with a bottle of 2021 Decoy Merlot.

“Beautifully lush and expressive, this alluring Merlot draws you in with aromas of black currant, black cherry, boysenberry and sweet baking spices,” the winery website reads. “On the palate, it is plush and polished, with silky tannins carrying the luxurious dark berry, creamy mocha and bittersweet chocolate flavors to a long, supple finish.”

Presto’s Pick: Cavaliers are spun sideways in 28-21 loss.

Last Week: 3-4. The late-season frost arrives early. Season: 34-18.

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