Week Two of each college football season usually produces a lot of "cash games", where Group of Five teams are either the fiscal beneficiary (playing Power Fives), or they are actually the ones paying out to FCS programs.
So the matchups aren't always the strongest. Yet sometimes there are some cross-continental monster matchups.
Let's take a good look at the G5's top games this weekend, with staff picks:
THE TOP FIVE GAMES
NOTE: All game times are Eastern.
No. 1: Ole Miss at Tulane, 3:30 p.m., — Tulane playing host to a mid-range SEC team just oozes upset alert alarms everywhere. This matchup could be a big one for the Green Wave after their dream season of 2022 and their big opening win over a very strong South Alabama team.
No. 2: Texas State at UTSA, 3:30 p.m., — It's in-state, it has a Sun Belt team that knocked off a Power Five (Texas State over Baylor), and a UTSA team that is expected to do big things in the AAC. Stay tuned.
No. 3: James Madison at Virginia, 12 p.m., — Amazingly, these two in-state foes haven't faced off in decades, but that could have more to do with UVA's reluctance than anything else.
No. 4: Ohio at Florida Atlantic, 6 p.m., — One of the MAC's top teams in Ohio U. traveling to one of the AAC's top teams in Florida Atlantic. This is one of those key cross-sectional games that will tell us a lot.
No. 5: UCF at Boise State, 7 p.m., — UCF may be in the Power Five ranks this year, but we're not so sure it is ready for the blue turf of Boise State just yet.
THE NEXT FIVE
| Louisiana at Old Dominion | 6:00 PM | ESPN+ |
| Marshall at East Carolina | 4:00 PM | ESPNU |
| Troy at Kansas State | 12:00 PM | FS1 |
| UAB at Georgia Southern | 6:00 PM | ESPN+ |
| Miami (Ohio) at UMass | 3:30 PM | ESPN+ |
NOTE: All games Saturday unless noted.
Boise State looks strong this fall, and offensive lineman Cade Beresford is one reason (PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images)
THE FANBUZZ STAFF PICKS
LAST WEEK'S WINNER: Jay Moffitt was a near perfect 9-1, missing only the Fresno State-Purdue game when he picked Purdue.
THE COMPETITORS: BMAC - G5 Editor Brian McLaughlin (all conferences); Jamie Malloy (MAC); Julie Miller (AAC & C-USA); Jay Moffitt (AAC & C-USA); NACH - Anthony Nachreiner (Mtn. West); Jordan Ramos (MAC); Taylor Tilley (Sun Belt)
| MATCHUP | BMAC | JAMIE | JULIE | JAY | NACH | JORDAN | TAYLOR |
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| Ole Miss at Tulane | Miss | Tul | Tul | Tul | Tul | Tul | Miss |
| Texas State at UTSA | UTSA | UTSA | UTSA | UTSA | UTSA | TexSt | UTSA |
| JMU at Virginia | JMU | UVA | UVA | JMU | JMU | JMU | JMU |
| Ohio at FAU | FAU | FAU | Ohio | Ohio | FAU | FAU | FAU |
| UCF at Boise State | Boise | Boise | Boise | Boise | UCF | Boise | UCF |
| Louisiana at ODU (*) | Lou | ODU | ODU | Lou | Lou | Lou | ODU |
| Marshall at ECU | Mar | ECU | ECU | ECU | ECU | Mar | Mar |
| Troy at Kansas State | KSt | KSt | KSt | KSt | KSt | KSt | KSt |
| UAB at Georgia South. | GaSo | GaSo | GaSo | UAB | UAB | GaSo | GaSo |
| Miami-OH at UMass | Mia-O | Mia-O | Mia-O | Mia-O | Mia-O | Mia-O | Mia-O |
| LAST WEEK | 6-4 | 6-4 | 7-3 | 9-1 | 6-4 | 4-6 | 8-2 |
| OVERALL | 11-6 | 10-7 | 11-6 | 14-3 | 10-7 | 9-8 | 13-4 |
(*) - Denotes conference matchup
