Most intriguing games amid 55 consecutive days of football

Typically, November is when fans can expect to watch the most football with the MAC and Sun Belt conferences playing midweek games. 

Now that Conference USA has signed a new deal, fans will be treated to even more football throughout the weeks to come. 

“As part of a new deal with ESPN and CBS Sports Network, the league (Conference USA) will play on Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout October,” Yahoo! Sports’ Nick Bromberg  noted. “The final four Tuesdays and Wednesdays in October will feature at least one Conference USA game before the MAC begins playing on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in November.”

With so much football in store over the next two months, there are some games that stand out above the rest. 

Starting this week on the NFL Week 5 slate, the Bills travel to Houston to take on the Texans and former teammate Stefon Diggs. Both teams come in with a 3-1 record, so a win could go a long way for two teams expected to be Super Bowl contenders.

The Cowboys and Steelers will play on Sunday night, the first prime time matchup between the two storied franchises since 1982. 

The AFC East has been all over the place up to this point with Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa suffering another concussion and the inconsistent play from the Jets. The Week 6 “Monday Night Football” game between the Bills and Jets could provide some more clarity in the division.

Despite some injuries to star players, the Chiefs and 49ers meet in a Super Bowl LVIII rematch on Oct. 20.

Week 11 also provides some potential intrigue as the Commanders travel to face the division-rival Eagles and the Cowboys host the Texans. Depending on where teams stand at this point, both matchups could have added importance.

Turning to the college gridiron, Week 7 gives us two new-look conference showdowns as No. 3 Ohio State visits sixth-ranked Oregon and the seventh-ranked Nittany Lions of Penn State go out west to face No. 11 USC. Elsewhere, the Red River Rivalry between the second-ranked Longhorns of Texas and No. 19 Oklahoma comes to the SEC for the first time.

On Oct. 19, No .1 Alabama visits Knoxville to take on No. 4 Tennessee while the fifth-ranked Bulldogs of Georgia visit Austin to battle No. 2 Texas in a highly anticipated meeting between the two new conference foes. 

While it may not look like a huge matchup on paper, No. 21 Boise State takes on No. 25 UNLV on Oct. 25. The Broncos have a Heisman contender in running back Ashton Jeanty while UNLV currently sits at 4-0 despite QB Matthew Sluka leaving the team after Week 3. With the new-look College Football Playoff debuting this season, this matchup could be a determining factor in who represents the Group of Five.

The Nov. 2 showdown between Ohio State and Penn State could have a massive influence on who makes the College Football Playoff as well, not to mention its impact on the Big Ten title race. If these two programs are still in contention at that point in the season as they are expected to be, a victory would set the winning team up for a potential playoff run, while the loser may be at the mercy of other teams and the CFP committee.

Get ready for an action-packed 55 consecutive days of football.