As the season continues to roll on, the excitement around college football continues to build. The schedule this week features some incredible rivalries and massive contests. That includes the Power Four conferences, but as always, the purpose of this blog is to highlight some of the best games outside of the Power Conferences. Let’s dive into some of the best games from around the country.
Georgia State at James Madison
How to Watch: Saturday, October 17th – 11:00 a.m. CT on ESPNU
Why You Should Watch: Georgia State is the only team in the Sun Belt East besides James Madison that doesn’t have a conference loss. In fact, the only loss on the season for Georgia State came against P4 Central Florida. Meanwhile, James Madison is undefeated on the season and looking to make back-to-back playoff appearances. This Georgia State team is hoping to play spoiler in what has been a fantastic start to the season. Let’s see if James Madison can remain perfect.
Western Michigan at Central Michigan
It’s a great day for football.#FireUpChips pic.twitter.com/ZDBmUncEPm
— Central Michigan Football (@CMU_Football) October 17, 2026
How to Watch: Saturday, October 17th – 12:30 p.m. CT on ESPN+
Why You Should Watch: We love a rivalry matchup, and Western Michigan and Central Michigan have been playing each other for over 100 years. When the two squads meet for the Victory Cannon today, Central will be hoping to upset the Broncos and spoil their hopes for a second straight MAC title. Western is the clear favorite in this one, but anything can happen in these rivalry matchups.
South Dakota State at North Dakota
How to Watch: Saturday, October 17th – 1:00 p.m. CT on ESPN+
Why You Should Watch: This is the most anticipated FCS game of the week as the #1 Jackrabbits head to #11 North Dakota. As always, the Missouri Valley Football Conference is full of great teams and potential title contenders. It seems like South Dakota State is the new top dog in town after North Dakota State moved to the FBS level. North Dakota hopes to prove that isn’t the case. The Fighting Hawks have two losses on the season – one to Big Ten Nebraska and one to #19 Northern Iowa. This is a good squad with home-field advantage, meaning SDSU is in for a fight.
Toledo at Eastern Michigan
It's GAMEDAY!!!
— Eastern Michigan Football (@EMUFB) October 17, 2026
📺 https://t.co/VGFnxrcrca
📻 https://t.co/bll9JFwcgY
📊 https://t.co/OmWQRPsTTK#TheFactory ⛓️ #ETOUGH pic.twitter.com/JHKlV1yOp0
How to Watch: Saturday, October 17th – 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN+
Why You Should Watch: Depending on who you ask, Eastern Michigan and Toledo might also qualify as a rivalry. EMU has gotten off to a roaring start in MAC play as they come into the showdown with the Rockets at 3-0 in conference play. Toledo comes into this one after a bit of a surprising loss to Buffalo, giving them a blemish on their conference record. Toledo is favored here, but I really like the way Eastern Michigan has looked so far in conference. This should be a fun one.
Troy at Louisiana Lafayette
How to Watch: Saturday, October 17th – 4:00 p.m. CT on ESPN+
Why You Should Watch: It feels like when considering the Sun Belt West, Troy and ULL are always the two teams at the top of everyone’s board. That equation may have shifted with Louisiana Tech getting the win over Louisiana Lafayette, but this game still holds a ton of significance as the Ragin’ Cajuns hope to keep conference title hopes alive. A win here keeps ULL in the race. A loss likely ends their hopes of making the conference championship. That makes this game must-watch.
What under-the-radar games are you most excited about for Week Seven? We’d love to hear from you.
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