“It’s a trap!”
For the fourth consecutive year, Sporting News is honoring Admiral Ackbar from “Star Wars” with a look at the biggest trap games — this time, for our preseason top 25 teams.
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So, what’s a trap? A trap game could be a sandwich game, an untimely visit to unfriendly confines or a simple spoiler that comes at the worst time. Trap games can be sprung at any time — even if we're always looking for them.
With that in mind, SN has an eye on some trap games for the 2019 season. These tops 25 should be on the lookout.
25. Nebraska: at Colorado (Sept. 7)
There’s a temptation to put Indiana (Oct. 26) on here given its place among the multiple Big Ten West showdowns, but we went with the road trip to old Big Eight rival Colorado and first-year coach Mel Tucker. The Buffs spoiled Scott Frost’s debut in a 33-28 shootout last season, and expectations for the Huskers are even higher in Year 2. They can’t look ahead to the end-of-the-month showdown with Ohio State.
24. Northwestern: vs. Michigan State (Sept. 21)
The Wildcats have key Big Ten West showdowns at Wisconsin and Nebraska after a showdown with the Spartans. Northwestern has won the last three meetings with the Spartans and averaged 40.7 points per game in those contests, but the Spartans are never an easy out.
23. Iowa State: at Texas Tech (Oct. 19)
The Cyclones have their big showdowns with Texas and Oklahoma in November, but the October stretch is full of tough matchups with TCU, West Virginia and Oklahoma State. The trip to Lubbock is crammed in that stretch. Matt Campbell’s Cyclones have three straight wins over the Red Raiders, but this will be their first matchup against first-year coach Matt Wells.
22. UCF: at Pitt (Sept. 21)
The Knights have had enough success to earn this Power 5 trap game. UCF faces Pitt — a team it beat 45-14 last season — after facing Stanford. Win against the Cardinal, and the Knights must prove they can do it again. Lose, and the pressure’s on to show they belong on the same level as Power 5 opponents. It won’t be nearly as easy in 2019 at the always-treacherous Heinz Field.
21. Wisconsin: vs. Purdue (Nov. 23)
We almost put the opener at South Florida here, but the Badgers should be able to survive that Friday night showdown in Tampa. Instead, we went with Purdue, which is between road games at Nebraska and Minnesota and late enough in the schedule that it will be tight. Wisconsin won the last two meetings 17-9 and 47-44.
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20. Stanford: vs. UCLA (Oct. 17)
The first half of the schedule is filled with so many tough games that the Cardinal won't have much room for error in the second half. Oregon State in late September will be the one to watch, but we think the Cardinal pass that test. After a bye week, however, a Thursday night game against UCLA could be tougher than it looks. Stanford beat the Bruins in a 49-42 shootout last season, and the contrast in styles could lead to another one of those nail-biters.
19. Syracuse: at Maryland (Sept. 7)
The Orange have high hopes in the ACC and are SN’s pick to make the Orange Bowl this season. Of course, that means not looking past a Sept. 7 trip to Maryland for the early-season showdown with Clemson. The Terps swept a home-and-home with Texas in 2016-17 and could derail Syracuse’s high hopes early.
18. Washington State: vs. Houston (Sept. 13)
Mike Leach will be back in Texas with a new quarterback, and Dana Holgorsen will be on the other sideline with an experienced playmaker in D’Eriq King. This could be the most thrilling game in September, but Houston is in its backyard. First one to 50 — 60, maybe? — wins.
17. Army: at Hawaii (Dec. 1)
The Black Knights have their big date in the Big House with Michigan on Sept. 7, but they will get their trap game almost two months later. A trip to Hawaii comes after a bye week and two weeks before the season-ending showdown with Navy. Army is 0-2 when making that long trip to Hawaii.
16. Auburn: vs. Mississippi State (Sept. 28)
Auburn’s schedule doesn’t leave room for many traps because it’s flat-out difficult, from the opener against Oregon to the Iron Bowl against Alabama. But this game against the Bulldogs is tucked between road trips at Texas A&M and Florida. Mississippi State beat Auburn 23-9 last season and has won three of the last five in the series.
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15. Mississippi State: at Arkansas (Nov. 2)
The Bulldogs head into Fayetteville after a three-week stretch at Tennessee, vs. LSU and at Texas A&M. It'd be easy to let their guard down against an Arkansas team that went 0-8 in SEC play last year, especially considering the Bulldogs have a bye right after, with games against Alabama and Ole Miss on the horizon. It's on Joe Moorhead to keep his team focused on what should be an improved Razorbacks team.
14. Washington: at BYU (Sept. 21)
Washington has big games against USC and Stanford the next two weeks, but not before a trip to Provo to face a Cougars team with up-and-coming star quarterback Zach Wilson. Washington cruised in a 35-7 victory against BYU last season. Wisconsin found out last year how tough the playback game can be in September.
13. Oregon: at USC (Nov. 2)
This could be the Trojans’ all-in game against the Ducks, who play Washington and Washington State in key Pac-12 North contests the two weeks before that. Oregon is 3-3 in their last six visits to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. This is a game that should bring out the best in USC no matter where their season stands.
12. Penn State: at Minnesota (Nov. 9)
Pitt and Iowa are also good choices considering their spot on the schedule, but this feels like a risky game for the Nittany Lions knowing Michigan, Michigan State and a bye week will be in the rearview heading into this one. P.J. Fleck and James Franklin haven’t coached against each other in the Big Ten yet either.
11. Texas A&M: vs. Arkansas (Sept. 28)
The Aggies have a long first month of the season where they travel to Clemson and host Auburn. The last week of the month features Arkansas, which should be improved enough in Year 2 under Chad Morris to make it interesting. Texas A&M can’t afford to look ahead to the bye week, which will be used to get ready for Alabama.
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10. Notre Dame: vs. Virginia (Sept. 28)
The Irish will be in Athens for a huge showdown with Georgia on Sept. 21, and a steadily improving Virginia team with hopes for a ACC Coastal Division title will visit South Bend the following week. The Cavs have never played at Notre Dame Stadium, and some teams play over their head when they do. Notre Dame has to be careful here.
9. Michigan: at Indiana (Nov. 23)
It’s the classic trap game before Ohio State that the Wolverines need to be wary of. Army and Wisconsin are tough games in September, and the schedule has so many pivotal matchups there aren’t many breaks for the Wolverines. Indiana can’t be considered an easy game knowing the last two matchups in Bloomington went to overtime.
8. Florida: vs. Vanderbilt (Nov. 9)
The Gators play Georgia on Nov. 2. Win or lose, that sets up the visit from Vandy as a natural emotional letdown game. Only, emotions were high in the 37-27 win against the Commodores last season. Vanderbilt will be in full spoiler mode here. Florida has lost the last three years the week after Georgia. The last win? A 9-7 victory against Vandy in 2015.
7. LSU: vs. Utah State (Oct. 5)
LSU lost to Troy in 2017 and messed around in the first half with Louisiana Tech last season. The Tigers don’t have an SEC matchup that stands out as a trap game, but they will be up against one of the nation’s most efficient passers in Jordan Love when the Aggies visit Tiger Stadium after a Tigers bye week. Love nearly led the Aggies to an upset at Michigan State last season. LSU faces Florida the following week.
6. Texas: at Baylor (Nov. 23)
Let’s say Texas clears all those hurdles in September and October and is the frontrunner for a Big 12 championship game spot. The Longhorns play at Iowa State on Nov. 16, a known spot for upsets. The following week at Baylor could be even more challenging. The Longhorns have won the last four meetings, but three of those victories were by six points or fewer.
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5. Ohio State: at Nebraska (Sept. 28)
The Buckeyes will know what they are going into — because there’s an excellent chance, if the Huskers are undefeated, that ESPN College GameDay will be on hand in Lincoln for this one. It’s a big test for second-year coach Scott Frost, and an even bigger spot for first-year coach Ryan Day. Cincinnati will be a tough game too, but this is the one that Ohio State must wiggle out from.
4. Oklahoma: at Kansas State (Oct. 26)
The Kansas game is the week before Texas on Oct. 5, but the trip to Manhattan three weeks later will be more difficult knowing the Sooners will have just faced Texas and West Virginia in consecutive weeks and will be looking at the bye. This will be the kitchen sink game for first-year coach Chris Klieman.
3. Georgia: vs. Missouri (Nov. 9)
It’s always Missouri, isn’t it? It’s more a matter of where the Tigers fall in the schedule. This year, they visit between Georgia’s big games against Florida and Auburn — right before season-ending matchups against Texas A&M and Georgia Tech. Kelly Bryant will make Mizzou dangerous, and he’ll be comfortable in the offense by then. The Bulldogs can’t lose focus here.
2. Clemson: at Syracuse (Sept. 14)
Is this a trap game, or the toughest game on the Tigers’ ACC schedule? It’s a little of both. Clemson will be coming off the Texas A&M game. Syracuse has split the last two meetings with the Tigers, winning the last time they played in the Carrier Dome. We could have gone with N.C. State here, but Syracuse is the more important game this season.
1. Alabama: at South Carolina (Sept. 14)
This is the only road venue in the SEC where Saban hasn’t won with Alabama — but that’s mostly because the Tide have played there once. Just say Stephen Garcia and let Gamecocks’ fans do the rest. It’s going to be hot, it’s early in the season, this will be Alabama’s first road game and the Crimson Tide have a bunch of new assistant coaches. It’s either here or at Mississippi State on Nov. 16. We’ll stick with South Carolina here.
