College Football Off Field Matchups- Week 8. Brought to you by the Maxwell Football Club.

1. 7 Penn State at 3 Ohio State at 12:00 on 10/21/23

Penn State opens as underdogs for the first time this season (+4.5) in a massive showdown at 100k+ capacity stadium “The Shoe” against conference rival Ohio State. Both are undefeated and vying for a spot in the College Football Playoffs and a shot at a National Championship, so on the field this is about as big of a matchup as you can get at this stage of the season. Off the field, Penn State is finding support from their fans not just in the stands, but in the form of new NIL partnerships as well. As reported by Nittany Insiders, Andy Grove, a lifelong fan of Penn State, is partnering with Penn State Football through his business Grove Financial and associates. Grove, a longtime club seat owner for the Nittany Lions, said, “I liked the idea that I could mentor a young guy and have them represent our company,” Grove said. “We can use these relationships to impact the charities we work with, to impact our own team by having players talk about teamwork, and then also support Penn State University.” Grove Financial & Associates is a full-service insurance and financial firm serving Central Pennsylvania for over 25 years. On the other hand, The Ohio State University is no stranger to fan support, and a 2022 study by strategy consultant TJ Altimore actually shows that the Buckeyes have the biggest fanbase in all of college football with an estimated 11.26 million fans across the country. This is not surprising, considering the Buckeyes success in the past decade, historical success, and currently are the third largest university in the country for student enrollment with approximately 62k students. Penn State came in 4th on the TJ Altimore study for largest fanbases with an estimated fanbase of 6.36 million. On the field this is one of the biggest games of the season, off the field we’re looking at a matchup of two of the largest and most powerful fanbases in the country. 2.

2. 2 Michigan at Michigan State at 7:30 on 10/21/23

The battle for the state of Michigan and the Paul Bunyon Trophy gets another reiteration this week in one of the fiercest in-state rivalries in the country. Michigan and Michigan State first played each other all the way back in 1898 and have played each other 114 times. On the field, the two programs could not be headed in more opposite directions, with Michigan being ranked number 2 in the country and arguably nobody playing better football then them, while Michigan State is 2-4 amidst a scandal that led to the firing of their Head Coach Mel Tucker mid-season. Still, a rivalry game of this magnitude will always be relevant. Off the field, Harbough’s squad’s team chemistry is off the charts, with QB JJ McCarthy reportedly making sure his offensive line gets paid a portion of his own NIL money. His O-line has returned the favor on the field by making him one of the least sacked QB’s in the country. Not only are Michigan players sharing NIL money, but their Offensive line has made a habit of playing 7on7 games amongst themselves on a regular basis, to the point where their coaches had to set some rules is fear of injuries. The big fellas are running routes, playing QB, etc. on Friday’s during their scheduled 7on7 games, which is typically a drill/game for skill position players, but the line have used it to build chemistry and have fun. Meanwhile in East Lansing, nothing seems to be going right for the Spartans as news broke recently that their official NIL Collective SD4L (Spartan Dawgs 4 Life) are pausing or cancelling nearly all of their NIL deals with athletes, which included 30-35 football players. SD4L has mentioned they have struggled to build their brand and therefore had to restructure their sponsorship and NIL model to stay afloat. Not all NIL stories are sunshine and rainbows as Michigan State is showing. These two programs are trending in opposite directions on the field, and the off-field activity accurately reflects the current trajectory of each program too.

3. 16 Duke at 4 Florida State at 7:30 on 10/21/23

Duke has surprised many this season, starting the year 5-1 after opening the year upsetting Clemson. In this prime ACC matchup, they travel to the cult-like atmosphere of Doak Cambell Stadium in Tallahassee to take on the undefeated Seminoles, who are looking like legitimate national championship contenders again. Both programs will be keeping a close eye on the future of the conference they both play in, the ACC. Florida State is weighing their options and we could see their departure from the conference in the near future, as officials in Tallahassee feel they are not being compensated fairly for the value the FSU brand brings to the conference. Athletic Director Michael Alford has expressed frustration that SEC schools will be receiving $30 million more per year in TV deal money purely because they are in the SEC, while Florida State has arguably a bigger brand and reach then many of those schools. This year may be one of the most important ever for the Florida State football program on the field, because a trip to the CFP could show potential new conference suitors how valuable they are. So far, FSU is living up to the pressure, being undefeated and ranked #4 in the country right now. Duke on the other hand is not in major talks about leaving the conference, but in the current era of conference musical chairs you never know who’s next. The Blue Devils and Seminoles will battle it out amidst an uncertain future in the ACC.