October is college football’s “Moving Month,” with teams like U.Va. and Maryland hoping to get in position for a run to the postseason.

October is college football’s “Moving Month.”

We’ve had a chance to see who’s good (Ohio State is No. 1 again), who’s bad (Clemson is an uncharacteristic 1-3) and who’s ugly (0-4 UCLA). Over the next four Saturdays, we will see separation, as the contenders move past the pretenders and get into position for November runs to glory — and potentially playoff berths.

Maryland and Navy enter October with 4-0 marks, while Virginia and James Madison — along with, believe it or not, Virginia Tech — are also unbeaten in conference play. The ability to sustain a strong September is no easy feat: see the Terps, who, since the COVID season, are 19-2 in games through Sept. 30 and 12-22 on Oct. 1 and beyond.

This week’s most intriguing national games are No. 3 Miami visiting No. 18 Florida State and No. 10 Alabama hosting No. 16 Vanderbilt. For fans of a certain age, Hurricanes-Seminoles was one of the signature games of the season, even though these two rivals weren’t technically conference foes until 2004 (even though as independents they met regularly).

FSU’s upset loss at Virginia robbed this year’s showdown from being a top 10 battle, but this still carries ACC and playoff ramifications. Meanwhile, we get what has been a mismatch for years in Tuscaloosa as the blue-blooded Crimson Tide meets the nouveau-riche Commodores, long a laughingstock in the league (they’ve had four winless SEC seasons since their last winning conference mark in 2012).

But Vandy has one dandy of a quarterback in Diego Pavia, who’s hitting 75% of his passes for 13 touchdowns this fall while also leading the team in rushing. And Pavia threw for 252 yards and two scores last October in an upset over then-No. 1 Alabama.

Can he lead the Commodores to a win once again against the Tide?

Saturday’s games

Navy (4-0) vs. Air Force (1-3), noon, CBS

I have always maintained this is a sneaky-good matchup, with the two service academies squaring off at a campus site instead of an NFL stadium. The Midshipmen won last year’s meeting to snap a four-game losing streak to the Falcons and are looking for their first winning streak in the series since 2013.

Air Force ended September with three straight losses, allowing an average of 47 points to Mountain West Conference foes Utah State, Boise State and Hawaii. They do have sophomore quarterback Liam Szarka, who in his first season as a starter is completing 67% of his passes while rushing for 74 yards per game. He’s kind of like a Blake Horvath in the making, while the Mids have the finished product who’s fresh from tallying 282 total yards against Rice.

Presto’s pick: Mids finish the Falcons early, prevailing 34-12.

Virginia Tech (2-3, 1-0 ACC) vs. Wake Forest (2-2, 0-2), 1 p.m., CW

Both teams are coming off nail-biters, as the Hokies enjoyed the thrill of a 23-21 victory at NC State while the Demon Deacons dealt with the agony of defeat in a 30-29 overtime loss at home to No. 16 Georgia Tech.

This will be Wake’s first road game of the season, but the Demon Deacons went 3-2 away from Winston-Salem last year. The question facing the Hokies: will Kyron Drones repeat the turnover-free outing he delivered in Raleigh?

Both offenses rely on the run, with Wake’s Demond Claiborne and his 8 yards per carry warranting the attention of a Hokies defense that held the ACC’s top ballcarrier Hollywood Smothers in check last week (67 yards on 16 attempts).

The home team has won the last four meetings dating back to 2014, which was the infamous 6-3 double-overtime Demon Deacons win, during which neither team scored in regulation. That’s a game that gives me indigestion to this day.

Presto’s pick: Hokies enjoy a little home cooking in a 27-14 win.

Maryland (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) vs. Washington (3-1, 0-1), 3:30 p.m., BTN

The first number we see this week is that the Terps are 0-9 coming off their bye week under head coach Mike Locksley. Since the COVID season of 2020, the Terps are 0-5 with four of those losses coming on the road (including last November’s defeat at No. 1 Oregon).

The second number we see is the two sacks allowed by the Terps, one of the lowest totals in the FBS. Credit an offensive line revamped in the offseason as well as a freshman quarterback in Malik Washington who’s made minimal mistakes and hasn’t held the ball too long.

The Huskies fell to No. 1 Ohio State last Saturday but still lead the Big Ten, and are fifth nationally, in converting third downs. The Terps defense will have its hands full with running back Jonah Coleman, who has already scored 10 touchdowns this fall and averages 6.5 yards per carry while netting 16 yards per catch.

Presto’s pick: Terrapins triumph, 31-24.

No. 24 Virginia (4-1, 2-0 ACC) at Louisville (4-0, 1-0), 3:30 p.m., ESPN2

They’re still cleaning up at Scott Stadium after the Cavaliers shocked then-No. 8 Florida State last Friday, and Presto’s Picks wishes a smooth recovery for the 19 people needing medical attention after the field was stormed in a postgame celebration.

The Cardinals almost suffered their first loss last weekend, before rallying from 17 points down to squeak past Pitt. Chandler Morris and the high-flying offense (fifth in the nation in total yards and second in the ACC in scoring) faces its biggest challenge of the season, as Louisville leads the conference in stopping the pass.

Morris will want to keep an eye out for linebackers Antonio Watts and TJ Quinn, who each have a pair of interceptions in the young season. Virginia has lost the last three games in this series, but is getting closer with a four-point loss in 2024 after slipping by seven two years ago.

Kippy and Buffy are getting closer to having to pack sweaters for their tailgates, and they reach the halfway point of the season by pouring a 2023 Turley Estate Petite Syrah.

“This deep, concentrated version opens with notes of black tea and Mission fig, revealing a well-defined and structured core of blackberry and roasted plum,” writes Wine Spectator. “Baking spice details folding in around firm tannins.”

Break out the pizza rolls and marinated olives.

Presto’s pick: Cavaliers come up short, 34-20.

James Madison (3-1, 1-0 Sun Belt) at Georgia State (1-3), 3:30 p.m., ESPN+

The Panthers had a necessary week off after allowing 70 points to Vanderbilt, the most points posted by the Commodores since the final days of World War I (two days before the Armistice).

The Dukes have dominated this series since the move to FBS, averaging 41 points per game in their meetings. And while they return a starter in quarterback Alonza Barnett III, it’s JMU’s defense that has set the tone this fall by allowing the third fewest yards per game in FBS while ranking fourth nationally in stopping the pass.

They’ll focus on limiting the Panthers top threat Ted Hurst, who averages over six catches per game.

Presto’s pick: Dukes dominate defensively, 31-6.

Richmond falls at Bucknell, Georgetown beats Morgan State, Towson tumbles to Elon, William & Mary tops NC A&T.

Last week: 7-2.
Overall: 34-12.

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