Tropical Storm Ophelia’s approach to the East Coast will mean some of the biggest college football matchups Saturday and a key divisional NFL game Sunday will be played in soggy conditions, but it doesn’t appear that the storm will be a major factor in every city this weekend.
AccuWeather senior meteorologist Adam Douty told The Athletic that Ophelia, which meteorologists expect to strengthen through the day Friday, is expected to make landfall early Saturday morning, but the rain and wind should arrive Friday night, setting the stage for a sloppy day of football.
“Basically, the day on Saturday is probably a washout for a lot of places across the mid-Atlantic and southern New England, and it may even last until Monday,” Douty said. “The one thing about this storm is that the rain is moving out way ahead of the center.”
With college football’s fifth week showcasing all top-25 teams in action and the start of conference play for the Big Ten, Pac-12 and ACC, a weather-affected week has the potential to alter the course of the entire college football season.
Here’s a look at the games where Ophelia could play a factor.
Members of the Duke marching band perform in the rain in 2016. (Photo: Lance King / Getty Images)
No. 18 Duke at UConn, 3:30 p.m. ET
Amid one of their best starts in years, the Blue Devils will play in Connecticut against the 0-2 Huskies on Saturday afternoon. Duke is a heavy favorite and it looks unlikely that Ophelia will play a major factor.
“Three-thirty Saturday is pretty wet. The rain should move in there early in the morning and most of the afternoon is pretty wet,” Douty said. “And breezy as well, it may not be enough to impact the game but it will probably be noticeable to anyone there.”
No. 20 Miami at Temple, 3:30 p.m. ET
When tropical storm systems threaten college football games, the Hurricanes are usually the one playing host. This time, Miami will be traveling to Philadelphia to visit Temple.
The underdog Owls will have the 3-0 Hurricanes as well as persistently wet conditions to battle. Douty said fans and players can expect showers throughout the entire game.
Iowa fans watch their team in the rain during a 2022 game. (Photo: Keith Gillett / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
No. 24 Iowa at No. 7 Penn State, 7:30 p.m. ET
The battle between ranked Big Ten foes will feature Penn State’s big-play offense, Iowa’s feisty zone defense and some “fairly dreary” weather, said Douty.
“It may not be heavy rain, but it’s probably going to be a pretty light to at times moderate rain,” he said. “It could possibly be raining or drizzling throughout the entire game.”
The evening game could get fairly cold for the 100,000-plus Beaver Stadium attendees, especially for fans higher up in the stands, with a low of 52 expected. The breeze may not directly affect play, but “if you’re not in a protected spot you’ll probably feel the wind in your face,” Douty said.
No. 17 North Carolina at Pittsburgh, 8 p.m. ET
While North Carolina may be missing Ophelia’s direct strike back in its home state — Douty said the storm will directly impact areas near Raleigh — the Tar Heels won’t totally escape the weather visiting Pittsburgh.
The western Pennsylvanian city will be on the fringe of the storm’s impacts, but the Tar Heels and Panthers could still see showers, Douty said.
“Probably not heavy, but there could be some light rain off and on throughout the course of that game,” he said.
Jets fans don ponchos during a rainy game in 2017. (Photo: Paul Bereswill / Getty Images)
Come Sunday, the impacts of the storm will still linger along the northern East Coast and may have the most NFL impact at MetLife Stadium where the Jets host the Patriots. A Saturday full of rain could make for a messy Sunday of tailgating for fans, and the teams “should probably plan on at least a little bit of rain,” Douty said.
Both teams have struggled with turnovers this season, as the Jets four interceptions are tied for the worst in the league, while the Patriots four giveaways are tied for fourth-worst in the NFL.
Which games are less likely to be impacted by Ophelia
No. 4 Florida State at Clemson: The Tigers have had enough troubles with their opponents on the field this season, and will have the Seminoles’ buzzsaw offense coming to Memorial Stadium. They likely won’t have to contend with the storm’s troubles, however, as Douty said Memorial Stadium is likely too far south to experience any impacts.
No. 15 Ole Miss at No. 13 Alabama: Similarly, this highly-anticipated SEC clash should also be spared by the storm’s impacts. Douty expects the weather to be fairly pleasant.
Bills at Commanders: Douty said the weather for this Sunday game would be “a little bit tougher” of call, as there’s a chance the conditions may be starting to dry out that far south after Saturday night. He said that there may still be wet conditions, but drier weather should be working its way into the area come game time.
Colts at Ravens: Similar to the conditions for the Bills and Commanders, the Colts and Ravens should see drier weather arriving in Baltimore around time for their 1 p.m. Sunday kickoff.
(Photo: Randy Litzinger / Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
2023-09-22 23:07:42
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