College football preview: Oregon, Washington State, Utah and the biggest trap games of the 2024 season

To the extent that there’s an official definition of trap games, it typically refers to teams looking beyond an uninspiring opponent because they have a much bigger game the following week.

The Hotline takes a slightly longer view, looking backward as well as forward: If a team just played a marquee game, it could overlook the opponent at hand – especially if that opponent is of demonstrably lower quality.

With that in mind, we present five of the biggest, sharpest trap games of the season:

1. Oregon at Purdue (Oct. 18)

This game is our Victor Wembanyama of traps for 2024 – the no-brainer No. 1 selection.

Why? Because it follows Oregon’s megacollision with Ohio State, which is guaranteed to produce a hangover regardless of the result.

And because it features a cross-country trip for the Ducks to face a second-tier conference opponent. (Purdue looks like a bottom-feeder in the Big Ten.)

And because it comes on a short week for the Ducks.

That’s right, folks: It’s a “Fox College Football Friday” kickoff in West Lafayette.

Oregon will have just three days to recover emotionally and physically from the Ohio State showdown before boarding its flight.

Playing Purdue on a Saturday would have been challenging enough for the Ducks. The quick turnaround and long trip make for next-level dynamics.

The Hotline considered the Oct. 5 home date with Michigan State as Oregon’s biggest trap game – it’s the weekend before Ohio State visits, after all.

Ultimately, we opted for the Purdue game for two reasons:

• Jonathan Smith’s presence on the MSU sideline will create buzz and help the Ducks sharpen their focus. (He beat them multiple times as Oregon State’s coach.)
• Friday games are rarely trap situations for the home team because the change in routine amplifies the energy on campus.

None of those components is present for Oregon when it travels to Purdue two weeks later.

2. Washington State vs. San Jose State (Sept. 21)

Another instance of the trap being set by a game the previous week.

The biggest Saturday of WSU’s season comes Sept. 14, when the Cougars face Washington at Lumen Field in Seattle.

The bitterness over UW leaving the Pac-12 has not dissipated in Pullman and will infuse the Cougars with supreme motivation. The Apple Cup is always the biggest game of their season. The 2024 Apple Cup will be their biggest game of many seasons.

Win or lose, WSU returns to the field the following Saturday to face an opponent that does not move their needle in any fashion.

And because San Jose State plays Kennesaw State on Sept. 14, it should be rested and healthy for the date in Pullman.

Regardless of the weather, expect a thick fog – brain fog – on WSU’s sideline.

3. San Diego State at Cal (Sept. 14)

This is both a trap and sandwich game for Cal, with SDSU serving as the tasteless slice of meat between two delicious pieces of bread.

On Sept. 7, the Bears visit Auburn in a rematch of last year’s narrow home loss.

On Sept. 21, the Bears head back across the country for their ACC opener – at Florida State.

You can see why we wonder about their focus and energy when the Aztecs visit Memorial Stadium for an innocuous nonconference affair crammed between two of the biggest games of Cal’s season.

4. USC at Minnesota (Oct. 5)

The Trojans face a tricky situation that begins in the middle of September and plays out over several weeks.

They open Big Ten play Sept. 21 with a visit to Michigan, then return home for their first Big Ten game in the Coliseum, against Wisconsin. (The Badgers have two weeks to prepare and undoubtedly will be ranked if they beat Alabama on Sept. 14.)

Then USC heads back across the country to face Minnesota, the antithesis of the Michigan road game in every respect. The Trojans might have trouble focusing regardless of the circumstances, but guess what follows their trip to the Twin Cities? Penn State visits the Coliseum.

So the trap here spans multiple weeks: at Michigan, then Wisconsin for their Big Ten home opener, then at Minnesota, then home against Penn State.

One of those things is not like the others.

5. Utah at Utah State (Sept. 14)

With its physical style of play, Utah has never seemed particularly susceptible to traps under coach Kyle Whittingham.

But this in-state affair caught our attention.

Naturally, it’s one of the most significant games of Utah State’s season, the Aggies’ first matchup against Utah since 2015.

For the Utes, the game falls in a vulnerable spot on the schedule:

Before they visit Oklahoma State for a Big 12 opener that will have major implications for the conference race.

Does Utah State have enough talent to slay the Utes? It doesn’t appear that way – the Aggies are viewed as a second-tier contender in the Mountain West.

Then again, by their very nature, trap games are difficult to spot ahead of time.