College Football Games Today: NCAAF Schedule & How to Watch – Thursday, October 22

As we approach another full weekend slate for college football, Thursday, October 22, is a nice appetizer with three games scheduled for tonight. 

Week 8’s Thursday slate has three conference battles, with three of the Group of Six’s top teams in action: James Madison, Liberty, and Memphis. At 7:00 p.m. ET, James Madison (-11.5) visits App State in the Sun Belt, while Liberty (-9.5) clashes with Kennesaw State in Conference USA. 

East Carolina vs. Memphis (-9.5) ends Thursday’s action with an American Athletic Conference (AAC) clash at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2. 

We’ll look at the full Week 8 college football schedule for Thursday’s games, how to watch each contest with TV channels, and the key storylines for every game, capped by current spreads and winner payouts on PrizePicks Team Picks — now available in 36 states!

You can make picks on NCAAF winners, spreads, totals, and more in eligible states, paired with Player Picks in the same lineup for even bigger payouts all season long!

Whatchu on? Make your Week 8 college football predictions and picks on PrizePicks now! 

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College Football Games Today: NCAAF Week 8 Thursday Schedule, TV Channels, & Spreads

All CFB game times are in Eastern Time. Spreads and winner payouts are live on PrizePicks Team Picks as of posting and are subject to change. 

Below, our schedule features all teams on display on Thursday, October 22. Times and TV channels are based on ESPN’s CFB schedule. 

Payouts below, such as 2x, represent real-money multipliers on correct picks on PrizePicks Team Picks at the time of writing. For example, a $100 entry on James Madison to win at a 1.21x multiplier would pay out $121 if you’re right.

Check out live payouts and spreads on the CFB board in the PrizePicks app — new users get $150 if you win your first $5 lineup with code PLAYBOOK!

Spreads are via PrizePicks — make college picks on spreads and winners now!

How to Watch College Football Games Today – Thursday, October 22

You’ll need a few screens to catch all three college football games on Thursday, with every matchup kicking off within 30 minutes of each other. 

We have two games for the 7:00 p.m. ET slate, featuring James Madison at Appalachian State in the Sun Belt and Liberty at Kennesaw State for Conference USA play. 

JMU continues to defend an undefeated record in hopes of making the College Football Playoff for the second consecutive season. Meanwhile, Liberty’s only loss on the season was against James Madison, and the Flames are favored to win Conference USA.

While App State and Kennesaw State are each in sizeable underdog roles tonight, each has the luxury of playing under the lights in front of a home crowd. Is an upset brewing on Thursday?

Unlike the first two games, East Carolina is on the road as the significant underdog for the 7:30 p.m. ET kick-off vs. Memphis. The Pirates have the unfortunate task of facing the Tigers coming off the loss.

Key Storylines for Thursday Night College Football Games – October 22, 2026

Keeping up with 138 FBS teams is a tall task, especially when it comes to the Group of Six. But we’ve got you covered with key storylines to watch for each NCAA football game on Thursday night.

James Madison vs. App State – 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPNU

Records: James Madison 7-0 (4-0 Sun Belt) | App State 4-2 (1-1 Sun Belt)

Where: Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone, N.C.

• Sitting at a perfect 7-0 while going 6-1 against the spread (ATS), James Madison likely has bigger goals than just winning the Sun Belt. Following last year’s College Football Playoff appearance, the Dukes are given a 2.7x payout to earn a playoff berth on PrizePicks — which is the shortest among Group of Six teams. 
• Most of JMU’s success is thanks to dominating the run game on both sides of the ball, and Dukes RB George Pettaway’s 767 rushing yards is the ninth-highest total in FBS.
• Pettaway reached 150 rushing yards in two of his last three games and is projected for 102.5 rush yards on Thursday, per PrizePicks.
• Following a 3-0 start, Appalachian State is 1-2 over the past three, yielding over 30 points in two of those games. 
• The Mountaineers finally got back on track with last week’s 35-32 road win vs. Coastal Carolina, as they tallied 253 rushing yards to Coastal’s 139.
• App State will need another impressive performance on the ground against JMU. Do the Mountaineers have enough in the tank as 11.5-point underdogs on the spread?

Get expert James Madison vs. App State picks tonight from Playbook!

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Liberty vs. Kennesaw State – 7:00 p.m. ET on CBSSN

Records: Liberty 5-1 (2-0 Conference USA) | Kennesaw State 1-5 (0-2 Conference USA)

Where: Walens Family Field at Fifth Third Stadium, Kennesaw, Ga.

• Since falling to James Madison (20-13 loss) to open the season, Liberty is a perfect 5-0 and has won its past four games by an average margin of +25.3 points per game. 
• The Flames are currently viewed as the class of Conference USA, sporting the shortest payout to win the conference (1.61x), via PrizePicks. 
• Meanwhile, Kennesaw State is simply trying to get into the win column, as the Owls have yet to beat an FBS school this season, losing five straight. 
• Liberty leans on a high-octane rushing attack with a 64.31% rush-play rate (95th percentile), anchored by RB Kam Davis’ 524 rushing yards and 7.1 yards per carry. The Flames’ star back is projected for 86.5 rush yards tonight, via PrizePicks.
• Kennesaw State is hoping to find efficiency anywhere, sitting in the 38th percentile nationally for yards per rushing attempt and yards per passing attempt. The Owls tend to lean on QB Rickie Collins — who leads the team with 1,302 pass yards and 271 rush yards.  

Get expert Liberty vs. Kennesaw State picks tonight from Playbook!

East Carolina vs. Memphis – 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2

Records: East Carolina 3-3 (1-1 AAC) | Memphis 5-2 (2-1 AAC)

Where: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis, Tenn.

• Memphis is also among the Group of Six’s best teams this season, supported by its +0.15 adjusted EPA per play (40th nationally) on Game on Paper — which is fourth among the Group of Six, behind Boise State (31st), Oregon State (36th), and Air Force (38th).
• However, the Tigers come off their most disappointing result of the season in last week’s 31-17 loss vs. Tulane as 6.5-point favorites.
• Memphis was allergic to taking care of the ball, tallying 6 turnovers in the loss. Its 1.7 turnovers per game sit in the 19th percentile nationally.
• The Tigers may look to cure turnover woes by leaning on RB Jaylin Carter, whose 780 rushing yards is seventh nationally.
• East Carolina is 3-1 over its past three, and it leans on the run game, though efficiency has been an issue at times.
• The Pirates force 1.0 turnovers per game, perhaps providing an angle to keep it close as 9.5-point underdogs tonight.

Get expert East Carolina vs. Memphis picks tonight from Playbook!

Week 8 Thursday NCAAF Spreads, Winners, Payouts Today on PrizePicks 

As mentioned, all three CFB games on Thursday feature sizeable point spreads on PrizePicks. Liberty is favored by 9.5 points with a 1.23x payout to win against Kennesaw State, compared to Memphis tabbed as a 9.5-point favorite with a 1.23x payout to win vs. East Carolina.

Between the two, one could argue East Carolina-Memphis could be the most competitive matchup, as Kennesaw State has yet to defeat an FBS school this season — presenting a clear advantage for Liberty. 

James Madison as 11.5-point favorites on the spread is the largest number of the night. That’s paired with the Dukes holding a 1.21x payout to win, compared to App State’s 4x payout at home. 

We could see points in all three games, with each matchup holding at least a 50.5 over/under. James Madison vs. Appalachian State has the largest total at 55.5, which goes along with Thursday’s largest point spread on PrizePicks.

The full Week 8 Thursday night slate is on the PrizePicks board now, with projections and picks available for every game. In eligible states, you can make picks on college football winners, spreads, and totals. Then add Player Picks to the same lineup for bigger potential payouts. 

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Make Thursday College Football Picks on PrizePicks

If you’re looking to watch some of the Group of Six’s best, Thursday’s college football schedule is just for you. James Madison, Liberty, and Memphis all come in as significant favorites, but nothing is a guarantee in conference play — as we saw in last week’s action.

Need some expert college football picks and predictions before you lock in today? Tap into the Playbook’s Week 8 CFB expert research to get coverage on the top games.

When you’re ready to make your picks, head to PrizePicks to make picks on players, winners, over/unders, and more — or combine them all for even higher payouts. New users get $150 if they win their first lineup with promo code PLAYBOOK on PrizePicks — it’s the best new user offer, all year long.