College football’s back on television Thursday night, and it’s a quality pre-weekend slate. An ESPN doubleheader features a Miami-Virginia Tech battle for ACC Coastal positioning, and BYU visits No. 14 Boise State in an enjoyable late-nighter afterward.

In Miami-Virginia Tech, the stakes are ostensibly a bit greater for the Canes, who’ve lost two in a row and would fall well behind in the ACC’s lesser division with another defeat Thursday. A Hokies loss would put them in a challenging position, too, though they’d get a chance to rebound next week at Pitt.

Boise State’s playing for a lot, too. The Broncos are a perfect 6-0, and running the table would more than likely land them as the Group of 5 representative in the College Football Playoff. They’ve already got a Power 5 win against Washington State, and beating a similar-caliber Cougars program would be another check on their resume. I’m just hoping the Broncos’ tee-fetching dog makes an appearance.

In the Sun Belt, Troy’s visiting South Alabama. The Trojans are atop the league and 5-1 overall, while USA is 3-3 after losing last week to Arkansas State.

How to watch these games

Miami at Virginia Tech: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN.

Troy at South Alabama: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU

BYU at Boise State: 10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN

All three games will be streamable at WatchESPN.

Something to know about each game