Fuck yes it's here. The Cyclones and Rainbow Warriors were a fun amuse bouche but it's time for the real deal.
I will be in Vermont for a dreaded fall wedding, but thankfully the ceremony is on Sunday. Anyone know a good place to catch a game in Burlington?
Thursday
#25 Boise State (-6.5) @ South Florida (5:30 / 4:30 ESPN): The only ranked team on Thursday is Boise State, which is in solid position to run back their Playoff run. It starts in Tampa. Unfortunately, USF is still playing in an oversized NFL stadium until 2027: https://www.usf.edu/stadium/
East Carolina @ NC State (-14) (6 / 7 ACCN): A very underrated level of hate between the two bottom rungs of North Carolina's "The Lowells speak only to the Cabots and the Cabots speak only to God" ladder of rivalries - ECU's biggest rival is State, whose biggest rival is UNC, whose biggest rival is Duke. (Wake Forest is just happy to be included, while App State's biggest rival is Georgia Southern for some reason.)
Fun features of the Battle for the Victory Barrel: State graciously allowed ECU to use their field for a 1999 "home" game after Hurricane Floyd. ECU upset #9 Miami, tore down the goal posts, and trashed the stadium. In 2022, #13 NC State ground out a putrid 21 - 20 win in Rowdy Dowdy after ECU's kicker missed a winning field goal AND a tying extra point. I was there, it was approximately a billion degrees in the stands, and both fanbases were completely miserable.
And last year's Military Bowl ended with an ECU win and brawl between the teams. No love lost!
Nebraska (-7) vs Cincinnati @ Kansas City (9 / 8 ESPN): Two coaches with sharply differing storylines this year. Matt Rhule's Huskers have some real hype this year as a dark horse Big 10 contender. Meanwhile, no one quite knows why Scott Satterfield still has a job in Cincy. Should be a good barometer game for both teams.
Friday
Western Michigan @ Michigan State (-20.5) (7 / 6 FS1): One of the MAC's best programs makes the short drive from Kalamazoo to East Lansing. Jonathan Smith looks like a good coach, time to show some improvement with Sparty.
Auburn (-2.5) @ Baylor (8 / 7 FOX): Yeah, it's a potentially bad night if you're relying on YTTV. Hugh Freeze has the talent together (including the best QB room in the SEC if you listen to some of Auburn's more deranged fans), but Dave Aranda seems to have turned the ship around at Baylor. Fascinating matchup in terms of two teams with high deltas for this season.
Georgia Tech (-4.5) @ Colorado (8 / 7 ESPN): The Sanders boys are gone (and Deion made it through cancer treatment), so the Kaidon Salter era begins in Boulder. The Ramblin' Wreck are ACC contenders in Haynes King's final year, this should be a great litmus test for both teams. Brent Key has done a really nice job in Atlanta so far.
Central Michigan @ San Jose State (-11.5) (10:30 / 9:30 FS1): Well, if you're starting your Big Noon pregame really early...
Saturday
Early Games
#1 Texas @ #3 Ohio State (-2.5) (12 / 11 FOX): The Texas front seven has Sayin seeing ghosts. Arch manages the game well enough to win. We're all happy for a month and a half.
#24 Tennessee (-13.5) vs Syracuse @ Atlanta (12 / 11 ABC): Not the most compelling counterprogramming, made even worse by being in an NFL stadium. Blah.
Toledo @ Kentucky (-7.5) (12:45 / 11:45 SECN): It's an SEC team coached by a Stoops brother on upset alert against a spicy MAC team. This could be really funny.
Old Dominion @ #20 Indiana (-23.5) (2:30 / 1:30 FS1): Hell yeah OOC Curt Cignetti scheduling! Nah, just kidding, don't watch this.
Mid-Afternoon
#8 Alabama (-13.5) @ Florida State (3:30 / 2:30 ABC): Bama is probably underranked, and I don't know how Mike Norvell gets the team back on his side after last year's catastrophe. The Tide should roll.
Nevada @ #2 Penn State (-44.5) (3:30 / 2:30 CBS): God, this mid-afternoon slate sucks. The downside of spreading the games out all weekend. Hopefully Jeff Choate gets his guys out of State College with minimal injuries and avoids the general Central PA malaise / ennui.
Montana State @ #7 Oregon (-27.5) (4 /3 BTN): Now, look, Oregon is going to win this. But the Bobcats are perhaps the best team in the FCS and Dante Moore is not the most inspirational starting QB. Here's hoping for some hijinks.
Primetime
UTSA @ #19 Texas A&M (-24.5) (7 / 6 ESPN): The Aggies think they're going to stomp a senior-laden G5 team that matches up well to their weaknesses. This has happened before, and it is not comfy for A&M.
#9 LSU @ #4 Clemson (-3.5) (7:30 / 6:30 ABC): A popular national title pick in Clemson takes on the coach that can't win a season opener. Cade Klubnik finally looks like the QB announcers acted like he was for four years, Nussmeier is still the incarnation of "yeah, he's fine", and the home crowd at the superior Death Valley should be ferocious.
Georgia State @ #21 Ole Miss (-35.5) (7:45 / 6:45 SECN): Ole Miss is a bit of a mystery this year. Kiffin might operate better without the bright lights and pressure of massive preseason hype. How will Austin Simmons look as the starter? Will the defense be worth a shit? We probably won't learn much this week.
Late
Hawaii @ Arizona (-17.5) (10:30 / 9:30 TNT): The nation's sweethearts travel to Tucson. Will Micah Alejado's leg be healed up or will he finally be dealt his first loss?
Utah (-6.5) @ UCLA (11/ 10 FOX): Jesus, this is cruel scheduling for a fun OOC matchup. Pac 12 After Dark spiritually lives! Utah felt like they were better than their record last year, and are finally out of the Cam Rising era. Nico Iamaleava makes his big UCLA debut after already showing his whole butt on Twitter.
Sunday
Virginia Tech vs. #13 South Carolina (-7.5) @ Atlanta (3 / 2 ESPN): Oh good, where we really wanted to watch LaNorris Sellers and Dylan Stewart play was in a 2/3 full NFL stadium. At least it led to this fantastic jersey reveal:
#6 Notre Dame (-2.5) @ #10 Miami (7:30 / 6:30 ABC): Catholics vs. Convicts is back! The national title odds drop precipitously between #9 LSU and #10 Miami, so let's see if Cristobal, Mendoza, and the Canes can battle their way into the conversation against a very strong Notre Dame team led by Lloyd Carr's grandkid.
Monday
TCU (-3.5) @ UNC (8 / 7 ESPN): Welcome to Chapel Bill. Belichick (and Jordon Hudson?) will lead out the Tar Heels in a tricky first matchup against the Hypnotoad. Should be a really fun crowd at one of college football's most beautiful venues for one of the most hyped football games in the Triangle in years.