Despite the sport’s best attempts to distract us with a summer of talk about transfer portal, realignment, NIL and governance we have made it to the college football season. It can be difficult at times to remember why we love the sport, but a fun Thursday night to whet the palate should have quickly jogged the memory. Yes, actual football is back and not a moment too soon. In this semi-live blog we’ll be keeping track of the stats, oddities and general wackiness week by week throughout the season. For now, here are three games to keep an eye on on the second screen while you watch your team on the big TV. Welcome back, football; we’ve missed you.
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Noon
NC State (-11.5) vs. ECU
Beware the ACC team going to a Group of 5 opponent in Week 1. Beware a team from the Carolinas going to Greenville (ask South Carolina, which barely survived such an opener last season). NC State brings back plenty of talent and quarterback Devin Leary as a steady-eddy force behind center. Replacing both offensive tackles may make for an early-season challenge, but the Wolfpack have their sights set on being a serious ACC challenger to big boy Clemson this season.
UNC (-1.5) vs. Appalachian State
The Tarheels got out of the blocks slowly in Week Zero, with a closer-than-you’d-like halftime advantage over shorthanded FAMU before getting things into gear after the break. Sophomore Drake Maye gets his second start here and will be looking to build. But if the spread on this game is any indication, UNC should have its hands full with App State on the road. Shawn Clark’s Mountaineers gave Miami all it could handle last September in a two-point loss, and their only other losses last season came from conference champs Louisiana. App State has been a legit top-40 team every year under Clark with a solid defense year in, year out over much of the last decade. But to match up with UNC’s firepower, its new receivers will have to show up quickly.
Colorado State vs. Michigan (-30.5)
Don’t expect the Rams to give the Wolverines much of a game, but do pay attention to just how QB Cade McNamara fares in this game. He may be last year’s starter, but his job is on the line in this game. The Wolverines will start him this week, and J.J. McCarthy next week in what Jim Harbaugh called a “biblical” approach to a QB race.
Sam Navarro/USA TODAY Sports
Midday
Oregon vs. Georgia (-17/Atlanta)
3:30 p.m.
The champs are back, and they’re playing not too far from home in what can barely be regarded as a neutral site game in actuality. Georgia’s tight ends should be the story this season as the offense looks to adapt with veteran QB Stetson Bennett. The three-headed monster of Arik Gilbert, Darnell Washington and Brock Bowers pose a matchup nightmare for the Ducks (and just about everyone else in college football). Luckily for them, there’s institutional knowledge with former UGA defensive coordinator Dan Lanning taking over as head coach for his first game. Unluckily for the Ducks is that cuts both ways, as starter Bo Nix is 0–3 against UGA in his prior matchups against them with Auburn with his last two performances being particularly poor. He’s in a new place with new talent around him, and we’ll see how he fares against a new-look Georgia defense replacing transcendent talents that powered it to a national title.
Cincinnati vs. Arkansas (-6.5)
3:30 p.m.
Cincinnati had its roster raided by the NFL, which is both a good and bad thing, particularly when you consider it’s up against an SEC team on the road. Arkansas has been competent and fun under coach Sam Pittman and is one of the few teams that actually returns a head coach and both coordinators for three seasons in a row. The Hogs have continuity and an identity and will try to bully the Bearcats on offense. But don’t expect Luke Fickell’s Cincy squad to go down without a serious fight if it does lose.
Houston (-4) vs. UTSA
3:30 p.m.
The dream season for the Roadrunners is in the rearview as they look to open this year with a big in-state victory. But Houston has high aspirations this season and, even without running back Alton McCaskill, who was injured in the spring, this offense should light up scoreboards. But it’s the defense the Cougars bring to the table that could give them more than enough to seriously compete for the G5’s New Year’s Six berth by season’s end, but the Roadrunners could prove an early spoiler.
Joshua Bickel/USA TODAY Sports
Night
Utah (-2.5) vs. Florida
7 p.m.
Perhaps there is no worse type of opponent for Billy Napier to begin his tenure than a scrappy Utah team that plans to drag the Gators into a bar-room brawl for 60 minutes of physical football. The Utes have Pac-12 title hopes in their sights and maybe even more if the season breaks right. Expect Florida’s run game to be good, but the big question is just how good at passing is the cannon-armed Anthony Richardson?
Army vs. Coastal Carolina (-2)
7 p.m.
If you like unique offenses, then this is the game for you. Army’s option is surgical in its precision, and the classic version of the triple. Coastal has a new-school approach with a great quarterback in Grayson McCall. Pay attention to Army edge Andre Carter II, because how Coastal schemes around the lanky defensive force will go a long way to determining how this game will go.
Notre Dame vs. Ohio State (-17)
7:30 p.m.
The Marcus Freeman era opens in the weekend’s marquee helmet game against a team many have penciled into the national championship game. How Notre Dame plans to defend Ohio State’s explosive passing attack will be fascinating. When he was at Cincinnati, Freeman’s defenses were man-to-man all day long. That may prove difficult against Ohio state’s weapons. On defense for OSU, look for how far along new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has the unit’s transition from a mostly single high Cover 1 and Cover 3 outfit into something more multiple. The rigidity has been Ohio State’s death knell against championship-level opponents the last few years.
Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated
Bonus
FSU vs. LSU (-3/Sunday/New Orleans)
7:30 p.m.
The mystery box of the weekend will be opened in the SuperDome on Sunday night. With new coach Brian Kelly and a Florida State team looking to get back to their expected heights, expect the unexpected in this game, but just like last year’s opener between FSU and a Brian Kelly–led outfit, be careful putting too much stock in the early-season result.
