Week 1 is upon us, and with the holiday weekend, we are treated to five whole days of college football.
Here are your schedules for today and tomorrow, what to watch, and what to avoid. All times Central, via CFB Grid.
Must-See TV:
Baylor/Auburn: There is a lot of hype in Auburn this year, and the Tigers do have some talent, sure. But the Bears are in win-now mode, are at home, and return 18 starters — including a 1200 yard back, the Big 12’s second-best returning QB, and one of the nation’s best wideouts. That’s a lot of firepower. The losing coach is going to be in significant peril early.
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UNLV @ Sam Houston State: Speaking of firepower, the Rebs’ running game is simply filthy, while the SHSU Bearkats have the elite passing game. Sam Houston probably has the better defense — and UNLV’s looled like a war crime against FCS Idaho State. Buckle buckle up because this one figures to be a very fun shootout.
Nebraska @ Cincinnati: The heat is on Satterfield to do something, anything in the Queen City. The talent is pretty good (especially defense), but the results underwhelming. It doesn’t look like a Big 12 team at all: It looks a solid G5 team cosplaying in the worst Power Conference. Meanwhile, Year Three has ordinarily been the breakout for Matt Rhule at previous stops, and the offense looks poised to be potentially excellent. But the defense took a beating with graduation departures, especially along their very good defensive line. It may not seem a win-now for either team, but it is a significant harbinger of what is likely to come to one of them in December. Satterfield and the Bearcats are especially walking on thin ice. I’d expect a good hard-hitting game here.
Could be Interesting
Miami OH @ Wisconsin — The Redhawks are one of the most aggravating teams in the MAC; they consistently play well above their head against larger foes and have a very stout defense. The Badgers are breaking in an entirely new offensive scheme, coach, and quarterback. If the Redhawks can muddy this one up, they can make it less comfortable than Fickell would wish. You can put Ohio @ Rutgers here for many of the same reasons, despite the Bobcats losing Tim Albin to Charlotte this year.
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Georgia Tech @ Colorado — The Buffs recruited a lot of beef on OL, and after a season where they rushed for 67 yards per game are committed to completely become a power team this year. The Bees are already just such a power team, but it’s a long way (and a long way up) from Atlanta to Boulder. Is CU ready to play smash mouth and win games along the lines? This is a radical rethink in just one year by Coach Prime.
ECU @ NC State — Dave Doeren has been stealing paychecks for a decade. Bad news, because the Wolf Pack welcome a very hungry AAC team from just down the road in Greenville, one that finished on quite the tear last season after a few years of languishing. ECU parlayed that into a good recruiting class, and with their hard hitting defense and balanced offense, can the Pirates steal on on the road in this informal battle for the coastal plains?
Tarleton State @ Army: No, I’m not kidding. TSU has one of the FCS’s best offenses, and a Walter Payton Award finalist in the backfield. They can score in bunches. We know what Army can do when they get rolling. If you love to RTDB, this is your jam, as Tarleton is not quite the FCS soupcan you’d expect — even if they are a tier below the likes of SDSU, NDSU, Montana State and South Dakota (Go Yotes!). That may be just good enough to steal a game against a G5 team.
Unwatchable Filth
Kennesaw State @ Wake Forest: Two new coaches, two rosters that were absolutely gutted (they return 7 combined starters), two godforsaken defenses. The is just going to be horrible to watch. I’m not joking: I’d rather scrub the bathtub than be “treated” to four hours of this ineptitude.
