Week 0 is finally here, and college football is back, baby! This Saturday kicks off with some absolute bangers, but the wild one to watch is definitely North Carolina going up against TCU, all the way over in Dublin, Ireland. This isn’t just any game, though. All eyes are on Bill Belichick as he tries to lead the Tar Heels to a bounce-back season after a tough 4-8 overall finish and a 2-6 conference record in 2025. TCU is a heavy favorite, rocking a -8.5 spread, but with Belichick on the sideline, anything can happen, right? Both squads are trotting out new starting quarterbacks too, so you know that QB play is gonna be under the microscope.
Trojan Terror and East Coast Grinders
If you’re looking for an absolute statement game, get ready for No. 14 USC hosting San Jose State at 3 p.m. ET. The Trojans are massive favorites with a -38.5 spread, and seriously, they should roll. FOX Sports betting analyst Will Hill isn’t holding back, predicting the Men of Troy will “score seven or more touchdowns.” USC already hung 56 points on SJSU back in 2023, so you know they can light up the scoreboard. Talk about starting the year with a bang!
Later in the day, we’ve got some interesting East Coast matchups. NC State heads to Virginia, where UVA is a -4.5 favorite. Virginia didn’t snag a preseason ranking, but they did grab some votes in both the AP and Coaches Polls, so they might be on the verge of breaking through. They’ll also be rolling with a new starting QB, since last year’s guy signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Buccaneers. Then there’s Hawaii at Stanford, a revenge game for the Cardinal. Stanford was up big last year before falling 23-20 to the Rainbow Warriors. Now they’re at home, returning more starters, and a -4.5 favorite. It’s time to get that one back!
Nightcap Drama to Close Week 0
To cap off Week 0, we’ve got Memphis facing off against UNLV in Nevada at 10 p.m. ET. This is gonna be a good one to wind down your Saturday. The UNLV Rebels are coming off a fantastic 10-2 regular-season record last year and are -4.5 favorites. Memphis wasn’t slacking either, finishing 2025 with an 8-4 record, including a scorching six-game winning streak to open the season. That’s a perfect way to end the first weekend of college football. Get ready to settle in, folks, because college football is BACK!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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