College football is finally back, and Week 0 is kicking things off with a bang. Bill Belichick, yes THAT Bill Belichick, is trying to lead North Carolina to a bounce-back season, and his debut for the Tar Heels is set to ignite the chaos from Dublin, Ireland, all the way to Vegas. This is not a drill, people.
New Eras and Huge Spreads Set the Stage
The very first game on the Saturday slate is a wild one, with North Carolina taking on TCU at noon on ESPN, all the way across the pond in Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. TCU is rolling in as the heavy favorite with an 8.5-point spread and a moneyline of -360, while UNC sits at +290. The over/under is 46.5. But forget the numbers for a second, because all eyes are on Belichick. He’s tasked with turning around a Tar Heels squad that went a tough 4-8 overall and 2-6 in the conference back in 2025. FOX Sports betting analyst Will Hill is telling everyone to watch the quarterback play, and he’s right: both teams are trotting out new starters, so anything can happen.
Later in the afternoon, the No. 14 USC Trojans are hosting San Jose State at 3 p.m. on NBC, and the spread for this one is absolutely massive at USC -38.5 with an over/under of 61.5. Are you serious? Will Hill thinks the Men of Troy will “score seven or more touchdowns” in this game. They dropped 56 points on SJSU when they played back in 2023, so yeah, an emphatic win is definitely on the table for USC to open their year. Plus, we’ve got NC State battling Virginia at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN. Virginia, despite not being ranked, snagged some votes in both the AP and Coaches Polls, so they could be on the verge of breaking through, coming in as 4.5-point favorites with a moneyline of -182 against NC State’s +150. The over/under is 51.5.
Late-Night Brawls and Early Season Upset Alerts
Don’t you dare think the action ends there, because Week 0 wraps up with Memphis vs. UNLV in a late FOX showdown at 10 p.m. The UNLV Rebels, fresh off an impressive 10-2 regular-season record in 2025, are favored by 4.5 points with a moneyline of -184. Memphis, who went 8-4 in 2025 including a six-game winning streak to open their season, are at +152. The over/under is 56.5. That’s gonna be a high-octane nightcap!
And hey, don’t forget the other matchups. North Dakota State is making its official FBS debut against Jacksonville State, and Hawai’i is out there trying to pull off another upset, this time against Stanford. It’s a loaded slate, and whether you’re jumping on the first kickoff with FanDuel’s Bet $5, Get $350 in Bet Reset Tokens for 7 Days, or checking out DraftKings’ new user offer, there are markets across the entire board. Which game are you locking into the closest tonight? Get ready, because college football is officially HERE!
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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