College football is officially back on August 29, with eight games finally hitting the airwaves. Get ready, because after what feels like an eternity, we’re finally past the last Saturday without pigskin, and Week 1 is rolling out the red carpet with the only ranked squad hitting the field: No. 14 USC.
Kicking Off the Action: Early Games and a Dublin Showdown
That first Saturday is serving up some interesting matchups, right from the jump. We’re talking North Carolina battling TCU over in Dublin, Ireland, a noon ET kickoff on ESPN. The predictions are already out there, and folks are leaning hard on TCU to take that one, 27-13. Back stateside at 3 p.m. ET on NBC, the Trojans of No. 14 USC are hosting San Jose State at the Coliseum. If the prognosticators are on the money, USC is gonna absolutely stomp them 51-17. Seriously, 51-17! That’s a statement. Not long after, at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, NC State is heading to Virginia, with Virginia pegged for a 24-20 win. It’s gonna be a wild afternoon.
Later Kicks and Under-the-Radar Battles
The gridiron action doesn’t stop there, though. We’ve got Jacksonville State facing North Dakota State at 5:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network, with North Dakota State predicted to grab a 31-23 victory. Then, at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+, Sacramento State goes head-to-head with Eastern Michigan, with Sacramento State holding a narrow predicted edge, 24-21. As the evening rolls on, Hawaii travels to Stanford for a 7 p.m. ET game on ACC Network, and Hawaii is looking good for a 26-17 win. Also at 7 p.m. ET, New Mexico State takes on Florida State on The CW, where Florida State is expected to dominate 38-10. Finally, to cap off the night, Memphis and UNLV clash at 10 p.m. ET on FOX, with Memphis anticipated to come out on top 27-24.
It’s a heck of a slate to get things rolling, but this is just the beginning. The season truly kicks into high gear on September 3, with a massive 11-game lineup. You know we’ll be locked in.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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