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| Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports |
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages... college football is back. And we're served up a litany of fantastic matchups for the first week of the season, headlined by a clash of two beasts in the southeast, as well as a matchup between two very good teams from the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference.
Let's get to picking!
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Wednesday
Abilene Christian vs. Georgia State (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPNU, WatchESPN)
Thursday
No. 21 Texas A&M vs. No. 9 South Carolina (6:00 p.m. ET, SEC Network, WatchESPN)
The very first televised game on the SEC Network is a barnburner, pitting the Texas A&M Aggies against the South Carolina Gamecocks. These two teams will certainly look different than they have in prior years, as the Gamecocks lost much of their defensive line including the incomparable Jadeveon Clowney, and the Aggies will no longer have Johnny "Money" Manziel as their quarterback. I will give the edge to the home team here, as A&M arguably has the worst defensive line in the entire conference and that's good news for Gamecock running back Mike Davis.
Wake Forest vs. Louisiana-Monroe (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPNU, WatchESPN)
Eastern Illinois vs. Minnesota (7:00 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)
Howard vs. Akron (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Presbyterian vs. Northern Illinois (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Chattanooga vs. Central Michigan (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Idaho State vs. Utah (7:30 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network)
Boise State vs. No. 18 Ole Miss (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN, WatchESPN)
The Rebels, with their preseason hype, should find themselves in good position to take this win against the Broncos at the Georgia Dome.
Cal Poly vs. New Mexico State (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Tulane vs. Tulsa (8:00 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network)
Temple vs. Vanderbilt (9:15 p.m. ET, SEC Network, WatchESPN)
Rutgers vs. Washington State (10:00 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1)
Do the Scarlet Knights travel to Pullman to beat the Cougars in their first game as a member of the Big Ten? Probably not.
North Dakota vs. San Jose State (10:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Weber State vs. No. 19 Arizona State (10:30 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network)
Friday
BYU vs. Connecticut (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN, WatchESPN)
Jacksonville State vs. No. 8 Michigan State (7:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)
Villanova vs. Syracuse (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Bowling Green vs. Western Kentucky (7:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network)
Colorado State vs. Colorado (9:00 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1)
UTSA vs. Houston (9:00 p.m. ET, ESPNU, WatchESPN)
UNLV vs. Arizona (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, WatchESPN)
Saturday
Penn State vs. UCF (8:30 a.m. ET, ESPN2, WatchESPN)
Find yourself up early on Saturday morning? Check this game out. The Nittany Lions and Golden Knights will be playing in lovely Dublin, Ireland. Plus, you can see new head coach James Franklin, and the awesome Christian Hackenberg.
No. 5 Ohio State vs. Navy (12:00 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network)
Braxton Miller is out for the season, but the Buckeyes should be able to defeat the Midshipmen.
No. 7 UCLA vs. Virginia (12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN, WatchESPN)
The Bruins bring a whole heck of a lot hype with them across the country to Charlottesville, Virginia. Brett Hundley, Myles Jack & Co. will win this game, but the early start time could provide for a bit of a slow start out of the gates for UCLA.
Delaware vs. Pittsburgh (12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Appalachian State vs. Michigan (12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2, WatchESPN)
Brady Hoke might very well be on the hot seat going into this season. And if history repeats itself again for the Wolverines...
North Dakota State vs. Iowa State (12:00 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1)
Beware. The. Bison.
Indiana State vs. Indiana (12:00 p.m. ET, ESPNEWS, WatchESPN)
Northern Iowa vs. Iowa (12:00 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)
Western Michigan vs. Purdue (12:00 p.m. ET, ESPNU, WatchESPN)
The Boilermakers look lackluster going into this year, but a win in West Lafayette to start the year seems to be in the cards.
Troy vs. UAB (12:00 p.m. ET)
Tennessee-Martin vs. Kentucky (12:00 p.m. ET, SEC Network, WatchESPN)
Youngstown State vs. Illinois (12:05 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)
Wofford vs. Georgia Tech (12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN3, Gameplan)
Georgia Southern vs. North Carolina State (12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN3, Gameplan)
Colgate vs. Ball State (2:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Nicholls State vs. Air Force (2:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Southern Utah vs. Nevada (3:00 p.m. ET)
Boston College vs. Massachusetts (3:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
West Virginia vs. No. 2 Alabama (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN2, WatchESPN)
Rice vs. No. 17 Notre Dame (3:30 p.m. ET, NBC)
Florida Atlantic vs. No. 22 Nebraska (3:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)
South Dakota State vs. No. 24 Missouri (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU, WatchESPN)
James Madison vs. Maryland (3:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)
California vs. Northwestern (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN2, WatchESPN)
Duquesne vs. Bufalo (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Hampton vs. Old Dominion (3:30 p.m. ET)
Marshall vs. Miami (OH) (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Arkansas vs. No. 6 Auburn (4:00 p.m. ET, SEC Network, WatchESPN)
Despite Nick Marshall's absence, the Auburn Tigers should be able to take care of business against the Arkansas Razorbacks.
UC Davis vs. No. 11 Stanford (4:00 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network)
Montana vs. Wyoming (4:00 p.m. ET)
Portland State vs. Oregon State (4:00 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network)
William & Mary vs. Virginia Tech (4:00 p.m. ET, ESPNEWS, WatchESPN)
No. 16 Clemson vs. No. 12 Georgia (5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, WatchESPN)
Last year, the Tigers and Bulldogs waged in an epic encounter in Death Valley. Now, the land "Between the Hedges" plays host to this Top 20 matchup, and it should bring a high level of excitement once again. Both teams will be looking remarkably different from how they did a year ago, but the difference maker for me in this game is running back Todd Gurley. He's going to be going up against, no doubt, a very strong defensive line which is arguably the strongest position group on the entire team. But Gurley, and the home field advantage, should tilt things in the Dawgs' favor.
Liberty vs. No. 23 North Carolina (6:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Elon vs. Duke (6:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Ohio vs. Kent State (6:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Morgan State vs. Eastern Michigan (6:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Louisiana Tech vs. No. 4 Oklahoma (7:00 p.m. ET)
New Hampshire vs. Toledo (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Savannah State vs. Middle Tennessee (7:00 p.m. ET)
Bethune-Cookman vs. Florida International (7:00 p.m. ET)
Northern Arizona vs. San Diego State (7:00 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network)
Idaho vs. Florida (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPNU, WatchESN)
Austin Peay vs. Memphis
Western Carolina vs. South Florida (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Samford vs. TCU (7:00 p.m. ET)
Central Arkansas vs. Texas Tech (7:00 p.m. ET)
Montana State vs. Arkansas State (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Southern University vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. Texas State (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Stephen F. Austin vs. No. 20 Kansas State (7:10 p.m. ET)
Fresno State vs. No. 15 USC (7:30 p.m. ET, FOX)
Southern Miss vs. Mississippi State (7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network, WatchESPN)
No. 1 Florida State vs. Oklahoma State (8:00 p.m. ET, ABC, ESPN3)
The defending National Champions are back and they're reloaded again for another big run to the National Championship Game. Jameis Winston & Co.'s journey to North Texas in January ACTUALLY starts in North Texas this Saturday. The Pokes' outlook is not as great as it has been in recent years, and although stranger things have happened, Florida State has the potential to make this a bit of a laugher.
UTEP vs. New Mexico (8:00 p.m. ET)
North Texas vs. Texas (8:00 p.m. ET, Longhorn Network, WatchESPN)
[Insert Longhorn Network joke here]
NC Central vs. East Carolina (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPNEWS, WatchESPN)
No. 14 Wisconsin vs. No. 13 LSU (9:00 p.m. ET, ESPN, WatchESPN)
It's a damn shame that these two teams, whose venues are some of the most spectacular in college football, could not agree to a true home-and-home series. That said, Reliant Stadium this year, and venerable Lambeau Field in 2016 are two brilliant choices. I don't necessarily think that this will be your typical Big Ten-SEC matchup, and one of the biggest reasons for that is Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon III, who is one of the most dynamic, dastardly and dangerous players in the nation. This could very well be 1a or 1b for Game of the Day with Clemson-Georgia if all pans out. In the end, I think LSU nudges past the Badgers.
South Dakota vs. No. 3 Oregon (10:30 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network)
No. 25 Washington vs. Hawaii (10:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network)
Florida Atlantic vs. No. 22 Nebraska (3:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)
South Dakota State vs. No. 24 Missouri (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU, WatchESPN)
James Madison vs. Maryland (3:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)
California vs. Northwestern (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN2, WatchESPN)
Duquesne vs. Bufalo (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Hampton vs. Old Dominion (3:30 p.m. ET)
Marshall vs. Miami (OH) (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Arkansas vs. No. 6 Auburn (4:00 p.m. ET, SEC Network, WatchESPN)
Despite Nick Marshall's absence, the Auburn Tigers should be able to take care of business against the Arkansas Razorbacks.
UC Davis vs. No. 11 Stanford (4:00 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network)
Montana vs. Wyoming (4:00 p.m. ET)
Portland State vs. Oregon State (4:00 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network)
William & Mary vs. Virginia Tech (4:00 p.m. ET, ESPNEWS, WatchESPN)
No. 16 Clemson vs. No. 12 Georgia (5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, WatchESPN)
Last year, the Tigers and Bulldogs waged in an epic encounter in Death Valley. Now, the land "Between the Hedges" plays host to this Top 20 matchup, and it should bring a high level of excitement once again. Both teams will be looking remarkably different from how they did a year ago, but the difference maker for me in this game is running back Todd Gurley. He's going to be going up against, no doubt, a very strong defensive line which is arguably the strongest position group on the entire team. But Gurley, and the home field advantage, should tilt things in the Dawgs' favor.
Liberty vs. No. 23 North Carolina (6:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Elon vs. Duke (6:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Ohio vs. Kent State (6:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Morgan State vs. Eastern Michigan (6:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Louisiana Tech vs. No. 4 Oklahoma (7:00 p.m. ET)
New Hampshire vs. Toledo (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Savannah State vs. Middle Tennessee (7:00 p.m. ET)
Bethune-Cookman vs. Florida International (7:00 p.m. ET)
Northern Arizona vs. San Diego State (7:00 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network)
Idaho vs. Florida (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPNU, WatchESN)
Austin Peay vs. Memphis
Western Carolina vs. South Florida (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Samford vs. TCU (7:00 p.m. ET)
Central Arkansas vs. Texas Tech (7:00 p.m. ET)
Montana State vs. Arkansas State (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Southern University vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. Texas State (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
Stephen F. Austin vs. No. 20 Kansas State (7:10 p.m. ET)
Fresno State vs. No. 15 USC (7:30 p.m. ET, FOX)
Southern Miss vs. Mississippi State (7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network, WatchESPN)
No. 1 Florida State vs. Oklahoma State (8:00 p.m. ET, ABC, ESPN3)
The defending National Champions are back and they're reloaded again for another big run to the National Championship Game. Jameis Winston & Co.'s journey to North Texas in January ACTUALLY starts in North Texas this Saturday. The Pokes' outlook is not as great as it has been in recent years, and although stranger things have happened, Florida State has the potential to make this a bit of a laugher.
UTEP vs. New Mexico (8:00 p.m. ET)
North Texas vs. Texas (8:00 p.m. ET, Longhorn Network, WatchESPN)
[Insert Longhorn Network joke here]
NC Central vs. East Carolina (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPNEWS, WatchESPN)
No. 14 Wisconsin vs. No. 13 LSU (9:00 p.m. ET, ESPN, WatchESPN)
It's a damn shame that these two teams, whose venues are some of the most spectacular in college football, could not agree to a true home-and-home series. That said, Reliant Stadium this year, and venerable Lambeau Field in 2016 are two brilliant choices. I don't necessarily think that this will be your typical Big Ten-SEC matchup, and one of the biggest reasons for that is Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon III, who is one of the most dynamic, dastardly and dangerous players in the nation. This could very well be 1a or 1b for Game of the Day with Clemson-Georgia if all pans out. In the end, I think LSU nudges past the Badgers.
South Dakota vs. No. 3 Oregon (10:30 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network)
No. 25 Washington vs. Hawaii (10:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network)
Sunday
Utah State vs. Tennessee (7:00 p.m. ET, SEC Network, WatchESPN)
SMU vs. No. 10 Baylor (7:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1)
Monday
Miami (FL) vs. Louisville (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN, WatchESPN)
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