The college football season is officially upon us!
While Week Zero provided us with a seven game appetizer last weekend, it is nothing compared to the 88 game banquet Week One has in store for us from Thursday through Labor Day Monday.
Here is a breakdown of what the schedule has in store for us, including some rivalry games, some must watch games, and at least one matchup with College Football Playoff implications.
MATCHUP BREAKDOWN
• 42 of the 88 matchups include a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) team against a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) team, nearly half of all of this weeks games.
• 28 of the 88 games include a Group of 5 team visiting a Power 5 opponent.
• Only six games out of the 88 total matchups include a Power 5 team traveling to take on a Group of 5 opponent.
• Amazingly, only 10 of the 88 games on the docket for this weekend include two Power 5 teams taking on each other to start the season, most of which are conference games.
AT LAST WE MEET AGAIN
Here is a list of the games that are taking place at least 30 years from the previous series meeting:
• Tennessee vs. Virginia – Last met in 1991, a 23-22 Volunteer victory. Tennessee leads the series 3-1.
• West Virginia at Penn State – Last met in 1992, a 40-26 Nittany Lion triumph. Penn State leads the series 48-9-2.
• Nevada at USC – Last met in 1929! USC leads the series 5-0 and won the previous matchup 66-0.
• Stanford at Hawaii – Last met in 1972, a 39-7 win for Sanford who leads the series 3-0.
• Miami (Ohio) at Miami – Last met in 1987 when Jimmie Johnson was the head coach, a 54-3 beatdown. The “U” leads the battle for Miami supremacy 3-0.
• Texas Tech at Wyoming – The Red Raiders won the last meeting in 1992, 49-32, but trail in the all time series, 3-2.
FIRST-TIME MATCHUPS
While Week One provides viewers with many matchups that have taken place at least once before, viewers will still get treated to five matchups that have never been seen by football fans before! Those games include:
- East Carolina at Michigan
- Fresno State at Purdue
- UMass at Auburn
- Coastal Carolina at UCLA
- Sam Houston State at BYU
- Toledo at Illinois
RIVALRY GAMES
Nebraska Cornhuskers at Minnesota Golden Gophers
$5 Bits of Broken Chair trophy “A Rivalry Rebroken”
One of the most unique rivalry trophies in all of college football, the $5 Bits of Broken Chair trophy was created entirely by fans on Twitter and continues to this day. You can find the history of the trophy here.
Not only will this game be a sell out, Gold out crowd in Minneapolis, it will also be the first game for head Husker Matt Ruhle. He’ll be playing for a trophy he probably doesn’t realize exists because neither school has officially recognized it, despite a “Chair-ity” auction that accompanies the game each year.
South Carolina vs. North Carolina
The “Battle for the Real Carolina” takes place at Bank of American Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., on Saturday pitting UNC QB Drake Maye, who begins his quest for the Heisman trophy, against South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler. who has Heisman aspirations of his own.
THREE GAMES TO WATCH
Nebraska at Minnesota
Thursday, Aug. 31 – 8 pm ET, FOX
This Power 5 vs. Power 5 matchup includes a sell out, Gold out crowd in Minneapolis that welcomes new Head Husker Matt Ruhle. The Gophers, meanwhile, open their first full season with Athan Kaliakmanis under center. These two have played a lot of good games lately and includes bragging rights to the $5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy.
Colorado at (17) TCU
The Deion Sanders era begins against the 2022 season runner-up in TCU. Can Coach Prime’s transfer portal roster pull off an upset in Week One? Plenty of people will be tuning in to find out.
Saturday, Sept. 2 – Noon ET, FOX
(5) LSU vs. (8) Florida State
Two powerhouse programs meet at Camping World Stadium in in Orlando, Fla., in a game that will have College Football Playoff implications.
Sunday, Sept. 2 – 7:30pm ET, ABC
Football Schedules
- College Football Schedule (FBS only)
- FCS Schedule (FCS only)
- College Football TV Schedule (FBS and FCS)