College football is finally back, so let’s pick through the schedule and optimize the absurd amount of football we’re about to consume
There’s an art to watching college football as a fan. Whether you’re someone who only watches your own team, someone who spends the day tailgating, keeping only the best games on a TV in the back of a car, or a fanatic that tries to maximize college football consumption every week, catching the best games, while keeping tabs on group of five games, and of course, making some time for your own team. That category is where I fall.
Not everyone can do this though. Mass college football consumption is a skill, and only the best of the best can sit on a couch for an entire day, watching all of the best games college football has to offer on any given day. From Thursday night games, Ivy League Friday matchups, and obviously the main course on Saturday, there’s something for everyone in college football, and in my opinion, the best approach to football as a fan is that the more games, the better.
Each week this season, we’re going to take a look at the optimal path of binge-watching the slate of games on the schedule, from those weekday games, to the best of the best, primetime spectacles, and of course, the late night Pac-12 and MWC games. That best path will contain the two games in each general time slot that are most worth watching, as well as some throw in games that may not be happening in the usual 12:00, 3:30, or primetime slots. Let’s binge-watch some football.
Thursday
New Mexico State at Minnesota, 7:00 p.m. EST, BTN
The first week Thursday games this season are a little bit underwhelming. You can usually get a couple pretty solid games in this slot, but they’re pretty weak this season, with just one matchup of two power five teams, and only four games really worth talking about at all. This is one of the two watchable games in the earlier (kind of) slot on Thursday night, and it’ll serve pretty well as an appetizer before the best games of the night come on an hour later.
One sentence sell: Minnesota is starting a true freshman walk on at quarterback in Zack Annexstad, so while New Mexico State isn’t very good, this one could still get dumb.
UCF at UConn, 7:00 p.m. EST, ESPNU
Well hey, the champs are playing this Thursday! UCF is obviously not the same team as they were last season, and I don’t expect them to be undefeated again, but they return a lot of talent, and should still be very fun to watch. Josh Heupel’s offense is delightful, and McKenzie Milton may be one of the five best quarterbacks in the country. UConn stinks, but UCF is worth watching, at least as a filler game for a little while.
One sentence sell: How could anyone pass up on watching this famous rivalry, The Civil ConFLiCT?
Wake Forest at Tulane, 8:00 p.m. EST, CBSSN
Looking for some fun offense to flip the channel to when the main event of the evening is on commercial or an exciting game to put on a second screen? This is quietly a very good candidate, and could be one of the more entertaining games of the week. Wake Forest and Tulane both run fun offenses, and I really can’t suggest watching a Willie Fritz option offense enough, it’s delightful and worth your time.
One sentence sell: Wake Forest is looking to replace star quarterback John Wolford, but the presumed starter is suspended, so there could be some upset potential from an upstart Tulane team.
Northwestern at Purdue, 8:00 p.m. EST, ESPN
The best game of the night, by far, is this early season Big Ten West showdown. Purdue and Northwestern are, in my opinion, the two biggest threats to Wisconsin in the West, so this will be a huge tell for which team is a legitimate contender, as well as a possible tie-break at the end of the season. Purdue’s offense should be very good this year, and Northwestern looks to be a top 25 caliber team, so this will be a lot of fun.
One sentence sell: You can probably skip all the other games this Thursday, but this game should be a great battle, and could be close to the very end.
Friday
Army at Duke, 7:00 p.m. EST, ESPNU
After a long work week, nothing says kicking back and relaxing like a matchup between two teams that make absolutely zero mistakes on the field, and refuse to score more than 20 points. This game will have exactly one penalty, and be finished in under two hours.
One sentence sell: These are both going to be bowl teams, and Army might win ten games this year, because they return just about every offensive player that mattered in 2017, except for quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw.
San Diego State at Stanford, 9:00 p.m. EST, FS1
This game was an upset special last year, as Rashaad Penny and the Aztecs downed Stanford 20-17 very early on in the year. Obviously, this year is not last year, so there’s no reason to expect a repeat, but this will be worth watching regardless of if we could see the first big upset of the year. San Diego State is probably the second best MWC team, and Stanford has top 15 talent, so this should be just plain good football.
One sentence sell: While this is meant to be a sentence, I really only need two words: Bryce Love.
Colorado State vs Colorado, 9:30 p.m. EST, CBSSN
A rivalry game on a Friday night in week one? Sign me up. I’m not super high on either team in this game, but it is still a rivalry game, and both teams have interesting pieces worth watching. Both teams have pretty intriguing quarterbacks, in Steven Montez and KJ Carta-Samuels, and Carta-Samuels looked really good in a losing effort against Hawaii last week.
One sentence game: Most of your attention during the night-cap should go to Stanford vs. San Diego State, but this will be a good one to flip to during commercials and when the Stanford game ends.
Early Saturday
FAU at Oklahoma, 12:00 p.m. EST, FOX:
Lane Kiffin and the rise of FAU was one of the most enjoyable stories in all of college football last season, and all eyes are on the swagger capital of America, Boca Raton, to see what the Owls can do for an encore this season. FAU returns nearly their entire defense, and they may be the most talented G5 team in the country. Oklahoma is breaking in a new quarterback, and Mike Stoops will have to figure out how to slow down a Lane Kiffin. That could be a recipe for an awesome game, and perhaps a shocking upset.
One sentence sell: Oh come on, you know you can’t pass up on jumping on the Lane Train as it heads to Norman, looking to establish itself as a force to be reckoned with.
Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech, 12:00 p.m. EST, ESPN
There are certainly plenty of interesting games that could fill this spot, but because we’re looking to keep this to two games per time slot, Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech is probably going to give you the most bang for your buck, so to speak. Ole Miss might have the best receivers in the country, and Texas Tech is still running the air raid, so if you like offense, this is the game for you. I don’t think either team is all that good, but this’ll be a great first test for Texas Tech’s new and improved defense.
One sentence sell: Jordan Ta’amu is super fun, and he’s throwing to A.J. Brown, DaMarkus Lodge and DK Metcalf against a Texas Tech defense.
Saturday afternoon
Auburn vs. Washington, 3:30 p.m. EST, ABC
You could make the argument for this game being the best of the entire weekend, and I really don’t think I would question it. It’s a top ten matchup, between two playoff contenders, led by spectacular defenses and playmakers at just about every skill position. Two great secondary groups, two exciting quarterbacks, and what should be a delightful game. My only complaint is that it isn’t on a college campus, at a college stadium.
One sentence sell: The winner of this game will be in awesome position, and could be considered one of the top five or six playoff contenders early on in the season.
Washington State at Wyoming, 3:30, p.m., EST, CBSSN
Okay, before West Virginia and Tennessee fans get mad at me, let me explain. Tennessee vs. West Virginia seems like the obvious choice here, but we don’t do obvious choice, we look for the best games, and I think Wyoming vs. Washington is going to be more fun than any of the other game sin this time slot, save for the prior game I mentioned. Wyoming looked awesome in week zero against New Mexico State, and they have the chance to really prove themselves against an iffy Washington State team.
One sentence sell: Wyoming’s offense was really solid last week, and running back Nico Evans is worth watching, because at 5-foot-9, 211 pounds (that may be an understatement), he’s a wonderful bowling ball.
Saturday evening
Boise State at Troy, 6:00 p.m. EST, ESPN News
After a bit of a lull in the afternoon slot, this is a great transition game before the true primetime games kickoff. These are probably two of the five best group of five teams in the country, and if you’re looking for an evenly balanced battle, this might be the best of the day. Boise State has one of their best teams in years, and Troy brings an innovative offense to the table.
One sentence sell: It may not be a traditional power showdown, but this is a seriously interesting game, and if you want to watch more G5 football this year (you should), this is a great entry point.
Michigan at Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m. EST, NBC
The game of the week, at least according to ESPN’s College Gameday location, is the renewal of one of the best rivalries in football. Michigan and Notre Dame games are always high stakes, and they’re always a lot of fun. If you like the pageantry of college football (who doesn’t), Notre Dame’s golden helmets and Michigan’s awesome Jordan uniforms under the lights at Notre Dame Stadium is about as good as it gets.
One sentence sell: Michigan is looking to compete for the playoff led by a dominant defense, while proving that they can pass the football, while Notre Dame is doing, well, the exact same thing.
Louisville vs. Alabama, 8:00 p.m. EST, ESPN
Another neutral site game, and one that is probably going to be significantly less entertaining than Auburn vs. Washington. With that being said, this is pretty easily the second best primetime game of the day, and it will be worth watching, at least momentarily when Michigan and Notre Dame are at commercial or halftime. Juwan Pass could be really good and keep this one at least somewhat close, but Alabama is just so good. I wish we still had Lamar Jackson in college football.
One sentence sell: Alabama is probably going to be great this year, as they always are, but their lack of certainty at quarterback, and the ultimate answer to the question of Tua or Jalen will be worth tuning in to see.
Saturday nightcap
UTSA at Arizona State, 10:30 p.m. EST, FS1
I know I’m supposed to be selling you on these games, and I’m going to try, but if there’s a late night slate this season that you can probably skip, it’ll be this one. It gets started with the first game of the Herm Edwards era, against a UTSA team that has a bunch of young talent and a whole bunch of questions. It’ll probably good weird, and Arizona State quarterback Manny Wilkins will probably throw for a bunch of yards. It’s football junk food, essentially.
One sentence sell: We’ve talked about it ad nauseam this offseason, but hey, Herm Edwards is the dang coach at a college football program (a major one!), and it could be a train wreck, so maybe you should keep an eye on that just in case.
BYU at Arizona, 10:45 p.m. EST, ESPN
BYU wasn’t very good last year, and I don’t see them being very good this year, so this could very well be a blowout, but like I said, the late night games this week are not at their best quite yet. It could still be fun if you’re into watching Khalil Tate decimate his foes (I certainly am), and it is Kevin Sumlin’s first game at Arizona, so that’s at least something to follow here. Football junk food, but football nonetheless.
One sentence sell: Khalil Tate ran for 1500 yards last season as a quarterback, and he averaged 14.5 yards per carry in the month of October, including a 14 carry, 327 yard game against Colorado, in what was one of the most upsetting games I’ve ever watched.
Navy at Hawaii, 12:00 p.m. EST, CBSSN: If you are willing to stay up until midnight for Hawaii to face off with Navy, I respect you more than I could ever put into words. If the last two games were football junk food, this is just putting sugar into a bowl and eating it with a spoon. The triple option is always a good time, and Hawaii’s return to the run and shoot offense with America’s sweetheart Cole McDonald at quarterback is absolutely worth a watch if you need something to really tide you over for the day.
One sentence sell: No one is on the fence about this game, you’re either a sane person with a normal brain, or you’ll be joining me at CBS Sports Network come midnight on Saturday.
Sunday and Monday
LSU vs. Miami, 7:30 p.m. EST, ABC
If it feels like the Saturday primetime slot is a bit weak this week, it’s because two big-time games are coming on Sunday and Monday night, the first of which may be the game I’m most excited for this weekend.
LSU and Miami are pretty similar teams, they both have great defenses, and offenses with a lot of questions. They both have some really good receivers, and the faceoffs between Jonathan Giles and Michael Jackson and Ahmon Richards against Greedy Williams are well worth watching. Throw in Joe Burrow being named LSU’s quarterback, and the reinstatement of Kristian Fulton, and this is a really nice way to start the season.
One sentence sell: Miami is a playoff contender, and if they win this game, they could very well go undefeated in the regular season, meanwhile, LSU may fire their coach if they lose this game.
Virginia Tech at Florida State, 8:00 p.m. EST, ESPN
With Virginia Tech’s disastrous offseason, this game has lost a little steam, but it’s the only game on Monday night, and these are still two of the more interesting teams in the ACC. The start of the Willie Taggart era at Florida State coming against a really solid opponent, in front of what should be a pumped up home crowd will make for a great environment, and a very good game.
One sentence sell: Deondre Francois and Justin Jackson are both really good, and there’s a ton of young talent on both teams that will start, including Florida State five-star true freshman linebacker Jaiden Woodbey.