There is no feeling quite like waking up on Week 1 Saturday of the college football season. Week 0 was a small appetizer, but now we get the main course with the first full Saturday slate of games that is absolutely packed.
With so many games happening throughout the day, it can be a bit overwhelming to figure out what to watch, especially if you want to take in as much action as possible. So here is the ultimate viewing guide for how to spend your Saturday watching Week 1 of college football.
The Noon Slate
To the delight of Buckeye fans, the day kicks off on FOX with a bang with the biggest game of the weekend between No. 1 Texas and No. 3 Ohio State in Columbus at noon. This is the premiere matchup of the day and one you will want to give your undivided attention.
If you do have multiple screens or find yourself channel surfing during commercial breaks, there are a couple of other intriguing games in this time slot. Syracuse takes on Tennessee (ABC), with both teams breaking in new quarterbacks, and on ESPNU, Northwestern goes on the road to face one of the top Group of Five programs in Tulane, who still has not named a starting QB since bringing in Jake Retzlaff from BYU.
Afternoon
If you're looking for a time to touch some grass and connect to the outside world on Saturday, the midway window might be the best opportunity. The headline game in this slot is Alabama traveling to Florida State on ABC at 3:30 ET, but whether this matchup between two big name programs is a must-watch, likely depends on if the Seminoles can keep it close.
Outside of that, Penn State (vs Nevada, CBS, 3:30 ET) and Georgia (vs Marshall, ESPN, 3:30 ET) will make their season debuts.
This time slot does offer a chance though to check out some intriguing new starting quarterbacks at major programs: Oregon with Dante Moore taking on Montana State (BTN, 4:00 ET), Oklahoma and John Mateer facing Illinois State (6:00 ET, ESPN+), and Iowa and former “FCS Heisman” winner Mark Gronowski welcoming in Albany (6:00 ET, FS1).
Night
The lights will be bright for another top-10 must-watch game between No. 9 LSU and No. 4 Clemson in prime time on ABC at 7:30 ET. Featuring an elite quarterback matchup between Garrett Nussmeier and Cade Klubnik, this one has all the makings of another instant classic in Death Valley North. This marks the third straight year that Brian Kelly and LSU will open their season away from home against a Power Five opponent. Kelly and the Tigers are 0-3 in those games.
Outside of that one, the night slate is pretty quiet. However, we will get our first look at true freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood as he makes his debut for Michigan against New Mexico at 7:30 ET on NBC.
Late-Night
The late-night wind down on a Saturday in college football is always a great feeling, and it’s even better this week knowing there are still two more days of games ahead. There’s a solid matchup to close out the night, featuring a battle of transfer quarterbacks as Utah and Devon Dampier take on UCLA and Nico Iamaleava in an 11:00 ET kickoff on FOX.
A few other intriguing teams will take the field out west in games that make for perfect viewing as you go in and out of sleep, including Hawai’i vs Arizona (10:30 ET, TNT) and Colorado State vs Washington (11:00 ET on BTN).
If you’re looking for a streaming provider, can also catch all the action on FuboTV.