This week’s college football schedule is brought to you by Rutgers football. Someone has to watch it. That person might as well be you.
Last week was but a prelude. This week is the chorus, the bridge and all 23 verses. Most of college football is on the field at some point during this upcoming holiday weekend. Nobody wants a bye to start the season, and out of conference opponents are plentiful.
That actually makes my job of serving as your football viewing Sherpa even more challenging. You could take a lot of wrong turns here. I’m going to list every game available at the end of the post, and you’re welcome to wander off the recommended path if you want. But if you wind up watching the Upper Iowa Peacocks take on the Butler Bulldogs, don’t say I don’t warn you.
Thursday August 29th
Best Bets
North Carolina at Minnesota, 8:00 pm (Fox)
PJ Fleck and Mack Brown square off in a tilt of coaches at least as enthusiastic as they are successful.
But Also…
Western Carolina at No. 24 NC State | 7 p.m. | ACC Network
NC State was one of the more interesting stories of 2023. I don’t necessarily expect this game to be super compelling. But there’s a slight chance the Wolfpack come back to Earth in entertaining fashion. Could be fun.
Murray State at No. 11 Missouri | 8 p.m. | SEC Network
SEC football on a Thursday remains a profoundly weird notion for me. But the Tigers of Ole Mizzou are a trendy college football playoff pick in some circles, so this one may bear watching if for no other reason than to be an more intelligent participant in that debate come January.
Friday, August 30th
Best Bet
Temple at No. 16 Oklahoma | 7 p.m. | ESPN
It’s a pretty thin slate on Friday night, with several Power 4 teams taking on lesser opponents. This one at least has the cache of a ranked Oklahoma playing its first contest as a member of the SEC.
But Also….
TCU at Stanford | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN
What else are you going to do after Chili’s closes on Friday night?
Saturday, August 31st
The Main Thing
No. 14 Clemson vs. No. 1 Georgia (in Atlanta, Georgia) | 12 p.m. | ABC
Clearly the game readers of this site will be watching to start their college football Saturday.
Best Bets
No. 19 Miami (Fla.) at Florida | 3:30 p.m. | ABC
My pick in the midafternoon time slot that will eventually see more marquee SEC matchups. It’s never a bad time to watch Florida lose a football game. I expect that this will be only the first of five to eight such opportunities in 2024.
No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 20 Texas A&M | 7:30 p.m. | ABC
This one’s the pick of the litter in prime time, as the Mike Elko regime looks to get off to a less expensive and more successful start that the Jimbo Fisher era.
But Also….
Colorado State at No. 4 Texas | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN
Texas is a 32.5 point favorite in this one, but I sort of expect Jay Norvell’s Rams to keep it close, at least for awhile. This one is watchable if for no other reason than scouting what may be Georgia’s toughest regular season opponent.
Fresno State at No. 9 Michigan | 7:30 p.m. | NBC
A plucky underdog travels to Ann Arbor to inaugurate the season against a top ten Michigan squad. When has that ever ended in embarrassing and hilarious fashion?
Sunday September 1st
Best Bet
No. 23 USC vs. No. 13 LSU (in Las Vegas, Nevada) | 7:30 p.m. | ABC
With the NFL still a week away college football gets to take the week one Sunday spotlight. And is using it to spotlight two head coaches with a solid track record of not really showing up for the first game of the year. Either Brian Kelly or Lincoln Riley is going to be pilloried for losing this game, which is probably no more than the sixth or seventh best reason for pillorying either of these guys. But we take what we can get.
But also….
I got nothing. There are three other games on Sunday but I find none of them particularly compelling.
Monday September 2nd
Boston College at No. 10 Florida State | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
The only game on Monday. This could be the second time in nine days that Florida State loses in front of fifty thousand drunken Irishmen, but I think that’s unlikely.
There’s no way that many people show up for a Boston College home game. Until later…
Go ‘Dawgs!!!
FULL SCHEDULE (All Times Eastern)
Thursday August 29th
Howard at Rutgers | 6 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Youngstown State at Villanova | 6 p.m. | FloSports
Central State (Ohio) at Morehead State | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Reinhardt at Carson-Newman | 6 p.m. | FloSports
North Carolina A&T at Wake Forest | 7 p.m. | ESPN+/ACCNX
New Hampshire at UCF | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Western Carolina at No. 24 NC State | 7 p.m. | ACC Network
Jackson State at UL Monroe | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Lafayette at Buffalo | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Fordham at Bowling Green | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Central Connecticut at Central Michigan | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
VMI at William & Mary | 7 p.m. | FloSports
Presbyterian at Mercer | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Wofford at Gardner-Webb | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Delta State at Mars Hill | 7 p.m. | FloSports
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Arkansas | 7:30 p.m. | ESPNU
Duquesne at Toledo | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Quincy at Drake | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN+
North Carolina at Minnesota | 8 p.m. | FOX
Murray State at No. 11 Missouri | 8 p.m. | SEC Network
North Dakota State at Colorado | 8 p.m. | ESPN
No. 22 Kansas vs. Lindenwood (in Kansas City, Kansas) | 8 p.m. | Big 12/ESPN+
Coastal Carolina at Jacksonville State | 8 p.m. | CBSSN
Alcorn State at UAB | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
SE Louisiana at Tulane | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
Northwestern State at Tulsa | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
Northern State at South Dakota | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
North American University at Stephen F. Austin | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
Colorado Mesa at Texas A&M-Kingsville | 8 p.m. | LSC Digital Network
Missouri Southern State at Midwestern State | 8 p.m. | FloSports/LSC Digital Network
Southern Utah at No. 12 Utah | 9 p.m. | ESPN+
Eastern Illinois at Illinois | 9 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Monmouth at Eastern Washington | 9 p.m. | ESPN+
Sacramento State at San Jose State | 10 p.m. | truTV
Friday, August 30th
Lehigh at Army | 6 p.m. | CBSSN
Temple at No. 16 Oklahoma | 7 p.m. | ESPN
Florida Atlantic at Michigan State | 7 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Colgate at Maine | 7 p.m. | FloSports
Elon at Duke | 7:30 p.m. | ACC Network
Western Michigan at Wisconsin | 9 p.m. | Big Ten Network
TCU at Stanford | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN
Saturday, August 31st
No. 14 Clemson vs. No. 1 Georgia (in Atlanta, Georgia) | 12 p.m. | ABC
Virginia Tech vs. Vanderbilt (in Nashville, Tennessee) | 12 p.m. | ESPN
Illinois State at No. 25 Iowa | 12 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Austin Peay at Louisville | 12 p.m. | ACC Network
Indiana State at Purdue | 12 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Kent State at Pitt | 12 p.m. | ESPNU
Bucknell at Navy | 12 p.m. | CBSSN
UConn at Maryland | 12 p.m. | FS1
No. 8 Penn State at West Virginia | 12 p.m. | FOX
Davidson at Georgetown | 12:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Chattanooga at No. 15 Tennessee | 12:45 p.m. | SEC Network
Upper Iowa at Butler | 1 p.m. | FloSports
Glenville State at Emory & Henry College | 1 p.m. | FloSports
South Dakota State at No. 17 Oklahoma State | 2 p.m. | ESPN+
Towson at Cincinnati | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Portland State at Washington State | 3 p.m. | CW Network
Edward Waters at Morehouse College | 3 p.m. | ESPN+
No. 19 Miami (Fla.) at Florida | 3:30 p.m. | ABC
Colorado State at No. 4 Texas | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN
Eastern Michigan at UMass | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Florida International at Indiana | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
East Tennessee State at Appalachian State | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+
North Dakota at Iowa State | 3:30 p.m. | FS1
Ohio at Syracuse | 3:30 p.m. | ACC Network
Kennesaw State at UTSA | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Merrimack at Air Force | 3:30 p.m. | CBSSN
UTEP at Nebraska | 3:30 p.m. | FOX
Western Illinois at Northern Illinois | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Akron at No. 2 Ohio State | 3:30 p.m. | CBS
Miami (Ohio) at Northwestern | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Boise State at Georgia Southern | 4 p.m. | ESPNU
Lincoln (CA) at Northern Arizona | 4 p.m. | ESPN+
Old Dominion at South Carolina | 4:15 p.m. | SEC Network
Stony Brook at Marshall | 5 p.m. | ESPN+
UC Davis at Cal | 5 p.m. | ESPN+/ACCNX
North Texas at South Alabama | 5 p.m. | ESPN+
Valparaiso at UNI | 5 p.m. | ESPN+
Eastern Kentucky at Mississippi State | 6 p.m. | ESPN+/SECN+
Campbell at Liberty | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Richmond at Virginia | 6 p.m. | ESPN+/ACCNX
Norfolk State at East Carolina | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Samford at West Georgia | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
South Carolina State at Florida A&M | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Delaware State at Sacred Heart | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Mississippi Valley State at Tennessee State | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
The Citadel at Charleston Southern | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Ave Maria University at Stetson | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Idaho State at Oregon State | 6:30 p.m. | CW Network
Western Kentucky at No. 5 Alabama | 7 p.m. | ESPN
Furman at No. 6 Ole Miss | 7 p.m. | ESPN+/SECN+
Central Arkansas at Arkansas State | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Bethune-Cookman at South Florida | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Tarleton State at Baylor | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
UNLV at Houston | 7 p.m. | FS1
UT Martin at No. 18 Kansas State | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Tennessee Tech at Middle Tennessee | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Sam Houston at Rice | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Nevada at Troy | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
North Alabama at Memphis | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Holy Cross at Rhode Island | 7 p.m. | FloSports
Northern Colorado at UIW | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Texas Southern at Prairie View A&M | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Western New Mexico at UT Permian Basin | 7 p.m. | FloSports
Alabama A&M at Auburn | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN+/SECN+
No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 20 Texas A&M | 7:30 p.m. | ABC
Fresno State at No. 9 Michigan | 7:30 p.m. | NBC
Idaho at No. 3 Oregon | 7:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
UCLA at Hawai’i | 7:30 p.m. | CBS
Abilene Christian at Texas Tech | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Southern Miss at Kentucky | 7:45 p.m. | SEC Network
Southern Illinois at BYU | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
Georgia State at Georgia Tech | 8 p.m. | ACC Network
Houston Christian at SMU | 8 p.m. | ESPN+/ACCNX
Grambling at Louisiana | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
Nicholls at Louisiana Tech | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
James Madison at Charlotte | 8 p.m. | ESPNU
Lamar at Texas State | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
Texas A&M-Commerce at San Diego State | 8 p.m. | truTV
Southern at McNeese | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
Southeast Missouri State at New Mexico State | 9 p.m. | ESPN+
Missouri State at Montana | 9 p.m. | ESPN+
New Mexico at No. 21 Arizona | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN
Montana State at Utah Tech | 10 p.m. | ESPN+
Wyoming at Arizona State | 10:30 p.m. | FS1
Weber State at Washington | 11 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Sunday, September 1st
North Carolina Central vs. Alabama State (in Miami Gardens, Fla.) | 3 p.m. | ESPN
Benedict College vs. Virginia State (in Canton, Ohio) | 4 p.m. | NFL Network
Tuskegee vs. Johnson C Smith (in Montgomery, Alabama) | 7 p.m. | ESPNU
No. 23 USC vs. No. 13 LSU (in Las Vegas, Nevada) | 7:30 p.m. | ABC
Monday, September 2nd
Boston College at No. 10 Florida State | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN