After an offseason of talk about playoff expansion, conference realignment and the rebirth of a fan-favorite video game, it is finally time to actually play some football. College football returns Saturday to kickoff an intriguing season as more teams will vie for postseason play and new conference matchups will be established thanks to another wave of realignment.
Week 0 is the appetizer to Aug. 31’s main dish, but football is football. In total, four games involving at least one FBS team will be played. Here are the top three to watch, along with where to watch, predictions, start time and more. All times Eastern.
No. 10 Florida State at Georgia Tech | 12 p.m. | ESPN
The Seminoles are still feeling the sting of being left out of the College Football Playoff last season. That shouldn’t be the case this year if Mike Norvell’s group takes care of business.
It starts across the pond in Dublin, Ireland, against ACC foe Georgia Tech. New FSU quarterback DJ Uiagalelei will carry a heavy load for the ‘Noles after much of last season’s roster moved on via graduation or the transfer portal. Georgia Tech is picked to finish in the middle of the conference by the media.
Prediction: Florida State wins easily. This team won’t be as dominant as last year, but it is still going to be head and shoulders above most of the teams it plays. That will show in the season opener against Georgia Tech.
SMU at Nevada | 8 p.m. | CBS Sports Network
The only primetime game of the day features new ACC member SMU. The Mustangs are picked to finish seventh in the ACC after an 11-win season last year in the American Athletic Conference. Nevada, after four-straight winning seasons from 2018-21, has stumbled to a pair of 2-10 finishes each of the past two seasons. Nevada is picked 12th in the Mountain West this year.
Prediction: SMU wins big. How does last year’s 11-win season translate to the ACC? We won’t necessarily find out in this game, but it’s a chance for SMU to show the country what kind of team it can be.
Montana State at New Mexico | 4 p.m. | FS1
Montana State is an FCS team, but don’t let that be a deterrent from watching this game. There have been plenty of FCS wins over FBS teams, including four last year.
New Mexico, picked 11th in the Mountain West, is in trouble against one of the stronger programs in the FCS. Montana State lost a heartbreaker, 35-34 in overtime, in last year’s second round of the playoffs to North Dakota State. The Bobcats are expected to be better this season. Meanwhile, Bronco Mendenhall has a large rebuilding project in front of him with New Mexico.
Prediction: Montana State should and will win this one. The Bobcats will get the first win of the season for the FCS over an FBS team.
