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The 2018 season is here, finally.
Technically, the 2018 season kicked off last Saturday with a few games games scattered across your television. Colorado State vs. Hawaii on CBS Sports Network probably had the most national interest, but, that wasn’t really the start of the season. Sure, Hawaii had some really cool helmets. And the ref made a funny call. But, if we’re being honest, it was basically a sneak preview of the 2018 college football season.
This week, it’s the real deal. Power 5 teams hitting the field for the first time.
Saturday Down South is here to help with a comprehensive viewing guide to get you through a jam-packed Labor Day weekend.
All times are ET. Odds and point-spreads via MyBookie.
Thursday: Kicking off the season, for real
- Highest-ranked team in action: No. 21 UCF at UConn (7 p.m., ESPNU)
- S-E-C: Northwestern State at Texas A&M (8:30 p.m., SEC Network)
- Also of note: Northwestern at Purdue (8 p.m., ESPN)
The first SEC game of the year is – unfortunately for 13 of the fanbases – a cupcake for Texas A&M, as the Aggies host a school that sounds straight out of a movie or TV show, Northwestern State. Cupcake games rank pretty low in terms of watchability, but there will be interest in Jimbo Fisher’s first game as Texas A&M’s head coach. Considering the school is paying Fisher $75 million, he’ll be expected to deliver some Game 1 fireworks.
You might have heard UCF won a national championship in 2017. The Knights did not play in the College Football Playoff, but after knocking off Auburn in the Peach Bowl to finish the season undefeated, they claimed a national title. (And made sure everyone in the world was aware.)
The head coach of last year’s undefeated Knights, Scott Frost, took the head coaching job at Nebraska in December. This year’s UCF team is coached by Josh Heupel, former offensive coordinator at Mizzou.
Plenty of SEC fans would love to see the Knights stumble out of the gate in 2018, but they shouldn’t hold their breath as UCF is a 23.5-point favorite.
Speaking of betting, the tightest line of the Thursday night slate comes courtesy of the Big Ten as Purdue hosts Northwestern. The Boilermakers are 2.5-point favorites.
B1G Friday
- Highest-ranked team in action: Western Kentucky at No. 4 Wisconsin (9 p.m., ESPN)
- More from the Top 25: Utah State at No. 11 Michigan State (7 p.m., Big Ten Network); San Diego State at No. 13 Stanford (9 p.m., FOX Sports 1)
While there’s no guarantee on the actual entertainment value of the games, three top-15 teams will play on Friday.
Wisconsin, Lee Corso’s pick to win the national championship, was one of only three teams to receive a first-place vote in the preseason Associated Press Top 25. Potential Heisman Trophy candidate RB Jonathan Taylor and company start the season as 35.5-point favorites over Western Kentucky.
Another Big Ten team, No. 11 Michigan State, is expected to face more of a challenge hosting Utah State. The Spartans are currently 24-point favorites.
The most likely upset of a ranked team comes on the West Coast, as No. 13 Stanford hosts San Diego State. The Cardinal is favored by 14.5 points in the California clash.
Saturday: The main events
- Cartoon offenses: FAU at No. 7 Oklahoma (Noon, FOX); Ole Miss at Texas Tech (Advocare Texas Kickoff, Houston – Noon, ESPN)
- Where’s Urban Meyer watching from?: Oregon State at No. 5 Ohio State (Noon, ABC)
- Will Grier takes on the Vols, Part II: No. 17 West Virginia vs. Tennessee (Belk College Kickoff, Charlotte – 3:30 p.m., CBS)
- The Marquee Match-up: No. 6 Washington vs. No. 9 Auburn (Chick-fil-A Kickoff, Atlanta – 3:30 p.m., ABC)
- “GameDay” game: No. 14 Michigan at No. 12 Notre Dame (7:30 p.m., NBC)
- Alabama’s annual Power 5 opener: Louisville vs. No. 1 Alabama (Camping World Kickoff, Orlando – 8 p.m., ABC)
- The other SEC games: Coastal Carolina at South Carolina (Noon, SEC Network); Austin Peay at No. 3 Georgia (3:30 p.m., ESPN); Central Michigan at Kentucky (3:30 p.m., ESPNU); UT Martin at Missouri (4 p.m., SEC Network Alternate); Eastern Illinois at Arkansas (4 p.m., SEC Network); Stephen F. Austin at No. 18 Mississippi State (7:30 p.m., ESPNU); Charleston Southern at Florida (7:30 p.m., SEC Network); Middle Tennessee at Vanderbilt (7:30 p.m., SEC Network)
After “GameDay,” fans can flip over to the SEC Network to check out South Carolina against Coastal Carolina. If the Gamecocks are boring you, there should be plenty of scoring elsewhere. With Lincoln Riley, Lane Kiffin, Kliff Kingsbury and Phil Longo’s offenses on display in the Noon viewing block, it is virtually guaranteed that an abundance points will be put on the board. Alternatively, the Buckeyes, minus suspended head coach Urban Meyer, will be taking on Oregon State over on ABC.
The Ole Miss-Texas Tech meeting is one of college football’s many “kickoff classics” at a neutral site. In this case, the Rebels and Red Raiders face off in Houston. More “kickoffs” get going in the 3:30 time slot with West Virginia vs. Tennessee and Washington vs. Auburn.
By rankings, Auburn-Washington is the top game of the weekend, though “GameDay” chose to go to South Bend, Ind. for the Michigan vs. Notre Dame rivalry atmosphere. Gus Malzahn’s squad is a 1.5-point favorite over the Huskies despite losing its two games in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Unfortunately, it’s a Lamar Jackson-less Louisville taking on Alabama in Orlando. But that hasn’t stopped Bobby Petrino from giving the Crimson Tide some bulletin-board material. (Bold strategy, Cotton.)
The rest of the SEC will be playing in games of much less national interest. By the end of the day, all of the new head coaches will have Game 1 in the books.
Sunday: Would have been more fun in 2003, but still Mark Richt vs. SEC
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- No. 8 Miami vs. No. 25 LSU (Advocare Classic, Dallas – 7:30 p.m., ABC)
If it were about 15 years ago, LSU vs. Miami might be the game of the season. In 2018, it’s still a fun way to use a Sunday night before the NFL season gets going.
Second-year coach Ed Orgeron faces an absolutely brutal schedule, starting with Mark Richt’s Hurricanes. UM is both the higher-ranked squad and the betting favorite (-3.5 points).
Richt, who coached the Canes to 10-3 in his second year at Miami, knows LSU has the “dudes” to give his team trouble. All eyes will be on the dude who takes the first snap at quarterback, Ohio State transfer Joe Burrow.
Monday: More Top-25 action that would have been an even bigger deal last decade
- No. 20 Virginia Tech at No. 19 Florida State (8 p.m., ESPN)
Again, there was a time not too long ago that FSU-Virginia Tech would have been the marquee match-up of the weekend. Instead, it should serve as a satisfying finale to the Labor Day weekend. With Fisher now at Texas A&M, the Noles are coached by Willie Taggart, who previously held the job at Oregon and USF. FSU is favored by 7.5 at home against the Hokies.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
