Games to Watch: Week 1

Welcome back, football!  This is the post you've been waiting for all offseason.  These are the games to keep your eye out for during the first week of the season.

The season kicks off tomorrow!

Since it's just the first weekend, it's hard to pick games based on storylines or stakes.  With an increase in big "kickoff" games, the first week is starting to turn into a mini-bowl week.


Thursday
7 PM
South Carolina vs. Vanderbilt, ESPN.  There are several games kicking off at 7 PM, but this is the one on ESPN, so it gets the billing as the first game of the season.

Friday
7:30 PM
Tennessee vs. North Carolina State, ESPNU.  It's the first half of the Chick-fil-a College Kickoff.

8 PM
Boise State vs. Michigan State, ESPN.

Saturday
9 AM
Notre Dame vs. Navy, CBS.  Live from Dublin, Ireland.  So much for my plan to kick off the first Saturday of the season watching Gameday.

Noon
There really aren't a lot of games with much significance here.  A few matchups that might be worth watching if you can find them or are fans of the teams playing.  But since it's week one, we either get cupcakes, or high profile prime time matchups with not a lot of middle ground.

3:30 PM
Miami at Boston College, ABC/ESPN2.  I'm pretty sure I said this last year, but this game is mainly viewed as significant largely based on the Doug Flutie game of the 1980s.  But, being the first game of the season, anything can happen.

7 PM
Clemson vs. Auburn, ESPN.  It's the second half of the Chick-fil-a College Kickoff.  Both games this year are a return to the ACC/SEC matchups from 2008-2010, even though Chick-fil-a is not opposed to opening the event up to other teams and conferences.

8 PM
Michigan vs. Alabama, ABC.  It's the Cowboys Classic at Jerryworld!

10:30 PM
Arkansas State vs. Oregon, ESPN.  Again, not a lot of significance on the game itself, but it is the Saturday nightcap.

Sunday
3:30 PM
Kentucky at Louisville, ESPN.  It's probably nothing overly special, but it's football action to keep you going during this 5 day weekend of college football.

Monday
8 PM
Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech, ESPN.  The game that has decided the Coastal Division champion of the ACC for the last 7 years has been moved to week 1.  After taking a year off from big season openers, the Hokies are back in primetime during the first week.  But this year is different, as they open up in Lane Stadium under the lights against a conference opponent.  The tone of the season is set for both teams in this game.

Of course, it's also the cornerstone game for us here at the blog.