This Week in College Football: Week 1

So, as usual, I won’t see most of these games because I’ll be at a thing, but here’s the idea: I write hurried previews while incredibly tired while also providing completely accurate TV listings. Also, I don’t preview games involving FCS teams (usually).

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Thursday
7:30:

  • Indiana @ Florida International (ESPNU): 3-for-1 deals, recruiting, for one reason or another the Hoosiers are going down to Boca Raton for some reason. They’ll probably still win, though.
  • Appalachian State @ Tennessee (SEC): Tennessee is everyone’s favorite to step into the void of the SEC East, so they’d do well to not stumble. I think they’ll carry the day here. I will say, though, either of these games are more interesting than the next few.

8:00:

  • South Carolina @ Vanderbilt (ESPN): I really hope you don’t like points but instead like “defense” that mostly consists of two incompetent offenses. I probably wouldn’t show this one to someone who hadn’t seen football before, put it that way. And, yeah, I’m going with the Gamecocks anyway.
  • Rice @ Western Kentucky (CBSS): Hey, it’s game, it’s on TV, and I’ll provide you an opinion slash wild guess: going with the Hilltoppers in this one.

9:00: Oregon State @ Minnesota (BTN): Just go to bed after the earlier games end. I mean, you probably still have to go to work on Friday, right? Minnesota likely prevails.

Friday
7:00: Army @ Temple (CBSS): Temple.

8:00: Colorado State vs. Colorado (@Denver, CO; ESPN): A rivalry is renewed! And you know what, I like that they play it on a neutral site, and that the Buffs have been consistently awful for so long I don’t feel weird about picking Colorado State.

9:00:

  • Kansas State @ Stanford (FS1): I actually have several cousins who have played for K-State over the years, including one on the current roster. I was offered comp tickets to this game, but I had to turn ’em down because I’ll be out of town, but I hope y’all enjoy the Bay Area. On a more somber note, I also don’t really see how K-State is going to stop Stanford, and that’s before we even get into them having one of the best players in college football thing.
  • Toledo @ Arkansas State (ESPNU): This feels more like a wacky weeknight game in November than September, but hey, that’s what you get on the first, blessedly NFL-less weekend of the season. Let’s keep rollin’ with the home team here.