As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Noon:

• Alabama @ Wisconsin (FOX): I’m hardly new to to this observation, but get ready for a very front-loaded day of games. We start off early in Madison, Wisconsin, where the main issue for Alabama fans will likely be misguided attempts to out-drink the locals. Otherwise, barring something surprising from the Badger offense, I think the Tide have this.
• Louisiana State @ South Carolina (ABC): South Carolina may not be terrible, but I have a hard time entertaining them keeping a lid on LSU.
• Memphis @ Florida State (ESPN): Okay, so while I don’t expect Memphis to win this game, I sort of expect them to? The Tigers aren’t appreciably worse than the two teams FSU has already lost to. The main thing is just that I’m assuming maybe FSU has figured some things out, especially on defense.
• Oklahoma State @ Tulsa (ESPN2): I think this is going to be mostly Pokes.
• North Texas @ Texas Tech (FS1): In another plains-state game with non-traditional rivals, this figures to be a bit closer, but it’s still at home for Tech.
• Arkansas State @ Michigan (BTN): Michigan gets-right in a game where their lack of top-tier offensive playmakers (i.e., all the guys who got them the title last season) won’t matter at all.
• Cincinnati @ Miami (“Battle for the Bell”; ESPNU): Did you know… this is a long-standing rivalry game? And yeah, Cincy has dominated as of late, but guess what, Miami won last year, and it’s back up in their stadium. Plus, the Bearcats blew a three-touchdown lead to Pitt last week. Factor all that in, and it’s not hard to see the Redhawks doing it again.
• Louisiana Tech @ North Carolina State (ACCN): NC State will be fine in this one.
• Central Michigan @ Illinois (Peacock)

12:45: Boston College @ Missouri (SEC): So… this is the only ranked vs. ranked match of the day, an observation that usually is then followed by “wait, how is Missouri ranked sixth?” Who can say, really. If BC can keep it close they’ve got a chance, but while I don’t agree with Mizzou being ranked 6th, I can definitely buy they have a significantly better idea of what they’re doing on offense than say, oh, Florida State.

1:00: Massachusetts @ Buffalo (CBSS): If Buffalo doesn’t roll here there are severe problems there.

2:00: Coastal Carolina @ Temple (ESPN+)

3:30:

• Texas A&M @ Florida (ABC): I know why this is on national broadcast television, but I’m not sure I know why. TAMU I guess?
• Oregon @ Oregon State (“Civil War”; FOX): And so, weird Week 3 Rivalry Saturday begins in earnest. You had better believe Corvallis is going to be rocking in this one, and for good reason. The Beavers, despite a major exodus after last season, have had a good start to the year. Oregon is 2-0, but that comes with some major caveats in a pair of games the Ducks could have easily lost. And this is their biggest challenge yet. On paper, the Beavers stand no chance. But on the field with 50,000 jilted fans in the stands, it’s easy to see how it could go south quick for them. I like the Beavers here.
• Notre Dame @ Purdue (CBS): Meanwhile, Notre Dame suffered what will likely go down as the biggest upset for the year: losing to Northern Illinois. That said, unlike the scenario I described above and even despite that, unlike Oregon, the Irish actually lost… I’m still going to pick them.
• Tulane @ Oklahoma (ESPN): Yes, I’m aware Oklahoma isn’t in the Big 12 anymore, but for starters Tulane absolutely should have beaten Kansas State last weekend. And unlike K-State, Oklahoma has some severe issues on offense right now. Sure, the defense is good, but I can definitely see how Tulane scores early and keeps it close into the 4th quarter. After that, anything goes. I’ll take the Wave.
• West Virginia @ Pittsburgh (“Backyard Brawl”; ESPN2): This is about as evenly matched of a Backyard Brawl as there’s maybe ever been. I want this to be a good game so bad after last year’s opening weekend banger, but something tells me Pitt just keeps the Cincy vibes rolling and just paves over the ‘Neers.
• Prairie View A&M @ Michigan State (BTN)
• Nevada @ Minnesota (BTN): Gophers.
• Ball State @ Miami (ACCN): Canes.
• Virginia Military @ Georgia Tech (ACCNX): Well, we finally got got last weekend. Think maybe there’s a few programs though that are trying to figure how Kyle McCord wound up at Syracuse instead of, say, Florida State, Michigan, Oklahoma… maybe he’ll get that NIL bag after this season. Any rate, as far the Jackets go, there were definitely some issues that cropped with the first good offense they had to play against, and boy howdy the rushing attack picked an incredibly bad time to vanish into thin air. At any rate, this is a good week to figure some things out.
• Washington State vs. Washington (“Apple Cup” @ Seattle, WA; Peacock): I’ll join the chorus of commentators pointing out that the neutral site is good, actually. Yes, they played in Seattle last season, but that was at Husky Stadium. Playing at Lumen Field means this thing is going to be 50/50, and I can tell you from first hand experience, it’s going to be 50/50. This could be a legit cool Apple Cup. That said, though, I’m not as confident about the Cougs as I am the Beavers.
• Morgan State @ Ohio (ESPN+)

4:00:

• Troy @ Iowa (FS1): You’ll probably want to take the under in this one, which also means Iowa is going to win.
• Appalachian State @ East Carolina (ESPNU): There’s probably some in-state beef here, and I’m not sure I have much of a read on this one. If ECU is actually turning a corner, this would be a great time to do it. Otherwise, I like App.

4:15: Alabama-Birmingham @ Arkansas (SEC): Yeah, so UAB got vaporized by Louisiana-Monroe last week. I don’t think they stand much of a chance here.

4:30: Utah @ Utah State (“Battle of the Brothers”; CBSS): Utah has some severe issues on offense without Cam Rising, but… the Aggies lost by like 60 to USC last week, I think the Utes will be fine.

6:00:

• Connecticut @ Duke (ACCNX)
• North Carolina Central @ North Carolina (ACCNX)
• Florida International @ Florida Atlantic (“Shula Bowl”; ESPN+)
• Gardner-Webb @ Charlotte (ESPN+)
• Colgate @ Akron (ESPN+)
• Texas-El Paso @ Liberty (ESPN+)
• South Carolina State @ Georgia Southern (ESPN+)
• Virginia Tech @ Old Dominion (ESPN+)

6:30:

• Mississippi @ Wake Forest (CW): Lane will presumably name his own score in Winston-Salem.
• Bethune-Cookman @ Western Michigan (ESPN+)

7:00:

• Texas-San Antonio @ Texas (ESPN): The fallout from last week’s loss to Texas State is that I can’t really come up with a plausible way UTSA stands a chance in this game.
• Kennesaw State @ San Jose State (truTV): This is your reminder that Kennesaw State is now FBS, and they also terrible.
• Vanderbilt @ Georgia State (ESPN+)
• South Florida @ Southern Mississippi (ESPN+)
• Western Kentucky @ Middle Tennessee State (ESPN+)
• Jacksonville State @ Eastern Michigan (ESPN+)

7:30:

• Georgia @ Kentucky (ABC): Georgia. Next!
• Colorado @ Colorado State (“Rocky Mountain Showdown”; CBS): Colorado has two awesome skill players. Otherwise, they absolutely cannot block or beat blocks. They are terrible, and they’re going to lose this game, and it’s going to be hilarious.
• Central Florida @ Texas Christian (FOX): We’re going to find out a lot about these teams, provided anyone can keep their eyes off what’s going in Fort Collins. UCF has played no one, but at least blown them out, while TCU has a close win over Stanford. I’ll flip a weighted coin to account for TCU being at home and take the Frogs.
• Indiana @ California-Los Angeles (NBC): Well, Indiana can at least play offense, so provided they aren’t distract by the sun setting over the San Gabriels around the start of the fourth quarter, I like the Hoosiers in their first (sigh) conference game.
• New Mexico @ Auburn (ESPN2): I would love to believe that Hugh Freeze is forever destined to lose to teams from New Mexico (after losing to their cousins from Los Cruces two years in a row) but there’s nothing about the Lobos’ losses (including to a (good) FCS team) that says that it’s going to happen.
• Air Force @ Baylor (FS1): Baylor will be fine in this one.
• Northern Iowa @ Nebraska (BTN)
• Eastern Illinois @ Northwestern (BTN)
• Toledo @ Mississippi State (ESPNU): I’d love to predict another big MAC upset this week, but teams that only beat UMass by two scores don’t exactly scream “rolling into cowbell territory and winning” to me.

7:45: Kent State @ Tennessee (SEC): Kent lost to something called “St Francis PA” last week. This does not bode well for their chances in Knoxville. The Vols may put up a 100-spot.

8:00:

• Maryland @ Virginia (ACCN): Of course Maryland is on the ACC Network, why wouldn’t they be? “Jokes” aside, we don’t have to worry about September Maryland this year, it seems. It’s probably for the best. I don’t anticipate their trip to Charlottesville changing that either.
• Rice @ Houston (ESPN+)

9:00: Brigham Young @ Wyoming (CBSS): There are plenty of years were this game would’ve been extremely compelling. Unfortunately, this doesn’t appear to be one of them. I’ll give a slight edge to BYU.

10:30:

• San Diego State @ California (ESPN): Cal can score. San Diego State amply demonstrated last week that they cannot. I think this one is pretty open and shut.
• New Mexico State @ Fresno State (truTV): New Mexico State may have a pulse this year, which was not a given considering they lost their coach and quarterback. But it’s hard to see them prevailing against Fresno.

As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Noon:

• Arkansas @ Oklahoma State (ABC): Let’s face it, most of the early games are going to be overshadowed by the next game, so the angle is: is there a reason to keep an eye on any of the other ones? In this case, no. I like the Pokes.
• Texas @ Michigan (FOX): Early last season was defined by Texas and Alabama’s excellent tilt in Austin, that helped put the Horns on the to the playoff. Michigan, of course, won that playoff. This is an all-time helmet game between two programs that have met just once: in the 2004-05 Rose Bowl, where Texas won 38-37 on a walk-off field goal by Dusty Magnum. (Vince Young of course featured prominently for the Longhorns.) This time around, the game may not be that close: Michigan is replacing a lot from last year’s team and may not really have a quarterback, whereas Texas sort of has the opposite problem. The main factor will be the true road game aspect of this, but I still have to pick Texas.
• Kansas State @ Tulane (ESPN): I don’t know that Tulane can win this game, but I think they can make it interesting.
• Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati (ESPN2): Once again, I love the regional matchup aspect of this, but this one doesn’t figure to be anything other than a Pitt rout.
• Bowling Green @ Pennsylvania State (BTN): Penn State rolls.
• Akron @ Rutgers (BTN): Rutgers rolls.
• Troy @ Memphis (ESPNU): This definitely a match up of two totally different approaches to offense and game management in general. I’ll take the Tigers here, but it may be worth keeping an eye on this one.
• Army @ Florida Atlantic (CBS): I think there’s a way Army can win here, but if FAU can just force the issue with their speed it’ll be all but over.
• Georgia Tech @ Syracuse (ACCN): So as Florida State was getting thrashed by Boston College last Monday, my favorite joke was “wow the Noles are really devaluing Georgia Tech’s strength of schedule”. That said, unlike FSU, Syracuse appears to have a quarterback that can throw the ball downfield, which is definitely going to be a new test for our defense.
• Rhode Island @ Minnesota (Peacock)

12:45: McNeese State @ Texas A&M (SEC)

2:00:

• Tennessee Tech @ Georgia (ESPN+)
• Missouri State @ Ball State (ESPN+)

2:30: Saint Francis @ Kent State (ESPN+)

3:00: Utah Tech @ Nevada-Las Vegas (MWN)

3:30:

• Baylor @ Utah (FOX): Talking about “styles make fights”, Utah would prefer this to be a literal rockfight. This isn’t the high-flying RGIII Baylor days of course, and overall, it figures that the Bears will struggle in this trip to Salt Lake City.
• South Carolina @ Kentucky (ABC): South Carolina might be kind of bad? I mean, I have no idea about Kentucky, but just based on that I’ll take the Cayuts at home.
• Northern Illinois @ Notre Dame (NBC): ND should roll.
• Iowa State @ Iowa (“El Assico”; CBS): Ah, here’s how you know it’s really Week 2 of the season. Of course, why CBS decided the nation needed to see this oddest of rivalries is beyond me. What not to expect: offense. What to expect: ??? I think the Hawkeyes are more talented and it is in Kinnick, but there’s a reason why there’s a non-zero chance the phrase “sickos” will be used on the broadcast.
• California @ Auburn (ESPN2): So I went to last year’s edition of the this game in Berkeley, and Cal had plenty of chances to the win the game. They basically just… didn’t. I won’t be in Alabama for this one, but there’s reasons for optimism for Cal. At a minimum, they probably have an edge at quarterback. I think they’ll get the dub this time.
• South Dakota @ Wisconsin (FS1)
• Idaho @ Wyoming (truTV)
• Eastern Michigan @ Washington (BTN): UDub gets a head start on scheduling MAC opponents, like a proper Big Ten team.
• Michigan State @ Maryland (BTN): Meanwhile in College Park, an early test for both of these teams. That said, it’s September, which means the Terps are basically unstoppable.
• Temple @ Navy (CBSS): There’s not going to be a lot of chances for Navy to obliterate a conference opponent this year. This is very much one of them.
• Charlotte @ North Carolina (ACCC): Heels should roll.
• Jacksonville State @ Louisville (ACCNX)
• Duquesne @ Boston College (ACCNX)
• Massachusetts @ Toledo (ESPN+)

4:00: Texas-San Antonio @ Texas State (“I-35 Rivalry”; ESPNU): This is definitely the G5 game of the day, and perhaps one of the best games of any sort. UTSA is the steady hand here, while Texas State went on a major talent acquisition spree this off-season. This may well be the biggest game in the history of Texas State at this level, and it’ll be interesting to see if they can pack it in in San Marcos. That said, I still like the Roadrunners.

4:15: Middle Tennessee State @ Mississippi (SEC): Lane Kiiffin can name his score in this one.

4:30: Marshall @ Virginia Tech (CW): I don’t think Virginia Tech is good or any thing, but Marshall sure has a chance to be very, very bad.

6:00:

• Florida A&M @ Miami (ACCNX)
• Central Michigan @ Florida International ESPN+)
• Albany @ West Virginia (ESPN+)
• South Alabama @ Ohio (ESPN+)
• Gardner-Webb @ James Madison (ESPN+)
• East Carolina @ Old Dominion (ESPN+)

6:30: Sam Houston State @ Central Florida (ESPN+)

7:00:

• South Florida @ Alabama (ESPN): So many will remember last year’s contest in Tampa, where Bama won but it sure wasn’t comfortable. The caveat, of course, is that they really didn’t have a quarterback. USF is actually not a bad team, but I don’t think Bama will be in much of a mood to mess around in this one. If they do, well, it’ll certainly make things challenging for DeBoer going forward.
• Virginia @ Wake Forest (ESPN2): I have absolutely no read on this game. Ask me next week. For now, I’ll just pick Wake.
• Kansas @ Illinois (FS1): Okay, so more “styles make fights” football here. Kansas, of course, is going to move the ball, the question is just how much will Illinois keep them out of the end zone. This feels like either a very narrow Illinois win in a low-scoring, defensive contest, or a Kansas absolute blowout. The latter feels more likely.
• Georgia Southern @ Nevada (truTV): Southern is in a bit of disarray after last week’s loss to a Mountain West team, and going to the Reno doesn’t seem like it’ll solve any of their problems.
• San Jose State @ Air Force (CBSS): I like Air Force here.
• Northern Colorado @ Colorado State (MWN)
• California Polytechnic @ Stanford (ACCNX)
• Samford @ Florida (ESPN+)
• Buffalo @ Missouri (ESPN+)
• Southeastern Louisiana @ Southern Mississippi (ESPN+)
• Tennessee-Chattanooga @ Georgia State (ESPN+)
• Tulsa @ Arkansas State (ESPN+)
• William & Mary @ Coastal Carolina (ESPN+)
• Eastern Kentucky @ Western Kentucky (ESPN+)
• Louisiana @ Kennesaw State (ESPN+)
• Texas Southern @ Rice (ESPN+)
• Alabama-Birmingham @ Louisiana-Monroe (ESPN+)

7:30:

• Tennessee vs. North Carolina State (Duke’s Mayo Classic @ Charlotte, NC; ABC): I don’t think anyone thinks NC State is bad, per se, just that Tennessee might be really good. In particular, I’m not sure the Wolfpack defense is going to be able to stop the Vols.
• Colorado @ Nebraska (NBC): Nebraska’s decent again, Colorado still has major problems in the trenches, the game is at night in Lincoln, and this is an old, old rivalry. It… might get ugly for the Buffs.
• Western Michigan @ Ohio State (BTN):  Bucks roll.
• Alcorn State @ Vanderbilt (ESPNU)
• Nicholls State @ Louisiana State (ESPN+)
• Stephen F. Austin @ North Texas (ESPN+)

7:45: Houston @ Oklahoma (SEC): The Sooners may, no joke, score 100.

8:00:

• Appalachian State @ Clemson (ACCN): If Clemson has some things figured out, and a quarterback, then this one won’t be close. But… if things in upstate South Carolina are as bleak as they looked against Georgia, App State may be looking for yet another ACC team to upset. To be clear, I can’t pick the Mountaineers, but I’m not going to be surprised if they pull this off.
• Long Island @ Texas Christian (ESPN+)

9:00: Southern Utah @ Texas-El Paso (ESPN+)

10:00:

• Texas Tech @ Washington State (FOX): I think I kind of like Wazzu in this one, but it’s hard to tell where these two teams are at at the moment. Once again, as me next week.
• Sacramento State @ Fresno State (MWN)
• Boise State @ Oregon (Peacock)
• Northern Arizona @ Arizona (ESPN+)

10:15: Liberty @ New Mexico State (ESPN2): Ugh, Liberty’s going to win, aren’t they.

10:30:

• Mississippi State @ Arizona State (ESPN): This is possibly the most random game of the day. Anything could happen here and I wouldn’t be surprised. Which is partially why I love that this involves a SEC team kickoff at 9:30 their time back in Mississippi, because this could get weird for the folks back east. Also, I kind of like the Sun Devils anyway.
• Oregon State @ San Diego State (CBSS): Beavers all the way here.

11:00: Utah State @ Southern California (BTN): Welcome to… B1G After Dark. Ugh, they’re going to co-opt that aren’t they? At any rate, I’ll be shocked if there’s a reason to actually tune in for any other reason.