Friday's Big Weekend Preview

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We had our first taste of the NFL on Wednesday, but it was just the appetizer to the Sunday buffet we've been waiting for. 

While sports and TV just naturally go together, the NFL and TV is on a level no other athletic pursuit can match. HDTV and football just work. 

So, as you'd probably expect, this weekend is all about America's true pastime. 

Indianapolis Colts at Chicago Bears

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When: Sunday, 1 p.m. (ET)

TV: CBS, NFL Sunday Ticket 

Why You Should Watch: For that young man pictured in this slide. There's never been as much hype surrounding a rookie as there is around Andrew Luck, and as such, tuning in for his first real NFL game is a must. 

San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers

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When: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. (ET)

TV: Fox, NFL Sunday Ticket

Why You Should Watch: Never mind the fact that I'm a Niners fan, this game pits two of the NFL's best teams together in Week 1. That, and you've got Aaron Rodgers going up against one of the league's most vaunted defenses. That alone is reason enough to flip over to Fox. 

Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos

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When: Sunday, 8 p.m. (ET)

TV: NBC

Why You Should Watch: This one is pretty self-explanatory. We already mentioned Peyton Manning's successor in Indy, but we also should be talking about Manning himself, who takes on Pittsburgh in the nationally-televised Sunday night game.

NASCAR: Federated Auto Parts 400

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When: Saturday, 7 p.m. (ET)

TV: ABC

Why You Should Watch: This race is being held in Richmond, Va., which houses one of the best tracks on the NASCAR circuit. It's long enough that the drivers can get good use from their 900-horsepower engines, but short enough that they can still bump and bang without fretting too much about aerodynamics.

That, and you've got the Chase on the horizon. There's a reason this race is on ABC in prime time. 

College Football

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When: All weekend

TV: Various networks

Why You Should Watch: While this weekend doesn't have an "it" game like Alabama vs. Michigan, you'll still have plenty of good college football to make your Saturday not stink. I'm curious about Notre Dame, who rolled last week against Army but plays a power-conference school in Purdue this time around. 

Not your style? Then how about Washington at LSU? Or Nebraska at UCLA? Or Georgia at Mizzou? (As you can see, there's options abound.)