Time to Set Your College Football Viewing Schedule

(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

This Saturday hosts the number-one matchup of the preseason. Sure there will be lots of critical conference showdowns that develop as the year progresses, but USC at Ohio State is the grand-daddy of non-conference matchups whether it's played in the Rose Bowl or not. 

Kudos to both schools for scheduling the tough opponent and giving college football fans what they deserve: meaningful football in September.

The day doesn't have much leading up to the big clash, but whet your appetite with Notre Dame at Michigan, UCLA at Tennessee, Iowa at Iowa State, and Stanford at Wake Forest. 

Iowa at Iowa State:  Noon, FSN

Stanford at Wake Forest:  Noon, Raycom/ESPN GamePlan

Notre Dame at Michigan:  3:30 p.m., ABC

UCLA at Tennessee:  4 p.m., ESPN

USC at Ohio State:  8 p.m., ESPN

Purdue at Oregon:  10:15 p.m., FSN

Sept 17

The Thursday night ACC matchup is again very watchable at Georgia Tech has to travel to Miami. 

Georgia Tech at Miami:  7:30, ESPN

Sept 19

This week looks to be a little more balanced with some quality games from start to finish. 

Again, the noon timeslot will be filled with local matchups and the normal cupcakes, but Boston College at Clemson could be worth watching. 

Don't sleep on the East Carolina/North Carolina game. We all remember how East Carolina started last season. 

Then, Tennessee at Florida will be the game of the day, and Michigan State at Notre Dame should be worth flipping to during commercials. 

Finish off the day with West Virginia at Auburn in a rare non-conference matchup, and Kansas State at UCLA which will carry into the a.m.

Boston College at Clemson:  Noon, Raycom/ESPN GamePlan

East Carolina at North Carolina:  Noon, ESPN or ESPN2

Michigan State at Notre Dame:  3:30 p.m., NBC

Tennessee at Florida:  3:30 p.m., CBS

West Virginia at Auburn:  7:45 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2

Kansas State at UCLA:  10:15 p.m., FSN

That's how the first three weekends of the season shake out. Hats off to the teams that scheduled interesting opponents in September and especially to those who are treating us to the rare, tough non-conference matchup. 

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