College Football Week 1 Schedule: TV and Live Stream Info for Every Game
At long last, college football is back. The new season kicks off Thursday night, and it's sure to provide many twists and turns over the next five months as the journey to crown the second annual playoff champion takes center stage.
Reigning champion Ohio State begins its title defense with a tricky matchup against Virginia Tech. That highly anticipated clash will close out the opening week Monday night with plenty of drama sure to unfold before the Buckeyes and Hokies take the field.
So let's check out the complete slate of action for Week 1, along with viewing details for each contest. That's followed by a look at some of the best games to keep tabs on over the next handful of days.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Week 1 TV Schedule
| - | Thursday, Sept. 3 | - | - |
| 6 p.m. | North Carolina vs. South Carolina | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| 6 p.m. | Florida International vs. UCF | CBS SN | CBS Sports Live |
| 7 p.m. | Oklahoma State vs. Central Michigan | ESPNU | WatchESPN |
| 7 p.m. | Elon vs. Wake Forest | - | ESPN3 |
| 7 p.m. | VMI vs. Ball State | - | ESPN3 |
| 7 p.m. | Stony Brook vs. Toledo | - | ESPN3 |
| 7:30 p.m. | Alcorn State vs. Georgia Tech | Fox Sports South | ESPN3 |
| 7:30 p.m. | Villanova vs. Connecticut | SNY | ESPN3 |
| 8 p.m. | Western Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt | SEC Network | WatchESPN |
| 8:30 p.m. | Michigan vs. Utah | Fox Sports 1 | Fox Sports Go |
| 9 p.m. | TCU vs. Minnesota | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| 9 p.m. | Ohio vs. Idaho | - | ESPN3 |
| 9 p.m. | Southern Utah vs. Utah State | - | - |
| 9:30 p.m. | Duke vs. Tulane | CBS SN | CBS Sports Live |
| 10 p.m. | UT San Antonio vs. Arizona | Pac-12 Network | Pac-12 Live |
| 10 p.m. | UC Davis vs. Nevada | Mountain West Network | Campus Insiders Live |
| 10 p.m. | New Hampshire vs. San Jose State | - | - |
| 10 p.m. | Abilene Christian vs. Fresno State | Mountain West Network | Campus Insiders Live |
| - | Friday, Sept. 4 | - | - |
| 1 a.m. | Colorado vs. Hawaii | CBS SN | CBS Sports Live |
| 3:30 p.m. | Charlotte vs. Georgia State | ESPNU | WatchESPN |
| 7 p.m. | Michigan State vs. Western Michigan | ESPNU | WatchESPN |
| 7 p.m. | Baylor vs. SMU | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| 7 p.m. | Rhode Island vs. Syracuse | - | ESPN3 |
| 7 p.m. | Fordham vs. Army | CBS SN | CBS Sports Live |
| 8 p.m. | Weber State vs. Oregon State | Pac-12 Network | Pac-12 Live |
| 9 p.m. | Kent State vs. Illinois | Big Ten Network | BTN 2 Go |
| 10:15 p.m. | Washington vs. Boise State | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| - | Saturday, Sept.5 | - | - |
| 12 p.m. | Louisiana Monroe vs. Georgia | SEC Network | WatchESPN |
| 12 p.m. | Tennessee-Martin vs. Ole Miss | SEC Network | WatchESPN |
| 12 p.m. | Stanford vs. Northwestern | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| 12 p.m. | Colgate vs. Navy | CBS SN | CBS Sports Live |
| 12 p.m. | Norfolk State vs. Rutgers | ESPNews | WatchESPN |
| 12 p.m. | Illinois State vs. Iowa | Big Ten Network | BTN 2 Go |
| 12 p.m. | Richmond vs. Maryland | ESPNU | WatchESPN |
| 12 p.m. | South Dakota State vs. Kansas | Fox Sports Net | Fox Sports Go |
| 12:30 p.m. | Wofford vs. Clemson | ACC Network | ESPN3 |
| 1 p.m. | Youngstown State vs. Pittsburgh | - | ESPN3 |
| 1 p.m. | Maine vs. Boston College | - | ESPN3 |
| 2 p.m. | Portland State vs. Washington State | Pac-12 Network | Pac-12 Live |
| 3:30 p.m. | UTEP vs. Arkansas | ESPNU | WatchESPN |
| 3:30 p.m. | Louisville vs. Auburn | CBS | CBS Sports Live |
| 3:30 p.m. | Virginia vs. UCLA | Fox | Fox Sports Go |
| 3:30 p.m. | Albany vs. Buffalo | - | ESPN3 |
| 3:30 p.m. | Sam Houston State vs. Texas Tech | Fox Sports Net | Fox Sports Go |
| 3:30 p.m. | BYU vs. Nebraska | ABC | WatchESPN |
| 3:30 p.m. | Old Dominion vs. Eastern Michigan | - | ESPN3 |
| 3:30 p.m. | Penn State vs. Temple | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| 3:30 p.m. | Wagner vs. Rice | American Sports Network | - |
| 3:30 p.m. | Florida Atlantic vs. Tulsa | CBS SN | CBS Sports Live |
| 3:30 p.m. | Morgan State vs. Air Force | Root Sports | - |
| 3:30 p.m. | Presbyterian vs. Miami (OH) | - | ESPN3 |
| 3:30 p.m. | Howard vs. Appalachian State | - | ESPN3 |
| 4 p.m. | Savannah State vs. Colorado State | Mountain West Network | Campus Insiders Live |
| 4 p.m. | North Dakota vs. Wyoming | - | - |
| 4 p.m. | Bowling Green vs. Tennessee | SEC Network | WatchESPN |
| 4 p.m. | Southern Illinois vs. Indiana | ESPNews | WatchESPN |
| 4 p.m. | SE Missouri State vs. Missouri | SEC Network | WatchESPN |
| 5 p.m. | Grambling State vs. California | Pac-12 Network | Pac-12 Live |
| 6 p.m. | Bethune-Cookman vs. Miami (FL) | - | ESPN3 |
| 6 p.m. | Troy vs. NC State | - | ESPN3 |
| 6 p.m. | Towson vs. East Carolina | - | ESPN3 |
| 6 p.m. | Gardner-Webb vs. South Alabama | - | ESPN3 |
| 7 p.m. | Mississippi Valley State vs. New Mexico | - | - |
| 7 p.m. | Florida A&M vs. South Florida | - | ESPN3 |
| 7 p.m. | Missouri State vs. Memphis | - | ESPN3 |
| 7 p.m. | Alabama A&M vs. Cincinnati | Fox Sports Ohio | ESPN3 |
| 7 p.m. | Southern vs. Louisiana Tech | American Sports Network | - |
| 7 p.m. | Jackson State vs. Middle Tennessee | - | - |
| 7 p.m. | Akron vs. Oklahoma | PPV | SoonerSports.tv |
| 7 p.m. | Arizona State vs. Texas A&M | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| 7 p.m. | Louisiana Lafayette vs. Kentucky | ESPNU | WatchESPN |
| 7:10 p.m. | South Dakota vs. Kansas State | - | K-StateHD.tv |
| 7:30 p.m. | Texas vs. Notre Dame | NBC | NBC Sports Live Extra |
| 7:30 p.m. | Georgia Southern vs. West Virginia | Root Sports | - |
| 7:30 p.m. | McNeese State vs. LSU | SEC Network | WatchESPN |
| 7:30 p.m. | New Mexico State vs. Florida | SEC Network | WatchESPN |
| 7:30 p.m. | UNLV vs. Northern Illinois | CBS SN | CBS Sports Live |
| 8 p.m. | San Diego vs. San Diego State | Mountain West Network | Campus Insiders Live |
| 8 p.m. | Wisconsin vs. Alabama | ABC | WatchESPN |
| 8 p.m. | Texas State vs. Florida State | ESPNews | WatchESPN |
| 8 p.m. | Eastern Washington vs. Oregon | Pac-12 Network | Pac-12 Live |
| 8 p.m. | Northern Iowa vs. Iowa State | - | Cyclones.tv |
| 8 p.m. | Tennessee Tech vs. Houston | - | ESPN3 |
| 10 p.m. | Mississippi State vs. Southern Mississippi | Fox Sports 1 | Fox Sports Go |
| 11 p.m. | Arkansas State vs. USC | Pac-12 Network | Pac-12 Live |
| - | Sunday, Sept. 6 | - | - |
| 3 p.m. | Purdue vs. Marshall | Fox Sports 1 | Fox Sports Go |
| - | Monday, Sept. 7 | - | - |
| 8 p.m. | Ohio State vs. Virginia Tech | ESPN | WatchESPN |
Top Games to Watch
Texas vs. No. 11 Notre Dame
Texas is trending in the right direction under Charlie Strong, as evidenced by a top-10 incoming class of recruits, per 247Sports. The question is how long will it take for the talent to start translating into results. Expectations for this season are low by Longhorns standards after missing out on the preseason top 25.
A Week 1 upset over Notre Dame would go a long way in changing that outlook. A senior-laden defensive group and some big-play weapons at the skill positions, led by running back Johnathan Gray, makes Texas dangerous. But a lot will depend on the play of quarterback Tyrone Swoopes.
While there were flashes of potential from Swoopes last season, he lacked the game-to-game consistency necessary to push Texas into contention. A talented Fighting Irish front seven is going to test him immediately with a lot of pressure.
Notre Dame should have more stability on both sides of the ball, especially if Malik Zaire lives up to the hype under center. As a result, Colin Cowherd of Fox Sports forecasts a blowout:
Don't be surprised if Texas puts up more of a fight than that projection suggests. The talent is there for the Longhorns to give the Irish some trouble, but the question is whether they are going to hit the ground running or if it's going to take some time for them to showcase the progress.
No. 20 Wisconsin vs. No. 3 Alabama
Alabama opens the season with the first of seven games against teams ranked inside the preseason top 25. As always, the difficult schedule is both a blessing and a curse. Life in the SEC can help build a strong résumé, but it also means there are few weeks where the Crimson Tide will be on cruise control.
One of the biggest questions in the nation is how they will replace Amari Cooper, who caught 124 of the team's 290 completed passes last season. Whether another wideout, should it be ArDarius Stewart, Robert Foster or somebody else, can rise to the occasion will be a huge factor.
It's a facet of Bama's game that could get tested right away. Wisconsin finished 23rd in rush defense last season and returns a majority of its starts in the front seven. The Badgers should be able to slow the Tide down enough on the ground to force them into several key third-and-long situations.
The game is crucial for the underdogs too, of course. Jesse Temple of ESPN explains why this game could be a season-changer for the Badgers:
"To play teams like Alabama is one thing. To win is another—something that could help elevate Wisconsin's national perception and provide the program with visions of a truly meaningful post-New Year's Day game.
"
Wisconsin could make a quick vault into the top 10 with a victory, and its schedule this season looks favorable, at least for now. Add in the fact Alabama doesn't want to drop a game to make the rest of the season even more daunting and you have a recipe for an intense battle.
No. 1 Ohio State vs. Virginia Tech
Yes, this is a game any national title contender should win. Virginia Tech has the appearance of a good, but not great, team, and the Buckeyes should hold the edge in most areas. There are a lot of other factors in play as Ohio State begins the title defense, though.
Along with the difficulty of getting back into game mode after a long, grueling road to a championship last season, the Buckeyes have to deal with the added pressure of being the champs. Moving from the intangible to the tangible, they also have four key suspensions, including star defender Joey Bosa.
As for the quarterback situation, it seems head coach Urban Meyer isn't going to provide any more information. He'll just wait until the offense takes the field to let everybody find out his starter, per Austin Ward of ESPN.
"We'll announce the starter when the first guy takes the snap," Meyer said. "It's still very close, both guys are performing very well.
"If it was different skill sets, we probably would [need to decide], but they're not. If you look at J.T.'s game plan when he was our quarterback and Cardale's, it was very similar. There's a chance they'll both play, as well, so that hasn't really [been a factor] with our mindset with a game plan on offense."
All of those variables at least open the door a crack for Virginia Tech to pull off a shocker. Make no mistake, it's going to take a near perfect performance from Michael Brewer, Deon Clarke and Co. to turn the season upside down right away, but the opportunity is there.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
