Here’s a game-by-game rundown of what to watch this weekend and why. (Yeah, I missed Thursday, but I actually would have told you to just take a night off Thursday, and I mostly would have been right).

It’s a full TV schedule, but I’m only going to write about games that interest me in any way. Also, because you people like this sort of thing, I’ll pick a winner for each game, listed in parentheses.

Friday, September 1

 

6:00 – Fordham @ Army, CBSSN (winner: Army)
6:30 – Charlotte @ Eastern Michigan (-14), ESPN 3 (Eastern Michigan)
7:00 – Central Connecticut @ Syracuse, ACC Network (Syracuse)

8:00 – Navy (-9.5) @ Florida Atlantic, ESPNU – What a delightfully weird matchup. I don’t think it’ll be a close one, necessarily, although Navy is going to need a lot of new offensive players to step up this season, and game 1 in seasons like that can be a bit shaky. Still, I trust Ken Niumatalolo when he isn’t overmatched from a talent perspective, and the Middies should win here. So, why is it interesting? It’s Lane Kiffin’s first game in his 4th HC gig, and the one that finally seems suited to him. The goal for FAU in 2017 isn’t to win the C-USA, it’s to draw enough local recruits to win down the road. It’s the beginning of the Kiffin era, and that alone makes it worth tuning in. (Navy)

8:00 – Colorado (-5.5) vs. Colorado State (Denver), Pac12 Network – The Rocky Mountain Showdown is one of my favorite early season traditions. It’s nice to see a Power 5 school dedicated to maintaining a traditional rivalry with a Group of Five school, because in many cases they would have abandoned it for more lucrative offers. Meeting on neutral Denver turf at Mile High, this is a compelling match-up, and it actually features some pretty good teams again. The Buffs returned to prominence last year, putting together a top 20 team, and it’ll be interesting to see if that very good defense will regress this year. If it does, we could find out tonight, because the Rams can score points, having already dropped 58 on CU’s conference-mate, Oregon State. For CSU, this is one of the 3 toughest games on the schedule. With a trip to Tuscaloosa scheduled, the best they’ll do is 11-1, but with a win tonight, 11-1 is VERY much in the cards. The Rams are perhaps the Mountain West’s most talented team, and it’s merely a question of whether or not they can consistently turn the talent into victories. It’s an in-state rivalry at a neutral site between two similar teams (top 50-ish) who both could really use this game to springboard toward something bigger. What more could you ask for on a Friday in September? (Colorado State)

8:00 – Washington (-27.5) @ Rutgers, FS1 (Washington)
9:00 – Utah State @ Wisconsin (-28.5), ESPN (Wisconsin)

9:30 – Boston College (-2.5) @ Northern Illinois, CBSSN – It’s a non-conference non-rivalry, and yet this game is really important for both these teams. There’s a lot of volatility in the MAC, but the one program seemingly immune to it was always NIU, at least until last year’s 5-7 disappointment. I don’t know of an FBS program with worse QB injury luck lately, so HC Rod Carey should be able to shake off 2016 and get NIU back on track. The Huskies like to run, so expect them to try to move things on the ground, which should help lessen the damage taken by their QB. That makes for an interesting matchup, because few teams shut the run down quite as well as Boston College. When NIU has the ball and BC’s defense is on the field, it should be fun to watch. Unfortunately, you’ll also have to watch Boston College take the ball, and under Steve Addazio, that has almost always been unwatchable. Two years ago, BC lost eight (!) games in which they allowed less than 30 points. In today’s game, that is astonishing. If BC loses tonight, especially if it’s in 20-17 fashion, it could be a loss Addazio can’t overcome. You’ve got a mid-major trying to re-establish dominance and a coach on the hot seat staring down the barrel of a 3-9 season who needs a win here. That should make for an entertaining game. (Boston College)

Saturday, September 2

12:00 – Kent State @ Clemson (-39.5), ESPN (Clemson)
12:00 – Ball State @ Illinois (-6.5), BTN (Ball State)
12:00 – Wyoming @ Iowa (-11.5), BTN (Iowa)
12:00 – Bowling Green @ Michigan State (-17), ESPNU (Michigan State)
12:00 – Akron @ Penn State (-30.5), ABC (Penn State)
12:00 – Maryland @ Texas (-18.5), FS1 (Texas)
12:00 – Missouri State @ Missouri, SEC Network (Missouri)
12:20 – California @ North Carolina (-11.5), ACC Network (North Carolina)
12:30 – Bethune-Cookman @ Miami, ACC Network (Miami)
1:00 – Youngstown State @ Pittsburgh, ACC Network (Pitt)
2:00 – Portland State @ Oregon State, Pac12 Network (Oregon State)
2:00 – VMI @ Air Force, ESPN3 (USAF)

3:00 – NC State (-5) vs. South Carolina (Charlotte), ESPN – It’s the relaunch of a pretty close, if not exactly legendary, rivalry. SC leads the all-time series 27-26-4, they’re meeting on neutral ground in Charlotte, and it’s actually a pretty important game for both teams this year. Psychologically speaking, NC State needs this one. Dave Doeren is building a good thing in Raleigh, but in an increasingly competitive ACC, it hasn’t yet elevated the Wolfpack to the upper echelon of the ACC. If this is the year where NC State takes a step forward, it can’t start with a dud against a mediocre SC squad. Divisional play is brutal enough for NC State that they could be a top 25-ish team and a lot of fans won’t realize it, which is why they have to take care of business outside of the Atlantic. The Gamecocks should be better this year, but the schedule toughens. The immediate goal in Columbia is to go bowling and maybe steal a rivalry win here or there while the program builds for the future. For recruiting purposes, this is the kind of rivalry game that would be good to steal. And for bowling purposes, this game might be necessary. As for my prediction, I’ll stick with my longtime SC rule – South Carolina always has a pretty good starting 22 but they rarely have good depth, meaning they’re hell in September and candy after Halloween. (South Carolina)

3:30 – Michigan (-3.5) vs. Florida (Arlington), ABC – I would normally care about this one, but Florida has suspended half its roster, so I’m less enthralled. (Michigan)
3:30 – Temple @ Notre Dame (-18.5), NBC (Notre Dame)

3:30 – Alabama A&M @ UAB – Ok, I’m not suggesting you watch this. Hell, I’m not sure you even CAN watch this. But UAB football is back, and if you know the story about how UAB football briefly ceased to exist, you know it’ll be a great moment for college football when the Blazers take the field. (UAB)

3:30 – UTEP @ Oklahoma (-43), FOX (Oklahoma)
3:30 – Nevada @ Northwestern (-24.5), BTN (Northwestern)
3:30 – William & Mary @ Virginia, ACC Network (Virginia)

3:45 – Troy @ Boise State (-11), ESPNU – A year ago, a blown call from a ref very possibly screwed Troy out of the biggest win in program history, a win that would have altered the 2016 football landscape. Early in the 4Q against Troy, eventual national champion Clemson fumbled just shy of the goal line, and Troy returned it for a game-changing touchdown. At least, it seemed that way until refs bailed the Tigers out by ruling forward progress had been stopped (it hadn’t). Instead of Troy taking a 17-13 lead, Clemson surged ahead 20-10. Troy still managed to pile on TDs late, and Clemson barely held on with a 30-24 win. Despite this, Troy went on to win 10 games. Neal Brown has put Troy back on the mid-major map, and now he gets another shot at a big September win. It’s not quite as big as Clemson, of course, but when you’re a mid-major not named Boise State, getting a shot at a win on the Smurf Turf is still a big opportunity. Both teams will play more important games later this year, as both should contend for their conference titles, but this should be a fun game to watch between mid-major powerhouses. (Boise State)

4:00 – Stony Brook @ USF, WatchESPN (USF)
4:00 – Kentucky (-10) @ Southern Miss, CBSSN (Kentucky)
4:00 – Eastern Washington @ Texas Tech (Texas Tech)
4:00 – Charleston Southern @ Mississippi State, SEC Network (Mississippi State)
5:15 – Western Michigan @ USC (-27), Pac12 Network (USC)
6:00 – NC Central @ Duke, ACC Network (Duke)
6:00 – Albany @ Old Dominion (ODU)
6:00 – James Madison @ East Carolina, ESPN3 (ECU)
6:15 – Appalachian State @ Georgia (-14.5), ESPN (Georgia)

6:30 – Miami OH @ Marshall (-2.5) – It’s not televised, so you couldn’t watch it even if I convinced you to (I couldn’t). But this is pretty important for Marshall, because anytime a team goes from national presence to dumpster fire as quickly as Marshall did, their next game is often their most important. It’s hard to know if a one-year blip is a blip until you’re past it, and this game, against a solid MAC squad, should give us some insight into when and if we can expect Marshall to return to its role as mid-major powerhouse. It’s also a game that could come down to the wire, making it fun if unimportant. (Miami OH)

7:00 – Northwestern State @ Louisiana Tech – Oh, this won’t be a good or important game, so I’m not really recommending you watch it. I’m just a sucker for rivalries, and these two used to play each year at the State Fair in Shreveport. That’s not just a location – they actually played on-site during the actual State Fair of Louisiana. Sadly, they’re playing in Ruston, just a normal home game for LaTech. The ’17 State Fair Classic will feature Grambling & Prairie View A&M in just over a month. It’s been 30 years since these two, the most common State Fair matchup throughout history, faced off amidst ferris wheels and corn dog stands, but just seeing this matchup listed makes me wish they’d do so again. (Louisiana Tech)

7:00 – Lamar @ North Texas (UNT)
7:00 – SE Missouri State @ Kansas (Kansas)
7:00 – Stephen F. Austin @ SMU, ESPN3 (SMU)
7:00 – Massachusetts (-2.5) @ Coastal Carolina, ESPN3 (Coastal Carolina)
7:00 – Hampton @ Ohio, ESPN3 (Ohio)
7:00 – Liberty @ Baylor (Baylor)

7:00 – Eastern Kentucky @ Western Kentucky – It’s yet another old rivalry that, for a year, we get a glimpse of once again. Like the LaTech game, there’s no need to watch (TV seems to have made that call for you). It’s unimportant, and WKU should blow EKU out of the water, but it’s a good moment to remember another old rivalry. Back before WKU made the jump to FBS, this was known as the Battle of the Bluegrass, and WKU left the series with only a 46-35-3 edge. Schools that move up should still stick to their old rivalries, in my opinion, and it’s nice to see the Hilltoppers revisit their history with the Colonels once again. (WKU)

7:00 – SE Louisiana @ UL-Lafayette, ESPN3 – Continuing my love of old, forgotten rivalries, this one hasn’t been played since 1981. The winner of this game (ULL leads the close series 19-17-3) traditionally received a mahogany chalice known as the Cypress Mug, and I really hope they bring it back for this one.

7:00 – Houston Baptist @ Texas State, ESPN3 (Texas State)
7:10 – Central Arkansas @ Kansas State (Kansas State)
7:30 – Georgia Southern @ Auburn (-34.5), SEC Network (Auburn)
7:30 – Cal Poly @ San Jose State (SJSU)
7:30 – South Alabama @ Ole Miss (-24), ESPNU (Ole Miss)
7:30 – Louisville (-25) vs. Purdue (Indianapolis), FOX (Louisville)
8:00 – Arkansas State @ Nebraska (-16), BTN (Nebraska)
8:00 – Jackson State @ TCU, FOX (TCU)
8:00 – Northern Iowa @ Iowa State (Iowa State)
8:00 – Abilene Christian @ New Mexico (UNM)

8:00 – Florida State vs. Alabama (-7) (Atlanta), ABC – Ok, back to football you need to watch. When you talk about biggest games, the obvious caveat is that rivalry games are always the biggest, because they likely have the biggest ties to recruiting, and they tend to happen later in the year. But for national championship hopes for national championship contenders, the biggest games are those that are the biggest boulders in the road. And for both FSU and Alabama, two serious contenders for the 2017 playoffs, I don’t see any boulder in the road bigger than each other. Both could survive a loss, sure, but both have tough conference slates. If Texas A&M or Louisville pulls an upset, and you lost in Atlanta, you’re sitting with 2 losses, and that makes your playoff case a lot tougher to make. It’s the biggest non-conference game we’ll probably have all regular season, and it’s one of the biggest kickoff games in history. When it comes to the game, I’m taking Alabama. Despite having their worst half of the year at the worst imaginable time, last year’s Tide team was one of the best we’ve ever seen, and many reasons why are back. Take a look at the way both teams tend to fare early in the season as well. In 2014, FSU opened with Oklahoma State and eked by 37-31. Last year, FSU got into a shootout with what turned out to be a pretty mediocre Ole Miss team. The Tide, meanwhile, have opened the year on neutral fields against:

2012: #8 Michigan (41-14), who went 8-4 after
2013: Virginia Tech (35-10), who went 8-4 after
2014: West Virginia (33-23), who went 7-5 after
2015: #20 Wisconsin (35-17), who went 10-2 after
2016: #20 USC (52-6), who went 10-2 after

It’s a pattern of dominance in games like this, and while FSU could certainly break the chain, I don’t know why we’d expect them to. Nobody feels at home on neutral turf like Alabama. (Bama)

8:00 – Vanderbilt (-3) @ Middle Tennessee, CBSSN – Vanderbilt fans would dispute that this is a rivalry at all, but if that’s the case, why keep scheduling home & homes? It’s certainly a big opportunity for MTSU, especially when the timing works out nicely. Vandy agreed to play their nearest FBS mate in a year where Middle Tennessee is, by mid-major standards, pretty loaded with talent. Vandy is the favorite, but it’s a big opportunity for the Blue Raiders. (Vanderbilt)

8:00 – Grambling @ Tulane, ESPN3 (Tulane)
8:15 – Southern Utah @ Oregon, Pac12 Network (Oregon)
8:30 – UC Davis @ San Diego State (SDSU)
9:00 – Howard @ UNLV (UNLV)
9:30 – BYU @ LSU (-16.5), ESPN (LSU)
10:00 – Incarnate Word @ Fresno State (FS)
10:30 – Montana State @ Washington State, FS1 (Wazzou)
11:00 – Northern Arizona @ Arizona, Pac12 Network (Arizona)
12 AM – Western Carolina @ Hawaii (Hawaii)

Sunday, September 3

7:30 – Texas A&M @ UCLA (-3.5), FOX (A&M)

7:30 – West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech (-4) (Landover), ABC – Can VT replace what it needs to replace to make a run at a 2nd straight Coastal title in Justin Fuente‘s 2nd season? We should get a good glimpse of the answer in this resumption of an old, fierce rivalry. The old Big East foes haven’t faced since 2005, and WVU leads 28-22-1, taking home the Black Diamond Trophy (it’s a coal reference) more than the Hokies. It’s not a make or break game for either, but WVU HC Dana Holgorsen is on a pretty warm seat, and a big win against a regional and historical rival would do wonders for his job security, while Virginia Tech is breaking in a new QB. (Virginia Tech)

Monday, September 4

8:00 – Tennessee (-3) vs. Georgia Tech (Atlanta), ESPN – The Vols lead the old rivalry 24-17-2, with much of the series history forgotten by modern fans. You may not know that the two biggest names in either’s history are linked. Bobby Dodd wanted to play for Georgia Tech, but Tech wouldn’t give him a scholarship. Instead he quarterbacked Robert Neyland’s Vols from 1928-1930, going 27-1-2 as starter. As soon as Dodd graduated, Tech hired him as an assistant. He became HC in 1945 and was a North Avenue mainstay until 1975 (he moved from coaching to administrative duty after 1966). In 1948, Tech was undefeated in November, but the Vols then beat them 13-6 in Atlanta.  The following year, unranked Tech beat #14 Tennessee in Knoxville 30-13. In November 1956, #3 Tennessee beat #2 Tech 6-0, securing a Sugar Bowl bid and a #1 ranking. In 1985, both teams had nicknamed their defenses – UT had the Orange Crush, Tech the Black Watch – and both lived up to billing, playing to a 6-6 tie. They haven’t played since Tennessee’s 29-15 win in 1987, a game where Phil Fulmer served as offensive line coach for the Vols and current Colorado HC Mike MacIntyre played defensive back for Tech. In what is turning out to be the theme of the weekend, it’s nice to see these old rivals play for the first time in 3 decades. And, as a Georgia fan, it’s doubly nice that either Tennessee or Georgia Tech is waking up on Tuesday 0-1. (Tennessee)