Skip to main content

College football is back. Grab some game day snacks and get settled in for a long Saturday (and Thursday...and Friday...and Sunday and Monday) as Week 1 of the 2019 season begins. Thursday and Friday night both boast heavier slates than a typical weekend as teams are eager to open the season. Don't worry though, there's still be plenty of good football to fill the rest of your weekend.

Saturday is full of a slew of fluff non-conference games to start the season, as expected, but there are a few clashes worth the watch. We've got you covered with the top games on tap, followed by the complete schedule for the weekend.

Saturday, noon slate

Florida Atlantic at No. 5 Ohio State: OK, before you stop reading and call this out for the fully-fledged Funfetti cupcake clash it is, consider that it's also Ryan Day's first game as the Buckeyes head coach and Georgia transfer Justin Fields' debut in scarlet and grey. While Ohio State should come out on top without any worries, watch for at least a few minutes to get your first look at what an Urban Meyer-less season in Columbus will look like.

Saturday, afternoon slate

Northwestern vs. No. 25 Stanford: If you want to see another transfer make debut with his new team, Northwestern-Stanford is the Saturday afternoon game for you. Former five-star quarterback Hunter Johnson (another Clemson casualty who left in light of Trevor Lawrence being, well, Trevor Lawrence and coming in college-ready) will start for the Wildcats as they take on the ranked, K.J. Costello-led Cardinal.

Saturday night slate

No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 16 Auburn: The only clash of the weekend to feature two AP-ranked opponents, Auburn vs. Oregon on the big stage at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, is your Saturday night selection. Some nice night action under the lights that already carries potential postseason implications? Count us in. The Tigers enter this season after a disappointing 2018 campaign that they finished at 8–5 and put coach Gus Malzahn in the hot seat while the Ducks return a league-high 10 starters, including Heisman hopeful quarterback Justin Herbert, from last year's 9–4 squad. 

The last time Auburn took the field against Oregon, Malzahn was an offensive coordinator and Cam Newton was the Tigers' quarterback. Bo Nix, Auburn's quarterback now, was only 10 years old. Nix will become the first true freshman SEC quarterback to start a team’s opening game in 15 years on Saturday.

Thursday, August 29

• 7 p.m.: UCLA at Cincinnati (ESPN)
• 7 p.m.: Wagner at UConn (ESPN3)
• 7 p.m.: Albany at Central Michigan (ESPN3)
• 7 p.m.: Morgan State at Bowling Green (ESPN3)
• 7 p.m.: Robert Morris at Buffalo (ESPN+)
• 7:30 p.m.: Florida A&M at No. 17 UCF (CBSSN)
• 7:30 p.m.: Central Arkansas at Western Kentucky (ESPN+)
• 7:30 p.m.: Gardner-Webb at Charlotte (ESPN+)
• 8 p.m.: Georgia Tech at No. 1 Clemson (ACCN)
• 8 p.m.: Florida International at Tulane (ESPN3)
• 8 p.m.: Alabama State at UAB (ESPN+)
• 8:30 p.m.: Texas State at No. 12 Texas A&M (SEC Network)
• 9 p.m.: South Dakota State at Minnesota (FS1)
• 10 p.m.: Kent State at Arizona State (Pac-12)
• 10 p.m.: Northern Colorado at San Jose State (No TV channel listed)
• 10:15 p.m.: No. 14 Utah at BYU (ESPN)

Friday, August 30

• 6 p.m.: Rice at Army (CBSSN)
• 7 p.m.: Tulsa at No. 18 Michigan State (FS1)
• 7 p.m.: No. 19 Wisconsin at South Florida (ESPN)
• 7:15 p.m.: UMass at Rutgers (BTN)
• 8 p.m.: Utah State at Wake Forest (ACCN)
• 9:30 p.m.: Purdue at Nevada (CBSSN)
• 10 p.m.: Colorado State vs. Colorado (ESPN)
• 10:30 p.m.: Oklahoma State at Oregon State (FS1)

Saturday, August 31

• 12 p.m.: Florida Atlantic at No. 5 Ohio State (FOX)
• 12 p.m.: Northern Iowa at No. 21 Iowa State (FS1)
• 12 p.m.: South Alabama at No. 24 Nebraska (ESPN)
• 12 p.m.: Akron at Illinois (BTN)
• 12 p.m.: Indiana vs. Ball State (CBSSN)
• 12 p.m.: Howard at Maryland (BTN)
• 12 p.m.: Indiana State at Kansas (No TV channel listed)
• 12 p.m.: Toledo at Kentucky (SEC Network)
• 12 p.m.: Ole Miss at Memphis (ABC)
• 12 p.m.: Mississippi State vs. Louisiana (ESPNU)
• 12 p.m.: East Carolina at NC State (ACC Network)
• 12 p.m.: Boise State at Florida State (ESPNews)
• 2 p.m.: James Madison at West Virginia (No TV channel listed)
• 2 p.m.: Rhode Island at Ohio (ESPN+)
• 3 p.m.: Eastern Washington at No. 13 Washington (Pac-12)
• 3 p.m.: Bucknell at Temple (ESPN3)
• 3:30 p.m.: Duke vs. No. 2 Alabama (ABC)
• 3:30 p.m.: Idaho at No. 15 Penn State (BTN)
• 3:30 p.m.: Colgate at Air Force (ESPN3)
• 3:30 p.m.: Holy Cross at Navy (CBSSN)
• 3:30 p.m.: Eastern Michigan at Coastal Carolina (ESPN+)
• 3:30 p.m.: South Carolina vs. North Carolina (ESPN)
• 3:30 p.m.: Georgia State at Tennessee (ESPNU)
• 3:30 p.m.: East Tennessee State at Appalachian State (ESPN+)
• 4 p.m.: Northwestern at No. 25 Stanford (FOX)
• 4 p.m.: Portland State at Arkansas (SEC Network)
• 4 p.m.: Montana State at Texas Tech (No TV channel listed)
• 4 p.m.: Virginia Tech at Boston College (ACC Network)
• 6 p.m.: No. 22 Syracuse at Liberty (ESPN+)
• 6 p.m.: Sam Houston State at New Mexico (No TV channel listed)
• 6 p.m.: Incarnate Word at UTSA (ESPN3)
• 6 p.m.: Campbell at Troy (ESPN+)
• 6:30 p.m.: UC Davis at California (Pac-12)
• 6:30 p.m.: VMI at Marshall (No TV channel listed)
• 7 p.m.: Norfolk State at Old Dominion (ESPN3)
• 7 p.m.: Alcorn State at Southern Mississippi (ESPN+)
• 7 p.m.: Illinois State at Northern Illinois (ESPN+)
• 7 p.m.: Monmouth at Western Michigan (ESPN3)
• 7 p.m.: SMU at Arkansas State (ESPN+)
• 7 p.m.: Nicholls at Kansas State (ESPN+)
• 7 p.m.: Stephen F. Austin at Baylor (ESPN+)
• 7:30 p.m.: No. 3 Georgia at Vanderbilt (SEC Network)
• 7:30 p.m.: Georgia Southern at No. 6 LSU (ESPNU)
• 7:30 p.m.: Middle Tennessee at No. 7 Michigan (BTN)
• 7:30 p.m.: No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 16 Auburn (ABC)
• 7:30 p.m.: Miami (OH) at No. 20 Iowa (FS1)
• 7:30 p.m.: Missouri at Wyoming (CBSSN)
• 7:30 p.m.: Abilene Christian at North Texas (ESPN+)
• 7:30 p.m.: Virginia at Pittsburgh (ACC Network)
• 8 p.m.: Louisiana Tech at No. 10 Texas (Longhorn Network)
• 8 p.m.: Houston Baptiste at UTEP (ESPN+)
• 8 p.m.: Arkansas-Pine Bluff at TCU (No TV channel listed)
• 8 p.m.: Grambling at UL Monroe (ESPN3)
• 9 p.m.: Weber State at San Diego State (No TV channel listed)
• 10 p.m.: New Mexico State at No. 23 Washington State (Pac-12)
• 10 p.m.: Southern Utah at UNLV (No TV channel listed)
• 10:30 p.m.: Fresno State at USC (ESPN)

Sunday, September 1

• 7:30 p.m.: Houston at No. 4 Oklahoma (ABC)

Monday, September 2

• 8 p.m.: No. 9 Notre Dame at Louisville (ESPN)