Five Games You Should Watch: Week Zero Edition
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Years ago, in a previous life podcasting about Oregon football with ScoopDuck.com’s Justin Hopkins, we schemed up an off-topic filler segment at the end of our episodes.
It quickly became one of our favorite segments, and last football season I turned it into a weekly column here.
5 Games. The premise is simple: aside from the school I cover professionally, Oregon State, here’s the who/what/when/where/why for 5 college football games I’m excited to watch on Saturday.
#22 Iowa State at #17 Kansas State - 9 AM on ESPN
This game is compelling for several reasons. First, consider the location: Dublin, Ireland. American tourists are flocking to the Emerald Isle for the first college football game of the season.
In addition, it’s a rivalry game: Farmageddon (jokingly dubbed Farm O’Geddon this offseason) has been played every year for over a century. That streak will snap after the 2026 season, which makes this game extra special.
I’m also drawn to this game for the simple fact that it features 2 established programs with top 25 rankings - Iowa State reached the Big 12 Championship game last season, while Kansas State won the Big 12 Championship in 2022 - so the game looks competitive on paper.
Idaho State at UNLV - 1 PM on Mountain West Network (online stream)
When the old Pac-12 collapsed, it all happened on the eve of a college football season. Consequently, Oregon State’s student-athletes carried extra motivation, and the Beavers were extremely competitive deep into the 2023 season.
I fully expect UNLV to feel that same motivation after Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Utah State said sayonara to the Mountain West.
Will it matter much against FCS-level Idaho State? No. I expect the Runnin’ Rebels to dispatch their overmatched opponent with ease. But I’m excited to follow UNLV this season and beyond, as they prepare to lead the way in the new look Mountain West Conference.
Fresno State at Kansas - 3:30 PM on FOX
Citing health reasons, Bulldogs legend Jeff Tedford resigned his head coach position in July 2024, and the future Pac-12 members Fresno State slumped through a 6-6 record last season.
Now, they are led by former North Dakota State head coach Matt Entz, who spent last season as an assistant head coach & linebackers coach on Lincoln Riley’s staff at USC. In 5 years at the helm of North Dakota State, Entz won 2 FCS national championships, and reached the FCS playoffs every season.
His first game in command of the Bulldogs will happen in America’s heartland, versus Kansas. The Jayhawks have been middling under 5th year coach Lance Leipold (22-28 W/L) and I’m hopeful that Fresno State could upset this power conference foe.
Sam Houston at Western Kentucky - 4 PM on CBS Sports Network
Now I’ve surely lost the plot. What could possibly be compelling about this game? Frankly, it’s a college football game. Saturday marks 215 days between the 2024 National Championship game and the start of 2025’s season. That’s 215 long, arduous days without college football. Frankly, I’d watch any two teams play Saturday, as long as they play college football.
All that said, it is worth considering that Sam Houston have been floated as a potential Pac-12 target; the Bearkats won an FCS title in 2020, jumped up to FBS in 2023 (Conference USA), and are a natural travel partner for Texas State. The Sam Houston campus is about three hours from Texas State’s flagship in San Marcos, and about ninety minutes north of Houston. Until the Pac-12 finishes expanding for good, I’ll keep an eye on schools like Sam Houston.
Stanford at Hawaii - 4:30 PM on CBS
We all have schools we irrationally love. When I was growing up, my father was a software developer & software manager. He idolized Silicon Valley culture, and impressed upon me the rich academic tradition of schools like Stanford. Google’s founders went there. Ditto for computing giants HP and TSMC. Netflix, Expedia, and Electronic Arts can also trace part of their founding to Stanford alums.
While I always rooted equally for Oregon & Oregon State, my Dad loved Stanford, and we’ve been disappointed by their form in past seasons. After two 3-9 campaigns and a troubling investigation into bullying and harassment, head coach Troy Taylor was jettisoned. Now, the buck stops with general manager Andrew Luck and interim head coach Frank Reich. Luck was a brilliant quarterback and I think he’ll make a capable executive, so I’m eager to watch the Cardinal kick off the Andrew Luck era Saturday night.
More Reading Material From Oregon State Beavers On SI
Matt fell in love with radio during his college days at Oregon Tech, and pursued a nine year career in sports broadcasting with Klamath Falls' and Medford's highest-rated sports radio stations. He currently lives in McMinnville wine country and is excited to talk about the Beavers again.