College Football Week 0: Nebraska-Northwestern Tops Early Slate
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Alright everyone, we made it. College football is back.
Recent tradition allows us to ease back into the mayhem with a light slate Week 0, kicking off Aug. 26. Top billing on the week includes Northwestern vs. Nebraska, played in Dublin, Ireland.
Below, we'll run you through what to expect from the games for the first weekend of college football.
All times below are in CT.
Nebraska Vs. Northwestern, 11:30 a.m., FOX
Though this is a matchup between two teams that finished 3-9 in 2021, the Cornhuskers are nearly two-touchdown favorites according to the betting odds. Texas transfer Casey Thompson gets a fresh start in Lincoln, though his first game played with Nebraska will be in Dublin, Ireland.
Northwestern's defense wasn't up to snuff last year, not doing their anemic offense any favors. Unlike Nebraska's 3-9– record-setting nine losses by single digits– Northwestern was flat-out not competitive. What did Pat Fitzgerald and the Wildcats do to fix that?
Well...uh... not a lot.
However, the strange setting for this game and proven untrustworthiness of Scott Frost could make for an entertaining game. Last season, the Huskers cruised in this matchup 56-7.
Wyoming at Illinois, 3:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
A completely rebuilt Wyoming team heads east to face Illinois in Champaign. The Cowboys return the third-fewest roster production from last season in the nation (just 34%). They may be relying on Utah State transfer Andrew Peasley against what should be another good Illini defense.
Illinois, on the other hand, returns six defensive starters from a unit that finished 27th nationally in points per drive allowed. 1,000-yard rusher Chase Brown is also back alongside talented Syracuse transfer QB Tommy DeVito.
The Illini are poised to give Big Ten teams fits the way their roster is built and they should be able to handle this Wyoming team to open the year.
North Texas at UTEP, 8:00 p.m., Stadium
Despite six consecutive losses in the middle of last season, UNT managed to make a bowl game. This year, four starters on the offensive line are back along with all of their top receivers and QB Austin Aune.
It might be a tough ask against UTEP's strong defense that returns everyone in the front seven and two defensive backs. The Miners finished 33rd nationally in points per drive allowed and slowed their games down to their pace.
Expect a physical game from this experienced UTEP squad against Seth Littrell's blistering up-tempo offense.
Vanderbilt at Hawaii, 9:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network
College Football Twitter is going to love this game. The SEC football misfit Vanderbilt travels through five time zones to face Hawaii, a program in total disarray. Rarely are the Commodores considered road favorites, but they are by nearly a touchdown in this one.
Hawaii saw mass exodus of players under former head coach Todd Graham, including his own son transferring out. Graham reportedly established a culture at Hawaii that players said, "killed our love and passion for football." Yikes.
The new head man is Rainbow Warriors legend Timmy Chang, who is working with a roster bereft of talent. As bottom-level as Vandy is in the SEC, the talent gap between these two teams is massive.
The QB situation for the Commodores is a certified mess, with the two returners combining for 55% completion in their career. Mike Wright was named the starter this offseason after splitting reps last year.
The Rest Of The Games
- Austin Peay vs. Western Kentucky, 11:00 a.m., CBS Sports Network
- Idaho State at UNLV, 2:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network
- UConn at Utah State, 3:00 p.m., FS1
- Duquesne at Florida State, 4:00 p.m., ACC Network
- Charlotte at Florida Atlantic, 6:00 p.m., CBS Sports Network
- Florida A&M at North Carolina, 7:15 p.m., ACC Network
- Nevada at New Mexico State, TBA, FloSports
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