College Football Today: Week 1 Scores, Top 25 Games to Watch Now

Finally, the 2026 college football schedule kicks off for real as the traditional Week 1 slate gets underway today with several notable games around the country.

While 15 teams in the preseason AP rankings will be in action, most of them are playing tune-up games against the usual early cupcakes, but there is still some marquee football waiting to be played, particularly between a pair of Tigers who each call Death Valley home.

The one we’ll be watching is in Baton Rouge, as Lane Kiffin steps into one of college football’s biggest and most pressure-cooked spotlights, taking over for LSU in a massively-anticipated debut, and against an unranked Clemson side looking to make a huge statement.

College football games today: Week 1 schedule, scores for Saturday

All times Eastern, and game lines are courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook

LIVE: Week 1 College Football Scores from Sports Illustrated

College Football Today: Week 1 Scores, Top 25 Games to Watch Now — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Reigning national champion Indiana begins its title defense as massive favorites, while Big Ten challenger Ohio State opens as the preseason No. 1, Alabama embarks on a journey with a new quarterback in Keelon Russell, and Big 12 insurgent Houston hopes to make a statement.

North Texas at 6 Indiana
Sat., Sept. 5 | 12 p.m. | Fox
Line: Indiana -40.5, 55.5

East Carolina at 13 Alabama
Sat., Sept. 5 | 12 p.m. | ABC
Line: Alabama -28.5, 53.5

Oregon State at 23 Houston
Sat., Sept. 5 | 12 p.m. | ESPN
Line: Houston -20.5, 51.5

Ball State at 1 Ohio State
Sat., Sept. 5 | 12:30 p.m. | BTN
Line: Ohio State -50.5, 56.5

Afternoon college football games to watch

Cupcakes abound for several ranked college football hopefuls. But Oregon, talked about this offseason as the next logical national champion out of the streaking Big Ten, opens at home against a Boise State team that, while it may be a big underdog on the books, still thinks itself a playoff hopeful out of the new Pac-12. This is their chance to prove it.

Tennessee State at 3 Georgia
Sat., Sept. 5 | 3 p.m. | SECN+
Line: Georgia -46.5, 56.5

Boise State at 2 Oregon
Sat., Sept. 5 | 3:30 p.m. | CBS
Line: Oregon -24.5, 51.5

Texas State at 5 Texas
Sat., Sept. 5 | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN
Line: Texas -30.5, 59.5

Marshall at 18 Penn State
Sat., Sept. 5 | 3:30 p.m. | FS1
Line: Penn State -24.5, 54.5

Furman at 20 Tennessee
Sat., Sept. 5 | 3:30 p.m. | SECN+
Line: TEnnessee -46.5, 66.5

Northern Illinois at 22 Iowa
Sat., Sept. 5 | 4:15 p.m. | BTN
Line: Iowa -31.5, 45.5

Week 1 primetime college football schedule

All eyes are on Lane Kiffin in Death Valley under the lights in his LSU debut against Clemson, which for its part is hoping to use the matchup to prove it still belongs in the national spotlight, coming off a nasty 7-6 outing and out of the playoff conversation for a while since dominating the early format.

Missouri State at 8 Texas A&M
Sat., Sept. 5 | 7 p.m. | ESPN
Line: Texas A&M -41.5, 53.5

Abilene Christian at 12 Texas Tech
Sat., Sept. 5 | 7 p.m. | FS1
Line: Texas Tech -42.5, 59.5

Clemson at 11 LSU
Sat., Sept. 5 | 7:30 p.m. | ABC
Line: LSU -10.5, 51.5

Western Michigan at 16 Michigan
Sat., Sept. 5 | 7:30 p.m. | NBC
Line: Michigan -27.5, 48.5

Utah Tech at 14 BYU
Sat., Sept. 5 | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
Line: BYU -50.5, 54.5

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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