08-21-2017, 01:09 PM
Apparently ESPN and the other powers that be have decided to take liberties with the definition of "week" to include games from Saturday, 8/26 through Monday, September 4--i.e., a 10-day span. But since it's Game Week for the first of two Week 1 Saturdays, let's dig into the matchups!
(All kickoffs in Pacific time; all lines from Vegasinsider.com)
Saturday, August 26:
Pac-12 games:
Oregon State @ Colorado State (-3.5) (CBSSN). At 11:30am, the first kickoff of the FBS calendar!
#14 Stanford (-31) "at" Rice (ESPN). 7:00pm, so even in the week we have almost to ourselves, we get a late evening kickoff.
Other Top 25:
#19 South Florida (-20.5) @ San Jose State (4:30pm, CBSSN)
You should watch:Â Just us.Â
Thursday, August 31:
Pac-12 schedule:
North Dakota @ Utah (no line) (4:30pm, Pac-12 Network)
New Mexico State @ Arizona State (-23.5) (7:30pm, Pac-12 Network)
Other Top 25:
4:30pm: Tulsa @ #10 Oklahoma State (-17) (TV unclear)
5:00pm: #2 Ohio State (-20.5) @ Indiana (ESPN)
What to watch: Maybe Ohio State gets tripped up in Bloomington? No appointment television today.
Friday, September 1:
Pac-12 schedule:
5:00pm:
#8 Washington (-30.5) @ Rutgers (FS1). Should be boring.
Colorado State "at" Colorado (-6.5) (Pac-12 Network). Should be a good game, played at the Broncos' stadium.Â
Other Top 25:
6:00pm: Utah State @ #9 Wisconsin (-28.5) (ESPN). Maybe? Wisconsin doesn't get challenged much this year.
What to watch:Â Between the Washington and Colorado games, only the CU game has real potential to be competitive.Â
Saturday, September 2:
Pac-12 schedule:
9:20am: C.al @ UNC (-11.5) (ACC Network/Watch ESPN)
11:00am: Portland State @ Oregon State (Pac-12)
2:15pm: Western Michigan @ #4 SC (-27) (Pac-12). Theoretically interesting, since WMU went 13-1, its only loss a narrow one to #8 Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl. But coach P.J. Fleck is off to Minnesota, so expecting a competitive game might be asking too much.
5:15pm: Southern Utah @ Oregon (Pac-12)
7:30pm: Montana State @ #24 Wazzu (FS1)
8:00pm: Northern Arizona @ Arizona (Pac-12)
Other Top 25:
Early morning:
Kent State @ #5 Clemson (-38.5) (9:00am, ESPN)
Akron @ #6 Penn State (-33) (9:00am, ABC)
Maryland @ #23 Texas (-17) (9:00am, FS1)
Bethune-Cookman @ #18 Miami (9:30am, ACC Network)
Early afternoon:
UTEP @ #7 Oklahoma (-44.5) (12:30pm, FOX)
#11 Michigan (-4) vs. #17 Florida (12:30pm, ABC; game in Arlington, TX)
Stony Brook @ #19 USF (1:00pm, ESPN3)
Mid-afternoon:
Appalachian State @ #15 Georgia (-14) (3:15pm, ESPN). This line opened at -37.5, by the way, so that's a ton of movement.
Central Arkansas @ #20 Kansas State (4:10pm, TV TBD)
Georgia Southern @ #12 Auburn (-35) (4:30pm, SEC Network/Watch ESPN)
#16 Louisville @ Purdue (-25) (4:30pm, FOX)
Late afternoon/early evening:
#3 Florida State vs. #1 Alabama (-7) (5:00pm, ABC; game in Atlanta, GA)
BYU vs. #13 LSU (-12.5) (6:30pm, ESPN; game in Houston, TX)
What to watch: Nothing from the Pac-12 slate; kill that garbage with fire. Two great neutral site games, however, in Michigan-Florida during the early afternoon window and Florida State-Alabama at 5. There's your Saturday, with some occasional scoreboard checking of the Pac-12 games to make sure the sky hasn't fallen.Â
Sunday, September 3:
Pac-12 schedule:
4:30pm: Texas A&M @ UCLA (-3.5) (FOX).
Other Top 25:
4:30pm: #22 WVU vs. #21 Virginia Tech (-4.5) (ABC; game in Landover, MD)
What to watch: These are both watchable games, but I'm intrigued to see how UCLA does against A&M this year.
Monday, September 4:
The only game: #25 Tennessee (-4) vs. Georgia Tech (5:00pm, ESPN; game is at the neutral site of the Falcons' stadium in Atlanta rather than Georgia Tech's stadium in Atlanta)
(All kickoffs in Pacific time; all lines from Vegasinsider.com)
Saturday, August 26:
Pac-12 games:
Oregon State @ Colorado State (-3.5) (CBSSN). At 11:30am, the first kickoff of the FBS calendar!
#14 Stanford (-31) "at" Rice (ESPN). 7:00pm, so even in the week we have almost to ourselves, we get a late evening kickoff.
Other Top 25:
#19 South Florida (-20.5) @ San Jose State (4:30pm, CBSSN)
You should watch:Â Just us.Â
Thursday, August 31:
Pac-12 schedule:
North Dakota @ Utah (no line) (4:30pm, Pac-12 Network)
New Mexico State @ Arizona State (-23.5) (7:30pm, Pac-12 Network)
Other Top 25:
4:30pm: Tulsa @ #10 Oklahoma State (-17) (TV unclear)
5:00pm: #2 Ohio State (-20.5) @ Indiana (ESPN)
What to watch: Maybe Ohio State gets tripped up in Bloomington? No appointment television today.
Friday, September 1:
Pac-12 schedule:
5:00pm:
#8 Washington (-30.5) @ Rutgers (FS1). Should be boring.
Colorado State "at" Colorado (-6.5) (Pac-12 Network). Should be a good game, played at the Broncos' stadium.Â
Other Top 25:
6:00pm: Utah State @ #9 Wisconsin (-28.5) (ESPN). Maybe? Wisconsin doesn't get challenged much this year.
What to watch:Â Between the Washington and Colorado games, only the CU game has real potential to be competitive.Â
Saturday, September 2:
Pac-12 schedule:
9:20am: C.al @ UNC (-11.5) (ACC Network/Watch ESPN)
11:00am: Portland State @ Oregon State (Pac-12)
2:15pm: Western Michigan @ #4 SC (-27) (Pac-12). Theoretically interesting, since WMU went 13-1, its only loss a narrow one to #8 Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl. But coach P.J. Fleck is off to Minnesota, so expecting a competitive game might be asking too much.
5:15pm: Southern Utah @ Oregon (Pac-12)
7:30pm: Montana State @ #24 Wazzu (FS1)
8:00pm: Northern Arizona @ Arizona (Pac-12)
Other Top 25:
Early morning:
Kent State @ #5 Clemson (-38.5) (9:00am, ESPN)
Akron @ #6 Penn State (-33) (9:00am, ABC)
Maryland @ #23 Texas (-17) (9:00am, FS1)
Bethune-Cookman @ #18 Miami (9:30am, ACC Network)
Early afternoon:
UTEP @ #7 Oklahoma (-44.5) (12:30pm, FOX)
#11 Michigan (-4) vs. #17 Florida (12:30pm, ABC; game in Arlington, TX)
Stony Brook @ #19 USF (1:00pm, ESPN3)
Mid-afternoon:
Appalachian State @ #15 Georgia (-14) (3:15pm, ESPN). This line opened at -37.5, by the way, so that's a ton of movement.
Central Arkansas @ #20 Kansas State (4:10pm, TV TBD)
Georgia Southern @ #12 Auburn (-35) (4:30pm, SEC Network/Watch ESPN)
#16 Louisville @ Purdue (-25) (4:30pm, FOX)
Late afternoon/early evening:
#3 Florida State vs. #1 Alabama (-7) (5:00pm, ABC; game in Atlanta, GA)
BYU vs. #13 LSU (-12.5) (6:30pm, ESPN; game in Houston, TX)
What to watch: Nothing from the Pac-12 slate; kill that garbage with fire. Two great neutral site games, however, in Michigan-Florida during the early afternoon window and Florida State-Alabama at 5. There's your Saturday, with some occasional scoreboard checking of the Pac-12 games to make sure the sky hasn't fallen.Â
Sunday, September 3:
Pac-12 schedule:
4:30pm: Texas A&M @ UCLA (-3.5) (FOX).
Other Top 25:
4:30pm: #22 WVU vs. #21 Virginia Tech (-4.5) (ABC; game in Landover, MD)
What to watch: These are both watchable games, but I'm intrigued to see how UCLA does against A&M this year.
Monday, September 4:
The only game: #25 Tennessee (-4) vs. Georgia Tech (5:00pm, ESPN; game is at the neutral site of the Falcons' stadium in Atlanta rather than Georgia Tech's stadium in Atlanta)
