The long offseason wait is finally over for fans as the 2023 college football season kicks off. We are in the midst of the first full Saturday of the 2023 season, and it is teeming with high-profile contests from noon all the way to midnight. So settle in, gather your refreshments and let’s get the chaos started on the right note.
Five ranked teams will tee it up at noon ET, including No. 17 TCU. The Horned Frogs’ return to the spotlight isn’t the main storyline in this one, though. Their opponent, Colorado, is led by first-year coach Deion Sanders, who attracted national attention after a wild offseason. Can Sanders lead the Buffaloes back into contention in their final season in the Pac-12? We will get a glimpse of where his program stands in the first viewing window of the afternoon.
No. 3 Ohio State will get its season underway on CBS at 3:30 p.m. ET when the Buckeyes will visit Indiana in the marquee matchup of the afternoon. Coach Ryan Day announced earlier this week that quarterback Kyle McCord will get first crack under center after C.J. Stroud moved on to the NFL. Luckily for McCord and Day, their wide receiver and running back rooms are two of the best in the country.
A big storyline throughout the season will be No. 1 Georgia’s quest to become the first team to “three-peat” as national champions since Minnesota did it from 1934-36. The Bulldogs will get things cranked up at 6 p.m. ET against UT-Martin between the hedges in Athens, Georgia.
What should you pay attention to on Saturday? Here’s a viewer’s guide to help you navigate through the action.
All times Eastern
The best games
Colorado at No. 17 TCU — noon on Fox, fuboTV (try for free): “Coach Prime” has been very vocal about pretty much everything in the world of college football over the last eight months, but now we will get to see if his team can be competitive between the white lines. On the other side, Chandler Morris will try to pick up where former Horned Frogs quarterback Max Duggan left off when he led them to last season’s CFP title game.
Virginia vs. No. 12 Tennessee (in Nashville, Tennessee) — noon on ABC, fuboTV (try for free): The Volunteers took the college football world by storm last season when their early-season run earned them the No. 1 ranking in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season. Quarterback Joe Milton III will be replacing star Hendon Hooker and will have a ton of pressure on his shoulders. The Cavaliers will be playing their first game since the tragic shooting last November that claimed the lives of three players.
No. 3 Ohio State at Indiana — 3:30 p.m. on CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free), Paramount+ with Showtime (Try It Free): The first Big Ten game under the new CBS contract will feature an Ohio State team that is loaded on both sides of the ball. The national stage is a perfect chance for the Buckeyes to show off their new-look roster after narrowly missing a berth in the national title game last season. Can Indiana play spoiler? There’s no doubt that the home crowd will be pumped up for a rare season-opening conference game.
Boise State at No. 10 Washington — 3:30 p.m. on ABC, fuboTV (try for free): The Huskies have legitimate CFP hopes thanks to the return of quarterback Michael Penix Jr. — the leading passer in the nation last season. They are loaded offensively and create plenty of havoc defensively which is a perfect recipe for success at the national level. However, the Broncos have had plenty of success against Power Five opponents in Week 1, and an upset would set the tone for what they hope is a run to a New Year’s Six bowl.
Middle Tennessee at No. 4 Alabama — 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network, fuboTV (try for free): This shouldn’t be a competitve game, but the Crimson Tide’s quarterback situation has been one of the biggest storylines of the offseason. Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner transferred after spring practice to battle with Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson during fall camp, but coach Nick Saban hasn’t shed any light on who will sit atop the depth chart. We will see who trots out to take the first snaps Saturday night under the lights of Bryant-Denny Stadium.
West Virginia at No. 7 Penn State — 7:30 p.m. on NBC, fuboTV (try for free): The Nittany Lions are lurking in the weeds behind Michigan and Ohio State — the two most notable teams in the Big Ten East. This matchup between the Big 12’s Mountaineers and the Big Ten’s Nittany Lions could have a big say on how each conference is viewed when the CFP Selection Committee begins its meetings in two months.
Best of the rest
- East Carolina at No. 2 Michigan — noon on Peacock
- Arkansas State at No. 20 Oklahoma — noon on ESPN, fuboTV (try for free)
- Utah State at No. 25 Iowa — noon on FS1, fuboTV (try for free)
- Bowling Green at Liberty — noon on CBS Sports Network, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
- Mercer at No. 22 Ole Miss — 2 p.m. on ESPN+
- Portland State at No. 15 Oregon — 3 p.m. on Pac-12 Network, fuboTV (try for free)
- Rice at No. 11 Texas — 3:30 p.m. on Fox, fuboTV (try for free)
- Tennessee State at No. 13 Notre Dame — 3:30 p.m. on NBC, fuboTV (try for free)
- Buffalo at No. 19 Wisconsin — 3:30 p.m. on FS1, fuboTV (try for free)
- South Florida at Western Kentucky — 3:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
- UT-Martin at No. 1 Georgia — 6 p.m. on ESPN+
- Nevada at No. 6 USC — 6:30 p.m. on Pac-12 Networks, fuboTV (try for free)
- Southwest Missouri State at No. 16 Kansas State — ESPN+
- New Mexico at No. 23 Texas A&M — 7 p.m. on ESPN, fuboTV (try for free)
- Washington State at Colorado State — 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
- No. 21 North Carolina vs. South Carolina (in Charlotte, North Carolina) — 7:30 p.m. on ABC, fuboTV (try for free)
- Texas Tech at Wyoming — 7:30 p.m. on CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free), Paramount+ with Showtime (Try It Free)
- South Alabama at No. 24 Tulane — 8 p.m. on ESPNU, fuboTV (try for free)
- Idaho State at San Diego State — 10:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
