Week 1 college football TV schedule and open thread

Though there has been some morsels of college football scattered throughout the past week, the 2017 season really begins in earnest today.

It’s finally here. We made it.

Of course, many of us are the most excited about watching Florida play this afternoon, but there is plenty of college football action spread across the nation today, including a particularly hyped prime-time top-three match-up between the Gators’ most hated foe and the repeated foil to their SEC title hopes.

Florida kicks off the 2017 season against Michigan today at 3:30 p.m., on ABC, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas - opening their season away from the state of Florida for the first time since 1979.

Feel free to hang out in this thread while watching any of today’s games, before or after the Gators play.

Here are our picks for today’s viewing windows:

Early (12:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Eastern)

Kent State at Clemson (12:00 p.m., ESPN): The defending national champions, the No. 5 Tigers, are one of three ranked teams opening at noon with what should be an over-matched foe. Ranked Penn State and Texas also play in this time slot.

California at North Carolina (12:20 p.m., ACCN): Both of these teams lose their highly regarded QB starters from a year ago, and other offensive talent. Both of these teams have relied on offense in recent years and have struggled to stop opposing defenses. This is the first ever meeting between the Golden Bears and the Tar Heels.

NC State vs. South Carolina (3:00 p.m., ESPN): These two teams from neighboring Carolinas open on a neutral field in Charlotte. This is the first of two neutral site SEC-ACC contests on deck today. Will Muschamp’s first season in Columbia was somewhat of a success, given expectations, and many are interested to see how the offense, with QB Jake Bentley and many starters returning, fares this year.

Afternoon (3:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern)

Obviously, you will be watching Florida play Michigan in Arlington, Texas (or Chompville, as UF would have you call it), at 3:30 p.m., on ABC.

Evening (7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern)

Georgia Southern at Auburn (7:30 p.m., SECN): The No. 12 Tigers, with five-star Baylor transfer QB Jarrett Stidham (who was once a Florida target), open their season at home against the Eagles, who are no push-overs (as Gator fans unfortunately know). Don’t get me wrong, Auburn should win this one, but Georgia Southern has made a habit of playing big name schools close. So, this one might be a viewing option for after the Gators are done, and before the next main event starts.

Florida State vs. Alabama (8:00 p.m., ABC): This is objectively the biggest game of the opening weekend. A top-three showdown in the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta between the No. 1 Crimson Tide and No. 3 Seminoles is surely the primary viewing option this evening. This opener could have significant implications in the CFB Playoff race, but, by virtue of their lofty rankings and the neutral site location, either team could take a loss here – particularly if it is a close one – and still remain in the playoff hunt.

BYU vs. LSU (9:30 p.m., ESPN): The No. 13 Tigers were to face the Cougars in Houston, site of historically catastrophic flooding resulting from Hurricane Harvey. Due to that tragedy, this game was moved to the Superdome in New Orleans. This is the first meeting between these two teams, and should now serve as an almost de facto home game for the Bayou Bengals. This is the second game of the season for BYU, who struggled to a 20-6 home opening win over FCS Portland State last Saturday.

And here is your schedule table for today’s games.