Week 1 college football TV schedule and open thread

The first college football Saturday of 2018 is finally upon us and once again a long offseason of anticipation culminates in our first opportunity to watch our beloved Gators play. The Dan Mullen era kicks off in earnest later this evening, but as has been the case the past several years, there are some other marquee match-ups dotting opening weekend.

Feel free to hang out in this thread while watching any of today’s games.

Here are our picks for today’s viewing windows:

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

Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech (12:00 p.m., ESPN): In Houston this afternoon the official Matt Luke era begins for the Rebels, in a game which will probably feature its fair share of points. Both teams will be breaking in new quarterbacks in today’s opening action.

FAU at Oklahoma (12:00 p.m., FOX): Here’s another noon contest which could feature some offensive firepower. Lane Kiffin’s Owls ranked eighth nationally in points per game last season (the Sooners ranked sixth) and head to Norman to face OU and new signal calling starter Kyler Murray.

Oregon State at Ohio State (12:00 p.m., ABC) / Texas vs. Maryland (12:00 p.m., FS1): These two games each feature a former Florida coaching staff member that is currently a head coach (Ohio State’s Urban Meyer and Maryland’s DJ Durkin) – but also won’t be on his team’s sideline today due to a scandalous suspension.

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

Washington vs. Auburn (3:30 p.m., ABC): The 2018 Chick-Fil-a Kickoff Classic features one of the biggest match-ups of the day, with a top-ten tilt between the Huskies and Tigers in Atlanta. This is the third consecutive game in Atlanta for Auburn, following last season’s SEC Championship and Peach Bowl – both games which the Tigers lost.

West Virginia vs. Tennessee (3:30 p.m., CBS): I’ll always be reticent about suggesting Florida fans watch Will Grier play, but undeniably this is one of the more interesting games on deck in the afternoon slate. This is the very first meeting ever between these two programs and the first game for new Vols head coach Jeremy Pruitt.

North Carolina at California (4:00 p.m., FOX): There is potential for this to be another close game, so it’s an option to keep in your back pocket should the more marquee match-ups go south. The Tar Heels and Golden Bears started last season pitted against one another, resulting in a Cal win. North Carolina had a forgettable season last year, while the Bears appeared to make some strides under Justin Wilcox.

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

Obviously, you will be watching the Florida Gators host Charleston Southern, at 7:30 p.m. on the SEC Network.

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