Category: College Football

Sep. 3—A grade card on Ohio State’s season-opening 23-3 win over Indiana, the 29th consecutive victory for the Buckeye over the Hoosiers:

OFFENSE: C

Inconsistent might be the best word to describe Ohio State’s offense against Indiana. Quarterback Kyle McCord (20 of 33 for 239 yards, no touchdowns and one interception) was better in the second half than he was in the first half but still needs to be better than he was on Saturday.

The absence of three offensive linemen who entered the NFL draft last spring — tackles Paris Johnson Jr. and Dawand Jones and center Luke Wypler — was noticeable. Saying the offensive line appeared to still be a work in progress would be one way to describe it.

Ohio State’s two touchdowns came on drives of more than 80 yards but it also converted only 2 of 12 third-down situations. The expectation was that the Buckeyes might put the offense in the hands of the running game to take some pressure off McCord, but they gained only 143 yards on the ground.

Chip Trayanum (8 carries, 57 yards) led the running game. TreVeyon Henderson carried 12 times for 47 yards. But 19 of those yards came on one carry, meaning he found limited running room and averaged just 2.5 yards per carry on his other 11 attempts.

Tight end Cade Stover had a big day with five catches, including a 49-yard catch and run in the second half and a 24-yard reception in the first half. Emeka Egbuka (three catches) and Marvin Harrison Jr. (two catches) were unexpectedly not at the top of the pass catching stats. Harrison’s total was the fewest he has caught in a game as a starter and Egbuka’s total was one above his career low as a starter.

The last time before Saturday OSU scored as few as 23 points against Indiana was in 1993 when it beat the Hoosiers 23-17.

DEFENSE: A

OSU held Indiana to 153 yards total offense. The Hoosiers did…

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The first regular-season 2023 college football rankings won’t be released on Sunday like usual even though Week 1 has already provided enough thrills to know there will be some shake-ups coming in the AP Top 25 poll. The rankings are delayed until Tuesday because we still have two games left through Monday before Week 1 officially concludes. And while that may be the case, it’s no reason to wait with our weekly check-in on how Saturday’s results will impact the reshuffled college football rankings. 

Given Week 0 results will also be considered when the college football rankings are updated, two top-25 teams can already claim 2-0 records with No. 6 USC and No. 13 Notre Dame adding victories on Saturday.

Though the week’s schedule features only one matchup between ranked teams — that game is Sunday night’s battle between No. 5 LSU and No. 8 Florida State — there are more than a handful of teams where we believe voters are going to make adjustments after Week 1 results. The most obvious would be adjustments for ranked teams that lost, but there’s also going to be some minor moves for teams that have answered preseason questions emphatically with their performances on the field.

There’s also at least one case where a top team may see a slight step back in the rankings even in the wake of a win, as their margin and manner of victory didn’t match what many expected going into the game.

Voters will have to consider how to handle previously unranked Colorado after Deion Sanders led the…

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College football season is underway!

Alright, Notre Dame and USC fans saw their teams in action a week ago but the rest of the nation gets to join the party this weekend as its the first full Saturday of college football.

The schedule doesn’t feature many marquee match-ups this opening weekend but a few games have already been compelling.  We’ll keep you posted all day Saturday as to the happenings across the college football world so keep checking back for any news, notes, and scoring updates from today’s games.

Oh, and happy new year/Merry Christmas to college football fans all over the nation today.  No matter who you root for, we’re all thrilled it’s back!

(Rankings are based on the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll)

Texas A&M

Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

7 p.m. ET kickoff vs. New Mexico

Aggies Wire

Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

7:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Wyoming

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

8 p.m. ET kickoff vs. South Alabama

USA TODAY SPORTS

Ole Miss 21, Mercer 7 (1st quarter)

USA TODAY SPORTS

3:30 p.m. ET vs. Buffalo

Badgers Wire

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

7:30 p.m. ET vs. South Carolina (Charlotte)

Tar Heels Wire

Oklahoma

USA TODAY SPORTS

Oklahoma 52, Arkansas State 0 – 3rd quarter

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Sunday at San Jose State

Kansas State

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

7 p.m. ET vs. Southeast Missouri State

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado 24, TCU 21 (3rd quarter)

Oregon

Syndication: The Register Guard

3 p.m. ET vs. Portland State

Ducks Wire

Utah

Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

24-11 win vs. Florida (Thursday)

Notre Dame

Charles McQuillan/Getty Images

3:30 p.m. vs. Tennessee State

Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

3:30 p.m. vs. Rice

Longhorns Wire

Washington

James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

3:30 p.m. ET vs. Boise State

Tennessee

USA TODAY SPORTS

Tennessee 28, Virginia 3 (3rd quarter – Nashville)

Clemson

Matt Cashore-USA TODAY…

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Last Saturday’s Week 0 games served as a fun undercard for the start of the 2023 college football season, but now the main event — Week 1 — has finally arrived. This week’s schedule kicked off Thursday with 11 games involving at least one team from the Football Bowl Subdivision. 

After Thursday’s game between NC State and Uconn, the action on CBS Sports Network continued Friday night when Stanford made the 2,400-mile trek to Hawaii in coach Troy Taylor’s debut with the Cardinal. 

The game marked just the fourth time the schools have met and the first since 1972, with Stanford owning a perfect 3-0 mark in past matchups. 

CBS Sports Network’s Week 1 coverage rolls on with four games on the Saturday slate. It all begins with Liberty taking on Bowling Green for the start of the Jamey Chadwell era. Western Kentucky then hosts South Florida, followed by Washington State playing at Colorado State. Coverage concludes with San Diego State looking to improve to 2-0 on the season when the Aztecs host Idaho State.

Here’s a deeper look at the action that will air on CBS Sports Network in the coming days.

All times Eastern | Odds via SportsLine consensus

Bowling Green at Liberty 

Date: Saturday, Sept. 2 | Time: Noon
Location: Williams Stadium — Lynchburg, Virginia 
TV: CBS Sports Network [Channel finder] 
Live stream: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App
Spread: Liberty -9.5 | Will the Flames cover? Check out SportsLine’s Week 1 projections here

Storylines: Bowling Green is coming off its best season yet (6-7) under coach Scot Loeffler and has a seasoned power conference starter at quarterback in Connor Bazelak, who passed for more than 7,000 yards between stops at Missouri (2019-21) and Indiana (2022). Liberty appears to be in good…

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The start of a new season is finally upon us, and our staff at Nittany Lions Wirew could not be happier to see the return of Penn State football. Each week throughout the season we will be sharing our quick thoughts and predictions for the game of the week, starting with Penn State’s season opener against West Virginia.

Penn State will host the Mountaineers in the first meeting between the two former regional rivals since 1992. The all-time series results weigh heavily in Penn State’s favor over the years and the Nittany Lions are a big favorite at home to start the 2023 season.

Penn State’s primetime season opener will air on NBC as the first official primetime game on the Big Ten’s new media rights deal with the network. NBC could not have asked for a better setting to kickstart their Big Ten partnership as Beaver Stadium will be electric with the helmet stripe game, or as James Franklin called it a mini whiteout. Either way, the crowd will be energized for the start of what could be a fun year in Happy Valley, and having an old regional rival in town should rekindle some good memories for fans who remember the pre-Big Ten era fondly.

Here is how we see the game playing out this weekend. In short, Penn State should be in good shape.

Brad Wakai, Contributor

Saturday should be an interesting opener for Penn State facing a hungry West Virginia team that is thinking upset. However, there is too much talent on the Nittany Lions roster and they eventually run away from the Mountaineers using their running game and defense

Final score: Penn State 35, West Virginia 14

Kevin McGuire, Editor

The recipe for a season-opening win in primetime is pretty simple. Let the defense cook and let the running game take care of business on offense. Penn State simply has too much talent in those areas to allow for this game to be a…

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Week 0 provided a perfect chance to reintroduce ourselves to the warm college football waters, but now Week 1 gives fans a chance to take a full dive into the action as the 2023 season really gets going. Beginning Thursday and continuing through Labor Day, there is a near constant flow of games to enjoy. And with the arrival of any new year, comes the promise of drama and surprises. 

Outside of Saturday’s wall-to-wall coverage, Thursday’s slate is the most comprehensive. In all, 11 games spanning coast to coast will feature a little bit of everything. The marquee matchups, however, will be a pair of 8 p.m. kickoffs featuring power conference programs. 

One is a rematch of last season’s thrilling opener between Florida and Utah. After coming up just short against the Gators a year ago in The Swamp, the No. 14 Utes will be looking for revenge. The primary question mark is the availability of Utah quarterback Cameron Rising, who continues to recover from a knee injury he suffered in last January’s Rose Bowl. 

At the same time, the Matt Rhule era begins at Nebraska in a Big Ten opener against Minnesota. The Cornhuskers are desperate for a return to glory, and Rhule’s track record as a program builder suggests a competitive game against the Golden Gophers is on deck. 

Be sure to stick with CBS Sports throughout the evening for college football coverage from the opening kickoff onward. Let’s take a look at our expert picks for the best games on Thursday of Week 1. 

Odds via SportsLine consensus | All times Eastern

Florida at No. 14 Utah

8 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free) — It doesn’t really matter whether Rising plays for Utah because its defense will keep the Gators offense in check for a full four quarters. Yes, Florida’s running…

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Who’s Playing

Southern Utah Thunderbirds @ Arizona State Sun Devils

Current Records: Southern Utah 0-0, Arizona State 0-0

How To Watch

When: Thursday, August 31, 2023 at 10 p.m. ETWhere: Mountain America Stadium — Tempe, ArizonaTV: Pac 12 NetworksFollow: CBS Sports App

What to Know

The Arizona State Sun Devils will host the Southern Utah Thunderbirds to start their respective 2023 campaigns. Kickoff is scheduled at 10:00 p.m. ET on August 31st at Mountain America Stadium.

Looking back to last season, Southern Utah finished on the wrong side of .500 (5-6), but they’ll be hoping to turn things around this year. Similarly, Arizona State finished with a dismal 3-9 record.

Series History

Arizona State won the only game these two teams have played in the last 2 years.

Sep 02, 2021 – Arizona State 41 vs. Southern Utah 14

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Florida football coach Billy Napier said he’s pleased his players are watching Swamp Kings to learn more about the tradition of the program.

Napier said the four-part Netflix documentary that highlighted the highs and lows of the championship era under Urban Meyer from 2005-09 has resonated with coaches as well.

“The reason I’m standing here today because I really believe it can be done again,” Napier said. “And we’re going to do it here. This place is very capable.”

UF-Utah matchup: Florida football vs. No. 14 Utah: Scouting report, prediction

Players to watch: Five players to watch for Florida football in its matchup at No. 14 Utah

The Florida Gators won national championships under Meyer in 2006 and 2008. UF has two links to that era on its current coaching staff. Billy Gonzales, a wide receivers coach under Meyer from 2005-09, has returned to coach UF receivers again this this season. Former UF linebacker Brandon Spikes, who won national titles under Meyer in 2006 and 2008, also has returned as a student assistant coach.

Napier grew up admiring the Florida under Steve Spurrier in the 1990s and has made it a point to bring back former players to speak to his current team to teach them about UF’s football history.

“We have an administration that has conviction about athletics,” Napier said. “There’s a championship culture here within the athletic department. We happen to coach football, but football’s not the only thing around here that wins championships. We live it around here, we breath it. We’re tasked with getting the Gators back in the game of football where we all know that they can be.”

In bridging to the success of the Gators in the 1990s, Florida recently had All-American defensive lineman Kevin Carter (1991-94) speak to the team and has former UF All-American linebacker Mike Peterson (1995-98) on staff as…

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