Week 1 - College Football TV Listings

Week by Week College Football TV Listings

SEPTEMBER 4

SEPTEMBER 11

SEPTEMBER 18

WEEK 1

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Top Games To Watch (all times eastern)

TIME

CHANNEL

GAME

LOCAL NETWORKS/web

THURSDAY - SEPTEMBER 2

6:30

Presbyterian at Wake Forest

7:00

Rhode Island at Buffalo

Time Warner Cable (Buffalo)

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7:00

Hampton at Central Michigan

7:00

Murray State at Kent State

7:00

SE Missouri State at Ball State

7:30

Southern Miss at South Carolina

206

7:30

Minnesota at Middle Tennessee

208

7:30

Marshall at Ohio State

Game Finder

610

7:30

Towson at Indiana

Game Finder

611

7:30

Florida A&M at Miami FL

7:30

Norfolk State at Rutgers

Iowa State 21 Northern Illinois 20
Head coach Jerry Kill has claimed that his NIU Huskies will be a better football team than the one they have fielded the past two years. They are coming off a bowl invite season, return a 1,000-yard rusher in Chad Spann and a quarterback with significant ability in Chandler Harnish. This is a defensive team though. Nine starters are back from one of the top MAC defenses of a year ago. The Cyclones counter with some well-stocked playmakers on offense including quarterback Austen Arnaud and running back Alexander Robinson who rushed for 1,195 yards last fall. The problems for ISU are on the defensive side where only four starters return. If this one becomes a defensive struggle the edge goes to NIU. The match ups between these two tend to be close. This one is shaping up to be the same.

8:00

Northern Illinois at Iowa State

FSN Midwest
See Other Channels

671

UAB 27 Florida Atlantic 18
UAB beat FAU on this same field 56-29 last fall. The Owls gave up a crazy 622 yards of offense in the match up. But understand that record setting quarterback Joe Webb will no longer be on the field for UAB. Nor will the most decorated player in the short history of FAU football as quarterback Rusty Smith has moved on. Most of the people surrounding them are history to boot. This won't be the same high scoring affair. Everyone at Legion Field will know that FAU's main goal is to get the ball to running back Alfred Morris, who led the Sun Belt in rushing last year. New Blazer quarterback David Isabelle won't beat the Owls with his arm. Both of these defenses still have issues; otherwise a low scoring fest would be a guarantee. Both are predicted to finish near the bottom of their respective conferences.

8:00

Florida Atlantic at UAB

8:00

SE Louisiana at Tulane

Utah 24 Pittsburgh 21
This is not an upset according to the odds makers. What really catches the eye though is the potential for this to be a low scoring contest. Both teams will be handing the ball off to the running backs more often than not. Eddie Wide and Matt Asiata for Utah, Dion Lewis and Ray Graham for Pitt...these are some top notch running back duos. Maybe some conservative play calling too can be expected especially given the Pitt quarterback situation where Tino Sunseri is just beginning his collegiate career as a starter. Besides, it is the first game of the year and these defenses should be well ahead of the offenses.

8:30

Pittsburgh at Utah

603

9:00

North Dakota at Idaho

681

9:00

Eastern Washington at Nevada

11:00

Southern California at Hawai'i

206

FRIDAY - SEPTEMBER 3

5:00

Villanova at Temple

8:00

Arizona at Toledo

206

SATURDAY - SEPTEMBER 4

REGIONAL COVERAGE MAPS (ABC/ESPN)

12:00

Miami OH at Florida

206

12:00

Western Michigan at Michigan State

209

12:00

Samford at Florida State

208

12:00

Youngstown State at Penn State

Game Finder

610

12:00

Eastern Illinois at Iowa

Game Finder

611

12:00

Louisiana-Lafayette at Georgia

ESPN GamePlan
MSG
Altitude
CSN California
Local Affiliates

788
634
681
698

Missouri 31 Illinois 17
The next great quarterback currently in Columbia is big 6'5 Blaine Gabbert. The five-star blue chip prep hurler was hailed as the nation's top pro-style quarterback prospect, according to Rivals. Illinois does not have an answer on the other side behind center now that Juice Williams is gone. This is the fourth, and last time, these two will open in St. Louis. Missouri has one all three of the previous outings. Neither team comes in ranked and both defenses are question marks. The Illini might have the most inexperienced set of quarterbacks in the country. Redshirt freshman Nathan Scheelhaase was named the starter. These will be his first collegiate snaps. A great deal of player turnover occurred during the off-season and the new faces are still trying to comprehend a new, complex system on both sides of the ball. Missouri has way more talent, speed and experience.

12:30

Illinois vs. Missouri @St. Louis, MO

FSN Midwest
See Other Channels

671

1:00

Weber State at Boston College

1:00

South Carolina State at Georgia Tech

Colorado 19 Colorado State 7
Over the past ten years, the Buffaloes have won six of these in-state meetings and the Rams have won four. Only twice however has the outcome been in favor of one team by double digits. The Rams will start a true freshman quarterback in Pete Thomas and he will have a newly rebuilt offensive line in front of him. The Buffs are not much better off with an unsure quarterback battle going on between Tyler Hansen and Cody Hawkins. This was the worst offense in the Big 12 last season. Defense is a much better concept for both ball clubs these days…a very low scoring affair a "Mile High".

2:00

Colorado vs. Colorado State @Denver, CO

616

2:00

Northwestern State at Air Force

Connecticut 24 Michigan 17
This is not an upset. Although given the clout the home team carries by name only, many consider this to be the case. A defensive struggle is in store for the Big House. You can already hear it coming, the hometown boo-birds out in full flock as Michigan struggles on offense against one of the best defenses in the Big East. Husky linebackers Scott Lutrus and Lawrence Wilson are studs capable of shutting down a mediocre Wolverine attack that still is short at quarterback and running back. Zach Frazer is a better-than-descent veteran quarterback for UConn but he won't be lighting it up with his arm in too many contests. The total scoring in this one might not even cross the 40-point barrier.

3:30

Connecticut at Michigan

ABC Local
*Reverse Mirror* ESPN2

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209

Kentucky 30 Louisville 18
The value of this game on a national scale may not be so grand as neither of these teams is expected to have a break out type of campaign. This one is only worthy to watch based on the battle for in-state bragging rights. The Wildcats have a brand new coach and Louisville has a brand new coach. Joker Phillips inherits the job at UK after being the coordinator that helped make this one of the most exciting offenses in the SEC three years ago. The past two years however have seen that trend change due to inconsistent quarterback play and overall inexperience. Three quarterbacks could see the field as the season progresses although two-year starter Mike Hartline is currently the first choice as he returns from a knee injury that ended his 2009 effort. Kentucky is all about the skill positions on offense, great receivers and running backs with Randall Cobb and Derrick Locke respectively, but those weapons could get neutralized in this first game by an offensive line that will operate with four new starters. Former Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong takes over at Louisville. He promises to build a punishing defense but it won't happen this year. Cardinal fans will have to be extremely patient as numbers are down, a proven quarterback is missing and the defense is undersized and lagging top rated talent. On the other side, Kentucky too is going to face huge issues when the defense takes the field. Gone are some of the best players to ever wear the blue uniform on this side of the ball. The good news for Cat fans is that the Louisville offense may be even a bigger question mark than their defense. This is a down trodden football team that Strong has taken over. His main decisions will be how many true freshmen to use. This game could get sloppy where defense is missing on both sides. The better offense is Kentucky by a large margin. Although UK will continue to struggle in SEC play, they also show that one of the lesser SEC teams is far superior to one of the lesser Big East teams.

3:30

Kentucky at Louisville

ESPN GamePlan
ABC Local

790
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UCLA 16 Kansas State 14
Both of these teams finished with a 6-6 regular season record last fall. UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel has said he wants eight wins this time around. For this to happen, the Bruins need bigger strides offensively. Coordinator Norm Chow has installed what they refer to as the Revolver scheme, a variation of Nevada's Pistol formation that allows second year quarterback Kevin Prince more room to improvise at the snap. However, it is the rushing attack that needs the most retooling. UCLA was a paltry 97th nationally carrying the pigskin. Leading rusher Johnathan Franklin returns but was disappointing down the stretch of '09 while only recording 133 yards in the team's last seven games. A few star recruits have been bought in to alleviate the pain. This probably won't be enough against a run defense in Manhattan that appears to be quite sturdy. The Cats do have some reloading to do though which includes new faces at all three linebacker spots. Don't look for UCLA to pass on this secondary much either. Cornerback Joshua Moore left early for the NFL but this group is bolstered by two lockdown safeties in Tysyn Hartman and Emmanuel Lamur. When KSU has the ball, it's all about tailback Daniel Thomas who is considered to be a long shot Heisman candidate after posting 1,265 yards and 11 touchdowns last fall. This is a run oriented attack as evident by the way they score. Only seven touchdowns last year were through the air and they have yet to name a new starter behind center. Four starters are back on the offensive line so don't expect any unusual game plan changes in this opener. UCLA is missing the Pac Ten Defensive Player of the Year Brian Price at tackle, which leaves a monstrous gap in the middle. Much more needs replaced as well including All-Pac Ten cornerback Alterraun Verner and middle backer Reggie Carder. Oh there is still some talent on this side of the ball, but they better learn how to stop the run before September 4. Many viewers will expect to see UCLA start to make its initial claim as the new team to beat in Los Angeles. They better not look past this one because a freight train is rolling down the track by the name of Daniel Thomas behind a descent set of blockers. This will keep the score very low and give the Wildcats a fighting chance at home. Reigning Lou Groza Award winning kicker Kai Forbath makes a big difference though in these types of close-to-the-vest-hand-the-ball-off openers.

3:30

UCLA at Kansas State

ESPN GamePlan
ABC Local
*Reverse Mirror* ESPN2

789
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209

3:30

Texas at Rice @Reliant Stadium - Houston, TX

206

3:30

Purdue at Notre Dame

NBC Local

---

3:30

North Texas at Clemson

208

3:30

Jacksonville State at Mississippi

ESPN GamePlan
CSS
Brighthouse Sports Network
CST

792
---
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3:30

Coastal Carolina at West Virginia

ESPN GamePlan
Altitude
MASN
SportsNet NY
Local Affiliates

791
681
640
639

3:30

New Mexico at Oregon

Oregon Sports Network
CSN Northwest

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4:00

UC Davis at California

CSN California

698

6:00

Western Carolina at North Carolina State

6:00

Richmond at Virginia

6:00

Syracuse at Akron

6:00

UT-Martin at Tennessee

ESPN GamePlan
Tennessee PPV

793
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6:00

South Dakota at UCF

6:30

Sacramento State at Stanford

CSN Bay Area

696

7:00

Washington State at Oklahoma State

FSN Southwest
See Other Channels

676

Washington 35 Brigham Young 27
The Huskies will end up being one of the best turnaround teams in 2010. Too much talent and experience is back surrounding senior Jake Locker, who many project as the top NFL quarterback taken in next April’s draft. If Washington has a main concern it would be with their defensive line. BYU gets a definitive edge here but without a proven ball carrier the edge should be minimal. BYU will use a two-quarterback system while trying to replace Max Hall, who rewrote much of the school's record book. Yes, this game is in Provo but UW should be full of confidence with so much experience. They have more athletes right now and Sarkisian can coach.

7:00

Washington at Brigham Young

613

7:00

North Dakota State at Kansas

Fox College Sports

617

7:00

Memphis at Mississippi State

208

7:00

Arkansas State at Auburn

ESPN GamePlan
FSN South
See Other Channels

788
646

7:00

Stony Brook at South Florida

ESPN GamePlan
Bright House Sports (Tampa)

791
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7:00

Western Kentucky at Nebraska

FSN PPV

7:00

Utah State at Oklahoma

FSN PPV

7:00

Bowling Green at Troy

ISP Sports
Fox Sports Pacific

---
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7:00

San Jose State at Alabama

ESPN GamePlan
Alabama PPV

789
---

7:00

Tennessee Tech at Arkansas

ESPN GamePlan
Arkansas PPV

790
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7:00

Elon at Duke

7:00

Army at Eastern Michigan

7:00

Wofford at Ohio

7:00

Grambling State vs. Louisiana Tech @Shreveport, LA

7:00

Sam Houston State at Baylor

7:00

Stephen F. Austin at Texas A&M

7:30

Northwestern at Vanderbilt

ESPN GamePlan
Bright House Sports (Orlando)
CSN Chicago Plus
CSN California

792
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698

TCU 34 Oregon State 21
This game is really titanic for the Horned Frogs. Outside of this opener with the Beavers, the rest of the non-conference schedule is extremely weak. Could this spell too much pressure? TCU is sitting in the Top 10 of most every preseason poll and for good reason. Quarterback Andy Dalton returns for his fourth season as a starter, and does so as the winningest active QB in the nation. As he did last year, Dalton will have a deep group of ball carriers and receivers to help carry the load behind a line that returns four starters. Oregon State has the Pac Ten's best defensive tackle in Stephen Paea but aside from him desperately needs someone to step up and put pressure on opposing quarterbacks while the secondary has not done well covering or creating turnovers. The linebackers are an area of concern too. All this could spell trouble for four quarters when TCU has the ball. What seals the OSU fate in Arlington is that the TCU defense has led the nation in total defense four times since 2000 including the past two seasons. Ouch! The top two playmakers are gone in DE Jerry Hughes and LB Daryl Washington and two new cornerbacks enter the fray. On the corner is where the most concerns lie. There will be a new look quarterback in the Orange & Black this fall so don’t expect the Beavers to give these newcomers their top test of the young 2010 season. This offensive show is about Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood as running back Jacquizz is a frontrunner for the Heisman and his brother James is a serious threat running, catching and returning kicks. The offensive line will also be a position of strength. OSU has a shot if they can hold on to the rock and work magic between the tackles. TCU actually wins this game with more offense.

7:45

Oregon State vs. TCU @Arlington, TX

206

LSU 14 North Carolina 10
Probably the most anticipated game of the Labor Day weekend outside of the Boise State/Virginia Tech match up on Monday involves another ACC team. North Carolina is predicted to have its best outing under the Butch Davis fourth year plan. Any other previous year, LSU would have been a big time favorite. Not this time. The Tar Heels boast some of the most NFL talent anywhere across the college landscape. The problem is that it all rests on the defensive side. The bigger problem is that off-the-field issues now have many player on this team not sure whether they will even suit up in this opener. Ranked 112th nationally in total offense last year, the Bayou Bengals are trying to restock the cupboard. Junior quarterback Jordan Jefferson has not shown he is ready to beat a sound defense with his arm and the running game somehow has disappeared. For all the lows LSU hit offensively a year ago, Carolina is not far behind. Senior quarterback T.J. Yates had better pick up the pace and limit his completions to the other team or no one will score six points in this tussle. LSU will counter with a young SEC defense, which basically equates to a great deal of raw talent and speed. This is such a young ball club for the team from Baton Rouge. They are used to competing with great SEC players week in and week out which makes this game between two ranked teams close. A loss for UNC just reinstates the fact that even the ACC's upper echelon teams won't out due one of the SEC's middle of the road teams. Not many points scored at all in this one where defense rules.

8:00

LSU vs. North Carolina @Atlanta, GA

ABC Local

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8:00

Nicholls State at San Diego State

8:00

Texas State at Houston

9:00

Arkansas-Pine Bluff at UTEP

9:00

Southern Utah at Wyoming

Cincinnati 43 Fresno State 31
This is not the same Pat Hill team that last won a conference championship in 1999. Not very much defense will be on display. Despite the fact this game is in The Valley, Cincinnati out mans the Bulldogs almost 2-to-1 in talent offensively. The Fresno State defense is not prepared to stop the Bearcats from running or throwing. QB Zach Collaros, receivers Vidal Hazelton, Armon Binns and tight end Ben Guidugli will keep this offense humming. None of that will change with new offensive-minded coach Butch Jones. Fresno State was one of the nation’s top rushing attacks last fall largely due to Ryan Mathews, a first-round NFL Draft pick. Getting the same production will prove difficult without him. Cincinnati's porous defense keeps this a high scoring match, an environment they have learned to thrive in.

10:00

Cincinnati at Fresno State

209

10:15

Portland State at Arizona State

FS Arizona
FCS Pacific

686
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11:00

Wisconsin at UNLV

603

SUNDAY - SEPTEMBER 5

2:00

Tulsa at East Carolina

209

Texas Tech 34 SMU 31
These two teams are heading in different directions when it comes to schemes. Texas Tech will switch to a new approach under head coach Tommy Tuberville that includes running the football and playing defense. SMU on the other hand under head coach June Jones is doing the things that Texas Tech used to do offensively. And that is opening it up with four and five receivers and throwing the football. The Mustangs went bowling last year with a freshman behind center. Kyle Padron is back for his second year with a better grasp of this offense. The Red Raiders should take solace in the fact this game is in Lubbock. SMU has enough starters returning to win this one outright elsewhere.

3:30

SMU at Texas Tech

206

MONDAY - SEPTEMBER 6 (LABOR DAY)

4:00

Maryland vs. Navy @Baltimore, MD

206

8:00

Boise State vs. Virginia Tech @Landover, MD

206

ESPN GamePlan DIRECTV CHANNELS

12:00

Louisiana-Lafayette at Georgia

Channel 788

3:30

UCLA at Kansas State

Channel 789

3:30

Kentucky at Louisville

Channel 790

3:30

Coastal Carolina at West Virgnia

Channel 791

3:30

Jacksonville State at Mississippi

Channel 792

6:00

UT-Martin at Tennessee

Channel 793

7:00

Arkansas State at Auburn

Channel 788

7:00

San Jose State at Alabama

Channel 789

7:00

Tennessee Tech at Arkansas

Channel 790

7:00

Stony Brook at South Florida

Channel 791

7:00

Northwestern at Vanderbilt

Channel 792

*DIRECTV and GamePlan channels are constantly changing during the week. Make sure you check on Friday for the latest update.

OTHER LOCAL CHANNELS FOR SELECTED GAMES

8:00
Thursday

Northern Illinois at Iowa State

FSN (Arizona, Detroit+, Florida, Houston, Midwest, Ohio, Pittsburgh, South, Southwest, West, Wisconsin)
CSN (Bay Area, Chicago)
MSG PLUS

12:30

Illinois vs. Missouri @St. Louis, MO

FSN (Arizona, Detroit, Florida, Houston, Midwest, North, Northwest, Ohio, Pittsburgh, Rocky Mountain, South, Southwest, West)
CSN (Bay Area, Chicago, Washington)
MSG PLUS

7:00

Washington State at Oklahoma State

FSN (Arizona, Detroit+, Houston, Midwest, North, Northwest, Ohio, Southwest, Utah, West)
CSN (Bay Area+, Washington)
MSG PLUS

7:00

Arkansas State at Auburn

FSN (Florida, South, Southwest)
Sun Sports

“Reverse Mirrors”: As many as 13 Saturday afternoon windows will feature innovative coverage in which ABC’s regional telecasts are also offered regionally on ESPN or ESPN2 to markets that are getting another game on ABC. For example, on September 4, ABC will televise Connecticut at Michigan and UCLA at Kansas State at 3:30 p.m. ET. ESPN2 will “reverse mirror” ABC’s coverage, televising Connecticut at Michigan in markets receiving UCLA at Kansas State (on ABC) and UCLA at Kansas State to the parts of the country receiving Connecticut at Michigan (on ABC).