What college football games are Week 0? Schedule includes USC, ACC clash

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

Yes, we know, Week 0 in college football is on its face a strange concept. It isn’t Week 1 since only a handful of teams in the Bowl Subdivision will be in action, but neither is it preseason a la the NFL since these games most assuredly do count.

For convenience, then, we call the abbreviated opening slate Week 0. But we don’t care what we call it, because it means that finally, after a long hot summer of off-field drama in courtrooms and Capitol Hill, at long last there will be actual football.

We are back to help you plan your Saturday. Here’s everything you need to know to enjoy the festivities, kicking off across the pond on the Emerald Isle.

North Carolina vs. TCU

Time/TV: Noon ET, ESPN.
Why watch: Oh, you’ll watch. If you’re reading this, you’ve missed this sport as much as we have, so you’re more than ready for the first contest of the new season. As mentioned, it happens overseas in Dublin as the Tar Heels and Horned Frogs, who also squared off to begin the 2025 campaign, renew acquaintances. Much has changed on both rosters since that encounter a year ago that spoiled Bill Belichick debut, but it’s quite fair to say things have gone considerably better for the TCU program. The Frogs are coming off a 9-4 finish but will have a new-look offense under new coordinator Gordon Sammis. At the controls will be former Harvard QB Jaden Craig, who should benefit from working with a deep RB group led by veteran Jeremy Payne. The Tar Heels slogged to a forgettable 4-8 mark in Belichick’s initial year in Chapel Hill. QB Billy Edwards Jr. hopes to revitalize the UNC attack, with help from incumbent RB Demon June.
Why it could disappoint: Five of the Tar Heels’ eight losses last season were by margins of 16 points or more, including their 48-14 thrashing at the hands of the Horned Frogs last September. If this game follows a similar script, UNC fans are likely in for another long season.

San Jose State at No. 14 USC

Time/TV: 3 p.m. ET, NBC.
Why watch: The Trojans, the lone ranked squad in the US LBM Coaches Poll to take the field in Week 0, look to improve on a 9-4 campaign and move up the pecking order in a top-heavy Big Ten. QB Jayden Maiava is back, and he’ll be able to work with an experienced line as well as a healthy RB Waymond Jordan, but he’ll need new receiving targets to emerge. The Spartans, just 3-9 a year ago, hope for better fortunes in a restructured Mountain West. There are a lot of new faces in San Jose, but the QB position should be in solid hands with former Hawaii transfer Luke Weaver taking over. He was primarily a backup for the Rainbow Warriors but did make some notable plays, including the winning TD pass against Cal in the final seconds of the Hawaii Bowl.
Why it could disappoint: If matters aren’t settled by the third quarter, it could be a bad sign for the Trojans, who need to show improvement on defense in order to close the gap on the Big Ten’s top tier.

NC State at Virginia

Time/TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.
Why watch: This is unequivocally the most meaningful game on the Week 0 slate, as it will actually figure in the standings of a major conference. That wasn’t initially the case when this game was scheduled, but plans to play it as a nonconference neutral game in Brazil were called off, and the ACC’s decision to expand to a nine-game league slate means this one now counts. The Cavaliers made a somewhat surprising run to the conference title game a season ago, but there was a lot of personnel turnover on the offensive side. QB Beau Pribula arrived via the portal, as did most of the main ball handlers. They’ll challenge a battle-tested Wolfpack secondary featuring Asaad Brown. NC State QB CJ Bailey returns for his junior season with plenty of snaps under his belt, though new pass catchers must step up quickly. LB Cam Robinson is back after fighting through injuries last season to be the centerpiece of the Virginia defense.
Why it could disappoint: It shouldn’t, though it’s always possible that one team will experience more opening-week growing pains than the other.

Jacksonville State at North Dakota State

Time/TV: 5:30 p.m. ET, CBSSN.
Why watch: A new era begins for the Bison, owners of 10 Championship Subdivision titles and eight more prior to that in Division II, as they move up to the Bowl Subdivision and look to contend immediately in the new-look Mountain West. The Gamecocks aren’t long removed from the FCS ranks themselves but have done well at their new level, coming off an appearance in the Conference USA championship game. NDSU boasted one of the highest-scoring attacks in the FCS last season, but most of the ball handlers are gone. Taking over at QB will be Nathan Hayes, who will have some experienced blockers. QB Caleb Creel is back for Jax State. He can do a lot of damage himself on the ground but has a home-run threat in WR Deondre Johnson.
Why it could disappoint: It’s conceivable the Gamecocks have been at this level longer and thus would have a talent edge. But the game is in Fargo, and NDSU has been punching above its weight for some time. This should be an even contest between bowl hopefuls.

Hawaii at Stanford

Time/TV: 7 p.m. ET, ACC.
Why watch: Embarking on their third season in the ACC, the Cardinal start a new chapter with alum Tavita Pritchard now helming the program. The Rainbow Warriors turned a corner with a bowl victory under Timmy Chang last season and seek to maintain that positive momentum. Michigan transfer Davis Warren will assume the QB reins for Stanford, but its identity before the program’s recent downturn was built on a strong ground game, which could be good news for returning RB Micah Ford. The Warriors, of course, will once again be all about airing it out. Having QB Micah Alejado and WR Pofele Ashlock back will help, but pass protection could be an issue with replacements along the line.
Why it could disappoint: It could go a couple of ways. Either the Stanford pass defense will again be leaky as it was last season, or the Warriors won’t be able to hold up at the line of scrimmage. Ideally both teams will find their strengths and give us an entertaining contest.

New Mexico State at Florida State

Time/TV: 7 p.m. ET, The CW.
Why watch: It’s hardly a secret Seminoles coach Mike Norvell enters the campaign on a sizzling-hot seat. He hopes to cool things a bit with a strong performance against the Aggies, who will be racking up a lot of travel miles this fall as they try to make headway against last year’s meager four-win total. The reconstructed Florida State offense will be built around QB Ashton Daniels and RB Quintrevion Wisner, both arriving via the portal seeking fresh starts. New Mexico State's pass-heavy attack will be directed by QB Trey Hedden, a transfer from Furman who overtook last year’s backup Adam Damante for the starting gig.
Why it could disappoint: If you’re an FSU fan, you’re hoping against hope that it does. NMSU is anything but a powerhouse even by Conference USA standards, so if this game is close at all after halftime, Tallahassee will be in full panic mode.

Memphis at UNLV

Time/TV: 10 p.m. ET, Fox.
Why watch: The Week 0 nightcap could serve as an early measuring stick game among Group of Six conferences, as the Tigers and Rebels, who hope to contend in the American and Mountain West respectively, square off in the desert. Scoring points hasn’t been a problem for UNLV under Dan Mullen, and the high-octane attack will now feature RB Jai’Den Thomas getting plenty of touches in a variety of ways as the team sorts out its quarterback situation. Memphis is under new management with Ryan Silverfield off to Arkansas and Charles Huff arriving from Southern Miss. Both sides of the ball had to be overhauled via the portal, but it might take the offense somewhat longer to find its rhythm. The results of the camp competition between transfer QBs Air Noland and Marcus Stokes might not be known until the Tigers take the field.
Why it could disappoint: Defense wasn’t exactly the Rebels’ strong suit, so it’s possible Memphis will be more buttoned up in that department. It’s more likely, however, that both teams will be able to move the ball, giving us an exciting finish to whet our appetite even more for Week 1.

Be sure to check out USA TODAY Sports' new College Football Unfiltered podcast, hosted by USA TODAY Sports columnist Blake Toppmeyer. You can stream on YouTube or download via Apple podcasts and Spotify.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What college football games are Week 0? Schedule includes USC, ACC clash

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos