College Football Week 1 Preview: A Monster Slate of Games Awaits

College football kicks off in full force with the Labor Day Weekend, and the first full week of the season has plenty of big games.

It starts with Colorado taking on Georgia Tech on Thursday and ends with Florida State hosting No. 19 SMU on Sept. 7. There’s only one matchup between top-25 teams, but many key matchups still abound.

Here’s a look at this weekend’s biggest games.​

Colorado at Georgia Tech

​Colorado head coach Deion Sanders looks to lead his team in a bounce-back season against Georgia Tech on Thursday. The Yellowjackets beat the Buffaloes last year and look to build on last year’s 9–4 record. Georgia Tech quarterback Alberto Mendoza will start for the first time, and he is notably the younger brother of former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.​

No. 7 Miami at Stanford

​The defending national runner-up Hurricanes cross the country to Stanford, which opened the season with a win over Hawaii. Miami has big expectations for the new season, but the Hurricanes could face a challenge in a Cardinal team on Friday night. Stanford looks to prove the Hawaii win wasn’t a fluke.​

Baylor at Auburn

​These two unranked teams delivered a classic last year, in a 38–24 win by Auburn. The two will meet in Atlanta for the kickoff game between the Big 12 and the SEC. Auburn has a talented new quarterback in Byrum Brown, and Baylor has a new quarterback in Florida transfer D.J. Lagway.​

Tulane at Duke

​Duke won the ACC and didn’t make the College Football Playoff due to a 9–5 record. Tulane, which beat Duke last year, made the CFP as the first Group of Six team in. The Green Wave had a new look with new head coach Will Hall and quarterback Zeon Chriss-Gremillion.  ​

Clemson at No. 11 LSU

​Besides ESPN’s College GameDay going to Baton Rouge, LSU head coach Lane Kiffin makes his debut on Saturday. LSU has one of the most talented teams in the country, but Clemson has plenty of offensive talent, and head coach Dabo Swinney’s crew makes waves in the playoff conversation with a win. LSU won the last meeting between the two, 17–10.​

UNLV at Hawaii

​Both UNLV and Hawaii lost Week Zero openers, and both teams need a win late Saturday night to stay in the CFP hunt. It’s also a key matchup for the Mountain West Conference race as both teams entered the season as serious contenders.​

UCLA at Cal

​UCLA and California meet in an old Pac-12 rivalry reunion, as both teams play in different conferences now. The Bruins have quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who could take off with new head coach Bob Chesney. Cal quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is another signal caller to watch.​

Washington State at No. 17 Washington

​The Cougars and No. 17 Huskies meet in an old rivalry matchup on Sunday afternoon in Seattle. Washington has quarterback Demond Williams Jr. leading the way again, and the Cougars have a new quarterback in UC Davis transfer Caden Pinnick.​

No. 9 Ole Miss Versus No. 24 Louisville

​The marquee matchup in Nashville on Sunday night between two ranked squads will impact both the ACC and SEC races, and there’s two top quarterbacks to watch. Louisville has Ohio State transfer quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, and Ole Miss has star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.​

No. 4 Notre Dame Versus Wisconsin

​Notre Dame takes on Wisconsin in one of football’s most legendary venues—Lambeau Field. The Fighting Irish look to make the CFP again, and the Badgers are looking for a big win to turn things around after two consecutive losing seasons.​

No. 19 SMU at Florida State

​The Florida State Seminoles will look to improve to 2–0 in the young season, but SMU will bring a tough test to Tallahassee on Monday night. SMU has a talented crew back from a 9–4 season, led by quarterback Kevin Jennings.