It’s finally happened: The 2024 college football season has officially begun.
Week 0 was just the appetizer, a tasty one with Georgia Tech’s upset win and Montana State’s big upset over New Mexico, but things really get exciting this weekend with three matchups between teams ranked in the AP Top 25.
There are 21 games scheduled for Thursday, including tough home games against Colorado and perennial FCS powerhouse North Dakota State, plus six games scheduled for Friday before the action really gets going on Saturday. Here are the must-see games this Labor Day weekend. All times are Eastern Time and all games are on Saturday unless otherwise noted.
For the new College Football Playoff viewer’s guide, click here. (Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports)
Time: Noon | TV: ABC | Line: Georgia -13.5 | Total: 48.5
The first official Saturday of the season kicks off with what may be the game of the week. We’re being a bit conservative with our predictions, as the score is two touchdowns down. It’s the first time these two teams have met since the 2021 season began in Charlotte. The game was anything but thrilling, with Georgia winning 10-3 while Clemson’s offense struggled mightily.
Clemson comes into this game looking to get its offense back on track after a tough first season under offensive coordinator Garrett Riley. QB Cade Klubnik took over as the Tigers’ starter at the end of the 2022 season and showed some promising performances, but he only averaged 6.3 yards per pass last season and finished with fewer than 3,000 yards despite throwing more than 450 passes.
Georgia State QB Carson Beck is one of the top candidates for the 2024 Heisman Trophy after a great first season as the Bulldogs’ starter in 2023. Beck, who could be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, won’t be able to throw passes to Brock Bowers this season, but Georgia still has plenty of talent on the outside. Keep an eye on Georgia’s backfield in this game. With Daijun Edwards and Kendall Milton gone, Roderick Robinson was the Bulldogs’ leading returning rusher in 2024. Robinson will miss some time due to toe surgery, and former University of Florida running back Trevor Etienne may miss this game due to a suspension. Robinson was arrested for DUI during the offseason and reached a plea deal.
If Etienne doesn’t play, Georgia’s lead back will likely be Brunson Robinson, a former four-star recruit who rushed for 341 yards as a freshman in 2022 but missed the 2023 season due to a knee injury.
Time: Noon | TV: Fox | Line: Penn State -8.5 | Total: 51.5
This is your first chance to get a glimpse of the all-new Penn State offense. The Nittany Lions hired former Kansas co-offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki as PSU’s new offensive coordinator, and his biggest task will be to help Drew Aller play better in big games.
Allar has been a big promise at times, but he completed less than 50 percent of his passes in Penn State’s losses to Michigan, Ohio State and Mississippi last season. The defense also has a new coordinator, with former Indiana coach Tom Allen in charge of the defense after Manny Diaz left for Duke. Four of Penn State’s top five tacklers return, including standout defensive end Abdul Carter.
West Virginia will be the first test. The Mountaineers went 9-4 last season and return most of their offense that averaged more than 31 points per game last season, including the team’s top three rushers, running backs Jahim White (842 yards) and C.J. Donaldson (798 yards), as well as quarterback Garrett Green (772 yards).
Here are the best games of Week 1 in college football. (Bruno Looby/Yahoo Sports)
Time: 3:30 PM | TV: ABC | Line: Miami -2.5 | Total: 54.5
The first game of the season doesn’t make or break a team’s season — Florida State fans certainly believe that theory ahead of the first-ever expanded College Football Playoff — but it feels like there’s a lot at stake in this intrastate rivalry.
Miami enters the season with high expectations and a transfer quarterback. If FSU’s performance against Georgia Tech is any indication, the ACC championship could be in contention, and a win combined with a loss against Clemson would put the Hurricanes one step ahead of their two biggest ACC rivals. Cam Ward, who took over as Miami’s starter after two seasons at Washington State, has seen his Heisman Trophy chances plummet in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, Florida may need to win this game to be bowl eligible at the end of the season. It’s true. Florida is talented both defensively and defensively, but they have one of the toughest schedules in college football. Florida needs to get as many wins as they can before their final five games against Georgia, Texas, Louisiana State, Mississippi State and Florida State. A win against the Hurricanes would greatly boost Billy Napier’s standing among Florida fans and mark a big step towards Florida’s first winning season since 2020.
Time: 7:30 PM | TV: ABC | Line: Texas A&M -3 | Total: 46.5
Notre Dame isn’t afraid of a tough opener. Three years ago, the Irish visited Florida State and won in overtime. In 2022, Notre Dame visits Ohio State.
Saturday night will mark the first game in a Notre Dame uniform for Duke transfer quarterback Riley Leonard, who had a great 2022 season but was plagued by injuries in 2023. With a growing wide receiver corps, it would not be surprising if Notre Dame’s passing attack is better than it was last season with Sam Hartman.
The Irish’s biggest issue is up front, where they will need to replace three starters for 2023, including No. 5 NFL Draft pick Joe Alt. Alt’s replacement, Charles Jagsa, is already out for the season after suffering an injury in fall camp.
If Notre Dame can hold its own against the Aggies, it bodes well for the Irish. Mike Elko’s Texas A&M defense has a lot of new faces, but still plenty of talent. The group includes former Purdue edge rusher Nick Skorton and fellow transfers Solomon DeShields (University of Pittsburgh) and Jaedon Hill (University of Florida). Connor Weigman returns as the Aggies’ starting quarterback and will aim to stay healthy throughout the season. Weigman played in just four games last season because of a foot injury.
Time: Sunday 7:30 PM | TV: ABC | Line: LSU -4.5 | Total: 64.5
If the best game of the weekend doesn’t take place in Atlanta, it could very well be in Las Vegas, with both teams looking to erase last season’s defensive questions and make a push into the College Football Playoff.
LSU hired Missouri State defensive coordinator Blake Baker after the Tigers allowed 28 points and 6.1 yards per play last season. The defense’s struggles were evident in LSU’s three losses last year. The Tigers were 10-0 when allowing fewer than 40 points but 0-3 when allowing 42 or more points.
The defense should be better, but will the offense be worse? Garrett Nussmeyer will replace Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels at quarterback, and LSU will also replace first-round draft wide receivers Malik Neighbors and Brian Thomas. Don’t write Nussmeyer off lightly, but it’s very difficult to expect him to perform like Daniels.
USC hired UCLA defensive coordinator Danton Lin to lead the defense after Alex Grinch’s teams were repeatedly hurt. The Trojans allowed just 6.1 yards per play last season while allowing opponents to score nearly 35 points per game.
After a great bowl game, QB Miller Moss will officially replace Caleb Williams, and there will be a lot of new faces around him at the skill positions, as USC needs to replace its top two rushers and four of its top six receivers from 2023.
Other matches in the spotlight
North Carolina at Minnesota (8 p.m. Thursday, Fox): Neither team enters the season as a top contender in their respective conferences, but it’s still a rare opening weekend matchup between two conference powerhouses. North Carolina coach Mack Brown is keeping mum on his starting quarterback as he and Texas A&M transfer Max Johnson compete for the spot.
South Dakota State at No. 17 Oklahoma State (2 p.m., ESPN+): The Cowboys should win this one, but don’t be surprised if a rebuilt South Dakota State gives Oklahoma State a tough time, especially in the first half. The Jackrabbits are the defending FCS champions and will start this season ranked No. 1, while OSU returns many players from last season’s Big 12 finals squad despite a humiliating loss to South Alabama in Week 2.
Colorado State at No. 4 Texas (3:30 p.m., ESPN): The Longhorns shouldn’t have much of a challenge against Colorado State, which is vying for a spot in the Mountain West Conference finals. But Texas has some questions to answer on offense, especially with Quinn Ewers and the running back position suddenly thinning after preseason injuries to C.J. Baxter and Christian Clark.
Boise State at Georgia Southern (4 p.m., ESPN+): The school is a contender to represent the Group of Five in the College Football Playoff and has a tough opening game before facing Oregon in Week 2. Georgia Southern could be competing for the Sun Belt East Division title, so don’t be surprised if it gets close in the fourth quarter.
Western Kentucky at No. 5 Alabama (7 p.m., ESPN): The Crimson Tide should win handily, but it’s worth tuning in for a few minutes of this game to get a glimpse of what an Alabama team will look like without Nick Saban as coach. It’ll be intriguing to see what Cullen DeBoer’s offense will look like with Jalen Milroe at quarterback.
Fresno State at No. 9 Michigan (7:30 p.m., NBC): This will be Michigan’s first game under head coach Jim Harbaugh, and the Wolverines look very different from last season’s national title-winning team. The pressure is on Alex Orji to take over for J.J. McCarthy, who had limited playing time last season.
Boston College at No. 10 Florida State (Monday, 7:30 p.m., ESPN): The Seminoles are looking to bounce back from a loss to Georgia Tech in the Irish in Week 0. An 0-2 start would be a disaster, as Boston College is a 15.5-point underdog in coach Bill O’Brien’s first game with the team under his belt.
