College football schedule, games 2025: What to watch in Week 1, TV channels, streaming, Saturday kickoff times

College football is back. After an intriguing slate of Thursday and Friday games, the first full Saturday of the 2025 season is almost upon us. After several years following dramatic changes and upheavals, college football is at least somewhat stable as the calendar turns to fall. 

All of the Power Four conferences remain unchanged from the 2024 season. The College Football Playoff still sits at 12 teams, though further expansion is on the horizon. Sure, the transfer portal and name, image and likeness bring their own flavor of chaos every offseason, and revenue sharing has further complicated roster management, but coaches have had some time to adjust over the past few years. 

This all means that a lot of the focus in 2025 should be on football itself. There’s a lot to look forward to in Week 1. 

No. 1 Texas travels to No. 3 Ohio State in a seismic clash with major national implications. Though both schools will still be well in the thick of the College Football Playoff race even with a loss, it is a major opportunity to make a statement early in the year. 

The Longhorns and the Buckeyes represent one of two top-10 matchups on Saturday. Elsewhere, other ranked programs will face tough tests from prolific unranked Power Four opponents. 

College football winners, losers: Nebraska survives as Big Ten ekes out four ugly Thursday victories

David Cobb

Which games should you actually pay attention to as a busy season begins? Here’s a viewer’s guide to help you navigate through the Week 1 action.

All times Eastern

The best games 

No. 1 Texas at No. 3 Ohio State — noon on Fox, fuboTV (try for free): It doesn’t get much better than this on the first full Saturday of the season. Two of the top brands in the sport, and two legitimate national-title contenders, facing off in a College Football Playoff semifinal rematch. This also marks the full-season starting debut of Texas’ Arch Manning and the first start — period — for new Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, a former five-star prospect in his own right. Appointment viewing, even if it is an early kickoff. 

Syracuse vs. No. 24 Tennessee (Atlanta) — noon on ABC, fuboTV (try for free): The Battle of the Oranges (trademark pending) features plenty of intriguing storylines to watch. Syracuse is coming off of a breakout 10-win season in its first year under coach Fran Brown, who has taken the program’s recruiting to another level. But a lot of the familiar faces from that team are gone, and the Orange face plenty of question marks. Tennessee made plenty of headlines in the offseason for all the wrong reasons when incumbent starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava transferred to UCLA at the end of spring practice. The Vols are turning to former Appalachian State star and UCLA transfer Joey Aguilar to guide an offense that’s lagged behind — passing the ball, at least — in recent years. 

Nevada at No. 2 Penn State — 3:30 p.m. on CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free), Paramount+ with Showtime: Expectations are sky-high in Happy Valley. Penn State earned its highest preseason ranking since 1997, when it opened the year ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 poll. Quarterback Drew Allar’s return is a big reason for that, but the Nittany Lions have other stars back all over the place. That includes the nation’s top running back duo in Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen and a litany of defenders. 

No. 8 Alabama at Florida State — 3:30 p.m. on ABC, fuboTV (try for free): New Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos has certainly added some spice to this nonconference contest with his offseason comments directed at Alabama. Both of these storied programs have plenty to prove. The Seminoles are trying to bounce back after a disastrous 2024 season. Though Alabama won nine games, Kalen DeBoer’s first season with the Crimson Tide fell well short of the standard set by Nick Saban. Florida State and Alabama would love to start 2025 off on the right foot. 

No. 9 LSU at No. 4 Clemson — 7:30 p.m. on ABC, fuboTV (try for free): Reports of Clemson’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. The Tigers won the ACC again last season and made an appearance in the College Football Playoff. They’re eyeing even more this season, with quarterback Cade Klubnik back at the helm and one of the most battle-tested rosters in college football. Pressure is starting to mount for Brian Kelly and LSU. He’s had some individual success stories in his tenure, but the Tigers have yet to win a championship of any sorts and they’ve been barred out of the playoff since Kelly arrived in Baton Rouge. Going 0-3 in season openers has not helped. 

Utah at UCLA — 11 p.m. on Fox, fuboTV (try for free): Pac-12 After Dark lives on, even if it’s just in spirit. These two ex-conference foes are set to meet in an intriguing nightcap. Utah will be breaking in an entirely new offense under coordinator Jason Beck, who brought former New Mexico quarterback Devon Dampier with him in an effort to revamp the Utes. UCLA snagged the transfer portal’s top player in quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who will make his much-anticipated Bruin debut against a salty Utah defense. 

Best of the rest 

Mississippi State at Southern Miss — noon on ESPN, fuboTV (try for free)

Northwestern at Tulane — noon on ESPNU, fuboTV (try for free)

VMI at Navy — noon on CBS Sports Network, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)

Marshall at No. 5 Georgia — 3:30 p.m. on ESPN, fuboTV (try for free)

South Dakota at No. 22 Iowa State — 3:30 p.m. on Fox, fuboTV (try for free)

Bucknell at Air Force — 3:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)

Coastal Carolina at Virginia — 6 p.m. on ACC Network, fuboTV (try for free)

New Mexico at No. 14 Michigan — 7:30 p.m. on NBC, fuboTV (try for free)

UTEP at Utah State — 7:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)