Every week on the Inside Texas Members Only board, DuvalHorn puts together the weekly viewing options for the upcoming weekend’s college football slate. Sometimes it is on the board as early as Tuesday thanks to MACtion and Fun Belt games. But no matter what, the weekly TV schedule lets us know that college football is back for the 2025 season.
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Here’s what’s on tap for week one, with DuvalHorn’s own thoughts on the game.
Come talk about the games on Inside Texas!
As always, Central Time for the kickoffs.
Thursday
Boise State at South Florida (4:30 PM, ESPN) – No more Ashton Jeanty, but Maddux Madsen vs. Byrum Brown can still put up points.
East Carolina at NC State (6 PM, ACCN) – Last time these teams met (exactly 8 months ago), it ended with an NC State loss and a brawl on the field in the Military Bowl.
Buffalo at Minnesota (7 PM, FS1) – Not a compelling matchup on paper, but Pete Lembo’s Bulls overachieved in his first year as head coach. Can they keep it close?
Miami (OH) at Wisconsin (8 PM, BTN) – Wisconsin has a brutal schedule and really needs a resounding win to get some sort of momentum to start the season.
Nebraska vs. Cincinnati (Kansas City, MO: 8 PM, ESPN) – Kind of a strange neutral-field matchup all-around. Is it time for the patented Year 3 Rhule leap?
Friday
Appalachian State at Charlotte (6 PM, ESPNU) – The closest spread I could find from the 6 PM games before the main course starts an hour later.
Georgia Tech at Colorado (7 PM, ESPN) – Grudge match for 1990! Everyone’s favorite ACC sleeper versus a CU team that might be “post-hype”, even with Deion.
Auburn at Baylor (7 PM, Fox) – What will Dave Aranda have cooked up for Jackson Arnold? Hugh Freeze may have to take control of the third down playcalling at least, or find himself left with the Baptists on the Brazos when this one is done.
UNLV at Sam Houston (8:30 PM, CBSSN)
Central Michigan at San Jose State (9:30 PM, FS1) – This one and the last are “scouting the competition” games while getting in one more hit before Saturday arrives.
Saturday
Texas at Ohio State (11 AM, FOX)
Syracuse at Tennessee (11 AM, ABC) – the best you might get for your second screen as nobody else wanted to counter-program Texas – Ohio State.
Alabama at Florida State (2:30 PM, ABC) – Good helmet matchup but the afternoon window might be a little brutal if Florida State doesn’t keep it competitive.
South Dakota at Iowa State (2:30 PM, Fox) – Case in point, a decent Big 12 team hosting an FCS team is on Fox.
Nevada at Penn State (2:30 PM, CBS) – Chance to watch Choate the GOAT while Penn State kicks off its most hyped season in decades.
Illinois State at Oklahoma (5 PM, SECN+) – OU gets to fatten up on redbirds while everyone with Mateer Heisman tickets gets hot and bothered.
UTSA at Texas A&M (6 PM, ESPN) – Will Jeff Traylor pull it off? Probably not, but imagine…
LSU at Clemson (6:30 PM, ABC) – Battle of the Tigers. Fight for the real Death Valley. Brian Kelly versus Week 1 victories.
UTEP at Utah State (6:30 PM, CBSSN) – Complete the trifecta and get your eyes on the other cupcake on the schedule for Texas. And yes, this is the second-closest spread of the primetime games.
Missouri State at USC (6:30 PM, BTN) – Missouri State moving up into the FBS this year allows USC to skate by with maintaining their streak of not playing an FCS team.
Idaho at Washington State (9 PM, The CW) – I don’t have anything to say about this matchup, but needed to tell y’all that writing “The CW” on a college football preview thread still feels surreal.
Cal at Oregon State (9:30 PM, ESPN) – Just your typical ACC-Pac clash.
Utah at UCLA (10 PM, Fox) – Devon Dampier and Nico Iamaleava could both make headlines this year for entirely different reasons.
Sunday
Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina (Atlanta, GA: 2 PM, ESPN) – Enter Sandman vs. Sandstorm.
Notre Dame at Miami (FL) (6:30 PM, ABC) – Notre Dame back in that coveted Week 1 Sunday primetime matchup. The Canes back playing a top 10 matchup against the Catholics.
Monday
TCU at UNC (7 PM, ESPN) – TCU once again faces off against a ballyhooed head coach hire as favorites. Will the legend of Chapel Bill rise?