College Football is finally back! Well, kind of. Week zero is this Saturday, as there will be eight college football games to watch spanning across the entire day on Saturday. While any football is good football, these games very rarely make an impact on the College Football Playoff race. Let's take a look at this week's games and how they affect number one Ohio State and the rest of the playoff race.
North Carolina vs TCU
8/29 Noon EST Dublin, Ireland
Year two of the Bill Belichick era at North Carolina begins overseas at Aviva Stadium in Dublin against the team that spoiled his home opener a year ago, the TCU Horned Frogs. Year one was a disaster in Chapel Hill, as the Tar Heels won just four games and have an over/under of 4.5 this season.
On the TCU side, this is a team with higher aspirations after an 8-4 2025. Being a factor in the playoff race will be incredibly difficult, however, as the Horned Frogs have both of the Big 12's top dogs on their schedule in BYU and Texas Tech.
San Jose State vs (14) USC
8/29 3 p.m. EST Los Angeles, California
USC is the only team ranked in the preseason poll that will play in Week 0. The Trojans took a step forward last season, going 9-3 and having real playoff hopes deep into November. Their season opener is against a San Jose State team that is projected to finish at the bottom of the Mountain West. We should get a chance to see some of the stars of USC's top-ranked recruiting class, as those guys will be crucial to the Trojans this season, as they have five opponents ranked in the top 20 this season.
NC State vs Virginia
8/29 3:30 p.m. EST Charlottesville, Virginia
This is a game where the stakes have changed multiple times since it was scheduled. This series between two ACC rivals was not protected when they got rid of divisions, so the schools decided to schedule a non-conference home-and-home. The game was then moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Earlier this summer, it was moved back to Virginia, and it will now be a conference game. If you remember last season, Virginia made the ACC championship game despite a loss to the Wolfpack in Raleigh that was technically not a conference game.
Miami is the clear top dog in the ACC in 2026; the Hurricanes do not appear on either of these two teams' schedules. Each team has just one game against a ranked opponent this season, and both should believe they have a chance to get to Charlotte for the ACC title game and steal a playoff bid.
Memphis vs UNLV
8/29 10 p.m. EST Las Vegas, Nevada
This game won't get the coverage it probably deserves, as this is one of the biggest non-Power Four non-conference games of the season. These two teams are both in the top 10 in odds to make the playoff among Group of Six teams, with UNLV having the best odds from the Mountain West.
Memphis is a talented team under first-year head coach Charles Huff and has a chance to get to the CFP from the best Group of Six conference in the American. If these teams can live up to expectations, this game could be a crucial data point in picking the final team in the playoff in December.
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