College football is nearly upon us, even closer than some may realize. In a few short days, we'll stop talking about potential storylines this season and see which ones actually unfold. So, when does the 2018 college football season start? And equally important, when will college football Saturdays fully make their return so you can set up multiple TVs with a different game on each one?
We'll actually be treated to a teaser in college football's "Week 0" this coming Saturday, which features matchups such as: Duquesne vs. UMass, Prairie View vs. Rice, Hawaii vs. Colorado State and Wyoming and New Mexico State.
Next Thursday, Aug. 30, at 7 p.m. ET, No. 21 UCF will open its season on the road against UConn as it continues to take the field with a chip on its shoulder. The Knights, of course, have been insisting that they own a claim to last year's national title following an undefeated season that culminated with a Peach Bowl win over Auburn.
On Friday, we get some more action featuring ranked teams. No. 11 Michigan State will battle Utah State, No. 13 Stanford hosts San Diego State in what the Cardinal will certainly see as a revenge game from last season after they were upset by the Aztecs, and No. 4 Wisconsin will welcome in Western Kentucky.
Finally, on Saturday, Sept. 1, college football fans can sit down and enjoy the first full Saturday slate of contests as Week 1 gets underway. With the NFL still a week away from its season beginning, we get some rare Sunday action the following night in primetime, and it's a big-time pairing as No. 8 Miami takes on No. 25 LSU. Finally, Monday night brings us the annual Labor Day game as No. 20 Virginia Tech squares off with No. 19 Florida State in a high-profile ACC matchup to start the season.
Below, you can have a look at the Week 1 games featuring top-10 ranked teams. For the full Week 1 college football schedule, simply click here.
Week 1 games featuring preseason top-10 teams
| Matchup | Date | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
Western Kentucky vs. No. 4 Wisconsin | Friday, Aug. 31 | 9:00 p.m. |
| FAU vs. No. 7 Oklahoma | Saturday, Sept. 1 | 12:00 p.m. |
| Oregon State vs. No. 5 Ohio State | Saturday, Sept. 1 | 12:00 p.m. |
| Furman vs. No. 2 Clemson | Saturday, Sept. 1 | 12:20 p.m. |
| No. 6 Washington vs. No. 9 Auburn | Saturday, Sept. 1 | 3:30 p.m. |
| Appalachian State vs. No. 10 Penn State | Saturday, Sept. 1 | 3:30 p.m. |
| Austin Peay vs. No. 3 Georgia | Saturday, Sept. 1 | 3:30 p.m. |
| Louisville vs. No. 1 Alabama | Saturday, Sept. 1 | 8:00 p.m. |
| No. 8 Miami vs. No. 25 LSU | Sunday, Sept. 2 | 7:30 p.m. |
