College football’s opening week brings high-stakes matchups like Clemson visiting LSU, alongside heavy favorites and new rosters across the country on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. Programs face fresh eligibility rules and revamped lineups as the season kicks off live on streaming and television networks.
The grand opening of the college football season has arrived. There is only one game between two Associated Press Top 25 teams and that comes on Sunday night, with No. 24 Louisville facing No. 9 Mississippi in Music City. But Week 1 is filled with intrigue as a host of top teams kick things off with new coaches, new faces and high hopes. Oh, and major upheaval over eligibility. And jersey patches.
The opening canvas of the college football season arrives with a mix of marquee matchups and heavy lopsided point spreads, setting off a scramble for national championship positioning. While the schedule features standout games, it also brings major upheaval over player eligibility and jersey patches.
Clemson at LSU Headlines Week 1 Amid Eligibility Battles
The Saturday night showcase game in Death Valley between Clemson and No. 11 LSU stands as a centerpiece of the opening slate. Two teams that went 7-6 last season are trying to get back in the national championship mix (LSU winning in 2019 and Clemson in 2018 seems so long ago), featuring two outspoken coaches in Dabo Swinney and LSU’s expensive new hire, Lane Kiffin.
The game took on a lot more meaning when the NCAA’s new eligibility rules blew up in courtrooms all over the country and LSU made no secret of its interest in bringing back not just fifth-year players who went to court but players who had signed professional contracts in the NFL’s preseason. The issue lingered late into the week, including the surreal spectacle of the SEC battling LSU in multiple courtrooms. Who suits up or doesn’t on Saturday night in Death Valley (the LSU version) will be as interesting as the final score.
Arizona State Debuts Cutter Boley Against Morgan State
Out west, the Arizona State Sun Devils and Morgan State Bears play in a college football Week 1 game on Sept. 5, at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. The game marks the debut of new quarterback Cutter Boley.
The Arizona State Sun Devils are coming off an 8-5 season in 2025. The Morgan State Bears were 4-8 overall. Morgan State is 1-0 on the season after a 17-7 win over North Carolina A&T on Aug. 29.
The Arizona State vs Morgan State college football Week 1 game is scheduled for 7 p.m. MST (10 p.m. ET) on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. The Sun Devils vs Bears game today cannot be seen on a TV channel. It is only available via streaming exclusively on ESPN+.
James Westling will have the play-by-play call of the Week 1 college football game between the Arizona State Sun Devils and Morgan State Bears, with Michael Bumpus as the analyst.
The Arizona Republic is predicting a 45-14 win for the Sun Devils over the Bears in the college football Week 1 game.
“Kenny Dillingham and the Sun Devils didn’t get a lot of love in preseason Big 12 odds and rankings. We think that’s perfectly fine with Arizona State’s coach. ASU’s revamped roster stands out against the Bears.”
Jeremy Cluff
Bookies.com says to bet Morgan State with the points vs. Arizona State. Dimers.com predicts a score of Arizona State 46, Morgan State 4. Sports Illustrated is predicting an Arizona State win over Morgan State. Sports Grid picks a 40-point win for ASU football over Morgan State. Arizona State has a 99% chance to defeat Morgan State.
Southern Miss Hosts Alcorn State Under Coach Blake Anderson
Southern Miss football will have a lot of new faces to start the 2026 season. The Golden Eagles host Alcorn State (1-0) on Sept. 5 (4 p.m. CT, ESPN+) at Renasant Stadium.
The Golden Eagles finished 7-6 in 2025, but most of the team’s contributors from last year are gone. Coach Blake Anderson and his staff spent the offseason adding over 70 new scholarship players to the team, so Week 1 will give fans their first look at the revamped roster.
Southern Miss has opened the season against an FCS opponent nine times since the subdivision was established in 1978 and has a perfect record in those games. The program’s most recent season opener against an FCS school was against Alcorn State in 2023, a game it won 40-14. The Hattiesburg American will provide updates from the game.
Lopsided Odds and Early Week Surprises
There is no way around it: This year’s Week 1 is light on marquee games and you can expect a lot of lopsided results. No. 1 Ohio State is favored by more than 50 points in its opener against Ball State. No. 6 Indiana (vs. North Texas), No. 8 Texas A&M (vs. Missouri State) and No. 10 Oklahoma (vs. UTEP) are each picked to win by more than 40.
Worth a look
