Saturday's College Football preview
STATE
Presbyterian at Mercer, 6 p.m ., ESPN +
No. 15 Bears Battle Presbyterian On Saturday At Five Star Stadium
PC Football Starts Three-Game Road Swing at #15/19 Mercer
FVSU vs. Tuskegee, 5 p.m., Ladd-Peebles/Mobile, ESPN +
Central Georgia Tech at GMC JC, 1 p.m., www.jockjive.com
CGTC opened its season with a 42-19 win over Carolina Spots – a member of the National Junior College/Prep League – last week, while No. 7 GMC evened its record at 1-1 with a 49-10 win over Trinity Valley Community College.
Tennessee State at Georgia, 3 p.m., SECN+
No. 3 Georgia to lean on veterans Gunner Stockton and Nate Frazier in opener against Tennessee State
Georgia coaches believe Williams will make an impact as big as him
Griffin prepped to take his place among former Georgia D-Line greats
Charleston Southern at Georgia Southern, 7 p.m., ESPN+
Eagles welcome foe from not far away
CSU’s Central Georgian: S Champ Brantley, Mary persons, Sr.
SEC
SEC Week 1: New coaches, quarterbacks and a familiar LSU-Clemson matchup
Manning and No. 5 Texas Longhorns open 2026 season at home against Texas State
Eighth-ranked Texas A&M opens season Saturday against Missouri State in 1st of 3 straight home games
No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 24 Louisville in Nashville for week’s only Top 25 game
No. 11 LSU hosts Clemson on Saturday night in coach Lane Kiffin’s LSU debut
No. 13 Alabama counting on rushing improvements in opener against East Carolina
No. 20 Tennessee opens with freshman Faizon Brandon at QB against Furman
DJ Lagway to make Baylor debut vs Auburn in Week 1 neutral-site showdown in Atlanta
Mississippi State opens its 2026 season at home against Louisiana-Monroe
Florida opens the Jon Sumrall era in the Swamp against Florida Atlantic
Sellers, South Carolina look to rebound against Kent State after disappointing 2025 season
Vanderbilt and coach Clark Lea open season against Austin Peay of the FCS
Kentucky starts coach Will Stein era hosting Youngstown State in Wildcats’ opener
Arkansas hosts FCS North Alabama
ACC
Frank Sinatra in his headphones, LSU on the schedule: Christopher Vizzina’s Clemson moment
No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 24 Louisville in Nashville for week’s only Top 25 game
No. 19 SMU opens on the road against ACC foe Florida State, which already has a victory
Duke opens season with home game against Tulane
Virginia Tech opens Year 1 under James Franklin by hosting VMI
UCLA visits Cal in season opener for former Pac-12 rivals with new coaches
SOUTH
Coastal Carolina and new coach Ryan Beard open the season at West Virginia
TOP 25
Day seeks clean opener as No. 1 Ohio State hosts Ball State with Texas on the horizon
Second-ranked Ducks kick off the season at home against Boise State
No. 4 Notre Dame seeking faster start to season as it opens against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field
No. 6 Indiana begins title defense by putting its 16-game winning streak on the line vs. North Texas
No. 12 Texas Tech opens against Abilene Christian after winning 1st Big 12 title last season
No. 14 BYU hosts Utah Tech in season opener for the Cougars
No. 18 Penn State begins the Matt Campbell era when it hosts Marshall in the season opener
No. 23 Houston opens season at home against Oregon State after 10-win campaign in 2025
NATION
College football is fully back! Everything you need to watch in Week 1
Big Ten slate has No. 2 Oregon hosting Boise State, and No. 6 Indiana opening title defense
Arizona State kicks off coach Kenny Dillingham’s fourth season at home against Morgan State
Frank Solich, who coached at both schools, refuses to choose sides for Ohio-Nebraska season opener
Nebraska opens its 4th season under Matt Rhule with home game against Ohio
Northwestern hosts South Dakota State for the Wildcats’ season opener
Hawkeyes host Northern Illinois in season opener at Kinnick Stadium
Iowa State opens the Jimmy Rogers era when Southeast Missouri State visits for opener
UCLA visits Cal in season opener for former Pac-12 rivals with new coaches
Washington State visits Washington in a season-opening Apple Cup