College football is almost back for the 2026 season, and just as in the past several years, college football fans will receive an appetizer in Week 0. With one game 4,492 miles away from the home team’s stadium, one conference game in a hilariously dysfunctional conference, one game between two of the top G6 teams, a 2025 Week 0 rematch, two teams playing their first game in the FBS, and 2.8 million dollars in buy games, this has the potential to be one of the more intriguing Week 0s in recent memory. But the question is, which teams will start hot, and which teams’ hopes could be crushed before the season begins?
North Carolina vs TCU. Winner: TCU
On September 1st, 2025, 50,500 fans showed up at Kenan Stadium to watch Bill Belichick coach his first game for the Tar Heels against TCU. Unfortunately for the Tar Heel faithful, the game was over by halftime. TCU won 48-14, scoring one less point than the age gap between Belichick and his girlfriend. For this rematch, UNC will no longer have the home-field advantage, as the game is being played in Dublin, Ireland, and they are bringing out a team with considerably less talent. TCU is favored by only 8.5, but I would expect the Horned Frogs to win by much more.
San José State vs #14 USC. Winner: USC
In this Iliad rematch, when the Spartans enter the Trojans’ home, not even Athena can save them. In my opinion, USC is a top-ten team while San José State is a bottom-ten team. If San José State managed to win this game, it would tie for the second-largest upset in college football history, with the other game being … a ranked USC team losing at home against a team involved in the Bill Walsh Legacy Game … but hey, what are the odds it happens twice?
NC State vs Virginia. Winner: Virginia
Last season, Virginia was one 4th-down stop in overtime away from a trip to the College Football Playoff. This season, they’ll do anything they can to finally get there. Will they? No. However, this is still a strong team, but so are the Wolfpack. What excites me most about this game is the quarterbacks. Missouri transfer Beau Pribula leads the Cavaliers. The former Tiger shined against Kansas in the opener, but struggled in SEC play before getting injured against Vanderbilt. He’ll be looking to find success in the significantly weaker ACC. NC State, on the other hand, will be led by their guy from last year, CJ Bailey. Bailey finished last season with 3100 yards and 25 touchdowns to only nine interceptions, but in away games he only had nine touchdowns to eight interceptions. This will likely be the best game in Week 0, and I have Virginia winning in a barn burner.
Jax State vs North Dakota State. Winner: North Dakota State
From 2010-2016, when the Bison were in the FCS, North Dakota State played six games against FBS opponents, including five Power Five teams. They weren’t invited back until 2022 because they won all six of those games. But this isn’t the same North Dakota State team from that era when they won eight national championships in nine years, since they’ve only won two of the last six and are 0-2 against FBS opponents. Jacksonville State, on the other hand, is, in my opinion, the best team in the CUSA. So why North Dakota State? One word. Fargodome. Since 2010, the Bison are 127-8 at home and haven’t lost a home opener this century. No offense, Caden Creel, but you aren’t breaking that streak.
Sac State vs Eastern Michigan. Winner: Eastern Michigan
This game will be much closer than I think people think, not because I think people are underestimating the Hornets, but because people are underestimating how bad Eastern Michigan is. Chris Chreighton is a historically mid coach, and in his 12-year stint as coach, he’s only managed to have a winning record in MAC play twice. However, Sacramento State is one of the rare instances of an average FCS team moving up to the FBS. Only 3 of 13 of Sacramento State’s coaches have had a winning record in their time there, and only Troy Taylor was exceptional. The only reason Sacramento State is in the FBS is that the MAC is the only conference more desperate than the Hornets.
Hawai’i vs Stanford. Winner: Stanford
This is by far the hardest game to pick. Last season Hawai’i came back from down 10 to beat the Cardinal on a walk-off field goal. This year I think Stanford will get their revenge with a new head coach. I’m not ecstatic about the Cardinal’s chances against a team projected to finish in the middle of a non-power conference, but I think their elite private school money did just enough to buy them a decent football team.
New Mexico State vs Florida State. Winner: Florida State
Florida State is the favorite, which makes this the most likely upset of the week. This will almost definitely be Mike Norvell’s last season, and theSeminoles’s athletic department is probably looking for his replacement right now. However, New Mexico State is a couple of years removed from Diego Pavia and Eli Stowers, so the thrashing they receive will maybe give Florida State fans hope that this season will be better than the last two.
Memphis vs UNLV. Winner: UNLV
The final match of week 0 features two teams that are strong contenders for the G6’s spot in the College Football Playoff, but I believe one of them is actually a pretender. Both of these teams lost a significant amount of talent last season, but UNLV has handled it considerably better. Memphis is only returning eight players from their team last year. Not starters, players. UNLV has eight starting defenders that were on their team last year. They also picked up former five-star quarterback Jackson Arnold, who was decent for Oklahoma and later Auburn. I don’t think this one will be close.
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