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If you’re like me, not much compares to the first College Football Saturday of the season. And with Minnesota taking care of business on Thursday night, I can sit back on Saturday and watch whatever games I want. It will be glorious.
So why not catch an early glimpse at the Gophers’ upcoming opponents?
Week 2: Fresno State
The Bulldogs will open their season at home against the Idaho Vandals.
Evidently, the game will stream on Facebook at 9 p.m. CT.
Week 3: Miami (Ohio)
The RedHawks host the Marshall Thundering Herd to open the season.
The game will be available to stream on ESPN+ at 2:30 p.m. CT. ESPN is currently offering a 30-day free trial of ESPN+, if you’re interested. That offer expires September 2.
Week 4: @ Maryland
Head coach D.J. Durkin is on administrative leave pending an investigation into the football program’s culture, so interim head coach and offensive coordinator Matt Canada will lead the Terps into a rematch with the Texas Longhorns. Maryland shocked Texas last year on the road, spoiling head coach Tom Herman’s debut with a 51-41 victory.
The game will be televised on FS1 at 11 a.m. CT.
Week 5: BYE
Week 6: Iowa
The Hawkeyes, led by second-year starting quarterback Nathan Stanley, will be without their starting offensive tackles, both of whom have been suspended, against Northern Illinois at home. The Huskies are 4-1 against Power 5 opponents under head coach Rod Carey, with their lone defeat coming against Ohio State in 2015.
The game will are on the Big Ten Network at 2:30 p.m. CT.
Week 7: @ Ohio State
You won’t find head coach Urban Meyer on the sideline, as he serves the first of a three-game suspension. Instead, interim head coach and co-offensive coordinator Ryan Day will be at the helm as the Buckeyes host Oregon State and their new head coach Jonathan Smith, who served as co-offensive coordinator at Washington before being hired to replace Gary Andersen.
The game will be televised on ABC at 11 a.m. CT.
Week 8: @ Nebraska
Scott Frost, a name I doubt you’ve heard up until now, has managed to fly under the radar since being hired as head coach at Nebraska, but he’ll make his Cornhusker debut under the lights in a primetime matchup against the Akron Zips.
The game will be televised on FOX at 7 p.m. CT.
Week 9: Indiana
For some reason, the Hoosiers are hitting the road to face Florida International.
The game will be televised on the CBS Sports Network at 6 p.m. CT.
Week 10: @ Illinois
Illinois head coach Lovie Smith will debut his new beard against the Kent State Golden Flashes. Unsurprisingly, the university is already seeking to harness the power of the beard.
The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network at 11 a.m. CT
Week 11: Purdue
The Boilermakers opened their season on Thursday night with a 31-27 home loss to Northwestern, putting them in an early 0-1 hole in the Big Ten West. The Wildcats went to the locker room at halftime with a 31-17 lead and then didn’t score the rest of the game. But fortunately for Northwestern, Purdue couldn’t muster more than 10 second half points. True freshman wide receiver Rondale Moore was the talk of Twitter during and after the game, breaking the school record for all-purpose yards in his first collegiate game. Not bad.
Week 12: Northwestern
The Wildcats opened their season on Thursday night with a 31-27 home win over Purdue, hoisting them atop the Big Ten West with an early 1-0 conference record. The Wildcats went to the locker room at halftime with a 31-17 lead and then didn’t score the rest of the game. But fortunately for them, the Boilermakers couldn’t muster more than 10 second half points.
Week 13: @ Wisconsin
The Badgers put their No. 4 ranking to the ultimate test in a must-see marquee non-conference matchup against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers last night, prevailing 34-3.