The college football season is here in all but name, and for Florida fans, Week 0 brings a Saturday slate that ranges from easy skips to the one game worth keeping on late.
The Gators don’t play until next week, but eight FBS games are on the board today. Some are the kind you can ignore without guilt. Others give Florida fans a reason to keep the remote close, whether it’s for the matchup itself, a former Gator angle, or the chance to do a little scoreboard watching with an edge.
The least compelling start comes with Albany at Hawaii. If Jaden Rashada were still at Sacramento State, this one might have climbed a little. Instead, he’s at Mississippi State now, and with a 9.5-point spread and two teams Gator fans don’t care much about, it’s the easiest game to pass on.
No. 14 USC is next on the list, but not by much.
San José State at USC is the only ranked team in action today, which gives it a sliver of interest, but this is the USC with academic standards, not the USC Florida will see later in the year. Add in a 38.5-point spread, and there are better places to spend the afternoon.
Hawai‘i at Stanford comes in after that. Neither side holds much appeal for Florida fans, and the game overlaps with another one that matters more later in the day. Still, Stanford is only a 4-point favorite, so this could end up being one of the tighter contests on the slate.
Jacksonville State at North Dakota State sits in a useful middle spot. North Dakota State has made the jump to FBS, and the Bison are a 6.5-point favorite. It’s not exactly a matchup that should light up Florida message boards, but the 5:30 p.m. window makes it a decent bridge if the earlier games don’t deliver.
NC State at Virginia is where things start to feel more serious. The game was originally set for Brazil before logistical issues and low ticket sales pushed it back to the States. Virginia is a 4.5-point favorite, and even though Florida fans may not have a built-in reason to care about either team, this could wind up as the best all-around game of the day.
North Carolina vs. TCU brings a noon kickoff and a little more intrigue.
TCU is likely to win comfortably, but the Ireland games have a habit of being closer than expected. North Carolina also has three former Gators on the roster: Greg Smith, Tarvorise Brown, and Gannon Burt.
Add in the spectacle of modern-day UNC, and this is one worth checking in on.
New Mexico State at Florida State lands in a spot that will be hard for Florida fans to ignore. FSU is a 31.5-point favorite, so the paper read is straightforward.
But if the game is remotely close into the second half, the online pile-on potential is obvious. It is in Mike Norvell's wheelhouse to lose a game like this.
The clear headliner for Florida fans is Memphis at UNLV, even with the brutal 10 p.m. start on FOX. UNLV is being talked about as a legit playoff contender as the G6 representative, and Dan Mullen is coaching the Rebels after spending the offseason taking shots at the Gators.
Memphis is probably starting former Gator commit Marcus Stokes at quarterback, though that hasn’t been fully confirmed because Memphis is keeping it close to the vest. With a 4.5-point spread, this is the game of the night.
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Hillers appeal goes beyond the star ranking next to his name. He is listed by 247Sports as the No. 2 player nationally, and his versatility and physical tools make him the kind of lineman college staffs dream about developing. For Florida, the encouraging part is not just that he is committed, but that he keeps looking the part of an elite prospect every time evaluators get a closer look. [Read more 🡒]