Week 0 was a nice undercard to get the 2023 college football season started on Saturday, but the main event arrives in Week 1. The loaded schedule kicks off Thursday with 11 games involving at least one team from the FBS, and the first of six Week 1 games to air on CBS Sports Network this weekend begins at 7:30 p.m. ET with NC State heading to UConn.
The action on CBS Sports Network continues Friday night when Stanford makes the 2,400-mile trek to Hawaii in coach Troy Taylor’s debut with the Cardinal. The game will mark just the fourth time the schools have met and the first since 1972, with Stanford owning a perfect 3-0 mark in past matchups.
CBS Sports Network’s Week 1 coverage rolls on with four games on the Saturday slate. It all begins with Liberty taking on Bowling Green for the start of the Jamey Chadwell era. Western Kentucky then hosts South Florida, followed by Washington State playing at Colorado State. Coverage concludes with San Diego State looking to improve to 2-0 on the season when the Aztecs host Idaho State.
Here’s a deeper look at the action that will air on CBS Sports Network in the coming days.
All times Eastern | Odds via SportsLine consensus
NC State at UConn
Date: Thursday, Aug. 31 | Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Pratt & Whitney Stadium — East Hartford, Connecticut
TV: CBS Sports Network [Channel finder]
Live stream: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App
Spread: NC State -14.5 | Will the Wolfpack cover? Check out SportsLine’s Week 1 projections here
Storylines: As NC State moves past a disappointing 8-5 finish last year, it finds itself without multi-year starting quarterback Devin Leary, who transferred to Kentucky. But NC State found his replacement within the ACC by adding Virginia transfer Brennan Armstrong, a sixth-year senior who threw for more than 4,400 yards in 2021. At UConn, the Huskies are looking to take another step forward after a quick turnaround in coach Jim Mora Jr.’s first season. Mora guided a UConn program that hadn’t won more than three games in a season since 2016 to a bowl game during his 2022 debut as the Huskies finished 6-7.
Stanford at Hawaii
Date: Friday, Sept. 1 | Time: 11 p.m.
Location: Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex — Honolulu
TV: CBS Sports Network [Channel finder]
Live stream: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App
Spread: Stanford -3.5 | Will the Cardinal cover? Check out SportsLine’s Week 1 projections here
Storylines: Stanford could soon be frequenting trips to the East Coast should it join the ACC, but in the meantime, the Cardinal begin the Taylor era with a lengthy road trip in the other direction. Taylor, who won 30 games in three years at Sacramento State, takes over a Cardinal program seeking a bowl berth for the first time since 2018. Hawaii, meanwhile, is already sitting 0-1 in coach Timmy Chang’s second season after a Week 0 loss at Vanderbilt, though the Rainbow Warriors largely held their own in a 35-28 defeat. Hawaii quarterback Brayden Schager ended the night passing with 351 yards and three touchdowns, but two interceptions proved costly.
Bowling Green at Liberty
Date: Saturday, Sept. 2 | Time: Noon
Location: Williams Stadium — Lynchburg, Virginia
TV: CBS Sports Network [Channel finder]
Live stream: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App
Spread: Liberty -9.5 | Will the Flames cover? Check out SportsLine’s Week 1 projections here
Storylines: Bowling Green is coming off its best season yet (6-7) under coach Scot Loeffler and has a seasoned power conference starter at quarterback in Connor Bazelak, who passed for more than 7,000 yards between stops at Missouri (2019-21) and Indiana (2022). Liberty appears to be in good hands under Chadwell, who replaces Hugh Freeze after guiding Coastal Carolina to 31 wins and a Sun Belt title within the past three seasons. Liberty finished with at least eight victories in each of its four seasons under Freeze before he left for Auburn.
South Florida at Western Kentucky
Date: Saturday, Sept. 2 | Time: 3:30 p.m.
Location: Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium — Bowling Green, Kentucky
TV: CBS Sports Network [Channel finder]
Live stream: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App
Spread: Western Kentucky -11.5 | Will the Hilltoppers cover? Check out SportsLine’s Week 1 projections here
Storylines: After a disastrous stint under former coach Jeff Scott — USF won four games in three seasons — first-year coach Alex Golesh brings new hope after overseeing one of the most prolific offenses in the nation last season as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator. USF returns incumbent starting quarterback Gerry Bohanon after his 2022 season was cut short due to injury, but the team’s Week 1 starter remains unannounced; Byrum Brown and Coastal Carolina transfer Bryce Archie have been in a heated competition with Bohanon in the offseason. Western Kentucky will have no shortage of firepower with quarterback Austin Reed after he led the FBS with 4,744 passing yards last season in a 9-5 campaign.
Washington State at Colorado State
Date: Saturday, Sept. 2 | Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Canvas Stadium — Fort Collins, Colorado
TV: CBS Sports Network [Channel finder]
Live stream: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App
Spread: Washington State -11 | Will the Cougars cover? Check out SportsLine’s Week 1 projections here
Storylines: Jake Dickert and Washington State begin the season with questions about the program’s conference affiliation beyond 2023 with the Pac-12 all but picked part. On the field, second-year quarterback Cameron Ward — even without some of his top targets from 2022 — figures to be a big part of the equation for the Cougars after passing for 3,231 yards and 23 touchdowns last year. Containing Ward will be the top priority for Colorado State, whose defense projects to be its strength. The Rams look to rebound from a 3-9 finish in coach Jay Norvell’s first year at the helm.
Idaho State at San Diego State
Date: Saturday, Sept. 2 | Time: 10:30 p.m.
Location: Snapdragon Stadium — San Diego
TV: CBS Sports Network [Channel finder]
Live stream: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App
Storylines: San Diego State survived Ohio in Week 0 by holding off the Bobcats at home for a 20-13 victory. The Aztecs offense left something to be desired, but quarterback Jalen Mayden established a firm connection with wide receiver Mark Redman with a pair of touchdown passes. Hosting Idaho State, which competes in the Football Championship Subdivision and only won a single game last season, should give San Diego State a good opportunity to sort out any kinks before the Aztecs play back-to-back games against Pac-12 teams. San Diego State hosts UCLA in Week 2 before traveling to No. 18 Oregon State in Week 3.
Which college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 1? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread — all from a proven computer model that has returned almost $2,500 in profit over the past seven-plus seasons — and find out.
