2020 College Football Season’s First Full Week Features Rivalries, Conference Clashes

Labor Day weekend, the first full week of the college football season, is only three months away.

The extended weekend is always a blast for college football fans. Not only does the season get underway in earnest, but games kick off Thursday night and go through Monday evening.

Though things are not likely to look the same at many of the nation’s venues due to the coronavirus pandemic, the hope is that the season kicks off as scheduled without additional alterations.

Notre Dame and Navy were slated to be one of seven Week Zero games before moving their annual meeting from August 29 in Dublin to Annapolis on what is expected to be Labor Day weekend. If so, it would add to an appealing lineup of games that include other rivalry matchups, conference clashes and anticipated coach and player debuts.

Here is a look at some of those games.

Thursday, September 3

BYU at Utah

For the second consecutive year, and only the second time in the rivalry’s history, the Battle of the Wasatch serves as a season opener. The Utes, who dropped to No. 16 in the final AP poll after losing to Texas in last year’s Alamo Bowl, will have a new look on offense with quarterback Tyler Huntley and running back Zack Moss having departed. Coach Kyle Whittingham will turn to either South Carolina transfer Jake Bentley or third-year sophomore Cameron Rising as his new signal caller. A win would give the Utes a series record 10th straight. They lead the all-time series 62-34-4, though BYU does not recognize six games (3-3) when the institution was known as Brigham Young Academy.

FAU at Minnesota 

This is an intriguing matchup as the Willie Taggart era at FAU gets underway against a Big Ten program. Taggart takes over for Lane Kiffin, who led the Owls to a pair conference titles and two bowl wins during his three seasons in Boca Raton. Minnesota is coming off an 11-2 season capped by an Outback Bowl win over Auburn. P.J. Fleck’s Gophers lost a couple of key playmakers on both sides of the ball, but return plenty of production, including quarterback Tanner Morgan, receiver Rashod Bateman and all five offensive line starters.

Friday, September 4

North Carolina at UCF

A matchup featuring two of the nation’s outstanding young quarterbacks should make for fun viewing during what is sure to be an evening of oppressive heat and humidity. The Tar Heels’ Sam Howell and the Knights’ Dillon Gabriel had superb freshman seasons in 2019 with the former checking in at 10th nationally in pass efficiency and the latter 13th. Howell’s 38 touchdown passes were fourth in the nation. The Knights have 21 straight at home with their last defeat at Spectrum Stadium coming on November 19, 2016 versus Tulsa. 

Indiana at Wisconsin 

In this Big Ten crossover matchup, the 62nd meeting between the schools, Badgers fans will get a look at an offense without running Jonathan Taylor. Depending on how things pan out in preseason camp, sophomore Nakia Watson could be the new featured back and redshirt freshman Graham Mertz (two games last season), and not last year’s starter, Jack Coan, could be at quarterback. With Patrick Ramsey having transferred to Northwestern, the Hoosiers’ quarterback job belongs to lefty Michael Pennix, whose impressive freshman season was cut short due to injury. 

Saturday, September 5

Alabama vs USC (Arlington)

The last time these storied programs met was the 2016 opener in the same venue, a 52-6 ‘Bama rout with Jalen Hurts making his collegiate debut. This matchup could again feature the debut of another Crimson Tide quarterback as Bryce Young will compete in preseason camp with Mac Jones, who performed admirably after taking over for the injured Tua Tagovailoa late last season. Going against the Crimson Tide defense will be a nice test for Kedon Slovis, who as a freshman with the Trojans last season ranked seventh nationally in pass efficiency.

Michigan at Washington

Two programs that have met four times in the Rose Bowl will clash for the first time since the opening week of 2002. The Wolverines had yet another rough conclusion to a season and the Huskies are coming off a five-loss 2019, so both teams are in need of a nice start. That is especially so for Michigan, which will feature the first career start for either junior Dylan McCaffrey or sophomore Joe Milton at quarterback behind four new offensive line starters. Washington, under first-year coach Jimmy Lake, will also have a new starting quarterback (Jacob Sirmon?) after Jacob Eason plugged the void for a year following Jake Browning’s tenure. 

Ole Miss at Baylor (Houston)

This non-conference tilt is most intriguing for who will be on the sidelines. Lane Kiffin gets a stiff test in his debut as the Rebels coach and Dave Aranda, who was the nation’s highest-paid assistant as the defensive coordinator at defending national champion LSU, took over in Waco after Matt Rhule departed for the NFL. Aranda has an outstanding senior quarterback in Charlie Brewer while Kiffin will need preseason camp to determine whether redshirt sophomore Matt Corral or John Rys Plumlee, the nation’s fourth-lead rusher among quarterbacks (1,023 yards) as a true freshman last season, gets the nod. 

TCU at Cal

Gary Patterson has had two losing seasons in 18 years as the Horned Frogs’ head coach. One of them was last season (5-7) when six of seven defeats were by seven points or less. The Golden Bears represent a good test to kick off the season as coach Justin Wilcox got the most out of an 8-5 team a year ago. The defense returns eigth starters and much will be expected from junior quarterback Chase Garbers, who despite missing a few games last season due to a shoulder injury showed that he could be a force in the Pac-12. 

South Florida at Texas

Coach Tom Herman may start to feel the heat if his Longhorns do not get off to a clean start, especially with a trip to LSU on tap the following week. The year got off to a good start for Herman, who revamped his staff following a two-game regression to 8-5. In early January quarterback Sam Ehlinger announced he was returning for his senior year. USF’s Jeff Scott makes his debut as a head coach after spending the past 12 years as an assistant to Dabo Swinney at Clemson. Scott, who was the Tigers’ co-offensive coordinator the past five years and has a pair of national championship rings, will bring his team to Austin for the first-ever meeting between the programs.  

Florida State vs West Virginia (Atlanta)

Mike Norvell makes his FSU coaching debut after compiling a 38-16 mark in four seasons at Memphis. Under the aforementioned Taggart, the Seminoles had consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 1975-76 and the level of anxiety in Tallahassee is understandably high. As for the Mountaineers, Neal Brown looks to get the program back on the winning track after a 5-7 showing in his Morgantown debut. Who will be his quarterback, Austin Kendall (nine starts in 2019) or Jarret Doege (three)? 

Saturday, September 5 or Sunday, September 6

Notre Dame at Navy

It was announced June 2 that the August 29 scheduled opener between the Fighting Irish and Midshipmen in Dublin was being moved to Annapolis. While a date has not been set, the desire is to play Saturday or Sunday of Labor Day weekend. It will mark the first time in the series’ 94-game history that the matchup will take place in Maryland’s capital city. The previous 93 games have been played in consecutive years making this the nation’s longest continuous intersectional rivalry. If the game is played Sunday, the teams will have the date to themselves as no other games are scheduled. The Fighting Irish lead the all-time series 79-13-1.  

Monday, September 7

Georgia vs Virginia (Atlanta)

With Jake Fromm off to the NFL, the Bulldogs dipped into the transfer portal to reel in Jamie Newman from Wake Forest and J.T. Daniels from USC, though the latter will need an NCAA waiver to compete this season. Kirby Smart’s team will be challenged with three games in the season’s first 13 days concluding with a trip to Tuscaloosa on September 19. As for Bronco Mendenhall’s Cavaliers, who have increased their win total in each of the coach’s four seasons in Charlottesville, the trip to Atlanta represents a major test out of the chute. With Bryce Perkins gone, Mendenhall must sort out a quarterback competition that will include Mississippi State transfer Keytaon Thompson.