Football season is finally here. From now until January our Saturdays will be filled with awesome college football action. This coming Saturday is Week 0 for college football, so I would like to dive into a few of the matchups, talk about them, and bring some names to watch for the games. Let’s get into it. 

Game: Nebraska vs Northwestern

Time: 12:30 PM EST

Location: Dublin, Ireland

Where to watch: FOX

One of the first games of the season is a treat for our friends in the UK. Nebraska will take on Northwestern at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland. While not typically an appealing matchup, there is some potential NFL talent to be found here. Northwestern offensive lineman Peter Skoronski is a highly touted pass protector who has a chance to land himself in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft if he plays his cards right. He will have a chance to go up against Nebraska’s top pass rusher Ochaun Mathis. Mathis is a transfer from TCU who chose the Cornhuskers over Texas. While he hasn’t produced elite numbers or performances, it should be a fun matchup to watch him test his mettle against Skoronski. Also for the Wildcats is Cameron Mitchell at the cornerback position. Mitchell is one of the more underrated cornerbacks in the college football world. He is consistent in coverage and as a tackler. He impacts the game in a lot of ways and he will get to test himself against some unproven wide receiver talent for Nebraska.

Game: Wyoming vs Illinois

Time: 4:00 PM EST

Location: Memorial Stadium

Where to watch: Big Ten Network

This game may look boring to start with but there are some interesting prospects to keep an eye on in this one. The Wyoming Cowboys have a linebacker on their squad that could make some noise on draft boards in 2023. Easton Gibbs is very young, but has proven himself to be a solid linebacker. Last year he earned himself a starting spot and has put himself on the radar for NFL teams. Illinois also has a very intriguing quarterback in Tommy DeVito. DeVito gets a fresh start as a transfer out of Syracuse. He has unfortunately had to deal with injuries throughout his time in college but is looking to make some noise as the QB1 for Illinois. The Illini also have a solid cornerback on their defense in Devon Witherspoon. Witherspoon struggles in pass coverage but he is very solid when it comes to run defense and tackling. He could have a good day against Wyoming considering there are not really any notable wide receivers on their team at this time. 

Game: Charlotte vs Florida Atlantic

Time: 7:00 PM EST

Location: FAU Stadium

Where to watch: CBS Sports Network

A divisional battle between two Conference USA teams to kick off the 2022 season. Charlotte will come into Boca Raton with hopes to continue their gradual success as a football program. The 49ers have a potential NFL Draft candidate in their wide receiver room. Grant Dubose began to make some noise last year after two years in junior college in Alabama. Last year was the year where he really began to get noticed. Dubose is on an upward trend and has another year of eligibility after this year should he choose to use it. This is a guy to take notice of. For FAU, there is not a ton of promising talent on their side. But there is one guy who should be at least be fun to watch. Johnny Ford is a 5’5”, 175 lbs senior running back. While he is undersized, he does have the potential to make an NFL team due to his ability to help with special teams.

Week Zero is not the most exciting weekend in college football but there is still some value to come out of it and some entertaining games to watch because it is football. Enjoy y’all!