International Kick‑off in Dublin
The opening weekend of college football took an unexpected turn with a transatlantic clash, as TCU traveled to Dublin to face North Carolina in a noon ET showdown broadcast on ESPN.
Later that afternoon, No. 14 USC opened its season at home against San Jose State, a game that will air on NBC at 3 p.m., marking the first Top 25 team to take the field this year.
Virginia, still riding the momentum of a sellout crowd last season, now hosts NC State in a rematch that was originally slated for Brazil, adding a layer of intrigue to the early schedule.
The day also featured the first steps of two new FBS programs, North Dakota State and Sacramento State, both of which entered the top tier of college football for the first time, drawing attention from fans eager to see how they would adapt.
Meanwhile, UNLV and Memphis battled for a coveted automatic berth to the College Football Playoff, with the highest‑ranked team from their respective conferences eligible regardless of whether they captured their conference titles.
The weekend also served up surprises in the lower divisions, where William & Mary upset Villanova and Weber State shocked Northern Colorado, underscoring the unpredictable nature of the sport.
In the rankings, Ohio State secured the preseason No. 1 spot with 40 first‑place votes, while Indiana climbed to sixth, earning eight top votes, and USC emerged as the sole preseason AP Top 25 team scheduled to play this weekend.
Other powerhouses such as Oregon, Georgia and Notre Dame will begin their campaigns next week, promising a deep field of contenders as the season unfolds.