RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The 2026 college football season gets started with a bang.
The first game of the year is a rematch of last season’s opener between North Carolina and TCU, a blowout loss that set the tone for Bill Belichick’s forgettable first year . Later the same day, NC State heads to Virginia in a rare Week 0 Power Four conference game.
But the best of the Week 0 and Week 1 slates comes at the very end, with four key nonconference matchups over Labor Day weekend.
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There’s the Apple Cup between Washington State and Washington. Louisville taking on Ole Miss in Atlanta. Wisconsin and Notre Dame facing off in Green Bay. And in the last game of Week 1, Florida State gets a chance to show off its offseason growth against an ACC favorite in SMU.
Those games and others top the list of the best matchups of Week 0 and Week 1 of the 2026 season:
North Carolina vs. TCU (in Dublin, Ireland), Aug. 29
The losing ways that defined the end of Belichick’s NFL career continued in his UNC debut, an often embarrassing and humbling experience that has expectations at a basement level heading into 2026. Having to head across the Atlantic to take on TCU might not be a bad thing given the Horned Frogs’ 48-14 win in Chapel Hill open 2025.
NC State at Virginia, Aug. 29
This was originally scheduled to played in Brazil but was moved to Charlottesville back in June. While this was not supposed to be an ACC game when the matchup was first announced, this will count toward the conference standings because of the ACC’s move to a nine-game league schedule. How things shake out between the Wolfpack and Cavaliers should shed some light on how the conference could shake out after the projected top group of Miami and SMU.
Baylor vs. Auburn (in Atlanta), Sept. 5
Alex Golesh steps in for Hugh Freeze at Auburn, one can’t-miss offensive technician replacing another after Freeze’s highly anticipated tenure never got off the ground. One thing to really like: Golesh brought along former South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown, which will speed along the transition to his system. Baylor should be able to keep pace offensively as long as former Florida passer DJ Lagway cuts down on his turnovers.
Boise State at No. 2 Oregon, Sept. 5
This would be an epic upset for Boise State and call back to the program’s 2000s-era heyday as giant slayers. A win in Eugene would also provide a huge boost to the newly minted Pac-12 , which was re-formed with the Broncos as the football centerpiece. But this would be a big win for Oregon, too, given Boise hovers around the Top 25. The feather in the Ducks’ cap could offset an unexpected loss in Big Ten play and hand them an at-large playoff berth.
No. 23 Clemson at No. 13 LSU, Sept. 5
On paper, these are two programs heading in different directions. LSU is on the rise under new hire Lane Kiffin . Clemson is barely in the Top 25 after another dismally ineffective season (7-6 in 2025) amid plenty of preseason hype. But LSU is still in its infancy under Kiffin and will be breaking in a huge influx of transfer talent; for better or worse — yeah, it’s probably for worse — Clemson doesn’t have the same problem. That leaves open the chance Clemson steals one in the other Death Valley and makes an immediate jump up in the poll.
Washington State at No. 19 Washington, Sept. 6
The Apple Cup has been held 117 times but never as early as this, though this will be the third year in a row the two in-state rivals have met in September following Washington’s departure for the Big Ten. Plenty of changes are underway for Washington State under new coach Kirby Moore, though the Cougars look good up front and will be a factor in the Pac-12. UW is built to compete for a playoff spot coming out of the Big Ten and should take care of business here, though WSU won 24-19 the last time this rivalry was held in Seattle.
Louisville vs. No. 10 Ole Miss (in Nashville), Sept. 6
The Pete Golding era began in last year’s push to the playoff semifinals. But his total ownership of the program starts with an intriguing neutral-site pairing with the Cardinals, who fell to seventh in the ACC last season in scoring (29.9 points per game) but will be sparked by the addition of former Ohio State backup quarterback Lincoln Kienholz. To steal an upset, Louisville will need to be aggressive on defense and own the turnover battle as a way to offset the Rebels’ obvious edge in talent.
Wisconsin vs. No. 5 Notre Dame (in Green Bay), Sept. 6
The Lambeau Field setting will be awesome. The matchup? Maybe not as much. The Badgers will be better with former Old Dominion quarterback Colton Joseph and others taking over big roles from the transfer portal, but getting to even six wins would be a huge development under embattled coach Luke Fickell. The Fighting Irish might be the best team in the country and will look to begin proving that point in prime time after coming up just short in last year’s playoff chase.
No. 20 SMU at Florida State, Sept. 7
The Week 1 slate wraps up with the Seminoles dreaming of a renaissance after going 5-7 last season and a dismal 2-10 in 2024. A win would give FSU some Top 25 credibility and move coach Mike Norvell’s job status into safer territory. But has he compiled a roster capable of beating what is expected to be one of the ACC’s best? New quarterback Ashton Daniels didn’t do much at Stanford and Auburn to inspire confidence. Meanwhile, the Kevin Jennings-led Mustangs could be a playoff team.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College football's Week 0, Week 1 schedule gives us plenty to get excited about
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