2025 WATCH PARTY: WEEK ONE

[IrishLion]

Sorry I missed week 0... had some thrilling on-field AND off-field action in Dublin to start the season (blaming the local beverages for Americans embarrassing themselves @dublinirish ), had a couple of nail biters, and watched a future Notre Dame opponent absolutely shit the bed while on vacation in Hawaii.

NOW IT'S WEEK ONE. WARMUP WEEK IS OVER. CLEAR YOUR CALENDARS (will be coaching youth football during OSU vs Texas) AND TELL YOUR WIVES THAT YOU'VE GOT NO TIME FOR HOME DEPOT TRIPS (I'm in trouble for scheduling to skip Cincinnati's Labor Day fireworks thing for ND vs Miami on Sunday night). IT'S TIME FOR FOOTBALL.


THURSDAY, AUGUST 28

MATCHUP	KICKOFF	COVERAGE	VEGAS
#25 Boise State @ USF	5:30 PM	ESPN	Boise -5.5 | Total 63.5
Ohio @ Rutgers	6:00 PM	BTN	Rutgers -15 | Total 49.5
Buffalo @ Minnesota	8:00 PM	FS1	Minnesota -17.5 | Total 44.5
Nebraska @ CINCINNATI	9:00 PM	ESPN	Nebraska -6.5 | Total 54.5
Miami @ Wisconsin	9:00 PM	BTN	Wisconsin -17.5 | Total 39.5

- Scout the future ND opponent: The Broncos leave the friendly confines of the Smurf Turf and travel to USF... USF gonna be sneaky good???
- Rutgers enters year 6 under Schiano Redux... do they tread water, or take a step forward?
- Football's on! Can substitute ECU/NC State on ACCN if you want to scout a future opponent, or Wyoming @ Akron on ESPN+ if you're a real Sicko
- GO BEARCATS. Still have zero faith in the Satterfield hire, but I hope they beat the Huskers in Arrowhead Stadium, anyway
- YEARLY REMINDER: on this website, we recognize Miami of Ohio as THE Miami. There is no (OH) designator. Miami (FL) gets the designator, because fuck Miami (FL)



FRIDAY, AUGUST 29

MATCHUP	KICKOFF	COVERAGE	VEGAS
Tarleton State @ Army	6:00 PM	CBSSN	OFF GRID
Western Michigan @ Michigan State	7:00 PM	FS1	Sparty -20.5 | Total 49.5
Kennesaw State @ Wake Forest	7:00 PM	ACCN	Wake -17.5 | Total 51.5
Auburn @ Baylor	8:00 PM	FOX	Auburn -2.5 | Total 57.5
Georgia Tech @ Colorado	8:00 PM	ESPN	GT -4.5 | Total 51.5
CMU @ San Jose State	10:30 PM	FS1	SJSU -12.5 | Total 51.5

- Of course you're gonna turn on the 6pm kick involving Tarleton State and Army after you get home from work... Sicko Shit
- UPSET ALERT because I don't know anything about Sparty this year
- UPSET ALERT because Wake might be bad now? Idk
- Deuce Knight might be one of THREE quarterbacks that plays for Auburn. Hugh Freeze having a normal one with his QB's again
- Ramblin' Wreck visits Ralphie and Deion... we'll see how well Coach Prime can reload without his QB and WR/CB
- UNLV and Sam Houston were on in week 0, so let's check out two other obscure teams for the Friday Night Cap



SATURDAY, AUGUST 30 - WAKE UP, THERE'S FOOTBALL

MATCHUP	KICKOFF	COVERAGE	VEGAS
#1 Texas @ #3 Ohio State	12:00 PM	FOX	OSU -1.5 | Total 47.5
Syracuse @ #24 Tennessee	12:00 PM	ABC	Tennessee -13.5 | Total 50.5
Ball State @ Purdue	12:00 PM	BTN	Purdue 17.5 | Total 50.5
Northwestern @ Tulane	12:00 PM	ESPNU	Tulane -4.5 | Total 46.5

- B1G NUDE KICKOFF. Big Boy Football is truly back. Arch vs Julian. Sark vs Day. Stripper Monkeys vs Tattoos.
- Football's on
- More interesting to me than Mississippi State @ Southern Miss, though Miss St being on the road is intriguing
- Shoutouts to @BeauBenken
- Tulane favored at home over the Chicago nerds



SATURDAY, AUGUST 30 - PACE YOURSELF, IT'S JUST THE AFTERNOON SLATE

MATCHUP	KICKOFF	COVERAGE	VEGAS
Old Dominion @ #20 Indiana	2:30 PM	FS1	Indiana -24 | Total 54.5
Nevada @ #2 Penn State	3:30 PM	CBS | Paramount+	PSU -44 | Total 56.5
Marshall @ #5 Georgia	3:30 PM	ESPN	UGA -39.5 | Total 55.5
#8 Alabama @ FSU	3:30 PM	ABC	Bama -13.5 | Total 50.5

- Cignetti on Upset Alert? Or does IU take another step forward this year, starting with domination against ODU?
- We could only hope that Franklin and Co. struggle and this helps save a 'meh' afternoon slate
- UPSET ALERT??? Or is that only an 'ND vs Middling G5 Team' thing?
- Does this begin the FSU bounce-back campaign? Or does it begin the "Bama Back to Powerhouse Status" campaign?



SATURDAY, AUGUST 30 - PUSH YOURSELF, FINISH STRONG

MATCHUP	KICKOFF	COVERAGE	VEGAS
UTSA @ #19 Texas A&M	7:00 PM	ESPN	A&M -24.5 | Total 56.5
#9 LSU @ #4 Clemson	7:30 PM	ABC	Clemson -3.5 | Total 57.5
New Mexico @ #14 scUM	7:30 PM	NBC | Peacock	scUM -34.5 | Total 49.5

- Football's on; scout the future ND opponent
- THAT'S MORE LIKE IT. WE GET TO SEE BIG GAME BK IN DEATH VALLEY, AT NIGHT. BOTH TEAMS HYPED. ONE COACH WILL LEAVE DISAPPOINTED AND SPOUTING BULLSHIT. COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS BACK.
- Woof. Tune in to see if Underwood struggles at all, I guess



SATURDAY, AUGUST 30 - THIS AIN'T NO COOLDOWN, NIGHT CAP GOES CRAZY

MATCHUP	KICKOFF	COVERAGE	VEGAS
Georgia Southern @ Fresno State	9:30 PM	FS1	GaSou -1.5 | Total 51.5
Idaho @ Washington State	10:00 PM	THE CW	WSU -13.5 | Total 50.5
California @ Oregon State	10:30 PM	ESPN	OrSt -2 | Total 50.5
Hawaii @ Arizona	10:30 PM	TNT | HBO Max	Arizona -17.5 | Total 52.5
Utah @ UCLA	11:00 PM	FOX	Utah -5.5 | Total 52.5
Colorado State @ Washington	11:00 PM	BTN	Wash -22.5 | Total 53.5

- I love Fresno State on TV, and I don't know why... might be subconscious nostalgia for that Reggie Bush fog game
- FOOTBALL IS ON THE CW, SICKO SHIT
- West Coast matchup, and I honestly had to look up their current conference affiliations... SHOUTOUTS TO THE TWO-TEAM PAC12
- College football on TNT, get to see Hawaii kickoff 59 minutes earlier than usual
- This has big-time "FOX AFTER DARK GETS WEIRD" potential
- Fun jersey matchup

 

[IrishLion]

SUNDAY, AUGUST 31 - IT'S IRISH GAMEDAY, LET'S GOOOOOOOOOO

MATCHUP	KICKOFF	COVERAGE	VEGAS
Virginia Tech @ #13 South Carolina	3:00 PM	ESPN	SC -8 | Total 52.5
#6 NOTRE DAME @ #10 Miami (FL)	7:30 PM	ABC	ND -2.5 | Total 49.5

- Warmup game, stretch the legs out, get ready for pandemonium at night
- GO IRISH. BEAT MIAMI (FL). Run the ball. Take appropriate chances down field. Embarrass the Canes and shut their fans up. Start the "ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE [FOR HEISMAN]" campaign.



MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1

MATCHUP	KICKOFF	COVERAGE	VEGAS
TCU @ North Carolina	8:00 PM	ESPN	TCU -3 | Total 56.5

- Bill Belichick brings his questionable relationship drama to primetime to begin the season... would be hilarious if UNC is total ass

 

[Dale]

Thanks for joining us after your vacation from duty, looks like not over quite yet

 

[NDVirginia19]

This has to be the best slate for week 1 in recent memory, no?

 

[BleedingGold]

I really want to see Baylor win, but they just didn’t look good last year and i don’t want to be disappointed.

 

[dublinirish]

Will update OP throughout the day as I have time

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Baylor and Cincinnati winning would be a great start to the season.

Never have I wanted to see a game end in a tie more than LSU and Clemson. Kelly vs Dabo? Barf.

 

[greyhammer90]

Baylor and Cincinnati winning would be a great start to the season.

Never have I wanted to see a game end in a tie more than LSU and Clemson. Kelly vs Dabo? Barf.

I have an affinity for Dabo I can't explain. I think he's just authentic, which even if I don't like him I can at least respect it. I also like playing Clemson as much as possible while he's there. He's respectable to lose to and really really fun to beat.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

I have an affinity for Dabo I can't explain. I think he's just authentic, which even if I don't like him I can at least respect it. I also like playing Clemson as much as possible while he's there. He's respectable to lose to and really really fun to beat.

Agree with the respect and his being fun to beat.

 

[IrishLion]

OP and second post are updated.

Added Sunday/Monday games to the second post to space things out a bit

 

[greyhammer90]

Anyone else a bit flummoxed by the near universal expectation that Clemson is going to be a top 4 team this year? They sort of muddled their way through the ACC by the skin of their teeth last year didnt they? Is there some reason everyone thinks they're going to be the cream of the crop this year? Surprised at how the media is near universally picking them to beat LSU.

 

[arrowryan]

Anyone else a bit flummoxed by the near universal expectation that Clemson is going to be a top 4 team this year? They sort of muddled their way through the ACC by the skin of their teeth last year didnt they? Is there some reason everyone thinks they're going to be the cream of the crop this year? Surprised at how the media is near universally picking them to beat LSU.

I think the projected first round picks at QB and on defense are fueling that machine

 

[calvegas04]

Anyone else a bit flummoxed by the near universal expectation that Clemson is going to be a top 4 team this year? They sort of muddled their way through the ACC by the skin of their teeth last year didnt they? Is there some reason everyone thinks they're going to be the cream of the crop this year? Surprised at how the media is near universally picking them to beat LSU.

I am, I see all these predictions for them to win it all. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills

 

[greyhammer90]

I think the projected first round picks at QB and on defense are fueling that machine

But those are the same players as last year right? They had a good year last year but they got beat by every team they played with a pulse (except for the ACC title game). Other than the nailbiter with SMU I think their next best win was against Pitt?

 

[NDPhilly]

Anyone else a bit flummoxed by the near universal expectation that Clemson is going to be a top 4 team this year? They sort of muddled their way through the ACC by the skin of their teeth last year didnt they? Is there some reason everyone thinks they're going to be the cream of the crop this year? Surprised at how the media is near universally picking them to beat LSU.

Their recruiting also came back to earth the last few years, and they aren’t nearly as deep as the peak Dabo rosters. I think they are a top 10 team but not top 5

 

[IrishLion]

Anyone else a bit flummoxed by the near universal expectation that Clemson is going to be a top 4 team this year? They sort of muddled their way through the ACC by the skin of their teeth last year didnt they? Is there some reason everyone thinks they're going to be the cream of the crop this year? Surprised at how the media is near universally picking them to beat LSU.

They finished strong, snuck into the playoffs, and return a good QB. They’d be behind ND if it weren’t for Klubnik.

I’ve been realizing with each season that preseason polls are more and more silly…. When there’s an argument that almost any team should be ranked lower for a given reason, maybe we should just wait to do rankings that are going to inform the committee’s decisions until we’ve got 6 weeks of evidence and comparisons for a greater context in general?

TV marketing and media would prevent that from ever being realistic, but a man can dream

 

[zelezo vlk]

Nebraska @ CINCINNATI is for real sickos on Thursday

 

[greyhammer90]

Nebraska @ CINCINNATI is for real sickos on Thursday

Call me a sicko then because I'm absolutely hyped for that one.

 

[Crazy Balki]

I think the projected first round picks at QB and on defense are fueling that machine

You'd think that with a defense that was loaded with so many presumed 1st round picks, they'd have finished better than 27th in defensive FEI or 51st in scoring defense.

They gave up 30+ in 6 of their 14 games last season. Compare that to ND, who played 2 more games, and gave up 30+ only twice last year, to USC and Ohio State. And it's not like Clemson played a ton of offensive juggernauts.

NC State and Virginia both had pedestrian to terrible offenses but put up da points on Clemson. Same Virginia that ND held to basically 7 points, sans a garbage time TD and a bunch of atrocious officiating. The same UGA squad that ND held in check absolutely dog-walked Clemson.

But who knows? Maybe Dabo has regained some of his magic.

 

[Dale]

NC State and Virginia both had pedestrian to terrible offenses but put up da points on Clemson.

Clemson was up 52 - 7 against NC State late in the 3Q. They were up 41 - 17 late in the 4Q against Virginia.

You can walk that out as they don’t have the depth they usually did which is true but while their defense was not elite, those two games don’t prove anything really

 

[NotKoon]

Nebraska @ CINCINNATI is for real sickos on Thursday

That's a top 2 game on Thursday (Boise-USF being the other)

 

[IrishBryan77]

Call me a sicko then because I'm absolutely hyped for that one.

It's college football. I would watch Prairie View A&M versus Bethune Cookman 🤣

 

[MrNimbus]

It's college football. I would watch Prairie View A&M versus Bethune Cookman 🤣

No shit. That ksu-isu game was garbage. But I watched every second. I need my cfb fix.

 

[Huntr]

Boise v USF.

Broncs not lookin that great

Officiating analyst for ESPN sounds like warm milk.

 

[Dale]

I’ve tried the Bowling Green game 3 times and it’s been commercial every time. Apparently Pyne time might not exist

 

[Huntr]

BGSU on D rn, up 10-0 halfway through 2Q

 

[Huntr]

Some asshole on BGSU has the middle name ESPN

Dude looks like a total Joe Schmidt try-hard


OH and there's Pyne

 

[Huntr]

omg, Lafayette just wiped out the smurf on an out of bounds hit

 

[Huntr]

Pyne should have played in the MAC his whole career. He would have flourished there.

 

[Huntr]

I went to high school with this BGSU freshman RB's dad. He played at Michigan State. Not sure if he walked on or not.