clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

College football Week 3 viewing guide: THAT’S A LOT OF FOOTBALL

Weeks 1 and 2 pale in watchability factor to Week 3’s slate. Here’s what we’re watching on Saturday.

NCAA Football: Ohio State Spring Game Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

We had plenty of fun at Tennessee and Virginia Tech’s expense for playing in the Battle at Bristol, but in terms of compelling football television, the much-ballyhooed event was a resounding success. Add to it the channel changing back and forth with the Arkansas-TCU matchup last week and last Saturday night’s college football primetime was loads of fun.

On its face, Week 3 appears dead set to deliver even more high drama, with four games featuring both opponents in the top 25. Further, the noon flight already includes appointment viewing, as No. 2 FSU and No. 10 Louisville commence right after College Gameday ends (it’s on ABC, by the way).

We’re following SB Nation’s college football editor Jason Kirk in this week’s watchability quotients, a new weekly feature that’s here to help you decide whether or not you should catch bits of, say, North Dakota State at No. 13 Iowa during lulls in FSU-Louisville (you definitely should -- noon, ESPN2 and WatchESPN).

Here’s what else we’re keeping eyes on during Week 3.

Colorado at No. 4 Michigan

2:30 p.m. CT on BTN

Yes, we know that changing the channel away from CBS during Bama-Ole Miss constitutes a crime against humanity, and yes, anyone who does change the channel should be paraded about the town square and flayed alive, but Colorado could legitimately walk into the Big House and piss off a lot of Michigan Men on Saturday afternoon. All we’re here to tell you is that, whatever the hell happens in Oxford, you always have this little palate cleanser available to you. Or, if you’re a real junky, go ahead and stream this little scuffle at BTN2GO alongside your Uncle Verne and Gary broadcast. We won’t judge.

No. 17 Texas A&M at Auburn

6 p.m. CT on ESPN (streaming at WatchESPN)

Assuming we’re not subjected to TIDE AND REBS IN OVERTIME, GARY, this game could turn into a very close, slapdash affair. A&M’s defense is quite good right now, but Auburn has shown a level of competence thus far that could turn things interesting late in the game. Who knows, really, but I have high hopes for some kind of head-scratchingly stupid game management from Sumlin, Malzahn or both.

Mississippi State at No. 20 LSU

6 p.m. CT on ESPN2 (streaming at WatchESPN)

Sure, why not.

No. 3 Ohio State at No. 14 Oklahoma

6:30 p.m. CT on FOX (streaming at FOX Sports Go)

Check in on this one in the second half, if only so you can arrive at work Monday and answer in the affirmative when that lone Ohio State alum in the office asks if you caught the Buckeyes game. Man those people are insufferable.

No. 12 Michigan State at No. 18 Notre Dame

6:30 p.m. CT on NBC (streaming at NBCSports)

Speaking of insufferable northerners, the Irish in primetime! If I were to wager on one game requiring overtime to decide its not-loser, this’d probably be it. Whatever.

USC at No. 7 Stanford

7 p.m. CT on ABC (streaming at WatchESPN)

Oh hell yes. #Pac12AfterDark.

Complete schedule with TV and streaming options

Friday, Sept. 16, 2016
Matchup Time (ET) TV / Streaming
(21) Baylor at Rice 8:00 p.m. ESPN / WatchESPN
Arkansas State at Utah State 9:00 p.m. CBSSN / CBSSports.com
Arizona State at UTSA 9:30 p.m. ESPN2 / WatchESPN
Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016
Matchup Time (ET) TV / Streaming
(2) Florida State at (10) Louisville Noon ABC / WatchESPN
Georgia State at (9) Wisconsin Noon BTN / BTN2Go
Ohio at (15) Tennessee Noon SECN / WatchESPN
(25) Miami (FL) at Appalachian State Noon ESPN / WatchESPN
South Carolina State at (5) Clemson Noon RSN / WatchESPN
North Dakota State at (13) Iowa Noon ESPN2 / WatchESPN
Iowa State at TCU Noon FS1 / FS Go
Kansas at Memphis Noon ESPNU / WatchESPN
Temple at Penn State Noon BTN / BTN2Go
New Mexico at Rutgers Noon ESPNEWS / WatchESPN
Middle Tennessee at Bowling Green Noon ASN / ESPN3
Akron at Marshall Noon CBSSN / CBSSports.com
Vanderbilt at Georgia Tech 12:30 p.m. ACCN / ACCNExtra
Virginia at UConn 1:30 p.m. SNY / ESPN3
Idaho at Washington State 2:00 p.m. Pac-12N / Pac-12.com
North Carolina A&T at Tulsa 2:00 p.m. ESPN3
Florida Atlantic at Kansas State 2:30 p.m. FSN / FS Go
UNLV at Central Michigan 3:00 p.m. ESPN3
Fresno State at Toledo 3:00 p.m. ESPN Extra / ESPN3
Eastern Kentucky at Ball State 3:00 p.m. ESPN3
(1) Alabama at (19) Ole Miss 3:30 p.m. CBS / CBSSports.com
Colorado at (4) Michigan 3:30 p.m. BTN / BTN2Go
(22) Oregon at Nebraska 3:30 p.m. ABC / WatchESPN
Pittsburgh at Oklahoma State 3:30 p.m. ESPN / WatchESPN
Boston College at Virginia Tech 3:30 p.m. ESPNU / WatchESPN
USF at Syracuse 3:30 p.m. ACCNExtra
James Madison at North Carolina 3:30 p.m. RSN / WatchESPN
San Diego State at Northern Illinois 3:30 p.m. CBSSN / CBSSports.com
Western Kentucky at Miami (OH) 3:30 p.m. ESPN Extra/BCSN/TWC / ESPN3
FIU at UMass 3:30 p.m. ASN / ESPN3
Monmouth at Kent State 3:30 p.m. ESPN3
East Carolina at South Carolina 4:00 p.m. SECN / WatchESPN
New Mexico State at Kentucky 4:00 p.m. SECN alternate / WatchESPN
Western Michigan at Illinois 4:00 p.m. ESPNEWS / WatchESPN
Northern Colorado at Colorado State 4:00 p.m. ROOT Sports / MWN
UC Davis at Wyoming 4:00 p.m. WyoVision / MWN
Idaho State at Oregon State 5:00 p.m. Pac-12N / Pac-12.com
Old Dominion at NC State 6:00 p.m. ACCNExtra / WatchESPN
ULM at Georgia Southern 6:00 p.m. ESPN3
Eastern Michigan at Charlotte 6:00 p.m. CUSA.TV
Delaware at Wake Forest 6:30 p.m. ACCNExtra / WatchESPN
(17) Texas A&M at Auburn 7:00 p.m. ESPN / WatchESPN
Mississippi State at (20) LSU 7:00 p.m. ESPN2 / WatchESPN
Louisiana Tech at Texas Tech 7:00 p.m. FSN / FS Go
Maryland at UCF 7:00 p.m. CBSSN / CBSSports.com
Navy at Tulane 7:00 p.m. ASN/NESN / ESPN3
Army at UTEP 7:00 p.m. ASN
South Alabama at UL Lafayette 7:00 p.m. ESPN3
Troy at Southern Miss 7:00 p.m. beIN SPORTS
Liberty at SMU 7:00 p.m. ESPN3
(3) Ohio State at (14) Oklahoma 7:30 p.m. FOX / FS Go
(12) Michigan State at (18) Notre Dame 7:30 p.m. NBC / NBCSports.com
(16) Georgia at Missouri 7:30 p.m. SECN / WatchESPN
North Texas at (23) Florida 7:30 p.m. ESPNU / WatchESPN
Texas State at (24) Arkansas 7:30 p.m. SECN alternate / WatchESPN
USC at (7) Stanford 8:00 p.m. ABC / WatchESPN
Portland State at (8) Washington 8:00 p.m. Pac-12N / Pac-12.com
Duke at Northwestern 8:00 p.m. BTN / BTN2Go
Buffalo at Nevada 9:00 p.m. MWN
UCLA at BYU 10:15 p.m. ESPN2 / WatchESPN
(11) Texas at California 10:30 p.m. ESPN / WatchESPN
Utah at San Jose State 10:30 p.m. CBSSN / CBSSports.com
Hawaii at Arizona 10:45 p.m. Pac-12N / Pac-12.com