Week 1 of the college football season is here and it brings a full slate of action spanning five days. Among the action in store for the weekend bonanza are four games on CBS Sports Network, each bringing intriguing storylines to follow as the narratives begin to take shape for the 2022 campaign.
UAB kicks off the action Thursday night as a transitional season begins under interim coach Bryan Vincent against FCS state foe Alabama A&M. Then Saturday brings a triple header that kicks off at noon with a game between Delaware and Navy as the Midshipmen look to get back on track after back-to-back losing seasons.
Saturday’s final two games involve four Texas teams coming off bowl appearances, each of which has high hopes for the upcoming season. At 3:30 pm, AAC favorite Houston travels to take on Conference USA favorite UTSA in a matchup between two teams that enjoyed breakout seasons last year. Finally, North Texas and SMU will cap off Saturday’s action when they meet for the ninth straight season. As the action heats up across the country, there are sure to be some memorable early-season moments from these four regional matchups.
Here’s the full rundown of all the action from Week 0 on CBS Sports Network. All Eastern Times
Alabama A&M at UAB
Date: Thursday September 1 | Weather: 20:00
Location: Shield Stadium – Birmingham, Alabama
TV: CBS Sports Network [Channel finder]
Live broadcast: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App
Arguments: It’s a new era for UAB, which has posted five straight winning seasons since restarting its program for the 2017 season. The architect of that restart, Bill Clark, retired in June, with offensive coordinator Bryan Vincent serving as interim coach. for the 2022 season. The Blazers were chosen to finish second in the Conference USA preseason press poll. Alabama A&M is coming off a 6-5 season and has posted a winning record in the four seasons since coach Connell Maynor took over in 2018.
Delaware in the Navy
Date: Saturday September 3 | Weather: Midday
Location: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium — Annapolis, Maryland
TV: CBS Sports Network [Channel finder]
Live broadcast: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App
Arguments: Navy is just 7-15 the past two seasons, failing to reach a bowl in consecutive years since the 2001 and 2002 seasons. Back-to-back years have lowered expectations for the Midshipmen, who were chosen 10th out of 11 teams. in the AAC preseason media poll. Delaware went 5-6 last season, but the Blue Hens were competitive against a number of FCS-ranked opponents and have some history to draw on in this matchup after defeating Navy 59-52 in 2007.
No. 24 Houston at UTSA
Date: Saturday September 3 | Weather: 3:30 pm
Location: Alamodome – San Antonio, Texas
TV: CBS Sports Network [Channel finder]
Live broadcast: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App
Spread: Houston-4 | Will the Commodores cover? Check out SportsLine’s Week 1 screenings
Arguments: The third meeting between these foes in the state is shaping up to be a battle between the preseason conference favorites. Houston narrowly edged out Cincinnati and UCF in the AAC media poll and UTSA edged out UAB as the Conference USA favorite. Both teams finished 12-2 last season and embark on their final season in their conferences. before jumping to more prestigious leagues in 2023. This should be a particularly strong quarterback matchup; both Houston’s Clayton Tune and UTSA’s Frank Harris are proven veterans looking to build standout seasons in 2021.
SMU in North Texas
Date: Saturday September 3 | Weather: 7:30 pm
Location: Apogee Stadium – Denton, Texas
TV: CBS Sports Network [Channel finder]
Live broadcast: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App
Spread: SMU-10.5 | Will the Commodores cover? Check out SportsLine’s Week 1 screenings
Arguments: This will be the ninth straight year that SMU and North Texas have played each other, and Mean Green will be looking to use their home-court advantage to pull off another victory. Both of North Texas’s wins since the series’ renewal in 2014 have come at home, with the last win coming in 2018. The Mustangs have won three in a row but are bringing in a new head coach in Rhett Lashlee, who passed the last two seasons as Miami’s offensive coordinator after serving in the same role at SMU in 2018 and 2019. Both teams are picked to finish in the top half of their respective conferences.
Which college football picks can you confidently make in Week 1 and which heavy favorite will go down hard? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread, all from a proven computer model that has generated nearly $3,600 in profits over the last six seasons and find out.
