NCAAF Ranking the slate of week 0 games
The calendar has turned to the month of August, which means the start of the NFL preseason and week 0 of college football will be here before you know it.
In Austin, there is a buzz surrounding the Texas Longhorns program that has reached a fever pitch. A new sheriff is in town and his name is Quinn Ewers. The one-time commit opted for the Ohio State Buckeyes and re-classified to join the team last season.
After playing minimally, he returned to his home state of Texas and joined his beloved Longhorns. Now he will be tasked with taking over the job from Hudson Card and leading the Horns back to prominence. The new era of Texas football isn’t set to begin until Sept. 4 when they host Louisiana-Monroe at Darryl K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
You can check out the full schedule and download your own person wallpaper for the 2022 season:
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2022 Texas Longhorns Football Schedule: Downloadable Wallpaper
While Steve Sarkisian and Texas aren’t involved in the slate of games during week 0, Longhorns Wire is taking a look at the 11 games set to take place. A pair of former Horns are set to own the weekend and take center stage.
I have ranked the games based on my own level of interest:
Charlotte 49ers at Florida Atlantic Owls
Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
In last season’s opener the 49ers took on the Duke Blue Devils, fast forward one year and we have a pair of Group of Five teams set to clash. Last season Charlotte finished 5-7 and was romped by the Owls 38-9. Can FAU repeat that result again? The Owls also finished with an identical 5-7 record, who gains the advantage this time around?
Kickoff Time: 6:00 p.m. CT
Network: CBS Sports Network
Idaho State Bengals at UNLV Rebels
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
UNLV head coach Marcus Arroyo has a quarterback conundrum to work through ahead of the season. Former Tennessee quarterback Harrison Bailey is also in the mix. The Rebels will welcome Idaho State to Vegas as the festivities of the 2022 season begin. UNLV finished the 2021 campaign with a 2-10 record, they need a fast start this year.
Kickoff Time: 2:30 p.m. CT
Network: CBS Sports Network
Austin Peay Governors vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Last season the WKU Hilltoppers were one of the surprises of college football with hotshot OC Zach Kittley and senior quarterback Bailey Zappe. The duo put up some monster numbers but this year will be completely different with a new play caller and former WVU QB Jarret Doege. We will soon find out if the Hill Toppers can mimic similar production with a former Power Five passer under center.
Kickoff Time: 11:00 a.m. CT
Network: CBS Sports Network
Nevada Wolfpack at New Mexico State Aggies
Kiel Maddox-USA TODAY Sports
Nevada is coming off an 8-4 regular season campaign where they lost their bowl game to Western Michigan 52-24. The New Mexico State Aggies usher in a new era under former Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill. Kill left the Golden Gophers in 2015 and was named interim head coach of TCU in the 2021 season. The Frogs were 2-2 in those four games.
Kickoff Time: TBA
Network: TBA
Duquesne Dukes at Florida State Seminoles
Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK
If there is a team that needs to get off to a good start in 2022 it is the Florida State Seminoles. After pushing Notre Dame to the limit in the 2021 season opener, the team finished 5-7. It was a slight improvement from the 3-6 season in 2020. Under Mike Norvell, the Noles are a combined 8-13. To avoid any hot seat chatter, they need to show that Florida State is trending upwards in 2022.
Kickoff Time: 4:00 p.m. CT
Network: ACC Network
UCONN Huskies at Utah State Aggies
Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports
Jim Mora Jr will make his return to the sidelines with UCONN after last serving as a head coach in 2017 with UCLA. With the sudden retirement of Randy Edsall, Mora served as an offensive analyst in 2021 with the Huskies. Utah State had a storybook season under head coach Blake Anderson. He took over after Gary Andersen was fired in 2020 after starting 0-3.
Kickoff Time: 3:00 p.m. CT
Network: FS1
North Texas Mean Green at UTEP Miners
Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports
It’s a lone star showdown with UNT and UTEP colliding in El Paso. UNT’s Seth Littrell is likely to be feeling the heat after finishing under .500 for the third-consecutive season in Denton. On the flip side, Dina Dimel and the Miners got over the hump as they collected seven wins in 2021. In the prior three seasons under Dimel, UTEP won a combined five games. Will they hold serve over the Mean Green in 2022? North Texas has owned this series for the last five years, the last time UTEP won came in 2016.
Kickoff Time: 8:00 p.m. CT
Network: Stadium
Vanderbilt Commodores at Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
For the first time in each school’s history, Vanderbilt and Hawaii will face off on the gridiron. Not a bad way to start out the 2022 campaign with a trip to the Aloha State. The Commodores are heading into year two of the Clark Lea era, can he do better than his 2-10 campaign in 2021? As for Hawaii, the Rainbow Warriors are getting a fresh start under former quarterback Timmy Chang. Can the all-time leading passer in school history bring back Hawaii’s winning ways?
Kickoff Time: 9:30 p.m. CT
Network: CBS Sports Network
Wyoming Cowboys at Illinois Fighting Illini
Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports
Bret Bielema returns for year two with Illinois. Last year he opened with a win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Not to mention he was part of the wackiest overtime game in history with the 20-18 nine overtime win over Penn State. What does he have in store when the Fighting Illini host Wyoming?
Kickoff Time: 3:00 p.m CT
Network: Big Ten Network
Florida A&M at North Carolina Tar Heels
(Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Former Texas head coach and national champion Mack Brown will lead the UNC Tar Heels into the 2022 season against Florida A&M. After UNC failed to live up to expectations under Sam Howell at quarterback, Brown has to figure out just who will take the snaps this year. We will soon find out if UNC can play closer to their 2020 version and less like the 2021 version.
Kickoff Time: 7:15 p.m. CT
Network: ACC Network
Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Northwestern Wildcats (Dublin, Ireland)
AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz
The Big Ten starts the party early this year with Nebraska and Northwestern kicking off the day. This time it will happen in Dublin, Ireland. It is almost fitting that the Huskers use green jerseys for their quarterbacks. Former Texas gunslinger Casey Thompson will attempt to bring Nebraska football back. Can Thompson save Scott Frost’s job in a make-or-break season for Nebraska? He better be ready for the Northwestern defense, the Wildcats’ head coach Pat Fitzgerald knows a thing or two about slowing down offenses.
Kickoff Time: 11:30 a.m. CT
Network: FOX
