5 Things to Watch in College Football Week 0

5 Things to Watch in College Football Week 0

Time Stamp: August 21, 2023 12:23 PM
Source Node: 2836079

After a long offseason, college football returns this week. There are always things to watch every week of the season. Here are 5 things to watch in college football week 0.

1. Sam Hartman’s Notre Dame Debut

Last season, Notre Dame went 9-4 in head coach Marcus Freeman’s first year at the helm. While the defense and offense were solid, neither excelled. What held back the offense was the inability to move the ball through the air consistently. This offseason they have tried to address that by adding Sam Hartman from Wake Forest.

In four seasons with the Demon Deacons, Hartman passed for 12,967 yards, 110 touchdowns and 41 interceptions on 59.1 percent completion. He was able to lead Wake Forest as far as the ACC Championship Game. Now, he is playing for Notre Dame in week 0 against Navy in Ireland. While the Fighting Irish are projected to win heavily, how he plays can give some insight into how well Notre Dame’s passing attack can be this season.

2. Caleb Williams Heisman Season Follow Up

In 2022, Caleb Williams was in his first season at USC after transferring from Oklahoma. He exceeded expectations personally, as he passed for 4,537 yards, 42 touchdowns and five interceptions on 66.6 percent completion. While his stats won him the Heisman, his personal success helped the team, as they won 11 games and made the Cotton Bowl.

The week 0 game for USC is against San Jose State. While they are a solid team, USC is favored to win by 30 points. It is important to watch and see if USC’s defense has any chance of improving this season, but it is also going to be fun to watch if Williams can put up stats like he did last season. If he has a good game against the Spartans, it could build momentum towards another Heisman season.

3. Vanderbilt’s Stadium

These articles usually stick to what happens on the field. But Vanderbilt’s stadium is currently under construction. They are going to have a capacity of 11,000 fans this season. It looks like there is still plenty of work to be done before week 0.

In week 0, Vanderbilt is hosting Hawaii. They are favored by 17.5 points, but a lot of points should be scored, as it has the third-highest over/under total of the weekend. While the game is worth watching, it will be interesting to see a game being played in a stadium that is under so much construction.

4. Ohio at SDSU

One of the best games of the weekend features Ohio and San Diego State. While these aren’t the biggest schools, both went to bowl games last season. The Bobcats won 10 games, while the Aztecs won seven games. For those that like watching good small schools, this game is worth watching.

Ohio has 13 returning starters, including nine on offense. Kurtis Rourke is back at quarterback and he’ll have star receiver Sam Wiglusz back as well. Their offense should improve after scoring 31.8 points per game. San Diego State has just nine returning starters, but have consistently made bowl games over the last several years (outside of 2020 COVID season). Their defense ranked 19th in the country last season and will have their hands full with stopping Ohio’s offense.

5. Jacksonville State’s FBS Debut

Jacksonville State is one of a few schools that decided to make the jump from the FCS to the FBS level in 2023. They went 9-2 last season and have 13 returning starters. With the jump, they are expected to be one of the worst teams in the FBS level. Other schools have made the jump successfully in their first season at the FBS level, including Appalachian State and James Madison.

In their first game, Jacksonville State will play UTEP. The Miners went 5-7 last season and bring back just 10 starters. Quarterback Gavin Hardison and running back Deion Hankins return with some experience on offense, while defensive end Praise Amaewhule is a player to watch on the defensive side of the ball. UTEP is favored by one point so the matchup should be entertaining.

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