Week 0 rankings meet a tough Ohio State football schedule
College football's 2026 Week 0 slate ranks North Carolina vs. TCU in Dublin as the top watch, with NC State at Virginia next, while San Jose State at No. 14 USC closes the list as a mismatch. Beyond Saturday, the Ohio State football schedule ranks among the nation's toughest, featuring Texas, Indiana, USC, Oregon and Michigan.
Key Takeaways
- CBS Sports ranks UNC vs. TCU in Dublin No. 1 among eight FBS Week 0 games on Aug. 29.
- NC State at Virginia is No. 2; San Jose State at No. 14 USC ranks last as a heavy mismatch.
- Preseason No. 1 Ohio State's 2026 slate includes Texas, Indiana, USC, Oregon and Michigan.
- Florida State opens vs. New Mexico State with coach Mike Norvell on a hot seat after losing seasons.
- Memphis at UNLV closes the night as a Group of Six College Football Playoff aspirant clash.
The 2026 season opens Saturday with what CBS Sports calls one of the best Week 0 slates in recent memory: eight FBS games stretching from Dublin to Las Vegas. For fans tracking Power conference paths, the early appetizer sits beside a bigger calendar story—the Ohio State football schedule and other loaded 2026 gauntlets. More season context lives in our Future Tech & AI Wonders hub.
Which Week 0 games rank highest on Saturday?
CBS Sports puts North Carolina vs. TCU first. Kickoff is noon ET on ESPN in Dublin, a rematch of last year's 48-14 TCU win over Bill Belichick's Tar Heels. Year 2 under Belichick arrives with off-field noise, while TCU starts Harvard transfer quarterback Jaden Craig.
No. 2 is NC State at Virginia (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), an ACC opener after Brazil logistics fell through. Virginia returns from a program-record 11-win season; NC State coach Dave Doeren is unbeaten against the Cavaliers in four meetings.
Rounding out the top five: Jacksonville State at FBS debutant North Dakota State; Memphis at UNLV (10 p.m. ET, FOX), two Group of Six playoff hopefuls; and Hawaii at Stanford in Tavita Pritchard's Cardinal debut.
How tough is the Ohio State football schedule in 2026?
While Ohio State is not in Week 0, AP reporting via WRAL frames the Buckeyes' path as a national story. Preseason No. 1 Ohio State faces No. 5 Texas on Sept. 12, then a stretch that includes Illinois, a trip to No. 22 Iowa, No. 6 Indiana, No. 14 USC, No. 2 Oregon at home on Nov. 7, and No. 16 Michigan to close.
That slate ranks No. 8 on ESPN's toughest-schedule list. Texas, Michigan, Arkansas and USC also headline brutal calendars, underscoring why early Week 0 results still feed a longer playoff conversation.
What else should fans watch in Week 0?
New Mexico State at Florida State (7 p.m. ET, CW) is ranked sixth. Mike Norvell enters on a hot seat after back-to-back losing seasons; the Seminoles are 30.5-point favorites before facing No. 19 SMU and No. 13 Alabama.
Sacramento State's FBS debut at Eastern Michigan is seventh. San Jose State at No. 14 USC (3 p.m. ET, NBC) is eighth—the only ranked Week 0 team, yet a 38.5-point favorite and the biggest paper mismatch, with Gary Patterson now coordinating USC's defense.
Yahoo Sports also flags UNC's Billy Edwards Jr. at quarterback and the revenge angle after last year's blowout, plus UNLV as a popular Group of Six College Football Playoff pick under Dan Mullen.