- Virginia battles NC State: The Cavaliers aim to continue their 2025 success, while CJ Bailey and the Wolfpack try to start 1-0.
- A big showdown in the Group of Six playoff race: Mountain West runner-up UNLV takes on Memphis, led by new head coach Charles Huff.
College Football is officially back! Week 0 features a few games that could eventually have playoff implications at the Power Four and Group of Six levels.
Here are the previews and predictions of the five biggest games of college football’s first week of action.
TCU vs. North Carolina (Dublin, Ireland; 12 PM ET, ESPN)
Storyline to know: Can Bill Belichick weather the storm against a quality Big 12 team?
Many were excited last year when it was announced that the greatest coach in NFL history, Bill Belichick, was moving down to the college ranks to take over the North Carolina program. But after just one season, there’s a feeling of buyer’s remorse in Chapel Hill.
The on-field product wasn’t pretty as the Tar Heels had just a 4-8 record, their first time missing a bowl game in seven years. Off the field, it’s been even uglier. General manager Michael Lombardi was placed on administrative leave due to a human resources complaint. Belichick’s son and defensive coordinator, Steve, is currently on medical leave. And there’s been plenty of concern about how involved Belichick’s girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, is with the program.
Belichick is already on the hot seat in Year 2 and opens the season against a really good TCU outfit that’s won nine games in each of the past two years.
Matchup to watch when TCU has the ball (Max): Jaden Craig’s first game as an FBS quarterback comes against Bill Belichick’s man-heavy defense
With Josh Hoover transferring to Indiana, the Horned Frogs were forced to dip into the portal themselves to find their next quarterback. That came in the form of Jaden Craig, who’s making the jump up from the FCS level at Harvard. Craig is a big-game hunter who was second in the FCS last year with 31 big-time throws. His deep ball is undeniably his best trait, as his 32 deep completions were tied for fifth in the entire FCS.
While Belichick is one of the greatest defensive minds in NFL history, his defense at North Carolina was relatively average last year. The Tar Heels were just 74th in EPA per play and 70th in points allowed per game (26.2). North Carolina ran man coverage at a top-20 rate in the nation last year and was solid at limiting opponents on the deep ball, placing 47th in explosive pass rate allowed.
Belichick will likely try to force Craig to be more methodical and hit throws in the short and intermediate range.
Matchup to watch when North Carolina has the ball (Dalton): Can UNC offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino make a big first impression?
North Carolina’s offense played poor football last season, no matter how the statistics are parsed. The Tar Heels’ 68.2 offensive PFF grade ranked 98th in the nation. They placed well outside the top 100 FBS teams in yards per play and EPA per play. The Tar Heels also ran their offense at a glacially slow pace, with just two teams averaging fewer than their 58.4 plays per game. As a result, they managed to score at least 20 points in just five of their 12 games last season.
The good news is that UNC hired former Arkansas offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino in an attempt to modernize the offense. While the Razorbacks won just two games last season, it certainly wasn’t Petrino’s fault. His unit ranked seventh in the FBS in yards per play and 17th in EPA per play. The run game, led by eventual draft picks Taylen Green and Mike Washington Jr., led the country with 6.8 yards per carry, excluding sacks.
The Tar Heels may not have that level of firepower, but they’re hoping Petrino can find production with veteran quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., running back Demon June and wide receiver Jordan Shipp.
Score Predictions
Max: TCU 30, North Carolina 20
Craig shines in his debut for TCU, while North Carolina’s offense struggles to get much going in Ireland.
Dalton: TCU 34, North Carolina 17
Between off-field turmoil, major offensive questions and the uncertain status of defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, the Tar Heels carry a lot more questions than answers right now. TCU should handle its business as the better team in this game.
NC State @ Virginia (3:30 PM ET, ESPN)
Storyline to know: Two solid ACC teams square off in a game that doesn’t even count for conference standings
NC State and Virginia battle in what could be the best game of Week 0. The Cavaliers are coming off an incredible 11-3 season, which included a No. 16 ranking in the final AP poll. That marked Virginia’s best finish in 30 years. Meanwhile, the Wolfpack have been remarkably consistent under head coach Dave Doeren, winning somewhere between seven and nine games in 11 of the last 13 seasons.
While these two teams may be in the top half of the ACC this year, this clash won’t even count as a conference game for either team. The two schools announced back in 2024 that they’d play each other in a non-conference home-and-home series, with the final game of that agreement happening this weekend. While it won’t matter much for the ACC standings, it’s still a matchup between two of the 50 best teams in America.
Matchup to watch when NC State has the ball (Max): Can Virginia’s pass rush consistently get to CJ Bailey?
Virginia was one of the best defenses in college football last year in terms of getting after the quarterback. The Cavaliers’ 18% knockdown rate (sacks/hits) was fourth among all defenses in the country. But Virginia lost its three pressure leaders from that defense in Mitchell Melton, Daniel Rickert and Jacob Holmes. Fisher Camac and Baylor transfer Matthew Fobbs-White will need to lead that unit off the edge now, combining for 51 pressures last year.
NC State quarterback CJ Bailey has plenty of fans in NFL Draft circles, but he must get better under pressure if he’s going to be an early-round pick. He threw eight interceptions when under pressure last year, the most of any quarterback in America. On top of that, his star left tackle, Jacarrius Peak, transferred to South Carolina in the offseason. In fact, the Wolfpack will have three new starters on their offensive line.
Matchup to watch when Virginia has the ball (Dalton): Virginia’s experienced offensive line vs. NC State’s unproven front seven
Virginia experienced a ton of turnover this offseason with regard to its offensive skill unit. Among the departures were the Cavaliers’ starting quarterback, top two running backs and four of their top five wide receivers.
However, they have an incredibly experienced offensive line returning, which should allow for an easier offensive transition this year. The Cavaliers’ projected starting offensive linemen — McKale Boley, Noah Josey, Drake Metcalf, Makilan Thomas and Monroe Mills — combine for 11,260 offensive snaps in their careers. Thomas and Mills are returning from injury, but all five players have played good football in the past.
The Cavaliers’ experience up front stands in stark contrast to NC State’s defensive front. The Wolfpack lost five of the six defensive linemen who played at least 300 snaps for them last season. They also lost the only three linebackers who played a minimum of 100 snaps in 2025. Tulane transfer edge rusher Harvey Dyson is the only player on the team who tallied more than seven pressures last season.
NC State allowed 8.0 yards per carry and didn’t sack Chandler Morris a single time in the matchup between these two teams last season. The Wolfpack bring a much less proven front seven into this game in 2026.
Score Predictions
The good times keep on rolling for the Cavaliers as their pass rush and new-look offense lead the way to a season-opening victory.
Dalton: Virginia 31, NC State 28
Both teams carry degrees of uncertainty heading into this game, but Virginia’s advantages in the trenches as well as a galvanizing home environment can allow the Cavaliers to score a tight victory.
Memphis @ UNLV (10 PM ET, FOX)
Storyline to know: Two Group of Six playoff contenders square off
Saturday’s late-night clash between Memphis and UNLV may be the biggest game in Week 0 in terms of how it affects the College Football Playoff race. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Tigers and Rebels are tied for third in terms of odds to represent the Group of Six in the Playoff (+1000).
UNLV is the current favorite to win the Mountain West and has played in the conference title game in each of the past three seasons. Similarly, Memphis has a 29-10 record across the last three years and enters 2026 with a promising new head coach in Charles Huff after Ryan Silverfield left to take over Arkansas.
Matchup to watch when Memphis has the ball (Dalton): Can offensive coordinator Kevin Decker find his up-tempo rhythm against UNLV’s suspect defense?
Memphis will boast a brand new offense with regard to personnel and coaching. The Tigers’ starting quarterback, either Marcus Stokes or Air Noland, may not be known until gametime.
However, one known commodity is offensive coordinator Kevin Decker, who was hired away from Old Dominion this offseason. Decker runs a fast-paced spread offense that operated at a top-10 tempo last year. Old Dominion ranked among the top 15 FBS teams in explosive pass rate and explosive run rate last season.
Meanwhile, UNLV often struggled to prevent explosive plays. The Rebels slotted 109th in the nation in explosive pass rate allowed and 128th in explosive run rate given up. Win or lose, they often found themselves in high-scoring shootouts. The Rebels allowed at least 38 points in three of their four losses last season, including both defeats to eventual conference champion Boise State.
UNLV is a legitimate playoff contender if its defense plays at a more respectable level. The Rebels’ first task will be slowing down Decker’s hyperspeed offense.