What to Expect During Week Zero of College Football in 2026?
After what felt like a very long seven months, college football has finally returned to us. While it may be Week Zero, football is still football, and there are many storylines and games to look forward to in the next few days. The biggest game that’s taking place this Saturday is between UNC and TCU, who met each other last year during Week One, in Bill Belichick’s first-ever game, where the Horned Frogs embarrassed Chapel Hill and his squad. This year's contest is different, and that's not even about the roster, as this game is being played in the great country of Ireland, at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. It will be interesting to see these teams face off again, especially UNC, as Billy Edwards Jr. was just given the nod to be starting QB for the Tar Heels.
On top of the duel in Dublin, we get a solid ACC matchup as NC State and Virginia will be facing off in Charlottesville. This game was also supposed to be played internationally, specifically in Rio De Janeiro; however, earlier this summer they ended up switching the venue back to the States. This in-conference matchup certainly holds a lot of weight for both of these programs. As for Virginia, they are looking to get back to the success they had last year, where they were an ACC championship win away from making their first-ever playoff appearance. Meanwhile, NC State is looking to have a better year than 2025, with head coach Dave Doeren returning for his 14th year. This is a matchup to look forward to, especially with their high-flying offenses; we may see a lot of points.
The final game that should be on everyone’s radar this weekend is Memphis vs. UNLV. These teams are in the upper echelon of G5 schools, and can always compete with the bigger programs. UNLV is led by second-year head coach Dan Mullen, who nearly had the Runnin’ Rebels in the CFP last year, but ultimately came up short. Memphis, on the other hand, is bringing in first-year head coach Charles Ruff from Southern Mississippi and is looking to get back atop the AAC. With how well each of these coaches has operated in the past, it may not be a surprise if either of them leads their teams to the promised land.
