College football returns with a bang Week 1.
The Oklahoma Sooners will host Illinois State at 5 p.m. CT Saturday on ESPN+ for their 2025 season opener, but there will be a lot more college football than just those few hours for Sooner Nation to enjoy Week 1.
Between future conference opponents, former rivals and players, and just big-time matchups, there will be five days loaded with action, and it could be hard to keep up. Here's a college football watch guide to help OU fans navigate their remotes during Week 1 of the college football season.
You can watch all of Week 1 of the college football season using a free trial for fuboTV.
UT Martin at Oklahoma State
When: 6:30 p.m. CT Thursday
Watch: ESPN+
Old Bedlam rival Oklahoma State will help start things off for Week 1 with its season opener on Thursday night. Not only are the Cowboys an in-state program, they also have some former Sooners to keep an eye out for, including wide receiver Gavin Freeman and running back Kalib Hicks.
Central Arkansas at Missouri
When: 6:30 p.m. CT Thursday
Watch: SEC Network
Speaking of old rivals, Missouri will also open its season Thursday night. The Tigers will visit Norman on Nov. 22, so this will be a first look at something ahead.
Nebraska at Cincinnati
When: 8 p.m. CT Thursday
Watch: ESPN
Thursday night will complete the former rival trifecta with Nebraska also playing. Although this game kicks off much later and most will have work in the morning, it should be a much more entertaining matchup than the first two.
Auburn at Baylor
When: 7 p.m. CT Friday
Watch: FOX
Not only is Auburn the opponent for OU's SEC opener, this will be quarterback Jackson Arnold's debut with his new team.
No. 1 Texas at No. 3 Ohio State
When: 11 a.m. CT Saturday
Watch: FOX
There's nothing like hate watching the Longhorns to start your day, and this is also the biggest game of the week between two top-5 teams.
No. 8 Alabama at Florida State
When: 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday
Watch: ABC
Another future SEC opponent, but who really knows what kind of test Florida State will be for Alabama. Regardless, it will be the first look at new Alabama starting QB Ty Simpson.
No. 9 LSU at No. 4 Clemson
When: 6:30 p.m. CT Saturday
Watch: ABC
This will be a good one to flip to after the Sooners handle Illinois State. There's a lot of hype surrounding LSU this season, and we'll find out right off the bat if it's actually warranted or not. This could also be a duel between two future first-round QBs.
Virginia Tech at No. 13 South Carolina
When: 2 p.m. CT Sunday
Watch: ESPN
That's right, there's still college football after Saturday this week. South Carolina is another future SEC foe to scout, plus has an OU connection with Shane Beamer as head coach.
No. 6 Notre Dame at No. 10 Miami
When: 6:30 p.m. CT Sunday
Watch: ABC
Sooner Nation has no dog in this fight, so just sit back and enjoy extra college football and a top-10 matchup.
TCU at North Carolina
When: 7 p.m. CT Monday
Watch: ESPN
This will be Bill Belichick's college football debut at North Carolina. But even if you don't care about that, it's still an extra day to watch college football after months without it.
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