Bill Belichick’s College Debut Headlines Week 0 of the 2026 CFB Season

College football is finally back, but Week 0 is more of an appetizer than a main course. Only eight FBS games are on the board this Saturday, and the sport’s biggest names — Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, Indiana, LSU — are all sitting out until Labor Day weekend. Still, there’s plenty for casual fans to sink their teeth into, starting with the most talked-about coaching debut in years. Here’s a breakdown of the four games actually worth clearing your schedule for.

Bill Belichick’s College Debut: North Carolina vs. TCU in Dublin

The single biggest storyline in college football this week has nothing to do with rankings — it’s Bill Belichick coaching his first-ever game at any level below the NFL. The six-time Super Bowl champion takes over North Carolina and gets a wild introduction: a trip across the Atlantic to Dublin, Ireland, where the Tar Heels face TCU in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at Aviva Stadium. Kickoff is 12:00 PM ET on ESPN.

Vegas isn’t buying a storybook start. TCU is favored by roughly a touchdown to a touchdown-and-a-half, with lines mostly sitting between -7.5 and -9.5 depending on the book (DraftKings has it at -7.5, moneyline TCU -305/UNC +245), and the total is right around 47 points. TCU brings back a Big 12 program that’s used to featuring in shootouts, while Belichick — for all his NFL pedigree — is walking into a completely new setting with a roster he didn’t fully build. Whatever happens on the scoreboard, every NFL fan who’s ever watched a Patriots postgame press conference will have eyes on this one, which makes it the rare Week 0 college game with genuine crossover appeal.

Is USC Actually Back? Lincoln Riley’s Make-or-Break Year Kicks Off

Lincoln Riley enters his fifth season at USC facing a simple question from fans: is this finally the year it comes together? The Trojans, ranked in the AP preseason Top 15, host San José State at the LA Memorial Coliseum at 3:00 PM ET on NBC, and this one isn’t close on paper — USC opened as a 38.5-point favorite with the total sitting around 60.5.

The reason for the optimism around USC goes beyond just a mismatched schedule. Quarterback Jayden Maiava is back after a strong finish to last season, and he’s got a loaded backfield behind him with returning running backs expected to shoulder a heavy workload behind a veteran offensive line. Riley is 5-0 in season openers at USC, and a lopsided win here won’t tell anyone much on its own — but it’s the first data point in a season where the Trojans are being mentioned as a legitimate playoff dark horse for the first time in years. San José State is the clear opponent to make that happen against, and don’t be shocked if USC’s backups are seeing extended snaps by the fourth quarter.

Late-Night Vegas Showdown: Memphis vs. UNLV

If you’re staying up late, this is the game to watch. Memphis heads to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas to face UNLV at 10:00 PM ET on FOX, and it’s a rare Week 0 matchup between two programs that both have realistic buzz around them heading into the season. UNLV is coming off a 10-4 season and a third straight trip to the Mountain West Championship Game, while Memphis enters as a trendy pick to make noise in the American Conference.

The line has been bouncing around all week — UNLV opened as a 4.5-point favorite and has been bet up as high as 5.5 to 6 at some books, with the total sitting in the mid-to-high 50s (most consensus numbers around 56.5 to 57.5). That kind of total tells you both offenses are expected to move the ball, and with the Group of Six conversation increasingly focused on which non-Power Four team can crash the College Football Playoff picture, this is exactly the type of program-defining opener both teams need to win to be taken seriously in that conversation. It’s also just a fun late kickoff in a great atmosphere, which makes it an easy one to have on in the background.

This Week’s Best Bets

None of these four games feature ranked-versus-ranked drama, but each one carries real stakes for the programs involved. Check the latest NCAAF odds before kickoff, then here’s how to attack the board if you’re getting in on the action.

• North Carolina vs. TCU: TCU -7.5
• San José State @ USC: USC -38.5 (lay the points, Riley’s teams don’t let up on cupcakes)
• Memphis @ UNLV: Lean UNLV, but Memphis is live enough to consider on the moneyline as an underdog play
• NC State @ Virginia: Virginia -4 to -5.5, with the total around 52.5 to 53.5

Enjoy the appetizer, because next Saturday’s slate is an entirely different animal — Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, Indiana and the rest of the heavyweights all arrive for Labor Day weekend. For now, Belichick’s debut is reason enough to have the TV on.