The offseason is officially over, folks. College football is here and there is a full slate of games from all corners of the country Thursday, including teams from all five of the power conferences and three ranked in the AP Top 25. The action will start in the evening and run all night long, with the Colorado-Hawaii nightcap starting at 1 a.m. on the East Coast.
How to watch college football’s opening night on TV or online, plus 3 things to know
Park on the couch and bask in the ambiance of college football’s opening number.
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
The headliner is the debut of Michigan's new head coach, Jim Harbaugh. You may have heard a little about him this offseason. The Wolverines will hit the ground running under their new man, traveling to Utah to take on the Utes and star running back Devontae Booker, who rushed for 1,512 yards in 2014.
Other marquee matchups on the night include No. 2 TCU traveling to Minnesota, Oklahoma State traveling to Central Michigan and South Carolina taking on North Carolina, which will lead off the night on ESPN.
How to watch, stream and listen (all times Eastern)
Check out all this goodness:
| Time | Road | Home | TV | Streaming |
| 6 p.m. | North Carolina | South Carolina | ESPN | espn.go.com/watchespn |
| 6 p.m. | FIU | UCF | CBS Sports Network | |
| 7 p.m. | Oklahoma State | Central Michigan | ESPNU | espn.go.com/watchespn |
| 7 p.m. | Elon | Wake Forest | espn.go.com/watchespn | |
| 7 p.m. | VMI | Ball State | espn.go.com/watchespn | |
| 7 p.m. | Stony Brook | Toledo | espn.go.com/watchespn | |
| 7:30 p.m. | Alcorn State | No. 16 Georgia Tech | FOX Sports South | foxsports.com/foxsportsgo |
| 7:30 p.m. | Villanova | Connecticut | espn.go.com/watchespn | |
| 8 p.m. | Western Kentucky | Vanderbilt | SEC Network | espn.go.com/watchespn |
| 8:30 p.m. | Michigan | Utah | Fox Sports 1 | foxsports.com/foxsportsgo |
| 9 p.m. | No. 2 TCU | Minnesota | ESPN | espn.go.com/watchespn |
| 9 p.m. | Ohio | Idaho | espn.go.com/watchespn | |
| 9:30 p.m. | Duke | Tulane | CBS Sports Network | |
| 10 p.m. | UTSA | No. 22 Arizona | Pac-12 Networks | pac12.com/live |
| 10 p.m. | Abilene Christian | Fresno State | http://campusinsiders.com/network/mw/live | |
| 10 p.m. | UC Davis | Nevada | http://campusinsiders.com/network/mw/live | |
| 1 a.m. | Colorado | Hawaii | CBS Sports Network |
Three big things to know
1. Thursday Night Titans
If the Battle of the Carolinas sounds a little familiar, it’s because South Carolina opened with North Carolina in 2013 as well. In fact, this game marks the seventh time in the last eight seasons that the Gamecocks have opened up the season on the first Thursday.
2. Road Warriors?
SB Nation’s Bill Connelly is questioning the TCU bandwagon a little, so this trip to TCF Bank Stadium to take on the Gophers could be a chance to make a statement. The Frogs beat Minnesota, 30-7, last year, the Gophers’ most lopsided loss on the season. So you can bet they’ll be out for a measure of revenge.
3. Big trip, Big Start
Oklahoma State may be a dark horse contender in the Big 12, and travel to Mount Pleasant to take on the Chippewas, who were 7-6 last season with a loss in the inaugural Popeyes Bahamas Bowl. You may remember the ending ...
Further reading
Read up on all the teams and matchups at these SB Nation blogs:
- South Carolina -- Garnet and Black Attack
- North Carolina -- Tar Heel Blog
- FIU, UCF, UTSA, Western Kentucky -- Underdog Dynasty
- Ball State, Toledo, Ohio, Central Michigan -- Hustle Belt
- TCU -- Frogs o' War
- Georgia Tech -- From the Rumble Seat
- Minnesota -- The Daily Gopher
- Oklahoma State -- Cowboys Ride for Free
- Arizona -- Arizona Desert Swarm
- Colorado -- The Ralphie Report
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