Week 0 rooting guides

The opener is a low-drama rooting assignment with one important question: can Florida State turn productive offense into scoreboard control?

NC State gets a high-leverage ACC opener, plus two conference results worth a smaller share of your attention.

UNC gets one revealing afternoon in Dublin: watch whether Bobby Petrino’s rebuilt offense can keep functioning after its first few answers against TCU.

Stanford is favored against Hawai'i, but a six-day turnaround to Miami makes Pritchard's debut more necessity than ceremony.

The Cavaliers open ACC play with a favored rematch against NC State, while two outside results offer smaller conference-race help.

Memphis is a live underdog at UNLV if Charles Huff’s familiar defensive core can create room for an unsettled offense.

TCU should beat North Carolina, but the useful Week 1 test is whether Jaden Craig and Gordon Sammis can produce a balanced offense.

Against San José State, watch USC’s communication at center and the receiving pecking order; elsewhere, the model offers two rooting interests.

The Gamecocks are favored at North Dakota State, but the rebuilt ground game will determine how comfortable that edge should feel.

What New Mexico State fans should hope to see from the rebuilt passing game in Saturday night’s opener at Florida State.

Eastern Michigan is favored, but the opener’s real value is showing whether its redesigned defense can withstand a direct challenge on the ground.

How to watch the Hornets’ opener, how much hope to carry, and why this week’s attention stays on one game.

Hawai'i gets a road rematch with Stanford, while Ashlock’s status and one long-shot upset shape the Week 1 watch list.

NDSU’s opening challenge is less about instant validation than discovering which familiar strengths can survive a new level.

The upset is wildly unlikely. The useful hope is that San José State’s rebuilt offense looks dangerous enough to carry into the season.

UNLV’s opener is about easing a new quarterback into the job, and one unlikely New Mexico result offers a small bonus.