(Sporting Alert) — A loaded fixture has been assembled for Saturday’s action in the 2013 College Football season, with several top-ranked schools, including No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Oregon, all on schedule.
The top-ranked Crimson Tide went through its final touches in preparations for their clash with ACC outfits Virginia Tech as they seek to kick-start the new season with a victory.
“It’s an exciting time. It’s always an exciting time when it’s game week,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said at his press conference for the game.
“It’s a great opportunity for every team, and specifically our team, to sort of show people who you are.”
Alabama are being backed as the favourites to open the campaign with a victory in this contest, but Saban isn’t taking Virginia Tech lightly.
“I think we are playing a very good team. A team that has a very good tradition, a lot of 10-win seasons,” he said. “They have a great coach, the No. 1 winning coach actively in college football.
“They know how to win, and they’re a team that always plays really hard, lots of toughness, lots of effort, really sort of old-fashioned when it comes to principles and values of competitive character that they play with.”
Coach Urban Meyer the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes are also in action on Saturday and they will host Buffalo at Ohio Stadium, with Dontre Wilson and Ezekiel Elliott well set to play.
Asked about the possibility of playing freshmen, coach Meyer said: “For sure Dontre Wilson and Ezekiel Elliott will play.
“On defense, I would imagine Joey Bosa, for sure will play; Mike Hill we are hoping to get in there and the freshman punter. I think that’s those are the ones for sure and then the other ones, depend how they practice and get going.”
Elsewhere on Saturday, No. 3 Oregon host Nicholls State, Louisiana-Monroe travels to take on No. 16 Oklahoma, Rice plays at No. 7 Texas A&M, No. 10 Florida host Toledo and Temple face-off at No. 14 Notre Dame.
Another interesting battle is expected to come at the Memorial Stadium, where No. 5 Georgia take on No. 8 Clemson.
NCAAF College Football Schedule For Saturday, August 31
12:00 PM Buffalo at No. 2 Ohio State Watch Live on ESPN2 and WatchESPN
12:00 PM Massachusetts at No. 23 Wisconsin Big Ten Network
12:00 PM Elon at Georgia Tech Watch Live on ESPN3.com
12:00 PM Villanova at Boston College Watch Live on ESPNNews and WatchESPN
12:00 PM William & Mary at West Virginia FOX Sports 1
12:00 PM Southern Illinois at Illinois Big Ten Network
12:00 PM Purdue at Cincinnati Watch Live on ESPNU and WatchESPN
12:21 PM Toledo at No. 10 Florida Watch Live on ESPN3.com
12:30 PM Florida International at Maryland Watch Live on ESPN3.com
12:30 PM Louisiana Tech at North Carolina State Watch Live on ESPN3.com
1:00 PM Rice at No. 7 Texas A&M Watch Live on ESPN and WatchESPN
3:00 PM Colgate at Air Force
3:30 PM Mississippi State vs. No. 13 Oklahoma State Watch Live on ABC, ESPN2 and WatchESPN
3:30 PM Temple at No. 14 Notre Dame NBC
3:30 PM Central Michigan at No. 17 Michigan Big Ten Network
3:30 PM Syracuse vs. Penn State Watch Live on ABC, ESPN2 and WatchESPN
3:30 PM Brigham Young at Virginia Watch Live on ESPNU and WatchESPN
3:30 PM Northern Illinois at Iowa Big Ten Network
4:00 PM Nicholls State at No. 3 Oregon FOX Sports 1
4:00 PM Louisiana-Lafayette at Arkansas Watch Live on ESPN3.com
4:00 PM NC Central at Duke Watch Live on ESPN3.com
5:30 PM No. 1 Alabama vs. Virginia Tech Watch Live on ESPN and WatchESPN
6:00 PM Eastern Washington at No. 25 Oregon State Pac-12 Network
6:00 PM Howard at Eastern Michigan Watch Live on ESPN3.com
6:00 PM Austin Peay at Tennessee Watch Live on ESPN3.com
7:00 PM Louisiana-Monroe at No. 16 Oklahoma
7:00 PM Washington State at Auburn Watch Live on ESPNU and WatchESPN
7:00 PM McNeese State at South Florida Watch Live on ESPN3.com
7:00 PM Murray State at Missouri Watch Live on ESPN3.com
7:00 PM Old Dominion at East Carolina
7:00 PM Idaho at North Texas
7:00 PM Miami (OH) at Marshall CBS Sports Network
7:00 PM Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Arkansas State Watch Live on ESPN3.com
7:00 PM Texas State at Southern Miss
7:00 PM UAB at Troy Watch Live on ESPN3.com
7:10 PM Kentucky vs. Western Kentucky Watch Live on ESPNNEWS and WatchESPN
7:30 PM Wofford at Baylor
8:00 PM No. 5 Georgia at No. 8 Clemson Watch Live on ABC
8:00 PM New Mexico State at No. 15 Texas
8:00 PM Wyoming at No. 18 Nebraska Big Ten Network
8:00 PM Eastern Illinois at San Diego State
8:00 PM Northern Iowa at Iowa State
8:00 PM UTSA at New Mexico
9:00 PM No. 12 LSU vs. No. 20 TCU Watch Live on ESPN and WatchESPN
10:00 PM No. 19 Boise State at Washington FOX Sports 1
10:00 PM Nevada at No. 21 UCLA Pac-12 Network
10:30 PM No. 22 Northwestern at California Watch Live on ESPN2 and WatchESPN
