The college football season is finally here, and Saturday’s Week 0 slate brings a nice appetizer for what’s ahead in the 2022 campaign. Of the 11 games involving Football Bowl Subdivision teams in Week 0, four of them are airing on CBS Sports Network in an all-day viewing experience that will stretch into Sunday morning for viewers in some time zones.
The action begins at noon ET when the FBS season gets underway in Bowling Green, Kentucky, as Western Kentucky hosts Austin Peay. Then, UNLV kicks off Year 3 of the Marcus Arroyo era by hosting Idaho State at 3:30 pm before the evening slate brings a pair of FBS vs. FBS showdowns.
Conference USA squads Charlotte and Florida Atlantic are wasting no time getting league play fired up as the two will square off in Boca Raton at 7 pm in a battle of teams looking to bounce back from 5-7 seasons. Finally, the nightcap pits an SEC team against a program in transition as Vanderbilt plays at Hawaii in a 10:30 pm kickoff. The Commodores hope they’ve shaken off the jet lag of a long flight as they take on a Rainbow Warriors team playing its first game under new coach and program great, Timmy Chang
Here is the full rundown of all the Week 0 action on CBS Sports Network. All time Eastern.
Austin Peay at Western Kentucky
Date: Saturday, Aug. 27 | Hour: Noon
Location: Houchens-Smith Stadium — Bowling Green, Kentucky
TV: CBS Sports Network [Channel finder]
Live stream: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App
Storylines: Following a season of prolific offensive production, Western Kentucky is rebooting again due to the departures of quarterback Bailey Zappe and offensive coordinator Zach Kittley. This will be the first look at West Florida transfer quarterback Austin Reed, who posted eye-catching numbers at the Division II level but will now face a marked uptick in competition. Austin Peay is coming off a 6-5 season and transitioning from the Ohio Valley Conference to the Atlantic Sun this season
Idaho State at UNLV
Date: Saturday, Aug. 27 | Hour: 3:30 p.m
Location: Allegiant Stadium — Las Vegas, Nevada
TV: CBS Sports Network [Channel finder]
Live stream: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App
Storylines: UNLV begins the third season of coach Marcus Arroyo’s tenure with just a 2-16 record over the past two seasons. The Rebels should be able to make strides in 2022, however, as they return some quality producers to pair with a nice transfer class. The big question is at quarterback, where Tennessee transfer Harrison Bailey and redshirt sophomore Doug Brumfield have been competing for the job entering the season. Idaho State is coming off a 1-10 season, and it would be a surprise if the Bengals can hang with an FBS opponent.
Charlotte at Florida Atlantic
Date: Saturday, Aug. 27 | Hour: 7 p.m
Location: FAU Stadium — Boca Raton, Florida
TV: CBS Sports Network [Channel finder]
Live stream: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App
Spread: FAU -7 | Will the Owls cover? Check out SportsLine’s Week 0 projections here
Storylines: This is a battle between two Conference USA programs looking to get back to bowl games after disappointing 5-7 finishes in 2021. This should be a solid quarterback battle; both Charlotte’s Chris Reynolds and FAU’s N’Kosi Perry made the Conference USA Preseason Players to Watch list after productive 2021 campaigns.
Vanderbilt at Hawaii
Date: Saturday, Aug. 27 | Hour: 10:30 p.m
Location: Clarence TC Ching Complex — Honolulu, Hawaii
TV: CBS Sports Network [Channel finder]
Live stream: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App
Spread: Vanderbilt -6.5 | Will the Commodores cover? Check out SportsLine’s Week 0 projections
Storylines: Legendary former Hawaii quarterback Timmy Chang begins his head coaching career with a showcase game against Vanderbilt after spending the past 10 seasons as an assistant at various levels of college football. He appears to face a steep rebuild after an unceremonious ending to Todd Graham’s tenure, which featured a mass exodus of players via the transfer portal. Vanderbilt is seeking traction under second-year coach Clark Lea after a 2-10 season in 2021.
Which college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 0, and which big favorite will get a huge scare? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread — all from a proven computer model that has returned almost $3,600 in profit over the past six seasons — and find out.