College football preview: The five biggest Saturdays for your calendar

The 2024 college football season has been blessed with 14 Saturdays of regular-season play — one more than normal — plus a 15th for conference championship games.

Combine the calendar extension with playoff expansion, which will make more games meaningful later in the season, and the fan experience this fall will be unlike any in the sport’s history.

Few among us can commit 14 consecutive hours each weekend for three consecutive months to watching all the action on the big and small screens.

The Hotline is here to help.

We have selected the five biggest Saturdays, identified the most attractive matchups (based on preseason expectations) and added context on kickoff times and TV networks.

The dates below are listed in chronological order, with AP preseason rankings.

(All times Pacific)

September 14

Also known as: Week Three
Five showdowns: No. 21 Arizona at No. 18 Kansas State (Friday), No. 5 Alabama at Wisconsin, No. 3 Oregon at Oregon State, Washington State vs. Washington and Colorado at Colorado State
What we know: We cheated by including the Arizona-Kansas State matchup, on Fox at 5 p.m. It’s a non-conference affair that was scheduled before Arizona joined the Big 12 but counts as high-quality viewing nonetheless. (Both teams should contend for the conference title.) Fox is back in the spotlight Saturday morning with Alabama’s trip to Madison in the Big Noon window (9 a.m.), followed by the Civil War at 12:30 p.m. That doubles as the start time for the Apple Cup, which will be shown exclusively on Peacock. (A Seattle Mariners game prevented it from being played in the late afternoon on NBC.) Meanwhile, CBS has the Colorado-CSU affair at 4:30 p.m., a rematch of one of the highest-rated games of last season.

October 12

Also known as: Week Seven
Five showdowns: No. 2 Ohio State at No. 3 Oregon, No. 6 Mississippi at No. 13 LSU, No. 8 Penn State at No. 23 USC, Washington at No. 25 Iowa and No. 4 Texas vs. No. 16 Oklahoma
What we know: The super-mega-showdown in Eugene will be on NBC at 4:30 p.m., according to public comment by Fox executives. (NBC grabbed the game following a trade of in-season selections with Fox.) Meanwhile, the Red River Rivalry is set for 12:30 p.m. The network of choice hasn’t been revealed, but there are only two options, ABC and ESPN, given the SEC’s all-in deal with Disney. The Penn State-USC affair cannot fill the Big Noon window because of the West Coast location, so it will likely land in the 12:30 p.m. slot on CBS. Washington-Iowa seemingly works for the Big Noon window, unless Fox opts for Colorado-Kansas State.

November 2

Also known as: Week 10
Five showdowns: No. 2 Ohio State at No. 8 Penn State, No. 3 Oregon at No. 9 Michigan, No. 23 USC at Washington, Florida vs. No. 1 Georgia and Wisconsin at No. 25 Iowa
What we know: Arguably the best day for Big Ten viewing with a stellar lineup of marquee games. Fox will use the Big Noon window for one of the top-10 matchups, depending on which duel has higher stakes. CBS or NBC will select whichever game Fox does not, with USC-Washington potentially going to the Big Ten media partner with the third selection. The Cocktail Party in Jacksonville is already set for 12:30 p.m. on ABC.

November 9

Also known as: Week 11
Five showdowns: No. 1 Georgia at No. 6 Mississippi, No. 5 Alabama at No. 13 LSU, No. 16 Oklahoma at No. 11 Missouri, No. 10 Florida State at No. 7 Notre Dame and Washington at No. 8 Penn State
What we know: As usual with major Notre Dame home games, kickoff in South Bend for the Seminoles’ visit is 4:30 p.m. on NBC. Otherwise, the broadcast lineup is in flux. Given that the Big 12 schedule is a tad light, Fox could opt for Washington-Penn State in the Big Noon window, which would suggest the dreaded 9 a.m. (body time) kickoff for the Huskies. The SEC showdowns will be on ABC and ESPN, perhaps in triple-header fashion. The Week 11 schedule is so loaded that we didn’t seriously consider the Holy War (Utah vs. Brigham Young) or Florida-Texas for our top five.

November 30

Also known as: Week 14
Five showdowns: No. 9 Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State, Washington at No. 3 Oregon, Auburn at No. 5 Alabama, No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 23 USC and No. 16 Oklahoma at No. 13 LSU
What we know: Fox has already selected Michigan-Ohio State, the most valuable game in college football, for the Big Noon window. Beyond that, the broadcast lineup depends on the magnitude of the games. Our hunch — and that’s all it is, folks —  is Washington-Oregon ends up in the 12:30 p.m. window controlled by CBS, while Notre Dame-USC lands on NBC in the primetime slot. But that order could flip. CBS might not pass on the chance to show Notre Dame, even if there are limited stakes in the Coliseum.

Previously published content on the 2024 season

Heat check: Five coaches under pressure
How the Big Ten TV selections work
College Football Playoff predictions
Pac-12 bowl projections
ACC projections
Big 12 projections
Big Ten projections
Mountain West projections
Five major trap games in 2024
My AP Top 25 ballot
Analyzing the Big 12 schedule
Your guide to CFP (and other) changes

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