The Return of On Tap

Helping you get your weekend (football) viewing priorities straight since 2007


Thursday


8:00 (ESPN) NC State @ South Carolina. Technically not the first game of the season, but the first game available to the masses. I will generally tune into any game that Steve Spurrier is coaching a team other than Florida just to see how frustrated he gets with the inferior talent that he has.

9:00 (ESPN2) Oregon State @ Stanford. Get your Cardinal season tickets, if they suck too badly for your liking they will refund your money (but only if you give the tickets to the USC game back).


Saturday


12:00 (BTN) Youngstown State @ Ohio State. I get the Big Ten Network?? I mean, I get the Big Ten Network!!!!!! Oh how I can’t wait for the mid week Northwestern – Indiana women’s volleyball match.

12:00 (ESPN) Virginia Tech vs. East Carolina (Charlotte). I have nothing special to say here, other than a noon game available to people with out the BTN (does anybody not get the BTN?).

3:30 (ABC) Utah @ Michigan. The beginning of the RichRod era at Michigan. As much as I hate people piling on the Big Ten I can’t help but hope Utah wins this game. I can’t stand Rodriguez. As I read somewhere (can’t remember or I would cite it) “Lloyd Carr could not coach his way out of a paper bag, but he was always a class act”. I miss Lloyd and his gray sweatshirt already.

3:30 (ABC) USC @ Virginia. Of course since scUM will be dominating the airways in the Midwest I will not be able to watch this game. USC should pound UVA but it is nice to see them go on the road to play a non-conference BCS team the first week of the season. And stranger upsets have happened in week 1s past.

5:00 (ESPN) Appalachian State @ LSU. Something like only the fourth time that two outright champions from different divisions have played each other in the year following their championships (good to know huh?).

8:00 (ABC) Alabama vs. Clemson (Atlanta). Another BCS conference match up in the week one slate. Clemson should have a solid chance to win the ACC and Bama is looking to build off the 7 point loss at home to Louisiana State (and Louisana-Monroe two weeks later).

8:00 (ABC) Michigan State @ California. A win for MSU would help start changing the national perception of the Big Ten. A win for Cal would not mean a whole lot, but a loss would just be a start to another season of underachieving.

8:30 (ESPN) Illinois vs. Missouri (St. Louis). Arguably the best game of the day, depending on whether or not Juice Williams shows up to play more than just an over glorified running back for the Illini. Mizzou is looking to kick off there season in attempt to win not just the Big 12 but possibly a shot at the national title.


Sunday


3:30 (ESPN) Kentucky @ Louisville. A great big battle of who the f cares, but it is Sunday and it is football.


Monday


4:00 (ESPN) Fresno State @ Rutgers. Fresno State starts their campaign to be the third straight WAC team to crash the BSC. Rutgers just hopes to enjoy the last year of Greg Schaino before he heads off to resurrect Penn State.

8:00 (ESPN) Tennessee @ UCLA. I have no idea what to think of these teams. UCLA should be at least interesting (in a scandal sort of way) with Rich Neuheisel at the helm, and I keep hearing grumblings about the new offense at Tenn is supposed to liven things up. I just don’t know how the quarterback is going to get this signs with Fat Phil Fulmer clogging up the sidelines.