Clemson defensive coordinator Tom Allen, who has experienced a night game at LSU, was asked this week what it was like. He gave a smile that said, in the context of everything else going on at LSU and in college football, Ah, nice to talk about something cool.“It’s definitely different,” Allen said of Death Valley at night. “It’s definitely what college football is all about.”If only that were the dominant discussion leading into Week 1. But if anyone is wondering why talk of injunctions and lawsuits is front and center, look at the schedule: There are very few power-conference games, and Lane Kiffin, with all his antics, is part of one of them.Which college football teams are under the most pressure?Chris VanniniThere is just one game between two AP Top 25 teams this week, and it involves Kiffin’s former team — No. 9 Ole Miss — against No. 24 Louisville. This, a year after the first full weekend of action featured three matchups between top-10 teams, and three more ranked teams playing power-conference opponents.Here’s some more bad news: For the next few seasons, the Week 1 outlook is not getting better.In 2027, there are only four nonconference games scheduled for Week 1 that will match power-conference teams. That drops to one in 2028 and zero in 2029. Maybe that changes, but nonconference scheduling is decided so far in advance that it may be locked in.All of this is more about when marquee games are being played than a lack of marquee games. Week 2 and Week 3 — and in some years even Week 4 — have become the popular spot for heavyweight matchups.Ohio State plays at Texas next week. Oklahoma goes to Michigan. Those are among 13 nonconference games between power-conference teams, with six more in Week 3. And the trend holds for the next three seasons:
Is this college football’s worst Week 1 ever? It could be the new normal
The lackluster Week 1 slate is more about when marquee games are being played than a lack of actual marquee games.














