What to watch in Week 0 of the 2023 college football season, with TV channels and Saturday start times

There are several exciting games in Week 0 from mid-afternoon till midnight.

 College football aficionados, the 2023 season is almost here. Week 0 has begun. We are now ready to speak about actual games being played on actual fields after a protracted offseason of transfer portal movement, conference realignment, and coaching changes at big universities around the country. 

Even if Week 0 is a lighter version of Week 1, there are still some interesting games to watch. In the opening match of the season, No. 13 Notre Dame will play Navy across the water in Dublin, Ireland. Most experts believe the Fighting Irish aren't CFP contenders, but a great performance in Week 0 might change those predictions if coach Marcus Freeman dominates the Midshipmen on a highly visible, uncontested platform. 

On Saturday night in Los Angeles, No. 6 USC will play Mountain West team San Jose State to kick off its season. The Trojans, led by Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, came within one win of the CFP last season before falling to Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game. Can they overcome this year's obstacles? On Saturday night, we shall see the start of that adventure. 

From Saturday afternoon until late at night, college football fans can enjoy a fantastic day of games. Here is a viewer's manual to assist you in following the action. 

The best games

The top matchups at 2:30 p.m. on NBC, fuboTV (try for free), and No. 13 Notre Dame vs. Navy (in Dublin, Ireland): Sam Hartman, a quarterback who had a spectacularly successful career at Wake Forest, moved to the Fighting Irish. Is he the last piece they need to complete their CFP? Maybe. It would be interesting to watch whether second-year head coach Marcus Freeman allows his Heisman Trophy contender to run wild given that his game on network television will be televised without competition from other games in Week 0 for the bulk of the day.

5:30 p.m.: UTEP vs. Jacksonville State on CBS Sports Network, CBSSports.com, and the CBS Sports App (Free) The inaugural FBS game for Jacksonville State should be exhilarating. It's reasonable to think that Gamecocks coach Rich Rodriguez will have a variety of offensive gimmicks under his sleeve given that the fervent crowd has been anticipating this moment for decades. The Miners would ideally begin the season with a large Conference USA victory.

7:30 p.m., SEC Network, fuboTV (try it free), Hawaii at Vanderbilt: When the Commodores host the Rainbow Warriors under the lights, they will be the first SEC team to get things rolling. With conference victories over Kentucky and Florida, the 'Dores finished the previous campaign well. These were Nashville's first two conference victories under Clark Lea. It is hoped that the momentum brought forth by those two victories will continue and make Vanderbilt, at the very least, a challenging opponent for other SEC opponents. 

No. 6 USC vs. San Jose State at 8 p.m. on the Pac-12 Network on fuboTV (trial offer): The Trojans under Coach Lincoln Riley have big expectations for this season, and Williams is unquestionably the best choice to guide them to ultimate success. Can their defense advance, though? We will see some development in that area on Saturday night, which is what will make or break the season. The Spartans' attack will surely make the Trojans fight for their victory when they go up against them.

Nine o'clock on CBS Sports Network, CBSSports.com, and the CBS Sports App (Free): FIU vs. Louisiana Tech In the second of two Conference USA games in Week 0, Louisiana Tech had an 11.5-point advantage against the Panthers. A victory in the first game will go a long way toward allaying the concerns of both fan groups, both of which ended 2-6 in conference play the previous season. 

The best of the rest will be played between UMass and New Mexico State at 7 p.m. on ESPN and fuboTV (try it free) 

7 p.m. on FS1, FuboTV (try it free), Ohio vs. San Diego State: