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Fox Sports
2 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Big Noon Saturday: Top storylines to watch for in four must-see matchups
You know college football season is just around the corner when kickoff dates are set. On Thursday, FOX Sports announced a couple of high-profile matchups that will appear in the "Big Noon Saturday" slot this season. Week 1 begins with the ultimate opening-weekend showdown between Texas and Ohio State, which will likely be a preseason top-five matchup at The Horseshoe. In Week 2, Iowa visits Iowa State in the annual Cy-Hawk Trophy rivalry on Sept. 6. In Week 3, defending Big Ten champion Oregon visits Northwestern on Sept. 13. And then, the final week of the regular season, "Big Noon Saturday" will be live from Ann Arbor for "The Game" between Michigan and Ohio State. The Buckeyes are the reigning national champions, but can they end the Wolverines' winning streak in this rivalry? Here is a look at what to watch for in those matchups: Week 1: Texas at Ohio State (Aug. 30 on FOX) After waiting patiently on the bench for two years, it's finally Arch Manning's turn to be the starting quarterback at Texas. He offers a different skill set from his predecessor, Quinn Ewers, which will inevitably open up the playbook for coach Steve Sarkisian. But while the Longhorns are set at QB, Ohio State is not. There's a battle brewing in Columbus between Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz, while true freshman Tavien St. Clair is waiting in the wings. Don't be surprised if we don't know who comes out on top until these teams are running out of their respective tunnels on Aug. 30. Of course, there's plenty more intrigue surrounding this game. It's a Cotton Bowl rematch – the Buckeyes beat the Longhorns in the College Football Playoff semifinal in January to book their trip to the national championship, which they won. And while plenty of star players have moved on to the NFL from both teams, there are plenty of guys returning who played in that game. Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and safety Caleb Downs are widely considered to be the best offensive and defensive players in the country this year. Texas enters this season having made consecutive CFP semifinals and is hungry to win its first national championship since Vince Young was in Austin. Sarkisian has the depth to do it, and beating Ohio State on the road to open the season would be a nice early résumé booster. Ohio State, meanwhile, might look different than it did a year ago, but Ryan Day still has a strong roster that could make a CFP run. Week 2: Iowa at Iowa State (Sept. 6 on FOX) Last year, Iowa State kicker Kyle Konrardy nailed a 54-yard field goal with five seconds left to lift his team to a 20-19 win over rival Iowa at Kinnick Stadium. So, it's safe to say that the Hawkeyes will be seeking revenge in this year's Cy-Hawk game. For the Cyclones, Rocco Becht is back at quarterback after a solid sophomore year. He completed 59% of his passes for 3,505 yards and 25 touchdowns with nine interceptions last season. He was rumored to be interested in transferring to Tennessee this offseason, but then publicly stated his commitment to the Cyclones. Becht helped lead the team to a historic 11-3 record which culminated in a trip to the Big 12 championship game – the program's second-ever appearance. Though they were embarrassed by Arizona State, 45-19, Matt Campbell's team responded a few weeks later by defeating then-No. 13 Miami, 42-41, in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Becht was named MVP. Meanwhile, Iowa has a new QB this year in South Dakota State transfer Mark Gronowski, who comes to Iowa City as a two-time FCS national champion. He had shoulder surgery this offseason, but told reporters in April that he's recovering and expects to be "100 percent" and ready to go by June 1. Elsewhere on the roster, the Hawkeyes are working to reload after losing a chunk of starters from both sides of the ball. This includes replacing last year's Big Ten leading rusher, Kaleb Johnson (now with the Pittsburgh Steelers), who ran for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2024. Keep an eye on sophomore Kamari Moulton to be that guy. Oregon at Northwestern (Sept. 13 on FOX) The most intriguing part of Oregon's team will be how quarterback Dante Moore progresses in his first year as the Ducks' starter. Moore, who transferred from UCLA ahead of last season, sat on the bench all of 2024 while learning under Heisman Trophy finalist Dillon Gabriel. It will help him to have various offensive weapons, including Florida State transfer receiver Malik Benson, which will soften the blow of losing Tez Johnson to the NFL. Oregon also has the fifth-best transfer class, according to 247 Sports. Quarterback is also one of the more interesting storylines for Northwestern with the arrival of SMU transfer Preston Stone. He was the Mustangs' starter to begin last season until he lost his job to Kevin Jennings, who led the program to the CFP. Stone stayed at SMU through the playoff, however, and brings that experience to a Wildcats' offense that struggled mightily last season, ranking 130 out of 134 teams. On the other side of the ball, Moore will have to keep an eye out for defensive end Aidan Hubbard, who has 13 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss in three seasons. Ohio State at Michigan (Nov. 29 on FOX) Ohio State might have won the national championship last year, but they have also lost four straight years to archrival Michigan. And while there's a contingent of fans who are happy the Buckeyes won a title, there's another that won't be satisfied until they beat the Wolverines again. Last year was the year to do it – Michigan's roster was depleted after winning the national championship, while Ohio State had NFL-ready talent delay going pro just to come back to Columbus in order to win The Game and a national title. This year, the programs are more evenly matched and both will have new starting QBs. At Michigan, early signs point to No.1-ranked recruit Bryce Underwood. He will be coached by new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey, who worked with Drake Maye at North Carolina. At Ohio State, all eyes are on Sayin and Kienholz, and their new OC, Brian Hartline. Both teams have to reload defensively, though both have bright spots in the secondary. Ohio State has Downs, while Michigan has Rod Moore, who returns after missing all of last season with a knee injury. Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman . [Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily .] recommended Get more from College Football Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kickoff times, broadcast networks announced for six Texas Longhorns games
The kickoff times and the broadcast networks have been announced for six games of the Texas Longhorns 2025 football schedule. We've known for a week that the Longhorns season opener on Aug. 30 at the Horseshoe in Columbus, OH would be the 2025 debut of Big Noon Saturday on Fox Sports. The Cotton Bowl rematch is the premier game in week one of the college football season will start at 11 a.m. Austin time. Advertisement Of course, Ohio State and Fox Sports asked Texas for permission to move the game to Sunday night. The Longhorns athletic department denied that request. 'Why would I want to move the game to Sunday night and have a short week? I've got to go to church,' Del Conte said Wednesday, citing concerns over recovery time and personal priorities. The rest of the first half of the schedule is now public. Texas will host San Jose State on Sept. 6 on ABC. The game will also start at 11am. UTEP will be the Longhorns next opponent. The Miners will visit Austin on Sept. 13 at 3 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. Advertisement Sam Houston State will be Texas' fourth game. The Bearkats game will be at night, starting at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN+. Texas' SEC schedule kicks off with the Red River Shootout in Dallas. The game at the Cotton Bowl in Fair Park will start at 2:30 p.m. CT and will air on ABC. Finally, the Lone Star Showdown against Texas A&M will take place on Nov. 28 at 6:30 p.m. CT. The Longhorns will host the Aggies for the first time in 15 years. This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Six start times, networks announced for Texas Longhorns 2025 schedule
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Kickoff times, broadcast networks announced for six Texas Longhorns games
Kickoff times, broadcast networks announced for six Texas Longhorns games Mark your calendars! Kickoff times and networks have been announced 🤘 — Texas Football (@TexasFootball) May 29, 2025 The kickoff times and the broadcast networks have been announced for six games of the Texas Longhorns 2025 football schedule. We've known for a week that the Longhorns season opener on Aug. 30 at the Horseshoe in Columbus, OH would be the 2025 debut of Big Noon Saturday on Fox Sports. The Cotton Bowl rematch is the premier game in week one of the college football season will start at 11 a.m. Austin time. Of course, Ohio State and Fox Sports asked Texas for permission to move the game to Sunday night. The Longhorns athletic department denied that request. 'Why would I want to move the game to Sunday night and have a short week? I've got to go to church,' Del Conte said Wednesday, citing concerns over recovery time and personal priorities. The rest of the first half of the schedule is now public. Texas will host San Jose State on Sept. 6 on ABC. The game will also start at 11am. UTEP will be the Longhorns next opponent. The Miners will visit Austin on Sept. 13 at 3 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. Sam Houston State will be Texas' fourth game. The Bearkats game will be at night, starting at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN+. Texas' SEC schedule kicks off with the Red River Shootout in Dallas. The game at the Cotton Bowl in Fair Park will start at 2:30 p.m. CT and will air on ABC. Finally, the Lone Star Showdown against Texas A&M will take place on Nov. 28 at 6:30 p.m. CT. The Longhorns will host the Aggies for the first time in 15 years.
Fox Sports
3 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Jackson Arnold, Dante Moore among names to know ahead of FOX College Football Friday
FOX Sports announced a portion of its 2025 college football schedule on Thursday afternoon, and it is stacked with must-see matchups. In addition to announcing the first three "Big Noon Saturday" games of the season and the entire Week 1 slate, which is highlighted by a heavyweight showdown between Texas and Ohio State, FOX also announced the return of "FOX College Football Friday," which will mostly feature a mixture of Big Ten and Big 12 matchups. "FOX College Football Friday" kicks off on Aug. 29 with Auburn taking on Baylor in Waco, Texas, and concludes with the Mountain West Championship on Dec. 5 on FOX. With the likes of Auburn, Nebraska, USC, Oregon and Arizona State all featured on "FOX College Football Friday," there will be plenty of individual star power taking the field. Let's take a look at the complete Friday night slate and then highlight eight names to watch this fall during "FOX College Football Friday." Auburn at Baylor (Friday, Aug. 29 on FOX) Player to watch: Jackson Arnold, QB, Auburn I'm eagerly awaiting to find out if Auburn coach Hugh Freeze believes Arnold is good enough to start for not just one, but two SEC programs in two years. Arnold showed up to Oklahoma after winning National Gatorade Player of the Year at Guyer High School (Denton, Texas) in 2022. In his first start at Oklahoma, he completed 26 of 45 passes for 361 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions in an Alamo Bowl loss to Arizona. Every other start after that failed to hit that high-water mark, even after helping Oklahoma get past No. 7 Alabama last season. At Auburn, Arnold enters the building as the most talented prospect in what should be a loaded QB room for Freeze. Kansas State at Arizona (Friday, Sept. 12 on FOX) Player to watch: Avery Johnson, QB, Kansas State Johnson will begin this season as the front-runner to win Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year after passing for more than 2,700 yards and rushing for more than 600 with 32 total touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a sophomore. Alongside the explosive Dylan Edwards, Kansas State's backfield is the fastest in the Big 12. The Wildcats should feel good about their chances of winning the Big 12 title and being selected for the College Football Playoff for the first time in school history this season. Iowa at Rutgers (Friday, Sept. 19 on FOX) Player to watch: Mark Gronowski, QB, Iowa For too long, the Hawkeyes have longed for a quarterback who could simply get out of the way of Phil Parker's otherworldly defense. For nearly the first half of the season last year, Cade McNamara was able to do just that. But after an injury, the Hawkeyes were forced to put their offensive hopes and dreams on the back of departed running back Kaleb Johnson. Now, they need a great QB more than ever and Kirk Ferentz found one in Gronowski. His pedigree is that of a winner. He is 49-6 as a starter, a two-time FCS national champion, Walter Payton Player of the Year (FCS Heisman) and a first-team All-American. His ability to make plays in the passing and rushing game makes him a natural fit for Ferentz's ball-control, complimentary style of football. TCU at Arizona State (Friday, Sept. 26 on FOX) Player to watch: Josh Hoover, QB, TCU After throwing for more than 3,900 yards with 27 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, Hoover should be expected to be a 4,000-yard, 30-TD QB in 2025. Indeed, his talent on tape is so prodigious that he reportedly t urned down a seven-figure NIL deal to transfer . Last season, Hoover threw for at least 212 yards in every start and at least 300 yards in six of his starts. Nebraska at Minnesota (Friday, Oct. 17 on FOX) Player to watch: Dylan Raiola, QB, Nebraska Raiola enters his sophomore season having led the Huskers to their first bowl game appearance in eight seasons. The next step in his evolution needs to be contending for the Big Ten championship. In a league that has produced the last two national champions, that's a tough task. But so is playing through the middle of the field where many expect Minnesota to be. If Raiola can mature into a credible downfield passer, accumulate 3,500 passing yards and 30 passing touchdowns with Dana Holgorsen calling plays, there's every reason to believe the Huskers can put themselves in position to contend for a CFP spot. Northwestern at USC (Friday, Nov. 7 on FOX) Player to watch: Jayden Maiva, QB, USC After getting his first start against Nebraska last year, Maiva threw for at least 221 yards in each game and accumulated 15 total touchdowns. In partnership with Lincoln Riley, Maiva could turn into one of the upper-tier QBs in the Big Ten. Minnesota at Oregon (Friday, Nov. 14 on FOX) Player to watch: Dante Moore, QB, Oregon At this point in the season, quarterback Dante Moore and wide receiver Dakorien Moore ought to have generated a partnership worth national recognition. This quarterback-wideout combo features one of the most entertaining passers of the 2023 class with the best wide receiver in the 2025 class. Following Heisman finalists Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel, Dante Moore has the physical tools to lead Oregon to another Big Ten championship. Arizona at Arizona State (Friday, Nov. 28 on FOX) Player to watch: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State Not many wideouts were more dependable and prolific as Tyson was at Arizona State last season. In four of his last six games for the Sun Devils, Tyson recorded 100 receiving yards or more — one game with 99 — and ended the season with 75 catches for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdown catches. With Sam Leavitt back at QB, Tyson could be the best wideout in the Big 12. RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him at @RJ_Young . Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience College Football recommended Get more from College Football Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Ohio State vs. Texas move to Sunday primetime blocked by Longhorns, Fox exec says
Ohio State vs. Texas move to Sunday primetime blocked by Longhorns, Fox exec says Show Caption Hide Caption Jeremiah Smith, Ryan Williams on cover of EA Sports College Football '26 EA Sports chose Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith and Alabama's Ryan Williams to be on the cover of College Football '26. We talk to the athletes about what this moment means to them. There has been plenty of discussion around the time for the season opener between Ohio State and Texas, and the Longhorns ultimately determined it. The College Football Playoff semifinal rematch will kickoff the 2025 season in one of the most highly anticipated Week 1 games. When it was announced the game would be on Fox, the belief was the game would kick off at noon ET as part of the network's "Big Noon Saturday." The gametime was confirmed Thursday. The timeslot has been widely disapproved of by Buckeyes fans, so much that an Ohio lawmaker introduced legislation to prevent Ohio State from playing early afternoon games. Understanding the implications of the matchup, Ohio State reportedly tried to move the game to Sunday − with no NFL − for a primetime kickoff. However, Fox Sports president of insights and analytics Mike Mulvihill said Texas blocked the move. 'There was a deal in place between Fox and Ohio State to move the game to Sunday night,' Mulvihill told The Athletic. 'We felt like Week 1 prior to NFL kickoff gave us an opportunity to look at sort of an alternate scenario, and then Texas exercised their contractual right to keep the game on Saturday, which is completely their right. I can understand why they would take that position, but we did work with the school to try to come up with a different scenario and get the game to Sunday." Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte confirmed to ESPN he vetoed the decision, citing the short week it would create for the Longhorns. Texas plays San Jose State in Week 2 at noon ET. Noon kickoffs have drawn the ire for Ohio State fans. When Fox debuted "Big Noon Saturday," the network could air a premier matchup in the first timeslot of the day as ESPN and CBS typically aired their top game in the late afternoon and evening. It's worked for ratings, but at the cost of people attending the game. Fans argue the early kickoff times force them to wake up earlier in the morning and give them less time to tailgate, in addition to losing the atmosphere that night games provide. Ohio State has been a consistent College Football Playoff contender, and thus has made it an easy choice for Fox to pick for the noon timeslot. Five of Ohio State's eight home games during the regular 2024 season were at noon, including the last six games of the regular season. The Buckeyes are also confirmed to have another Fox noon kickoff in the regular season finale at Michigan on Nov. 29, which is the rivalry's traditional time.
