College football is back in full swing as the majority of FBS teams took the field for the first time on Saturday.

It’s always hard to get a gauge on Week 1 performances when there’s so much to learn about each team as the season progresses.

With that said, here are five takeaways from the first big Saturday of the year.

Billy Napier’s hot seat is scorching after a no-show loss to in-state rival Miami

No. 19 Miami walked into The Swamp with transfer quarterback Cam Ward and looked every bit the part of an ACC title contender. Ward threw for 385 yards and three touchdowns, as the Hurricanes rolled over Florida 41–17.

But as impressive as the victory was for Miami—a team that appears to be the class of an underwhelming ACC—this game signals more about the state of Florida’s program than anything else.

Through two seasons (and one game) of the Billy Napier era, the tenure has been nothing short of an unmitigated disaster. The Gators posted a 6–7 record in Napier’s first season, and followed that up that with a 5–7 record in 2023. 

Napier’s predecessor, Dan Mullen, took Florida to New Year’s Six bowl games in each of his first three seasons, but was fired at the first sign of trouble in Year 4 due to uneven recruiting, athletic department politics and an underwhelming on-field product in 2021.

Three years later, the Gators appear worse off for it. After an 0–1 start, Florida now must navigate one of the toughest schedules in college football to try to make a bowl game in Napier’s third season. 

As if things weren’t bleak enough in Gainesville, Napier’s buyout is $26 million, making for a tricky situation for a program that deserves better.

No. 14 Clemson posts a program referendum loss to No. 1 Georgia

Clemson lost four ACC games in 2023 for the first time since the ‘10 campaign—Dabo Swinney’s second full season as head coach.

If you thought that would be enough for Swinney to change his well-documented aversion to using the transfer portal, think again.

Instead, Swinney doubled down on his program’s culture and doing things his way, while the rest of college football embraced the transfer portal as another method to roster building.

Swinney’s defiance of the current state of affairs in college football has led to his program falling swiftly from the ranks of the sport’s elite class. The Tigers have not made a College Football Playoff appearance since Trevor Lawrence’s junior season in 2020, and the program now seems far more susceptible to losing multiple conference games per year than it does to dominating the ACC like it once did.

Saturday’s 34–3 loss to top-ranked Georgia would have been shocking five years ago. 

Now? It’s expected when the Tigers contend with elite competition. 

And that’s a problem.

No. 8 Penn State found a passing game, making it an actual Big Ten contender and College Football Playoff threat

On paper, No. 8 Penn State entered 2024 as the third-best team in the Big Ten and a program that appeared primed to battle for one of the last handful of spots in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.

Based on a 2023 season that saw the program go 10–3 behind a stout defense but an offense that lacked a legitimate passing game against top-flight competition, a similar formula seemed reasonable enough to get Penn State into this year’s playoff.

But if the passing game in 2024 takes as big of a step forward for the entire season as it did on Saturday against West Virginia, then look out.

Penn State head coach James Franklin hired Andy Kotelnicki away from Kansas in the offseason to become the program’s primary play-caller and spearhead an improved passing game, and the early returns on Saturday were phenomenal.

Junior quarterback Drew Allar tossed three touchdown passes as the Nittany Lions cruised into Morgantown and came away with a convincing 34–12 victory over West Virginia.

Allar looked more comfortable in the pocket than he did at any time last season, and if Saturday is any indication, Penn State looks primed to not only seriously compete for a Big Ten crown, but perhaps win a game or two in the College Football Playoff.

No. 3 Oregon and No. 9 Michigan left plenty to be desired in their season opening victories 

No. 3 Oregon was a 44-point favorite against theIdaho Vandals of the FCS, while No. 9 Michigan was favored by three scores against Fresno State. Both teams escaped with victories, but neither was particularly pretty.

For Michigan, this was somewhat expected, given the turnover on the coaching staff and across the roster following last year’s national championship. Even so, the Michigan quarterback situation appears to be a total mess. Former walk-on Davis Warren earned the starting nod over junior Alex Orji, a former four-star recruit, which probably says more about the staff’s lack of confidence in Orji throwing the football than anything else.

Warren completed 15 of his 25 passing attempts for a mere 118 yards with one touchdown and one interception. That was good enough on Saturday night to earn the Wolverines a 30–10 victory over Fresno State, but certainly won’t be good enough next Saturday when Michigan hosts the Texas Longhorns in the Big House.

Oregon, meanwhile, couldn’t gain separation from Idaho in their 24–14 win thanks to plenty of sloppiness. The Ducks had a missed field goal, a fumble on the edge of the red zone and two failed fourth down conversion attempts despite outgaining the Vandals by nearly 300 yards.

Michigan’s issues can be easily tied to a downgrade at quarterback, while Oregon simply could not stop stepping on its own feet against an overmatched opponent. But more will be expected in the near future.

No. 7 Notre Dame’s offensive line struggled, but the Irish defense was still elite in a road win over No. 20 Texas A&M

Much of the talk entering the game of the day in college football between No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 20 Texas A&M in College Station revolved around the Irish’s inexperienced offensive line going up against an Aggies defensive front featuring plenty of future NFL talent.

Notre Dame struggled offensively throughout the night as expected, but came through in the clutch when it needed to the most. With the game tied at 13 with 6:12 remaining in regulation, the Irish embarked on a back-breaking eight-play, 85-yard touchdown drive capped off by a 21-yard touchdown scamper by running back Jeremiyah Love.

The Irish defense, like it did all night, closed out the Aggies on their final offensive possession of the night with less than two minutes remaining, and added a late field goal to cap off an impressive 23–13 road victory to spoil Mike Elko’s Texas A&M debut.

Notre Dame is a likely favorite in each of their remaining 11 games, and earned an early feather in the cap to their College Football Playoff resume.

Extra Points

It’s the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, which means the full chaos of college football has truly arrived.

There were 21 games on Thursday — including Colorado’s win against perennial FCS powerhouse North Dakota State — and six games Friday before a full slate on Saturday.

No. 1 Georgia got things started with an absolute show of force, blasting No. 14 Clemson 34-3 in their season opener. Heisman favorite Carson Beck was on point throughout, throwing for 278 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

The nightcap is a showdown between No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 20 Texas A&M.

(All times are Eastern.)

Time: 7:30 p.m. | TV: ABC | Line: Texas A&M -3 | Total: 46.5

Notre Dame doesn’t shy away from tough openers, and this is no exception. Saturday night is QB Riley Leonard’s first game in a Notre Dame uniform after transferring to Duke, but he’ll be playing behind a revamped offensive line that lost three starters from 2023. First-year Texas A&M coach Mike Elko brings a defense that has lots of new faces but is still plenty talented. And QB Connor Weigman returns as the Aggies’ starting quarterback with the goal of staying healthy for the whole season.

Week 1 of the NCAA college football season has arrived. Today, the University of Miami Hurricanes face the University of Florida Gators in their 2024 season opener.  Both teams feature veteran quarterbacks in Cam Ward and Graham Mertz respectively, promising a terrific Saturday of college football.

Keep reading to find out how and when to watch the Miami vs. Florida game, even if you don’t have cable. 

How and when to watch the Miami vs. Florida NCAA college football game

The Miami vs. Florida game will be played on Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 3:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. PT). The college football game will air on ABC, and stream on Sling TV and the platforms featured below.

How and when to watch today’s Miami vs. Florida game without cable

While many cable packages include ABC, it’s easy to watch the game if ABC isn’t included in your cable TV subscription, or if you don’t have cable at all. Your best options for watching are below. (Streaming options will require an internet provider.)

Sling TV: The most cost-effective way to stream college football

If you don’t have cable TV that includes ABC, one of the most cost-effective ways to stream college football this season is through a subscription to Sling TV. We suggest leveling up your coverage to the Orange + Blue with Sports Extra tier to get more NFL and college football games this fall.

The Orange + Blue plan regularly costs $60 per month, but the streamer currently offers a half off promotion for your first month, so you’ll pay just $30. The Orange + Blue with Sports Extra plan is $45 for your first month and $75 per month after. The Sports Extras add-on ($15/mo.) features 18 channels, including ESPNU, SEC Network, Big 10 Network and ACC Network, making it ideal for college football fans.

The streamer is also currently offering big savings on four months of the Orange + Blue tier plus the Sports Extra plan when you prepay for the Sling TV Season Pass. The plan costs $219, reduced from $300.

Note: Because Sling TV does not carry CBS, Sling subscribers will want to add Paramount+ to their bundle.

Paramount+ and CBS Essentials are both subsidiaries of Paramount Global.

Top features of Sling TV Orange + Blue plan:

• Sling TV is our top choice for streaming major sporting events like NASCAR.
• There are 52 channels to watch in total, including local ESPN, NBC, Fox and ABC affiliates (where available).
• You get access to most local NFL games and nationally broadcast games at the lowest price.
• All subscription tiers include 50 hours of cloud-based DVR storage.
• You can add Golf Channel, NBA TV, NHL Network, NFL RedZone, MLB Network, Tennis Channel and more sports-oriented channels (18 in total) via Sling TV’s Sports Extras add-on.

Watch the Miami vs. Florida game free with FuboTV

You can watch every college football game airing on network TV, including today’s game, on FuboTV. FuboTV is a sports-centric streaming service that offers access to almost every college football and NFL game of the season. Packages include CBS, Fox Sunday NFC games via “NFL on Fox”, NBC (Sunday Night Football), ESPN (Monday Night Football), NFL Network and more, so you’ll be able to watch more than just today’s games, all without a cable subscription.

To watch college football without cable, start a seven-day free trial of Fubo. You can begin watching immediately on your TV, phone, tablet or computer. In addition to NFL football, FuboTV offers MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and international soccer games. 

Top features of FuboTV Pro Tier:

• There are no contracts with FuboTV — you can cancel at any time.
• The Pro tier includes over 180 channels, including NFL Network. (You’ll need to upgrade to Ultimate for NFL RedZone.)
• FuboTV includes all the channels you’ll need to watch college and pro football, including CBS (not available through Sling TV).
• All tiers come with 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR recording.
• Stream on your TV, phone, tablet and other devices.

Watch the Miami vs. Florida game on Hulu + Live TV

You can watch college football, including ABC and ESPN with Hulu + Live TV. The bundle features access to 90 channels, including both Fox and FS1. Unlimited DVR storage is also included. Watch every game on every network with Hulu + Live TV, plus catch live NFL preseason games, exclusive live regular season games, popular studio shows (including NFL Total Access and the Emmy-nominated show Good Morning Football) and lots more.

Hulu + Live TV comes bundled with ESPN+ and Disney+ for $77 per month after a three-day free trial.

Watch college football on ESPN+

ESPN+ will stream some college football games this year, including today’s Miami vs. Florida game. ESPN+ is ESPN’s subscription streaming platform, which offers coverage of some of Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark’s WNBA games, original studio shows and top-tier series that aren’t accessible on the ESPN networks. ESPN+ subscribers may purchase UFC PPV events and access the platform’s vast archive of on-demand content, including the entire 30 For 30 catalog, game replays and select ESPN films. 

ESPN+ offers exclusive live sports, original shows, and a vast library of on-demand content, including the entire 30 For 30 series and more. Here’s a sampling of what’s available on ESPN+:

• Exclusive fantasy sports tools and content from some of the sports world’s most respected voices in sports.  
• Every Fight Night UFC event UFC PPV event (PPV events are subject to an additional charge).
• Soccer including EFL Championship, US Open Cup and Bundesliga.
• College sports including the Ivy League, Big Sky Conference and Atlantic A10 Conference.
• MLB and the World Series.
• Top-tier tennis including the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
• The PGA Tour and the Masters.

It is important to note that ESPN+ does not include access to the ESPN network. It is a separate sports-centric service, with separate sports programming. An ESPN+ subscription costs $11 per month. Or save 15% when you pay annually ($110).  

If you’re anxiously waiting for today’s game to begin, now is a great time to check out Amazon’s college football fan shop. The Amazon College Fan Shop is filled to the brim with officially licensed fan gear: You’ll find jerseys, team flags, T-shirts, hoodies and more, including tons of great gear for the football fan in your life. There are plenty of great deals awaiting you at Amazon, too, including some must-see deals on TVs for watching sports.

Tap the button below to head directly to the College Fan Shop page on Amazon and select your favorite team.

Who is favored to win today’s Miami vs. Florida college football game?

According to our sister site CBS Sports, the Miami Hurricanes are a 2.5-point favorite to win today’s game against the University of Florida Gators.

What is the Miami Hurricanes current team ranking?

The University of Miami Hurricanes are currently ranked 16 out of 134 teams, according to our sister site CBS Sports.

What is the Florida Gators current team ranking?

The University of Florida Gators are currently ranked 38 out of 134 teams, according to CBS Sports.

When is the 2024 NCAA college football championship game?

The College Football Playoff National Championship will be Monday, January 20, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.