Well, here we are, college football fans. The longest offseason in the history of our lives is (sort of) over. Week 1 is officially happening. The stands might be empty in some cases. In others, they'll be sparse. Bands might not be filling the awkward silences, and the pageantry might be muted. But there will be football, and if last weekend is any indication, the action on the field will be delightfully weird in all the ways we've all grown to love. College GameDay had a different feel, from Lee Corso's home set with cutouts of his teammates (below) to Kirk Herbstreit's emotional appeal to empathy for the social justice issues about which players are speaking out (above). Many of our sport's greatest teams are still sidelined, and their return is still hotly debated. But for now, there are players on fields around the country until around midnight. We'll be watching and keeping tabs for you. Saturday's scores, Monday scheduleSMU 31, Texas State 24
Army 42, Middle Tennessee State 0
Marshall 59, EKU 0 Monday at 8: BYU at Navy, ESPN/ESPN app (Line: BYU -1.5)
Haydel, you're an all-starJeremiah Haydel did his best Odell Beckham Jr. impression for Texas State with this insane one-handed touchdown grab.
Army strongHow dominant was Army against Middle Tennessee? Army ran one drive from 1:32 left in the third quarter to 4:06 remaining left in the fourth quarter without completing a single pass, and with only one run play that gained less than 2 yards. Is that good?
Turnover signifier watchSMU doesn't just have a simple object to celebrate football thievery. They're poppin' bottles.
College football's best tradition goes onFor three years, Iowa fans' tradition of waving to patients at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital represents the best of the sport. And that wasn't going to stop just because the Big Ten season is on hold.
Breakfast of championsYes, Nick Saban has heard about the new Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies cereal, so quit askin'. The legendary Alabama coach's love for his favorite snack is well-documented, and now, he has another way to indulge. Trust the processed sugar.
They got Jet Skis?Clemson got in on "Laugh Now Cry Later" action by making its own video for Drake's song (which features Lil Durk, of course).
A real-life uniform revealAccording to Texas State's equipment staff, the team's new uniforms were delayed getting to customs and didn't arrive at the local UPS hub until Saturday morning, just hours before kickoff against SMU. The staffers picked the uniforms up themselves and got back to get them on the shoulder pads at 12:30 p.m., before the players arrived at 1.
The Huskers are just wingin' it nowWhat looked like a new Scott Frost video calling for the return of Nebraska football got even saucier on Friday. Frost was relieved by Ander Christensen, the chicken enthusiast who was last spotted asking the Lincoln city council to ban the term "boneless wings" when they're really nothing more than "saucy nugs." "Just like a wing without a bone is just saucy nug," Christensen said, "a Saturday without Husker football is just a Saturday."
Signs o' the timesCollege GameDay at home
Can't have a GameDay without the coach. Lee Corso kicked off the first show of the season with his own desk, and the rest of the gang was all there. That might take some getting used to
The one-season Notre Dame/ACC alliance looks a lot more official with the logo on the turf at Notre Dame Stadium. Nice work, Memphis
The Liberty Bowl won't be packed for the Tigers' season opener against Arkansas State, but it's as packed as we can get to have college football.
Elsewhere in the CFB universeBig Earl's Flavortown adventures
Earl Campbell has had quite the offseason. Texas honored him by renaming its field Campbell-Williams Field in honor of him and fellow Heisman hero Ricky Williams. Now Campbell is rollin' out, lookin' for America's greatest "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" host with very large gifts. Here's hoping those horns are mounted on the Triple-D Camaro soon. Dogs and cats, living together
America's mascots must be treasured, even if it means going to extremes, such as Baylor letting the Aggies take care of their Lady.
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