There are some college football Saturdays that are just built differently than others. Today, September 27, is one of those days.
According to the D Poll, there are four ranked-on-ranked matchups spread across all the viewing windows. Even in those timeframes where there isn’t a game featuring two ranked teams, there’s still enough intrigue for everything to feel like it’s going to be one of the most entertaining days of college football in a long time.
Tonight’s evening window is the stuff of dreams. Alabama heading to Athens to play Georgia, and Oregon making the long trek across the country to battle Penn State at Beaver Stadium is what all of us watch this sport for. The fact that those two games are happening at the same time is a blessing and a curse, of course, but I say we all just take it in stride and have the night of our lives.
Some quick disclaimers for those unfamiliar with what this all is before we dive into The Saturday Watchlist: Every game listed below is one that I deem necessary to at least keep an eye on to have the full college football experience today. In my opinion, multiple screens are needed to make the most of the day, but if that’s not for you, this list can be just as useful in helping determine what to put on that big ol’ television screen I’m sure you possess in your living room. Most importantly, this is what I’m watching today, so if there are some games that strike you as odd, just remember that I am human and have certain allegiances to certain schools. Feel free to move games around on your primary, secondary, tertiary, and potentially even quaternary screens—it won’t hurt my feelings, I promise.
Finally, if you’re at all interested in obtaining more information on what sorts of storylines to look out for today, make sure to check out The Saturday Storylines, my weekly compendium regarding which narratives and plot lines surrounding the college football season are important. You can read that at the link below:
Here’s The Saturday Watchlist for September 27, 2025:
Note: All rankings are from The D Poll for Week 5, and all times are CT.
Early Window
Primary Screen: Notre Dame at Arkansas – 11 a.m. – ABC
Secondary Screen: No. 16 USC at Illinois – 11 a.m. – FOX
Tertiary Screen: Cincinnati at Kansas – 11 a.m. – TNT
Also worth tracking:
Louisville at Pittsburgh – 11 a.m. – ESPN2
UCF at Kansas State – 11 a.m. – FS1
If you’re interested in struggling defenses, the early window is the place for you. Notre Dame and Arkansas are two wounded animals seeking to stay in the race that both happen to have defenses I’d describe as leaky at best. Meanwhile, in Champaign, USC makes the long trek east to take on an Illinois team coming off getting splattered by Indiana a week ago. With some injuries in the secondary, USC could be in a spot to put up a lot of points in its biggest game of the season thus far. Finally, Kansas has one of the most fun offenses to watch in the country, but a defense that leaves a ton to be desired. It’ll be that offense’s job to protect Jalon Daniels from a Cincinnati defensive line that’s one of the best in the Big 12.
Afternoon Window
Primary Screen: Auburn at No. 7 Texas A&M – 2:30 p.m. – ESPN
Secondary Screen: No. 14 LSU at No. 15 Ole Miss – 2:30 p.m. – ABC
Tertiary Screen: No. 5 Ohio State at Washington – 2:30 p.m. – CBS
Quaternary Screen: No. 19 Tennessee at No. 18 Mississippi State – 3:15 p.m. – SEC Network
Also worth tracking:
Baylor at Oklahoma State – 2:30 p.m. – ESPN2
No. 8 Indiana at Iowa – 2:30 p.m. – Peacock
If the early slate of games wasn’t enough, the day really begins to ramp up in the afternoon with several SEC and Big Ten games that could have major implications down the line. Can Auburn shake off last week’s disappointment at a raucous Kyle Field against an ascending Texas A&M? How will the announcement that Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin’s daughter is dating LSU star linebacker Whit Weeks affect Saturday afternoon’s affair in Oxford? Ohio State is heading to Seattle to face Washington, and while its fans might not believe an upset is in the cards, you best believe the Huskies are out for blood. Then there’s the most underrated game of the day in Starkville between Tennessee and Mississippi State. If the Bulldogs are ready to announce themselves to the world for real, today would be a great day to do it.
Evening Window
Primary Screen: No. 4 Oregon at No. 12 Penn State – 6:30 p.m. – NBC
Secondary Screen: No. 21 Alabama at No. 3 Georgia – 6:30 p.m. – ABC
Tertiary Screen: Arizona at No. 17 Iowa State – 6 p.m. – ESPN
Also worth tracking:
Kentucky at South Carolina – 6:45 p.m. – SEC Network
Appalachian State at Boise State – 6:30 p.m. – FS1
Here. We. Go. Sports fans of old dreamt that they could experience an evening window as glorious as this. For those of us who love to watch multiple games at once, the night slate couldn’t come any quicker.
I’ll just let the list above speak for itself. Oregon and Penn State are two Big Ten and national championship contenders that’ll face off at Beaver Stadium in the midst of the raucous and historic White Out. Alabama and Georgia have become one of the most entertaining and fierce rivalries in the SEC over the past eight or so years, and that all comes to a head in Athens tonight. If you want to add a little Big 12 action to your evening, put Arizona–Iowa State on an iPad or something and have a great time.
Late Window
Primary Screen: Idaho at Montana – 9:15 p.m. – ESPN2
Secondary Screen: No. 24 BYU at Colorado – 9:15 p.m. – ESPN
For the first time in the history of The Saturday Watchlist, a FCS game is a primary screen game. Idaho and Montana are both ranked in the top 10 of the FCS Coaches Poll, making tonight’s clash of Big Sky titans one of the most intriguing and consequential matchups of the season in Division I’s lower division. If you love hard-nosed football in chilly weather—the temperature will drop to the mid-50s by the time the game enters the fourth quarter—make sure to tune your television to ESPN2. If that doesn’t float your boat, no worries. Just make sure to catch BYU’s trip to Colorado to take on Deion Sanders and whatever quarterback he decides to start this week.