Here is our quick guide to the season's first Saturday of Pac-12 games:
No. 7 UCLA at Virginia
Time: 12 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN/WatchESPN
Hashtag: #UCLAvsUVA
The Bruins begin their much-anticipated season with a trip to Charlottesville in what has the makings of a relatively easy UCLA win. Virginia enters the game having lost 10 straight games against FBS teams -- a streak that began with a 59-10 home loss to Oregon the past season. Conversely, expectations couldn’t be much higher for the Bruins, who start the season No. 7 in the AP poll, their highest preseason ranking since they started the 1998 season at No. 6.
California at Northwestern
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: ABC/ESPN2/WatchESPN
Hashtag: #CalvsNU
A year ago, Cal was a few tipped passes from opening the Sonny Dykes era with a win against what was then a ranked Northwestern team. It was all downhill from there, but now that Cal is healthy, has a new defensive coordinator (Art Kaufman) and has another offseason to adjust to the new coaching staff, there is a renewed sense of cautious optimism in Berkeley.
Portland State at Oregon State
Time: 4 p.m. ET
TV: Pac-12 Network
Oregon State against an FCS team … what could possibly go wrong? After losses to FCS teams in season openers two of the past three seasons, there is no chance the Beavers aren’t up for this one. Also, quarterback Sean Mannion renews his quest to eclipse Matt Barkley’s Pac-12 career passing record (12,327 yards) -- he needs just 1,892 yards to take sole possession.
UC Davis at No. 11 Stanford
Time: 4 p.m. ET
TV: Pac-12 Network
Stanford’s rematch from a 2005 loss to Davis serves as just the fourth meeting between the Cardinal and an FCS team since the Division I-AA subdivision was created in 1978. Stanford will need its highly touted offensive line to gel quickly before next week, when it hosts USC and the Trojans’ formidable front seven.
Fresno State at No. 15 USC
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Kickoff can’t come soon enough for the Trojans after one of the more bizarre weeks for a team … ever? Turmoil, of course, isn’t new to this group of players, which was able to band together for a strong close to 2013, despite changing head coaches twice during the season. An impressive showing for USC would go a long way toward changing the story back to football in coach Steve Sarkisian’s debut.
No. 25 Washington at Hawaii
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
TV: CBS Sports Network
Coach Chris Petersen has a favorable early schedule to ease into his new job, starting with this trip to the Islands. Considering how much the Warriors struggled a year ago -- they started 0-11 before winning the finale -- this one doesn’t figure to be much of a contest. Quarterback Jeff Lindquist will start for the Huskies as Cyler Miles serves a one-game suspension.
South Dakota at No. 3 Oregon
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
TV: Pac-12 Network
Oregon’s starters face more difficult challenges every day against their scout-team counterparts. It would be a surprise if the Ducks don’t score 35 first-half points and quarterback Marcus Mariota plays deep into the third quarter with No. 8 Michigan State looming next week.