GOTW

Even if you're doing other things with your Labor Day weekend than watching college football - seriously? - take the time to tune into our Games of the Week. We can't promise any Instant Classics, but we're sure they'll be better than everything else is on TV. WATCH Thursday - Pitt at Utah Dave Wannstache's team should have won the Big East last year; Kyle Wittingham's knows all about beating BCS conference opponents. Saturday - LSU at North Carolina The losing coach's seat gets hotter, the winner's just simmers for another week. Saturday - Oregon State vs. TCU It's a virtual home game for the Horned Frogs, who play 15 miles across town in the Jerry Jones Dome. Mike Riley's teams usually take three or four games to find their stride. Monday - Boise State vs. Virginia Tech It's a virtual home game for the Hokies, who had No. 1 USC on the ropes in their last trip to FedEx Field in 2004. Boise's No. 3, but needs this for street cred. TIVO Thursday - Southern Miss at South Carolina Steve Spurrier's program opens the season on a Thursday night on ESPN for the fourth time in five years. Which makes them the most relevant program in the SEC for 48 hours. Saturday - UConn at Michigan Quietly, Randy Edsall did one of the best coaching jobs in the nation last season. Not so quietly, Rich Rodriguez didn't. Defenses even, edge offensively to Michigan. Saturday - Washington at BYU Steve Sarkisian returns to Provo with Mel Kiper's preseason No. 1 prospect at quarterback. Saturday - Purdue at Notre Dame Brian Kelly has won from Grand Valley State to Central Michigan to Cincinnati, and there's no reason that shouldn't continue on the biggest stage in South Bend. Probably starting Saturday. Saturday - UCLA at Kansas State Personally, I'd go to work before I watched the Bruins in anything. But Kansas State at home has the chance of an upset. CHECK ON YOUR PHONE Thursday - Marshall at Ohio State The start of Terrelle Pryor's Heisman- and the Buckeyes' BCS Championship Game-run. Or not. Thursday - USC at Hawaii The Trojans' first four quarters of full-contact since spring practice. Not that it matters. Saturday - Miami-Ohio at Florida Come for John Brantley, stay for the cheerleaders. Saturday - Kentucky at Louisville Dress rehearsal of the basketball rivalry. Joker Phillips takes over for Rich Brooks, who did just about all anyone could, at Kentucky, while Charlie Strong succeeds - if by "succeed," you mean replaces a losing coach - Steve Kragthorpe at Louisville. Saturday - Texas at Rice Garrett Gilbert acquitted himself well in the BCS Championship Game. That's the last time you'll see "Rice" and "BCS Championship Game" in the same paragraph. Sunday - SMU at Texas Tech The only coach bigger on campus than June Jones right now is Nick Saban. After being in Saban's shadow at Auburn, Tommy Tuberville moves to Mack Brown's at Texas Tech.