A Sports Filled Weekend Ahead

It’s back, in all its glory. College football’s full-fledged return is underway.

Heiner? Check. Recliner. Check. Make that deposit now.

Your Weekend TV Six-Pack strives for some variety and cannot recommend every college football game. Feel free to pick and choose from the many. Our eyeballs will be on these:

The prime spot goes to ABC at 8 p.m. on Saturday as No. 1 Alabama and No. 3 Florida State meet at the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. This is like the national championship game four months too early. They could meet again.

Friday night we find out if Florida Atlantic University kicks off the Lane Kiffin Era or Another Coaching Error. Kiffin, controversial everywhere he’s been, takes over an Owls program with three straight 3-9 seasons behind it. He has certainly generated excitement – the Owls, who averaged 10,000 fans at home last year have sold out their 30,000-seat stadium in Boca Raton, Florida, for their opener against Navy. ESPNU shows this at 8 p.m. ET.

As a Maryland alum, your friendly neighborhood blog cringes just a bit in pitching Maryland at Texas on Saturday at noon on FS1. The Longhorns make their debut under new coach Tom Herman, who promises the same high-speed offense he employed at Houston. Hmmm, fast vs. Terrapins. Fear the Turtle or fear for the Turtle?

If futbol is your thing, the U.S. men’s team plays Costa Rica in a World Cup qualifier on Friday night at 6:30 p.m. ESPN will be your genial carrier.

The Boston Red Sox are playing the New York Yankees and it’s on TV. Can you imagine? This is their 496th meeting this season and the American League East is in play. MLB will show this Saturday at 1 p.m.

NASCAR also has a big weekend at Darlington. The Monster Energy Cup playoffs are just ahead, so the Bojangles’ Southern 500 should be quite competitive. NBC Sports Network, Sunday, at 6 p.m.

Let your Labor Day weekend be free of labor. Enjoy.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman