Jim Walden can’t remember a better start to the college football season than this weekend’s five-day fiesta that began Thursday night.
“It’s the best I’ve ever seen,” said the 78-year-old Walden who coached at Washington State (1978-86) and Iowa State (1987-94). “There’s never been a time when so many top teams played each other in the first week.”
No. 20 USC travels to Arlington, Texas, on Saturday to tackle top-ranked and defending national champion Alabama at AT&T Stadium aka Jerry’s World.
It’s the marquee matchup in an opening weekend lineup in which college football bluebloods are playing in a half dozen games at storied NFL stadiums and glitzy venues normally reserved for bowl games.