THE WORD

Patriot League Week 1 was a tale of two afternoons. Early blowouts gave way to a dramatic evening slate as Lehigh and Colgate took control atop the standings, William & Mary and Richmond improved to 2-0 and Villanova survived Bucknell.

Western Carolina and Campbell bring two red-hot quarterbacks into a fascinating matchup. Furman walks into Neyland Stadium. Chattanooga gets a major test against Tennessee Tech. Mercer gets another shot at Presbyterian. And that’s only part of a loaded SoCon Saturday.

The MEAC went 5-1 in Week 0. Now the schedule fights back. Morgan State heads to Arizona State. Norfolk State gets ODU. Howard welcomes Richmond. And SC State gets another shot at a FAMU team it hasn't beaten in its last four meetings.

Early NEC football Week 1 power rankings feature LIU, Robert Morris, New Haven, CCSU, Duquesne, Wagner, Mercyhurst, Stonehill and Chicago State.

Betting the Big Sky in Week 1: Get picks, spreads, power rankings and predictions for Montana State, Montana, UC Davis, Idaho State and the full slate.