Top 15 G5 Games To Watch: Week 1

There are over 50 games involving G5 teams in week one of the regular season but only 15 that interest me with a combination of a possible exciting game that has a chance at being interesting to everyone watching. There are also some that are in the list because I honestly do not know what to expect out of one or both of the teams this fall.

1. Washington at Boise State: You have heard the hype. Petersen coming back to Boise for the first time, Pac-12 versus Boise State, a G5 team actually playing on the blue turf, Friday night time slot. It has the makings for one of if not the best game of week one.
2. Western Kentucky at Vanderbilt: Time to see if the WKU from the second half of the season was for real or a product of a weak back end to the schedule. The Hilltoppers score lots of points and give up lots of points. Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason, already a bit on the hot seat, sees this game as a must win for the upcoming season.
3. Purdue at Marshall: Lots of optimism at Marshall even while having to replace Cato and Shuler in the passing game. Similar to WKU, this is a put up or shut up game for Marshall to prove to the rest of the nation that they can just reload after a record breaking season last fall. Anything less than a win is a disappointment for Marshall.
4. BYU at Nebraska: It is utterly amazing that two teams with such rich traditions have never faced off previously. For a team that has won 9+ games in each of the last five seasons, the level of turmoil in Lincoln has been surprising. Taysom Hill is healthy again and his play will determine the fate of the Cougars not only in this game but all season long.
5. Georgia Southern at West Virginia: The reigning Sun Belt champions head to Morgantown, a notoriously tough place to play, with hopes of a bowl berth in 2015 after being ineligible last fall due to NCAA transition rules. The Eagles should have their way running the football but West Virginia can score as well. Should be a close game with both teams breaking 30 points.
6. Oklahoma State at Central Michigan: An impressive haul to get the Big 12 program to come to Michigan, the Chippewas will have a tough time with the Cowboys. Oklahoma State is not at their best this season so if there is a time for CMU to make a national statement, it is in week one.
7. Michigan State at Western Michigan: The Broncos have an experienced and talented quarterback as well as two very good wide receivers and a stud at running back. The Spartan defense will be tough to crack for WMU but it is not impossible. This is the 14th overall meeting between the two schools with every previous meeting taking place in East Lansing. 
8. Florida Atlantic at Tulsa: Two oddly well matched teams from G5 conferences, FAU and Tulsa should entertain anyone willing to watch in what could be a surprisingly fun game. FAU has more overall talent but Tulsa is slowly building up to a level closer to their early 2000s program. Too close to call right now.
9. Colorado at Hawaii: Watch this game if you want to see a game that will come down to the final minutes with either team having a shot at the win. Do not watch this game if you like quality of play or good football. Colorado is improving and should win but a trip to Hawaii is not easy for the flight alone.
10. Old Dominion at Eastern Michigan: Not much is expected out of EMU this fall while not much is easily projected from Old Dominion this fall. The Monarchs could easily go anywhere from 8-4 to 4-8 with everything in between on the table. For a team that played on the FBS level last season, it is so hard to get a read on Old Dominion. This game should go a long way in forming an opinion.
11. Charlotte at Georgia State: The Panthers had an underrated passing game last season that kept them much closer in several games than they should have ever been. The defense let them down on multiple occasions. Charlotte is making the jump as a transitional team to Conference USA this season. This is the third overall year of the program with their best win coming versus Gardner-Webb maybe? It should be interesting to see such a young team debut in the FBS.
12. Penn State at Temple: High expectations abound for the Nittany Lions with a team that should improve significantly in the second year under James Franklin. WHile the overall favorite, Penn State is not excited to face the Owls very impressive defense. Temple's defense drug the team kicking and screaming to a 6-6 record despite having one of the worst offenses in the FBS. Should be interesting.
13. UTEP at Arkansas: I am old school when it comes to watching football and these two programs are about as old school as it gets. Both teams love to run and run and run and run with an occasional pass sprinkled in for variety. Arkansas has high hopes for 2015 and a test versus the rushing attack of UTEP will go a long way in showing if the Razorbacks have the ability to make a dark horse run at the SEC West crown this fall.
14. FIU at UCF: Two incredibly talented teams that were a let down in 2014 face off in this game. FIU was terrible and missed out on a bowl by a long shot while UCF did win nine games and a share of the AAC title, were nowhere near as good as they should have been. 
15. UNLV at Northern Illinois: The Huskies are not used to being chosen third in their own division while UNLV is debuting a 2014 high school coach in this season opener. Rarely attempted, the high school head coach moving directly to college head coach idea is tough to accomplish. UNLV is a perfect candidate as they are willing to thing outside the box and this is definitely outside the box.