No they always start the day after Labor Day.
but this is the first time I can remember when two games have been played before classes start
they often have a game the Saturday before classes start
but having a Friday night game at 6 PM. following a week zero game in the middle of August when classes begin on September 8 or ninth
means USC planted 2 dead games at the front of their schedule. I think in the past that week zero opening game might have been a marquee game where they would go play at in neutral site but with the Big Ten gauntlet schedule it makes sense to play a cupcake
I also think that the buy they have in the middle of the season might have been for Notre Dame and once that date was opened up the only one they could fill was a week zero with San Jose State one of those two theories is probably correct
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