ATLANTA (AP) – Welcome back, college football!
The season begins Wednesday night with a game that won’t have any impact on the national championship race: Georgia State, starting its first year as a full-fledged FBS member, takes on Division I newcomer Abilene Christian at the Georgia Dome.
It will be the first of three games in four days at the stadium in downtown Atlanta, the others having a bit more curb appeal. No. 18 Mississippi faces Boise State on Thursday night, then No. 2 Alabama meets West Virginia on Saturday.
Georgia State was forced to move its opener to the middle of the week to accommodate the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Games, but at least that gives the school a little something to brag about after going 0-12 a year ago.
The Panthers were one of only two FBS teams that failed to win a game, joining Miami of Ohio.