Football Schedule on DISH: Best NFL and College Games
Welcome to your weekly football schedule and viewing guide on DISH. From the biggest primetime games to the most important matchups of the weekend, we’ll call out the best college football and NFL games of the week to watch with DISH.
Remember, as a DISH subscriber, you can use Game Finder to set your DVR to record all of your favorite teams, use Multi-View to watch multiple games at the same time, or download the DISH Anywhere app to watch football on-the-go! Check your DISH Guide for this week’s full football schedule in your local market.
NFL Week 1 Games
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants
Sunday, September 13, 6:20 PM ET, NBC
The season premiere of Sunday Night Football features an intense NFC East clash as the Dallas Cowboys visit East Rutherford to spoil John Harbaugh's debut as head coach of the New York Giants. While casual bettors heavily favor Dallas to cover the 3-point spread, an upset would immediately establish New York as a legitimate playoff threat.
Dallas head coach/offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer returns to lead a high-powered passing attack featuring quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, and franchise-tagged playmaker George Pickens. However, Dallas faces an immediate crisis in the trenches with All-Pro left guard Tyler Smith sidelined by thumb surgery. Backup T.J. Bass steps in alongside center Cooper Beebe. Giants defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson plans to exploit this weakness by using horizontal stunt packages with pass rushers Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and rookie Abdul Carter.
When New York has the football, new offensive coordinator Matt Nagy aims to elevate 2nd-year quarterback Jaxson Dart. Armed with wide receiver Malik Nabers, tight end Isaiah Likely, and veteran Odell Beckham Jr., Dart brings dangerous dual-threat mobility. To neutralize Dart, Dallas defensive coordinator Christian Parker will rely on newly acquired edge rusher Rashan Gary to seal the perimeter and rookie safety Caleb Downs to serve as a dedicated spy in the box.
The game will ultimately be decided in the trenches. Dallas must cleanly communicate protection assignments against New York's defensive line, while Gary must contain Dart inside the pocket. For the Giants, early-down success with Nabers and continuous interior pressure on Prescott are essential to pulling off the upset.
Expect New York's ferocious pass rush and refreshed culture to keep the game tight, but Dallas' sheer offensive talent should narrowly prevail.
Pick: Cowboys 24, Giants 23
Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs
Monday, September 14, 8:15 PM ET, ESPN
Monday Night Football brings an intense AFC West clash to Arrowhead Stadium as the Denver Broncos face the Kansas City Chiefs in the Week 1 finale. For the first time in a decade, Kansas City enters as the hunter rather than the undisputed division champion. Denver holds the crown, but both quarterbacks enter this matchup bearing recent battle scars.
Patrick Mahomes returns to the field 9 months after a Week 15 ACL and LCL tear, driven to reclaim his spot at the top of the NFL hierarchy. Across the field, Bo Nix enters his 3rd season following a fractured ankle that sidelined him during last January's AFC Championship game. Although Nix holds an impressive 3-1 record against Kansas City, he has never defeated a healthy Mahomes at Arrowhead Stadium.
To protect Mahomes from Denver edge rusher Nik Bonitto and interior game-wrecker Zach Allen, Kansas City head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy will rely on a physical ground game. Expect Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III to run behind All-Pro center Creed Humphrey, keeping Mahomes in manageable second-and-short situations where play-action concepts can flourish.
When Denver has the football, head coach Sean Payton will test Kansas City's revamped secondary. With corner Trent McDuffie traded to the Rams, rookie first-round pick Mansour Delane gets thrown straight into boundary coverage against star receiver Jaylen Waddle. Payton will use pre-snap motion to isolate Delane, forcing defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to choose between offering safety help or unleashing his signature blitz packages.
Betting lines show a clear split between public sentiment and professional sharp money. While 77% of public tickets back Denver and the 2.5 points, 54% of actual money favors Kansas City. Expect the Chiefs to control the tempo, churn out yards in the trenches, and cover the spread in a physical game.
Pick: Denver 30, Kansas City 28
College Football Week 2 Games
No. 10 Oklahoma Sooners at Michigan Wolverines
Saturday, September 12, 12 PM ET, FOX
Well, that escalated quickly.
After Michigan’s wild Week 1 "Bail Mary" escape, the Wolverines don’t exactly get a breather. No. 10 Oklahoma rolls into the Big House after a decidedly less stressful opener, shutting out UTEP 51-0 behind three touchdown passes from John Mateer. The Sooners scored on their first eight possessions and held UTEP to just 198 total yard.
Michigan, meanwhile, has a bit of mopping up to do. The Wolverines turned the ball over three times against Western Michigan, struggled to sustain drives and needed that now-infamous extra second to avoid an upset. Bryce Underwood remains Michigan’s QB1, but head coach Kyle Whittingham made it clear this week that the job isn’t guaranteed forever. So, yeah. Oklahoma showing up five days after a controversy that could haunt their season...the timing for this game feels less than ideal.
Michigan survived Week 1. Week 2 should tell us a whole lot more. - Jenny Urice
No. 2 Oregon Ducks at Oklahoma State Cowboys
Saturday, September 12, 12 PM ET, ESPN
Oklahoma State probably hasn’t forgotten what happened the last time these two teams met. Oregon absolutely steamrolled the Cowboys 69-3 in Eugene last season, the largest margin of victory over a Power Four opponent in Ducks history.
Now the series heads to Stillwater for the first time ever, and the circumstances are considerably different. Eric Morris makes his home debut as Oklahoma State’s head coach after the Cowboys opened the season with a 24-10 loss at Tulsa. No. 2 Oregon arrives after a much more competitive opener, holding off Boise State 34-27 at Autzen Stadium.
The sold-out crowd at Boone Pickens Stadium should provide a considerably different backdrop for Round 2. Oklahoma State gets a shot at redemption. Oregon gets its first road test of the season. And 69-3? Yeah, we’re guessing somebody in Stillwater remembers. - Jenny Urice
No. 20 Tennessee Volunteers at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Saturday, September 12, 7 PM ET, ESPN
Why, hello again.
Tennessee and Georgia Tech used to see plenty of each other, but Saturday marks just the second meeting between the programs in nearly four decades and the first at Bobby Dodd Stadium since 1986. Their last matchup was worth the wait: Tennessee escaped with a 42-41 double-overtime win in Atlanta in 2017.
No. 20 Tennessee arrives this time after putting up 638 yards of offense in a 56-9 rout of Furman. Quarterback Faizon Brandon threw for 226 yards, while Mike Matthews hauled in 132 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The Vols' defense did plenty of damage, too, piling up seven sacks and 13 tackles for loss. Georgia Tech had a considerably more painful Week 1, falling 14-13 to Colorado at home. Now the Yellow Jackets get a chance to rebound under the lights against a ranked Tennessee team making its first road trip of the season.
It took 39 years to get Tennessee back to Bobby Dodd. Might as well make it interesting. - Jenny Urice
No. 20 Tennessee Volunteers at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Saturday, September 12, 7 PM ET, ESPN
It’s Week 2 and we’re already getting No. 1 vs. No. 5. College football, how you spoil us.
Top-ranked Ohio State heads to Austin for a rematch with No. 5 Texas, one year after the Buckeyes beat the Longhorns 14-7 in Columbus. And if Texas needed any additional motivation, Ohio State also knocked the Longhorns out of the College Football Playoff following the 2024 season. The Buckeyes have won the last two meetings and lead the all-time series 3-2.
Both teams looked plenty comfortable in Week 1. Arch Manning threw for 305 yards and four touchdowns as Texas rolled past Texas State 59-7, while Ohio State crushed Ball State 56-3. Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns, and star receiver Jeremiah Smith hauled in eight catches for 151 yards and two touchdowns, all before halftime.
Now comes the fun part. Two national championship contenders. A sold-out crowd in Austin. ESPN’s College GameDay in town. And a Texas team that would probably very much like to stop losing to Ohio State. - Jenny Urice
