College football games to watch on TV

Why you should watch: As Texas A&M flirts with the SEC, the Aggies will open with a former Southwest Conference rival. The Aggies and SMU have played only once since the demise of the SWC, resulting in a 66-8 A&M rout in 2005. This meeting should be more competitive. The Aggies are a top-15 team with legitimate hopes of winning the Big 12, and SMU is a Conference USA contender (the Mustangs lost to UCF in the C-USA title game a year ago). The Aggies' defense, which has improved by leaps and bounds under Tim DeRuyter, will be tested in the opener by SMU's run-and-shoot offense led by QB Kyle Padron.

MONDAY

MIAMI AT MARYLAND

When: 6 p.m., ESPN

Broadcasters: Sean McDonough play-by-play, Matt Millen analyst

The line: Miami by 5.5

Why you should watch: A major question is what new Miami coach Al Golden has left for this game. Seven potential starters have been suspended at least for the opener: QB Jacory Harris (who was in competition with Stephen Morris for the starting job), WR Travis Benjamin, LB Sean Spence, DT Marcus Forston, DEs Adewale Ojomo and Olivier Vernon and SS Ray-Ray Armstrong. The team likely will rely heavily on TB Lamar Miller, who had two 100-yard games late last season, and a big, experienced offensive line. Maryland went 9-4 last season behind redshirt freshman QB Danny O'Brien, then fired coach Ralph Friedgen. Few new coaches would want to make their conference debut in a game against Miami, but Randy Edsall who led Connecticut to a BCS berth last season — looks to have caught a break here.