Watching College Football in 2023: Week 7

The 7th week of college football for 2023 is underway. There are 55 Division 1-A/FBS games on tap this week, with ten already played (three Tuesday, two Wednesday, two Thursday night, and three last night).

Today, there are 45 games on the schedule. There are four games that feature two Top 25 teams playing each other:

• Oregon (8) at Washington (7)
• Southern California (10) at Notre Dame (21)
• Miami (25) at North Carolina (12)
• UCLA (18) at Oregon State (15)

Oklahoma (5), Texas (9), and Ole Miss (13) all have open weekends. The rest of the Top 25 all play unranked teams.

Today's games will be broadcast over several networks. Here are the channels or networks you'll need to watch all the games:

• ABC
• ACC Network
• Big Ten Network
• CBS
• CBS Sports Network
• CW
• ESPN
• ESPN2
• ESPNU
• ESPN+
• Fox
• Fox Sports 1
• Longhorn Network
• NBC
• NFL Network
• Pac 12 Network
• Peacock
• SEC Network

Note: No games are on Longhorn Network this week.

Between this weekend's games and next Saturday, there are eight games involving Division 1-A/FBS teams, one involving a ranked team. Those nine games will be broadcast on:

• CBS Sports Network
• ESPN2
• ESPNU

Later in the season, there may even be another network or two that carries games, but these are the ones that are confirmed as the season begins. Here's how to get all the networks:

ABC

• Antenna (free)
• Sling TV (8 markets only) ($45/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

ACC Network

• Sling TV (Orange + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

Big Ten Network

• Sling TV (Blue + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

CBS

• Antenna (free)
• Paramount Plus (Premium) $12/month
• Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

CBS Sports Network

• Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Ultimate) ($139/month)

CW

• Antenna (free)
• Not available streaming.

ESPN, ESPN2

• Sling TV (Orange) ($40/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

ESPN+

• ESPN+ (standalone) ($10/month)
• Disney Bundle ($15/month)

ESPNU

• Sling TV (Orange + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro + Fubo Extra) ($83/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

Fox

• Antenna (free)
• Sling TV (18 markets only) ($45/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

Fox Sports 1

• Sling TV (Blue + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

Longhorn Network

• Sling TV (Orange + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

NBC

• Antenna (free)
• Peacock (Plus) ($12/month)
• Sling TV (11 markets only) ($45/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

NFL Network

• Sling TV (Blue) ($40/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

Pac 12 Network

• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)

Peacock

• Peacock is its own service, and can be used to watch NBC live programming with the $12/month plan.

SEC Network

• Sling TV (Orange) ($40/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

That's this week in Division 1-A/FBS college football, and covers all the networks -- so far -- that are carrying college football games in 2023. My Streaming Life focuses on college football during this time of year.

YouTube TV drops claim, even though they were right

YouTube TV was claiming that streamers could save up to $600/year by using their service instead of cable. The company has agreed to stop the claim, after Spectrum complained.

The claim was based on users paying for two TV boxes in their service plan. And, based on that, YouTube TV's numbers were actually right. However, Spectrum doesn't require the TV boxes, even though cable companies always try to push them on customers. Savvy customers know the devices are not required, and will opt out, saving a lot of money in the process. Those users do have to have equipment that will allow them to receive the channels, however.

Still, YouTube TV was essentially correct. But, they're dropping the claim.

That got me to wondering how much TV would cost me. It's been a while since I ran those numbers, but I did recently, and it turns out that streaming is still cheaper.

Comcast's Xfinity Internet and TV service would cost me $168.16/month for its cheapest plan. That's with a $20/month multi-service discount (TV and Internet are two services). Oh, and yes, I do need to rent two Xfinity boxes, $10/month each, to watch live TV on my two TVs.

I'm currently paying $52/month for Internet alone. That means TV would effectively cost $106.16/month. YouTube TV is $72.99/month. That means Internet and YouTube TV would cost $125/month, or $33.17/month less than Xfinity's service.

YouTube TV's claim of a $600/year savings would not be true for me. It would be a $398.04 savings. That's a lot of money. I mean, I can think of a lot more things to do with $400.

My Streaming Life doesn't include cable TV, naturally. And it won't. If for no other reason, $400/year should explain it. And, I don't need YouTube TV, or any other live streaming service, year-round. So, my savings are more than $400/year. Much more.

Is Sling TV the Best Cable Alternative Streaming Service?

A reports on Tom's Guide recently asked -- and answered -- the question about which cable alternative live streaming service is the best.

The service they picked is the service that is my go-to service. But here's the thing: I think we're both wrong.

Okay, that doesn't make sense, right? But let me tell you why I think I'm wrong. Well, not wrong, because I know what works for me. I just think others would prefer something else. My choice is for my circumstances, and I think my circumstances are not that common.

Tom's Guide picks Sling TV as the best service.

1. Sling TV

Best cable replacement service overall

Starting Price (per month): $40 | Channels (in entry-level package): 31 | DVR: 50 hours (200 hours for $5 per month) | On-Demand: Yes | Device Support: Amazon Fire, Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, Chromecast-enabled TVs, Computers, iOS, Roku | Simultaneous Streams: 1 ($40 per month); 3 ($40 per month); 4 ($60 per month)

+ Wide variety of channel packages
+ Available on large number of devices
+ Comparably inexpensive
- Missing multiple user profiles

Sling TV is the best cable TV alternative for a simple reason: its lower price and customizable nature feel truly in line with the idea of cutting the cord. So much so that TG's streaming team (Henry T. Casey and Kelly Woo) chose it to replace cable. Admittedly, Henry's switched his service to our next pick, because of the below regional sports price increases.

Sling TV, also on our best streaming services list, is the cheapest service with either ESPN or FOX and NBC ($40 per month, following a recent price hike) — and its first month is half-off right now. The service offers two basic packages of channels (Orange and Blue), then lets viewers pick and choose smaller extras, which usually cost $5 per month.

Orange has ESPN (which it lost for two days) and Blue has Fox and NBC, and you can see more differences in our Sling Orange vs Blue guide. A weird new twist, though, has been added for Sling Blue and Sling Orange & blue. Those in Fresno, Houston and Raleigh will get ABC on Sling TV for free, while those in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and the San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose region will be spending $5 more. That means Sling Orange & Blue will cost up to $60.

From sports to comedy to kids' programming to foreign language channels, Sling TV has a little something for everyone. We just wish its cloud DVR would go unlimited like YouTube and Hulu. For more details, including lineups and pricing and more, check out our What Is Sling TV? and Sling TV promo codes pages. Even Sling's Orange+Blue package is still more affordable than most of its competitors' base packages.

Everything they wrote is true. Sling TV has what I want, but I don't really want a lot. In fact, I don't want it often. For me, Sling TV is the cheapest way to get ESPN during college football season. I don't want the service any other time. My reason is not the same as their reason, but for different reasons, we reached the same conclusion. If I wanted a regular service year round, I'd probably pick YouTube TV. Probably. But I would start with Sling TV and see if it was good enough. If not, I'd switch to YouTube TV.

My Streaming Life doesn't need a year-round cable alternative. Sling TV is the cheapest way to get ESPN during football season, so it's my choice. Maybe it would be yours as well.

Apps to remove?

One of the things I've run into with my project to use Chromecast as my primary streaming device (instead of Roku) is that the Chromecast doesn't have as much space for apps, along with the way Roku handles on-board app storage.

Roku doesn't have a lot of storage, but its method of managing it is much better than the way Chromecast does it.

When an app is downloaded, and there is not enough on-board storage space, Roku will automatically remove one or more apps to make room for the new one. It keeps all the settings, but the actual app is removed and the space is available. When the app is launched later, the process happens again, with one or more other apps removed to make room for the one being downloaded.

It actually works well, and more platforms should adopt that way of operating. Okay, Fire TV is now adopting that process. I wish Chromecast would.

But, it doesn't. And that brings me to my primary topic. I've added many apps to my Chromecast, but not all the apps that are on my Roku. Four of them aren't available on Chromecast, but several others are. However, I haven't added them to Chromecast. I have a little of 3 GB of space taken up by apps, and less than 1 GB available for more apps. I have about half the number of apps that are on the Roku. So, while I could put a few more on, I can't put many, and certainly not everything that's on Roku.

That means that I need to cull some. So, I loaded some favorites, and did not load others. The ones I didn't load (apart from the four that don't have apps that will run on Chromecast) are apps I rarely use anyway. Maybe I don't need them on my Roku. Maybe the 25 apps on the Chromecast are all I need.

Honestly, I probably don't really need that many. I don't usually watch all those apps in any given month. I suspect that half of them are all I really need to have. So, why don't I remove the apps I never use? Well, I probably should. If I want to watch TV, the few apps I use are enough to get me something to watch.

My Streaming Life really only utilizes a handful of apps. Maybe if I didn't have a job, or a semblance of a life, I might need more than the handful I use. But, I don't watch TV all day. Sometimes, I'd like to, but I don't. Would be nice though.

Starlink is nationwide

I've been with Comcast for several years now. One of the reasons is that they offer good service. The other reason is more of a factor though: there are no other options where I live.

That's no longer true. Starlink is now available in my area.

That's not because they decided to include my area. It's because they're now nationwide. Well mostly. All of Georgia, to be sure. I got an email yesterday giving me the news:

Starlink is Now Available Across the United States

The Starlink team has raced to keep up with the growing demand for high-speed connectivity around the world, especially in areas where few, if any, options for broadband connections have existed before now.

Earlier this year, the team started deploying our second generation Starlink satellites which have four times more capacity per satellite than the first generation systems. This means more bandwidth and increased reliability for our current users, while enabling us to connect even more people with high-speed internet no matter where they live.

As a result, Starlink is now available across the United States. Place your order now, and we’ll ship your Starlink Kit!

My sister has Starlink and really likes it. I'm happy with Comcast service. I get good service at a good price. Starlink would cost more, so I'm not looking to change now. However, I like having options.

My Streaming Life is good. If things go wrong, I have a backup plan. My Streaming Life will continue, and I like knowing that.

DirecTV streaming rates going up

DirecTV's streaming service is the latest to raise its prices.

According to a report, and confirmed by small print on the DirecTV Website, prices are going up next month. Cord Cutters News reports the price increase is $5/month on average across the services plans:

DIRECTV has confirmed both its satellite and streaming services will be going up in November. Both DIRECTV and DIRECTV STREAM will go up between $2 a month and $11 a month, depending on your package. The average price hike is $5 a month for most customers.

This news comes a few weeks after DISH announced it would be raising the price of its satellite service.

DIRECTV says they are raising the price of DIRECTV STREAM because they are “adjusting the price of your television package in order to remain competitive in the marketplace, while still delivering the best possible programming. TV networks are continuing to increase the fees they charge DIRECTV® for the right to distribute the content they produce, including movies, shows, and sporting events. We remain steadfast in our commitment to bring you the best programming at a fair and reasonable price.”

The Website shows small print with pricing listed three ways: current, special, and future.

$74.99/mo.
$64.99/mo. + tax

Price subj. to change. $10 off current price for first 3 mos., then prevailing rate. Cancel anytime. Price for new and existing customers changes to $79.99/mo + tax on 11/5/23.

This is just the latest increase over the last 2-3 years, when prices really began to jump. My Streaming Life doesn't use DirecTV streaming, or other similar services. Well, certainly not all the time. I'm not adversely impacted. But a lot of people are impacted, and this is bad news for them. It's harder and harder to find good value, when the price goes up but the content isn't better.

Sunday security posts

I know the focus of this Website is streaming. I know that often on Sundays, I'll vary from that a little bit and talk about security. And I know that while my original security posts were related to streaming, I've done more and more non-streaming security posts on Sundays.

I'll say that there is a justification in that streaming is a field that can be exploited by scammers. Anything that is new and different and that receives an increase in users can get the attention of scammers, and become a focus of scammers. Streaming can be that.

I focus on security and privacy in my day to day life, partly because it was my job for a while, but also because I realize that anyone can be a target, even me. Even you.

Since streaming does grow day by day, scammers will be targeting streamers. I should say more scammers will be targeting streamers. Because it is happening.

The best way to stay safe as a streamer is to be security and privacy conscious. After all, you do it in your every day life, don't you? Don't you?

Do you leave your keys in your car? People used to do that, but not any more. People take their keys when they get out of the car. And they should. Security is important.

Do you leave your house unlocked when you leave, or when you go to bed at night? People used to. Heck, I know some that still do, although they recognize that they shouldn't. Many people lock their house, and they should. Security is important,

Do you have a party line? Okay, some of you may not have any idea what I'm asking there. But long ago, families shared a phone line. They'd have different numbers, but they all shared a single line. We used to have a party line. But I don't know of anyone that has one today. About 20 years ago, there were at least 5,000 still in use. I don't know how many there are today, but party lines still exist. Most people don't have a party line though. Privacy is important.

Security and privacy, two distinct things although there is some overlap, are important. Having focused on that in my work, I may have a higher awareness than many, but I do think that everyone should have security and privacy as a normal part of their lives.

My Streaming Life is secure -- well, I try to keep it secure. My Streaming Life is private -- well, I try to keep it private. My Streaming Life is enjoyable. Security and privacy are second nature to me. I hope it becomes second nature to you as well.