College Football Picks Week 1: Predictions and Odds for Top 25 Schedule
Thursday, Aug. 31
Florida at No. 14 Utah, 8 p.m. ET | Utah -6.5
Saturday, Sept. 2
East Carolina at No. 2 Michigan, Noon ET | Michigan -36
Virginia vs. No. 12 Tennessee (Nashville, Tenn.), Noon ET | Tennessee -28
Colorado at No. 17 TCU, Noon ET | TCU -21
Arkansas State at No. 20 Oklahoma, Noon ET | Oklahoma -35
Utah State at No. 25 Iowa, Noon ET | Iowa -25.5
Mercer at No. 22 Ole Miss, 2 p.m. ET | No line
Portland State at No. 15 Oregon, 3 p.m. ET | No line
No. 3 Ohio State at Indiana, 3:30 p.m. ET | Ohio State -30
Boise State at No. 10 Washington, 3:30 p.m. ET | Washington -14
Rice at No. 11 Texas, 3:30 p.m. ET | Texas -35
Tennessee State at No. 13 Notre Dame, 3:30 p.m. ET | No line
Buffalo at No. 19 Wisconsin, 3:30 p.m. ET | Wisconsin -27.5
UT Martin at No. 1 Georgia, 6 p.m. ET | No line
Nevada at No. 6 USC, 6:30 p.m. ET | USC -38.5
SE Missouri State at No. 16 Kansas State, 7 p.m. ET | No line
New Mexico at No. 23 Texas A&M, 7 p.m. ET | Texas A&M -38
Middle Tennessee at No. 4 Alabama, 7:30 p.m. ET | Alabama -39.5
West Virginia at No. 7 Penn State, 7:30 p.m. ET | Penn State -20.5
No. 21 North Carolina vs. South Carolina (Charlotte, N.C.), 7:30 p.m. ET | North Carolina -2.5
South Alabama at No. 24 Tulane, 8 p.m. ET | Tulane -6.5
Sunday, Sept. 3
No. 18 Oregon State at San Jose State, 3:30 p.m. ET | Oregon State -16.5
No. 5 LSU vs. No. 8 Florida State (Orlando, Fla.), 7:30 p.m. ET | LSU -2.5
Monday, Sept. 4
No. 9 Clemson at Duke, 8 p.m. ET | Clemson -12.5
If this game isn't prominently placed on your Week 1 watch guide, then you should scrap whatever you've started and do it over.
This has a decent chance of being college football's best game this weekend, and it could be full of fireworks.
North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye is one of the top prospects for the 2024 NFL draft. His counterpart, South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler, still has plenty of pro potential despite taking a touch longer to get to the league than expected.
Offense will be the story throughout this contest, though a timely defensive stand may ultimately decide it. It feels like a coin flip, but Maye gives the Tar Heels the edge.
Prediction: North Carolina 45, South Carolina 38
In terms of season-long significance, no Week 1 matchup comes close to the this. Two top-10 teams on opening weekend? Sign us up.
The Tigers and Seminoles are both legitimate championship contenders. Or it feels that way for now, at least. Come Monday night, though, one team's hopes of a dream season will seem a lot more realistic than the other's.
LSU will look to control the ground game on both sides of the ball. Do that, and the Tigers should have done enough to win. But Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis can do it all, and he has playmakers around him like 6'7" receiver Johnny Wilson and Michigan State transfer Keon Coleman.
Because these teams are so evenly matched, it could go either way, but our crystal ball sees the Tigers squeaking by, thanks to late-game heroics from quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Prediction: LSU 27, Florida State 24
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