Happy Labor Day Weekend, everyone! Week 1 is in full effect already, with two terrific games on Thursday (Penn State-Purdue and West Virginia-Pitt). Still, I’m expecting many more terrific games today as the first full Saturday slate of college football is here. There are some exceptions to this week’s selections, with a game on both Sunday and Monday to cap off the long weekend. That includes a top-5 matchup between Notre Dame and Ohio State, two of the most historic programs in college football history. Get ready for the loaded college football weekend with my picks for the games, along with analysis.
Florida State (1-0) vs. LSU (-3)
Speaking of historic programs, Sunday night will feature two teams that have combined for seven claimed national championships. Florida State looks to find national relevance again as they face an unproven LSU team. LSU features Kayshon Boutte, one of college football’s best wide receivers. With that being said, Florida State is 7-2 against LSU all time. That came as a surprising stat during my research, because both teams have shown great success for such a long time. LSU brings in head coach Brian Kelly to replace Ed Orgeron in Baton Rouge. The crowd should favor LSU, as the game takes place in New Orleans. Florida State opened up the season with a win over Duquesne, while LSU has had more time to prepare for the Seminoles. I’ll go with the Tigers in a close game on Sunday night.
Tune into the Allstate Louisiana Kickoff on Sunday at 7:30 PM ET on ABC.
#4 Clemson (-23) vs. Georgia Tech
It’s basically a home game for the Yellow Jackets, as the game takes place at nearby Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Clemson looks to have a bounce-back season, as last season disappointed fans because of the incredibly high expectations. They lost three times, which isn’t even bad. The worst part of Clemson’s team coming into this game is their offense. Can D.J. Uiagalelei become the leader that Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence were before him? I have no doubt that Clemson’s defense will thrive, with Bryan Bresee looking like the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year. Georgia Tech leads the all-time series 50-34-2, but Clemson has won seven straight in the series. They’ll make it eight on Monday night.
Tune into Clemson vs. Georgia Tech on Monday at 8 PM ET on ESPN.
#7 Utah (-2.5) at Florida
Yes, you read that right. Florida will upset Utah tonight. Florida is not a better team than Utah, but all signs point towards the Gators pulling off a top-10 victory to begin the season. Florida has won the past 32 home openers, with the last loss coming in 1989. To tell you how long that is, my dad graduated from UConn in 1989. I’m a freshman at UConn. Florida has only lost one season opener since 1990 (Michigan in 2017). They have won the past two times when opening their home schedule against a ranked opponent. However, it’s been a long time since those two teams (the last time was in 1982). I think Utah will be a great team this season, but I don’t think they will thrive in The Swamp tonight.
Tune into Utah at Florida at 7 PM ET on ESPN.
#23 Cincinnati at #19 Arkansas (-6.5)
Saturday marks the first time that Cincinnati and Arkansas meet in college football. It’s a top-25 matchup in Fayetteville, and I think I’m going to side with the Razorbacks here. Cincinnati lost a lot from its College Football Playoff team last year. Arkansas has KJ Jefferson returning at starting quarterback, looking to be one of the SEC’s best players. The talent difference and the home-field advantage are why I think Arkansas wins a tough opening matchup. I’ll be even more confident: I think the Hogs cover the 6.5-point spread.
Tune into Cincinnati at Arkansas at 3:30 PM ET on ESPN.
#11 Oregon vs. #3 Georgia (-17)
The Georgia Bulldogs begin defending their national title with a tough game against Oregon. Oregon looks revamped as well, with Dan Lanning as head coach and Bo Nix as starting quarterback. The game is in Atlanta, which is a huge advantage for Georgia. Georgia loses top defenders in Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean but they bring back quarterback Stetson Bennett. It’s just the second time that these two teams have met, the first and most recent battle in 1977, where the Dawgs took down the Ducks in Athens. I’ll take Kirby Smart’s team to start 1-0 this season.
Tune into Oregon vs. Georgia at 3:30 PM ET on ABC.
#5 Notre Dame at #2 Ohio State (-17)
17 points is quite a lot for Ohio State to be favored by. They do have my top offense in college football but Notre Dame isn’t ranked fifth in the country just for fun. They’re a strong team, with new head coach Marcus Freeman leading the way. Notre Dame is a weaker team than Ohio State, I’ll admit that. However, I would love to see a classic between two incredible programs on Saturday night. The Buckeyes offense is legit, with quarterback C.J. Stroud, running back TreVeyon Henderson, and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba all potential first-team All-Americans. Ohio State leads the all-time series 4-2 and they have won 42 of the last 45 season openers. I will take the Buckeyes at home, but it will be a match that goes down to the wire.
Tune into Notre Dame at Ohio State at 7:30 PM ET on ABC.
Calhoun's Corner 