Happy September and happy Saturday everyone! It’s finally Week 1, which means a loaded schedule of college football that will go from noon to midnight. There are a few exciting matchups this weekend. Let’s take a look at them.
Boise State at No. 10 Washington (-14)
Michael Penix Jr. is one of the best quarterbacks in college football, facing a Boise State team that has had a winning record that dates back to the 1990s. I’ll take the Huskies at home to start the season.
Tune in to Boise State at Washington at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
UTSA (-2) at Houston
This game is intriguing, with Houston winning last year in triple overtime in San Antonio while UTSA is 9-3 in season openers. I’ll take the Roadrunners, who are a fringe top-25 team currently.
Tune in to UTSA at Houston at 7 p.m. ET on FS1.
West Virginia at No. 7 Penn State (-20.5)
I would love to see a former Big East team win, but Drew Allar has all this hype in what could be a very special season for Penn State. Under the lights at Beaver Stadium is a tough atmosphere to win in.
Tune in to West Virginia at Penn State at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
Colorado at No. 17 TCU (-21)
Deion Sanders has created a lot of hype in Boulder for the first time in a long time, but the Buffaloes are coming off a 1-11 season facing the national runners-up. TCU may look different this year, but they’ll start the season with a win.
Tune in to Colorado at TCU at 12 p.m. ET on FOX.
No. 21 North Carolina (-2.5) vs. South Carolina
College Gameday begins in Charlotte, where two rivals face off in the Duke’s Mayo Classic. Both teams have intriguing quarterbacks. North Carolina has Drake Maye, while South Carolina has Spencer Rattler. I love both quarterbacks, and I can see the Gamecocks winning this. However, despite Tez Walker not playing, I’ll take the Tar Heels winning this. It would be Mack Brown’s 100th win at North Carolina and would improve their record in season openers under Brown to 12-3.
Tune in to North Carolina vs. South Carolina at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
No. 5 LSU (-2) vs. No. 8 Florida State
The Camping World Kickoff is set to be the biggest game of Labor Day Weekend, as it is a top-10 rematch of a thriller last year in New Orleans. Florida State, with Mike Norvell and Jordan Travis, will win this game. They’re 10-0-2 all-time in Orlando, including nine straight games. The Seminoles are 8-2 against LSU all-time, and I’ll take my chances with them on Sunday night.
Tune in to LSU vs. Florida State on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
Calhoun's Corner 