Welcome to the true beginning of the college football season! This week features many premier season-openers, including three top-10 matchups between national championship contenders. In this article, I will make my picks and analyze the best games of Week 1.
No. 1 Texas at No. 3 Ohio State (Noon ET, FOX)
Texas and Ohio State are ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the US LBM Coaches Poll, making this meeting the 63rd No. 1 vs. No. 2 game in college football history. The Longhorns are looking for revenge after the Jack Sawyer-led Buckeyes beat Texas by two touchdowns at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl in the semifinal round of the College Football Playoff. In the four games that the two blue-blood programs have faced off against one another, the series is split at 2-2. I think the Jeremiah Smith-led offense will be too much for Texas, especially with the 102,780 fans serving as Ohio State’s 12th man.
Pick: Ohio State beats Texas, 28-17
Syracuse vs. No. 24 Tennessee (Noon ET, ABC)
Both of these schools have a great track record in season openers, but this game will be interesting to watch, especially with Tennessee’s starting quarterback, Nico Iamaleava, transferring. The teams last met in 2001 at Neyland Stadium, where the Volunteers came out on top with a 33-9 victory. With a running back tandem of DeSean Bishop and Star Thomas, I expect Tennessee to start the season 1-0.
Pick: Tennessee beats Syracuse 31-14
No. 8 Alabama at Florida State (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Between the two blue-blood programs, Alabama has a 3-1-1 edge in the first five meetings. They last met in 2017, where the Crimson Tide came out on top in a 24-7 rout. Florida State has nothing to lose coming into this game after a 2-10 season last year, putting head coach Mike Norvell back on the hot seat for the time being. I am a huge fan of Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams, and despite the game at Doak Campbell Stadium, I expect Alabama to come away with a win in Tallahassee.
Pick: Alabama beats Florida State, 21-14
No. 9 LSU at No. 4 Clemson (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
LSU and Clemson meet for the first time since Joe Burrow led the Bayou Bengals to the 2020 College Football National Championship. This will be the first game in the series not played at a neutral site, as a home-and-home series could determine whose stadium is the true Death Valley. Everyone talks about Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik and his imminent connection with wide receiver Antonio Williams. Both players are on the Maxwell Award preseason watch list for the nation’s most outstanding player. The true dealbreaker is Clemson’s defensive line against LSU’s offensive line after losing Will Campbell, Emery Jones Jr., Garrett Dellinger and Miles Frazier to the NFL. Watch for defensive tackle Peter Woods and defensive end T.J. Parker, who are considered among the best at their respective positions.
Pick: Clemson beats LSU, 28-21
Utah at UCLA (11 p.m. ET, FOX)
Utah and UCLA square off for the first time as members of different conferences since 2007, with the last 12 meetings coming as members of the Pac-12. Utah’s coaching staff is one of the best in college football, with longtime head coach Kyle Whittingham coaching in his 380th overall game with the Utes. Despite the 9-5 record that the two-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year has against the Bruins, UCLA holds a 12-9 edge in the series history, with a 7-3 record in Pasadena or Los Angeles. I will take the star power that UCLA has, with Iamaleava leading the way.
Pick: UCLA beats Utah, 24-21
Virginia Tech vs. No. 13 South Carolina (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN)
This matchup hits close to home for South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer, as he has a lot of ties to the football program of his alma mater at Virginia Tech. Between the two programs, the Gamecocks have an 11-7-2 advantage but have not met since a 28-21 South Carolina win in Columbia, S.C., in 1991. South Carolina has threats on both sides of the line of scrimmage. On offense, they have quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who has been named to the Maxwell Award preseason watch list. He is coming off a freshman season so impressive that the Football Writers of America Association (FWAA) named him the National Freshman Offensive Player of the Year. On the defensive side, watch out for edge rusher Dylan Stewart. There was a lot of high praise for the reigning All-SEC edge rusher, with comparisons to Jadeveon Clowney from The Sporting News, CBS Sports and Pro Football Focus (PFF). Virginia Tech is coming off a 6-7 season, losing to Minnesota in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl to close the season. In the end, South Carolina has too much firepower.
Pick: South Carolina beats Virginia Tech, 38-10
No. 6 Notre Dame at No. 10 Miami (Fla.) (Sunday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
With Cam Ward now in the NFL, a new face will lead the Hurricanes. If you watched college football last season, it was clear that one of the most anticipated players going into the 2024 season was Georgia quarterback Carson Beck. Recovering from UCL surgery, Beck will make his debut in the Miami threads on Sunday night. The Hurricanes are coming off their first 10-win season since 2017, which was the last time these two perennial powers met. In that game, Miami blew the doors off Notre Dame, with a 41-8 win, which was the program’s most lopsided win over an AP Top 5 opponent since 1991. Notre Dame is coming off a magical season, which saw them as the runners-up in last year’s CFP National Championship Game. The Fighting Irish are 18-8-1 against Miami, but I do not know how CJ Carr will do in the season-opener. I am a huge fan of running back Jeremiyah Love, but I think the home-field advantage and the experience at quarterback give the Canes the advantage.
Pick: Miami beats Notre Dame, 17-14
TCU at North Carolina (Monday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Welcome to college football, Bill Belichick! The future Pro Football Hall of Famer will don the Carolina blue as the head coach of the Tar Heels in his first season. It is the first meeting between North Carolina and TCU since Oct. 4, 1997, with the Heels blowing out the then-winless Horned Frogs 31-10. There is no doubt that Kenan Memorial Stadium will be rocking for the head coaching debut of the eight-time Super Bowl champion, but even though I grew up a New England Patriots fan, I cannot just pick North Carolina because of their head coach. It is a brand-new team, while TCU has a handful of players named to national preseason watch lists. Watch out for quarterback Josh Hoover and defensive back Bud Clark as they guide the offense and defense, respectively.
Pick: TCU beats North Carolina, 21-14
Calhoun's Corner 