Week 1 isn’t what it should be.
There are 59 games between FBS and FCS teams. There are more than a dozen power programs, each shelling out more than $1.5 million to small schools that are willing to board a flight and take an “L.”
But there is No. 1 Georgia, and there is No. 14 Clemson, headlining college football’s reintroduction to our veins.
Three years ago, the Bulldogs and Tigers also kicked off the season, but the sport no longer looks the same.
Players are now paid over the table and change teams as frequently as pro athletes. A 12-team playoff has emerged from a sport that wouldn’t entertain a traditional postseason for more than a century. The Pac-12 is dead.
And Georgia and Clemson have traded places.
In 2021, No. 5 Georgia pulled out a 10-3 win over No. 3 Clemson en route to the first of back-to-back national titles. The Tigers lost their place atop the sport, finishing the past three seasons outside the top 10 after six straight playoff appearances and two national titles.
Kirby Smart and Dabo Swinney are now the only active coaches in the nation with multiple national championships. Aaron Judge and Aaron Hicks once shared an outfield, too.
Smart, 48, is now what Swinney, 54, was slated to become — Nick Saban’s successor as the nation’s best coach, leading a Deep South school viewed as the title favorite every season.
Three years ago, Georgia was a three-point underdog against Clemson. Saturday, the Bulldogs (-13.5) come to Atlanta as a two-touchdown favorite, with the nation’s best defense, the potential No. 1 pick of the 2025 NFL draft under center (Carson Beck) and a coach who has gone 42-2 in the past three years.
The Tigers, coming off their first single-digit win season in 13 years, know what’s coming. They used to see it in the mirror.
MINNESOTA (+1.5) over North Carolina
The Tar Heels took this matchup in Chapel Hill, 31-13, last year, with Drake Maye throwing for 414 yards and Minnesota’s Athan Kaliakmanis passing for 133 yards. This year, the Gophers will benefit from a change of scenery and the arrival of new quarterback Max Brosmer, as well as Mack Brown’s ill-fated decision to replace Maye with a quarterback committee.
OKLAHOMA (-42.5) over Temple
It has been five years since the Owls finished in the top 90 in scoring offense or scoring defense. Last season, their only game against an opponent that finished the season ranked ended with a 55-0 loss to No. 22 SMU. The Sooners — a top-10 unit on both sides last season — covered this number in their only meetings with Group of Five opponents last year, including a 73-0 season-opening win over Arkansas State.
STANFORD (+9.5) over TCU
The Horned Frogs could get caught looking ahead. The LIU Sharks visit one week later.
WEST VIRGINIA (+8.5) over Penn State
No program should benefit from the expanded playoff — and Big Ten expansion — as much as the Nittany Lions, who would have made a 12-team field at least five times since 2016. A soft schedule and the potential for Drew Allar’s ceiling to elevate in his second full year make Penn State a sleeper to steal the Big Ten title, but the season could start with a sweat on the road against the undervalued Mountaineers.
VANDERBILT (+13.5) over Virginia Tech
The Hokies have talent but much to prove, having gone 3-9 on the road in Brent Pry’s first two seasons. The Commodores’ new dual-threat quarterback, Diego Pavia, has made louder statements, leading New Mexico to a one-sided win at Auburn last season.
UConn (+20.5) over MARYLAND
Mike Locksley has opted not to reveal Taulia Tagovailoa’s successor, stating, “There’s no competitive advantage” to announcing it. You’re in trouble if you must resort to gamesmanship against an opponent with 12 straight losing seasons.
Miami (-2.5) over FLORIDA
Cam Ward is capable of leading the No. 19 Hurricanes to their first ACC title, but Billy Napier still isn’t ready for prime time, having gone 2-10 against ranked teams in his first two seasons at Florida.
Colorado State (+32.5) over TEXAS
The Longhorns didn’t cover similar spreads in two meetings with Group of Five opponents during last year’s breakthrough season. There will be suspense — an Arch Manning sighting looms.
Akron (+48.5) over OHIO STATE
Don’t sleep on Joe Moorhead, who inherited a 1-10 team at Fordham and within four years had led the Rams to three straight FCS Championship appearances.
ALABAMA (-31.5) over Western Kentucky
The Crimson Tide are being backed by 29 percent of bettors but 87 percent of the money. Don’t overinflate the absence of Nick Saban, especially when the legendary coach’s replacement (Kalen DeBoer) has a lifetime record of 104-12, following a national title game appearance with Washington.
TEXAS A&M (-3) over Notre Dame
Irish independence will pay off again, with a schedule that sets them up for double-digit wins. Their toughest regular season game comes Saturday night in College Station, where more than 100,000 fans will welcome a newly formed Notre Dame offensive line with six career starts combined.
Fresno State (+21) over MICHIGAN
The Wolverines defense will be dominant, but expect a stepback on the attack — without Jim Harbaugh, J.J. McCarthy and four starters from the title-winning offensive line.
Betting on College Football?
- Check out the best College Football betting sites
- Read our expert’s guide on how to bet on College Football
- Get the latest College Football National Championship winner odds
USC (+4.5) over LSU
Brian Kelly and Lincoln Riley — who both left Middle America for warm-weather schools on a pair of contracts worth at least a combined $205 million — have worked at four of the most storied programs in college football, led by a total of four Heisman Trophy winners and two Heisman runner-ups — and achieved zero playoff wins. Take the points.
FLORIDA STATE (-16.5) over Boston College
Florida State was in danger before casual fans knew the season had started. Now, it faces a team that nearly upset the ACC champs last season. There is no chance the Seminoles won’t be ready for their home opener. Buy low.
Best bets: Miami, Colorado State, Fresno State
Last season: 122-121-5
