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#3 Oklahoma at #15 Houston (12:00 PM ET, on ESPN, in Houston, Texas)
My prediction: #3 Oklahoma defeats #15 Houston 38-35
What to watch for: Oklahoma's offense. This game will largely depend on scoring, because both defenses will face huge challenges vs their opponent's offense, and I'm not sure how well Oklahoma's defense can stop Houston's offense, and vice versa. With that being said, I think offense will be pretty important in this game, and with Baker Mayfield at QB, Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon at RB, and multiple play-makers at WR, I just think that Oklahoma's offense will be too much in the end for the Cougars defense.
My thoughts on this game: This is one of the best-ranked games in week 1, so that alone shows the impact it could have on the winner of this game, and I think that Oklahoma will find a way to get the W in a close game, to improve to 1-0 on this college football season.
Photo credit: Tony Gutierrez - AP
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#5 LSU vs Wisconsin (3:30 PM ET, on ABC, in Green Bay, Wisconsin)
My prediction: #5 LSU defeats Wisconsin 34-17
What to watch for: LSU's running game. This is an obvious part of the game to watch out for, because LSU running back Leonard Fournette is very likely to be in New York City at the end of the season for a Heisman ceremony, and Wisconsin will be the first opponent to face him, and I don't see it turning out too well for the Badgers' defense in this game, because I think Fournette will go off and have a great game en route to leading LSU to victory.
My thoughts on this game: This football game will be a historic one since it is the first ever Division-1 college football game to be played at Lambeau field, and I see the Tigers being the first team to ever win a Division-1 college football game at Lambeau.
Photo credit: Thomas B. Shea - USA TODAY Sports
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#18 Georgia vs #22 North Carolina (5:30 PM ET, on ESPN, in Atlanta, Georgia)
My prediction: #18 Georgia defeats #22 North Carolina 30-20
What to watch for: Georgia's running game. Leonard Fournette isn't the only great running back in the SEC, there's another guy whose name is Nick Chubb who could also be in New York City at the end of this season, and Chubb has a partner in the backfield who is capable of being pretty good as well, and his name is Sony Michel, and in this game, I think both Chubb and Michel are going to open up with big games, and even though UNC is improving on defense, they still aren't the best in terms of rush defense, so I see Chubb and Michel running wild.
My thoughts on this game: This game should be a fun one to watch, both teams have potential, and could end up being very good teams at the end of the season, and I just think that Georgia will be the team that starts out strongest out of these two teams.
Photo credit: Cal Powell - Georgia Sports Communications
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#20 USC vs #1 Alabama (8:00 PM ET, on ABC, in Arlington, Texas)
My prediction: #1 Alabama defeats #20 USC 31-7
What to watch for: Alabama's defense. Alabama had the best defense in the nation last season, and this season the defense will likely be as good, if not better, and with USC breaking out a new starting QB in Max Browne, I feel that Bama's defense will be able to rattle him and force him into making mistakes, and in the end, I see the Tide rolling to victory to start off 1-0.
My thoughts on this game: This game is a good matchup for college football, two historic programs going at it in a historic stadium is definitely something a lot of people have been waiting for, and now it's finally happening. I think that in terms of the actual game, Bama will roll and start out this season on the right foot.
Photo credit: Matt Kartozian - USA TODAY Sports
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#2 Clemson at Auburn (8:00 PM ET, on ESPN, in Auburn, Alabama)
My prediction: #2 Clemson defeats Auburn 35-31
What to watch for: Clemson's offense. Clemson returns a guy at QB who a lot of people think will win the Heisman this season in Deshaun Watson, a 1,000+ yard rusher at RB in Wayne Gallman, and play-makers at WR like Artavis Scott, Deon Cain, Mike Williams. Hunter Renfrow, and Ray-Ray McCloud. With that being said, I do think Auburn will be much improved on defense from last season, but I think Clemson will be too much offensively when this game come to an end.
My thoughts on this game: This is one of the several exciting match-ups on week 1, and although on paper it looks like it favors Clemson heavily, I think this game will be a close game that goes down to the wire, but I do see Clemson pulling it out.
Photo credit: Streeter Lecka - Getty Images
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#11 Ole Miss vs #4 Florida State (8:00 PM ET, on ESPN, in Orlando, Florida) MONDAY
UPSET
My prediction: #11 Ole Miss defeats #4 Florida State 28-24
What to watch for: Ole Miss' defense. Ole Miss lost some talent on defense from last season, but even though they lost talent off of last season's defense, they still return key defensive players like DT Breeland Speaks, DE Marquis Haynes, LB Demarquis Gates, and DB Tony Connors, and also FSU's offensive line doesn't look like they'll be that strong this season, and with them starting QB Deondre Francois that could be trouble for the Seminoles because even though Francois is talented, he is also inexperienced, so I see the Rebels forcing Francois into mistakes and turnovers that could be huge in this game.
My thoughts on this game: This game is the highest ranked matchup of all matchups this week 1, and I think it will live up any hype it has received. In terms of how I think this game will go, I think it will be close and down to the wire, but I see the Rebels being the victor when this game comes to its end.
Photo credit: Chuck Cook - USA TODAY Sports
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MY SNEAKY GOOD GAME OF THE WEEK
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#16 UCLA at Texas A&M (3:30 PM ET, on CBS, in College Station, Texas) UPSET
My prediction: Texas A&M defeats #16 UCLA 31-20
What to watch for: Texas A&M's wide receiving corp. The Aggies have one of the best wide receiving corps in the nation (which includes talented wide receivers Speedy Noil, Christian Kirk, Ricky Seals-Jones, Josh Reynolds, and Edward Pope), and even though the secondary is the main bright spot for UCLA on defense, I think Trevor Knight (who transferred into Texas A&M from Oklahoma) will be able to be successful in hitting his receivers for big plays in this game due to his experience, and his receivers.
My thoughts on this game: I think this game will be a big game in impressing the CFP committee, so both teams will come in motivated to make a statement, and I have a feeling that the Aggies will be that team between them and the Bruins to make that statement.
Photo credit: USATSI
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UPSET OF THE WEEK
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#10 Notre Dame at Texas (7:30 PM ET, on ABC, in Austin, Texas) SUNDAY
UPSET
My prediction: Texas defeats #10 Notre Dame 24-23
What to watch for: Texas' defense. Texas' defense was decent last season, but they've got to be better then just decent this season if they want to be a contender, and that journey starts with a big challenge at home in Austin vs the 10th-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and even though it will be a challenge for the Longhorns, I see their defense playing well enough to help their offense lift them over the top in a very close football game.
My thoughts on this game: This is another historic match-up because of the teams playing in it, and I think that in terms of the match-up, this game that will have a huge impact on the season, and for Texas (who lost to Notre Dame 38-3 last season), this game will pretty much be a revenge game, and I think that since they're at home, and have recruited well, and got blown out last season by Notre Dame, I think they will find a way to pull this game out when the clock hits zero.
Photo credit: Smiley N. Pool - The Dallas Morning News
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Other games to watch out for this week:
Kansas State at #8 Stanford FRIDAY
Rutgers at #17 Washington
Missouri at West Virginia
College football is finally back, enjoy week 1!
