Week 1’s top 10 college football games: Texas-Ohio State, LSU-Clemson headline loaded weekend

It’s been a long offseason: settlement drama, ridiculous playoff formats, presidential executive orders. But now, finally, football. Better yet, it’s arguably the best Week 1 slate in recent memory, running Thursday to Monday. College football, we could drink a case of you.

Cheers to the first full weekend of the season, and to Lee Corso. Here are the top 10 games of Week 1, starting with a few honorable mentions and counting down.

Advertisement

Honorable Mention: No. 25 Boise State at USF (Thursday), Nebraska at Cincinnati (Thursday), Toledo at Kentucky, UTSA at Texas A&M, Cal at Oregon State, Colorado State at Washington

(All point spreads are courtesy BetMGM. All kickoff times are Eastern and on Saturday unless otherwise noted.)

10. Syracuse (0-0) vs No. 24 Tennessee (0-0), Noon, ABC

This is a neutral-site game in Atlanta, where the crowd should be very Rocky Top friendly. The Vols get a chance to move on from last year’s blowout loss to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff, as well as the offseason saga surrounding former quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Late transfer Joey Aguilar is leading the offense now, against a Syracuse squad that won a surprising 10 games in 2024 under first-year coach Fran Brown.

Line: Tennessee -14

9. Utah (0-0) at UCLA (0-0), 11 p.m., Fox

It’s Iamaleava’s debut with his new team after the messy transfer to UCLA in the spring. Whether it works out for the Bruins remains to be seen, but it absolutely makes them more interesting. Both of these squads are expecting to improve on disappointing seasons in 2024, with Utah bringing in former New Mexico offensive coordinator Jason Beck and former Lobos quarterback Devon Dampier. Paired with a typically stout defense and trotting out one of the best offensive line units in the country, the Utes could be a force in the Big 12.

Line: Utah -6

8. Virginia Tech (0-0) vs No. 13 South Carolina (0-0), Sun., 3 p.m., ESPN

Another neutral site game in Atlanta, where South Carolina enters with its highest ranking in the preseason AP Top 25 poll since it was No. 9 entering the 2014 season. The Gamecocks, led by dual-threat quarterback LaNorris Sellers, have plenty of talent, including running back Rahsul Faison, the Utah State transfer who was officially granted an additional season of eligibility and cleared to play by the NCAA this week. The Hokies return coach Brent Pry and quarterback Kyron Drones, but have two new coordinators and a reshaped roster.

Line: South Carolina -7.5

7. Georgia Tech (0-0) at Colorado (0-0), Fri., 8 p.m., ESPN

The headliner here is how Deion Sanders and the Buffs fare without Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, but Georgia Tech is a team worth tracking this season. Coach Brent Key has built a gritty roster that’s angling to break through in the ACC after a long stretch in the wilderness, led by an experienced senior quarterback in Haynes King. Colorado named transfer quarterback Kaidon Salter the starter this week, but Sanders said true freshman Julian Lewis will likely get some snaps as well.

Advertisement

Line: Georgia Tech -4.5

6. TCU (0-0) at North Carolina (0-0), Mon., 8 p.m., ESPN

Yes, the anticipation is very much about new North Carolina coach Bill Belichick. Whether you’re tuning in on Labor Day to root against Chapel Bill or to get the latest scoop on his dating life, the greatest coach in NFL history taking a late-career dip into college football is must-see theater. And TCU, which quietly won six of its last seven to finish 9-4 a year ago, has to hope it is prepared to do a better job of handling the noise against the Tar Heels than it did against Coach Prime in the season-opening loss to Colorado in 2023.

Line: TCU -3.5

5. No. 8 Alabama (0-0) at Florida State (0-0), 3:30 p.m., ABC

Major question marks for both programs. Alabama’s come with the pressure of a top-10 preseason ranking and the specter of Nick Saban still looming over Kalen DeBoer. Florida State’s mysteries come after a disastrous 2-10 record and last-place ACC finish in 2024, a season that started with its own top-10 preseason ranking. It’s unlikely the Crimson Tide will suffer a similar crash-out in 2025, but FSU offers a cautionary tale, at least for one week. Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is untested and on the road against a team looking to wipe away the memory of last season, which could make for a closer game than the spread suggests.

Line: Alabama -13.5

4. Auburn (0-0) at Baylor (0-0), Fri., 8 p.m., Fox

This is such a sneaky good Friday night game between a pair of darkhorse candidates in their respective conferences. Baylor and coach Dave Aranda bounced back to an impressive 8-5 in 2024 with the help of quarterback Sawyer Robertson, who returns for his final season. Auburn reloaded its 2025 roster with a strong recruiting class, but coach Hugh Freeze has to show something after back-to-back losing seasons. It’s the first meeting between the two programs since 1976.

Advertisement

Line: Auburn -2.5

3. No. 6 Notre Dame (0-0) at No. 10 Miami (0-0), Sun., 7:30 p.m., ABC

Two more top-10 teams with some unknowns at quarterback. Notre Dame and Marcus Freeman, coming off a runner-up finish in 2024 and looking to stay in the championship mix, are rolling with redshirt freshman C.J. Carr, who should benefit from having stud running back Jeremiyah Love in the backfield. The Hurricanes lost three of four to end last season in disappointing, Playoff-less fashion, then shelled out big bucks for Georgia transfer Carson Beck despite his rehabbing from injury. This should be a fun tone-setter for two teams saddled with expectations. Miami won big in the last meeting between the two in 2017.

Line: Notre Dame -2.5

2. No. 9 LSU (0-0) at No. 4 Clemson, 7:30 p.m., ABC

The battle of Death Valleys pits a pair of title contenders in a rematch of the 2020 national championship. LSU has lost every season opener since Joe Burrow hoisted that championship trophy, including three straight under head coach Brian Kelly. Bolstered by a talented and expensive transfer class, this year’s Bayou Bengals will look to end that streak with an upset over Dabo Swinney and a home-grown Clemson program in search of its own redemptive arc. Quarterbacks Garrett Nussmeier (LSU) and Cade Klubnik (Clemson) are both Heisman hopefuls.

Line: Clemson -3.5

1. No. 1 Texas (0-0) at No. 3 Ohio State (0-0), Noon, Fox

The crown jewel of a loaded opening weekend. Arch Manning, fresh off his first-class ride on the offseason hype train, opens on the road against the defending champion Buckeyes, who are breaking in their own new quarterback in Julian Sayin. Texas also becomes the first top-ranked team in modern college football to open the season as an underdog. It’s the fifth all-time meeting between the two bluebloods and first in the regular season since 2006, with the series tied at 2-2. Take a moment to pull yourself together after Corso’s final headgear pick, and then lock in. We made it, sweetheart.

Line: Ohio State -2.5

(Photo of Arch Manning: Todd Kirkland / Getty Images)

Click here to read article