There is nothing quite like College Football! For starters, unlike professional sports in America, there is no spring training schedule or preseason matchup to dust off the cobwebs. College Football is like a Ferrari taking you from 0 to 100 mph in just a few seconds. Without any dress rehearsal, teams play season-defining games right away and week 1 kicks off this weekend with a bang! In this article, we preview the top 3 matchups for this weekend and make our predictions.
1. No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 2 Ohio State, 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday
This is the biggest game of week one because it pits the two of the most successful football programs meeting for the first time in the regular season since 1996, and both teams are ranked number 5 and 2 respectively in the AP polls. The major storyline from the matchup is the return of former Ohio State player Marcus Freeman returning to the place he called home as he starts his first season as head coach of Notre Dame. Freeman will have the tough task of containing a potent Buckeyes offense led by returning quarterback C.J. Stroud, wide receiver Jaxson Smith-Njigba, and top running back TreVeyon Henderson. The trio led the Buckeyes to one of the best statistical offenses in the nation by scoring 45.7 points per game and a total offense of 561.5 yards per game. New Irish quarterback Tyler Buchner will have a difficult debut playing in a hostile environment on the road. Freeman will need his eight returning starters on defense to step up and slow down the Buckeyes while controlling the game through his offensive line and running game. If they want any motivation to show that the game plan can work, they can look to Oregon’s upset of Ohio State at “the Shoe” last year. Can lightning strike twice? I don’t see it happening.
Ohio State wins a close game, 30-24.
2. No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 11 Oregon in Atlanta, 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday
The Georgia Bulldogs shocked the world last season to capture their first national title in 41 years. They kick off their new season with a tough matchup when they play the Orgon Ducks in Atlanta. The major storyline in this matchup is the return of Dan Lanning who served as the defensive coordinator last season and accepted the job as the new Head coach in the Pacific Northwest. Another intriguing subplot is the potential for Auburn transfer Bo Nix to start for Oregon against a Georgia team he has faced the past three years. It will be an interesting test for the Bulldogs team that lost eight starters but still boast the brilliant Nolan Smith to lead the unit. The biggest doubt about this team is whether the offense can win games after the elite defense carried them last season. Oregon will face pressure to get a statement win early as the new flag bearers of the Pac-12 after the near exit of USC and UCLA.
I think Georgia wins this matchup fairly comfortably- 33-21.
3. No. 23 Cincinnati at No. 19 Arkansas, 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday
Cincinnati has become the darlings of college football in the past two seasons. Impressively, The Bearcats have won all of their 22 regular-season games in the past two years. However, the critics will point out that they flattered to deceive in bowl games in losing to SEC teams including Alabama last season. There are questions about how Cincinnati continues its success after losing quarterback Desmond Ridder and six starters on defense. Arkansas surprised a lot of football aficionados last season by winning nine wins last season and has stability in bringing back quarterback KJ Jefferson and several key defenders. The Bears have a real chance to keep themselves in the national relevancy with a statement win on the road. It will be an entertaining game but I have the Razorbacks winning a high-scoring contest.
Arkansas 38-Cincinnati 27.