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AP Top 5
1.Georgia 0-0 (0-0) SEC This week: 14.Clemson (Atlanta; Aflac Kickoff Game) (Saturday, 12 PM ET, ABC)
2.Ohio State 0-0 (0-0) Big Ten This week: Akron (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, CBS)
3.Oregon 0-0 (0-0) Big Ten This week: Idaho (Saturday, 7:30 PM ET, BIG10)
4.Texas 0-0 (0-0) SEC This week: Colorado State (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, ESPN)
5.Alabama 0-0 (0-0) SEC This week: Western Kentucky (Saturday, 7 PM ET, ESPN)
Key games this weekend (Rankings based off of AP Poll)
Thursday, August 29
North Carolina @ Minnesota
8 PM ET, FOX
Week 1 of the college football season opens on Thursday night in Minneapolis in a rematch between two teams that also played last season between the Tar Heels and the Golden Gophers on FOX. The Drake Maye era at North Carolina is over and in comes former Texas A&M signal-caller Max Johnson to take over the reins at quarterback for Mack Brown. Tailback Omarion Hampton (1504 yards and 15 TDs) returns as does leading receiver JJ Jones (711 yards and 3 TDs). The Tar Heels must improve defensively under new coordinator Geoff Collins, the former Georgia Tech head coach, who replaces Gene Chizik. Defensive end Kaimon Rucker and defensive backs Marcus Allen and Alijah Huzzie will look to lead a better unit in 2024 after the Tar Heels lost four of their last six games after beginning the season 6-0. One of those first four wins was over the Golden Gophers, 31-13, last September in Chapel Hill. Minnesota became one of the only teams last season to make a bowl game with just five regular season games and they defeated Bowling Green, 30-24, in the Quick Lane Bowl. Upcoming sixth year quarterback Max Brosmer, who transferred over from New Hampshire, a finalist for the Walter Payton Award awarded to the top offensive player in the FCS. Darius Taylor, Sieh Bangura, and Marcus Major will be next to Brosmer in the backfield at tailback. Receivers Daniel Jackson, Elijah Jackson, Lemeke Brockington and tight ends Pierce Walsh and Nathan Jones at tight end will look to improve Minnesota’s stagnant passing offense last season. Minnesota head coach PJ Fleck’s team is known for its defense and former LSU edge rusher Jaxon Howard, linebacker Cody Lindenberg, cornerback Justin Walley, and safety Jack Henderson will look to help the Golden Gophers open the season on a high note. In what should be a close game, it is hard to know who to trust so I’m going with the home team here. Projected Score: Minnesota 24, North Carolina 21
Saturday, August 31
8.Penn State @ West Virginia
12 PM ET, FOX
Penn State dominated West Virginia to open the 2023 season last fall. The Nittany Lions make the return trip to face the Mountaineers with a lot on the line in a match up between the Big 12 and the Big Ten conferences. Penn State hired Andy Kotelnicki to be its new offensive coordinator to improve its offense, led by quarterback Drew Allar and tailback Nicholas Singleton. They lost top receiving target KeAndre Lambert-Smith to Auburn so the Nittany Lions need receivers to step up. If they want to make the College Football Playoff in the first year of the 12-team format, James Franklin’s defense will need to be just as good as it has been in years past to win this important nonconference game against the Mountaineers and so they can compete in the new look Big Ten. In a Big 12 with so much talent around the whole league, returning signal-caller Garrett Greene will look to get the ball down the field to receivers Hudson Clement, Preston Fox, and Jayden Bray. Neal Brown’s defense can trust the home crowd’s energy to get stops against Allar and the Penn State offense, being led by senior defensive end Sean Martin, senior nose tackle Fatorma Mulbah, senior defensive tackle Edward Vesterinen, and senior cornerback Garnett Hollis Jr. In many years, an AP top ten ranked team is upset in week 1. I think West Virginia pulls it off against Penn State on Saturday. Projected Score: West Virginia 34, Penn State 27
14.Clemson vs. 1.Georgia (Atlanta; Aflac Kickoff Game)
12 PM ET, ABC
Clemson heads to Atlanta to open their season to face Georgia, a team that is out for their revenge tour in 2024 after falling to Alabama in last season’s SEC Championship game and failing to make the College Football Playoff and thus the national title game after back to back championships in 2021 and 2022. With Nick Saban retired, Kirby Smart is next in line to take over the college football with a roster that can most definitely win it all again in 2024. While there has been a lot of off-season drama with all of the their driving issues on the road. But, on the field Bulldog quarterback Carson Beck and safety Malachi Starks as leaders on the roster. Beck has been getting Heisman hype but Starks is even more important to the team with his playmaking in the defensive backfield. Former Florida running back Trevor Etienne comes over to the Gators’ rival and is expected to start along with fellow offensive weapons Dominic Lovett, Dillon Bell, Arian Smith, and Oscar Delp looking to make up for the loss of terrific tight end Brock Bowers, who is off to Las Vegas to play for the Raiders. Defensively, Kirby Smart will only expect to be better than they were in 2023 after a disappointing end to last season. Joining Malachi Starks, defensive end Mykel Williams and linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. will look to get the Bulldogs going by stopping quarterback Cade Klubnik, running back Phil Mafa, and the Clemson offense. Dabo Swinney’s team must find a reliable receiving weapon with their two returning leading receivers being Tyler Brown, who had 52 catches for 531 yards and 4 touchdowns and tight end Jake Briningstool (50 catches, 498 yards, and 5 TDs). Clemson’s defense will have to keep themselves in the game against such a talented Georgia team that is playing in their backyard of Atlanta. Last season’s second leading tackler Barrett Carter returns at linebacker after having 62 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 1 interception. Carter, a senior, will have to help his defense keep their composure against such a talented offense. This game may be close at the half but the Bulldogs will roll in the second half. Projected Score: Georgia 38, Clemson 17
19.Miami @ Florida
3:30 PM ET, ABC
Miami and Florida both come into the season needing big seasons to keep their head coaches’ job securities sure for next season and beyond. The Hurricanes won seven games but in Mario Cristobal’s third season much more will be expected of him and his team with former Washington State Cam Ward now in the fold. Ward replaces Tyler Van Dyke under center alongside his fellow former Pac-12 player, former Oregon State runnning back Damien Martinez. The Hurricanes return one of the best receiving cores in the ACC with Xavier Restrepo, Samuel Brown, and Jacolby George expected to be the deep threats for Ward’s passing attack. Former Michigan State defensive tackle Simeon Barrow Jr. and the Miami defense will have to deal with a Florida offense that has one of the most underrated quarterbacks, running backs, and receivers in the country. That trio includes quarterback Graham Mertz, tailback Montrell Johnson, and receiver Eugene Wilson III. Many around the country think Gators head coach Billy Napier has the best team of his tenure with those three offensive stalwarts in place next to a revamped defense that was up and down in 2023. The unit loses edge rusher Princely Umanmielen to Ole Miss but Justus Boone, TJ Searcy, Tyreak Sapp, and Kamran James will look to help replace his production on the edge. If the Cam Ward hype out of Miami fall camp is real, we could be looking at a potential ACC champion Hurricanes team. However, Cristobal’s teams have underperformed so far during his tenure. I anticipate a competitive game in “The Swamp” come the hot, humid afternoon of August 31 between the Gators and Hurricanes. Projected Score: Florida 34, Miami 27
7.Notre Dame @ 20.Texas A&M
7:30 PM ET, ABC
A new era of Texas A&M football opens as Mike Elko, their former defensive coordinator, takes over for his former boss Jimbo Fisher this fall. Elko has renewed the focus of the Aggie football program as they face what should be a talented Notre Dame squad in 2024. Former Duke quarterback Riley Leonard steps in for the productive Sam Hartman after he was injured against the Fighting Irish in a Blue Devil loss last season. Replacing tremendous tailback Audric Estime (1,341 yards and 18 TDs in 2023) will be hard to do but the trio of Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price, and Kedren Young will be up for the challenge. Everyone knows Leonard is a talented quarterback but coming off the injury, receivers Kris Mitchell, Jaden Greathouse, Jayden Thomas and tight end Mitchell Evans will look to ease him in, in front of what should be a sold out Kyle Field Crowd in College Station. The defense must focus on containing Aggie QB Connor Weigman, who has also had injury problems in his past, will not be an easy chore to do with new offensive coordinator Collin Klein in the fold. Gone is talented receiver Evan Stewart to Oregon, fellow receiver Ainias Smith to the Philadelphia Eagles, and tailback Reuben Owens to a season-ending injury but that will make room for Weigman’s playmakers on this season’s team to step up for him including running backs Le’Veon Moss and EJ Smith, receivers Jahdae Walker, Noah Thomas, Moose Muhammad III, and tight end Donovan Green. Defensively, the Aggies lost tackle Walter Nolen to Ole Miss but have Shemar Turner at that position to lead the unit. In what could be the game of the week in week 1, the quarterback match up between Riley Leonard and Connor Weigman should determine the game. Projected Score: Texas A&M 27, Notre Dame 24
Sunday, September 1
13.LSU vs. 23.USC (Las Vegas; Modelo Vegas Kickoff Classic)
7:30 PM ET, ABC
LSU and USC match up in Las Vegas on the opening Sunday night of the season. Brian Kelly has led LSU to back to back ten win seasons in his first two years in Baton Rouge after losing both of his first two season openers, first in their backyard in New Orleans against Florida State (2022) and then in Orlando against the Seminoles again in 2023. A refocused LSU is looking to break through to the playoff now. Lincoln Riley’s Trojans went 8-5 last season. They began the season 6-0 before losing five of their last seven games. With USC in the Big Ten now, competitive football will have to be played annually in Los Angeles for the Trojans to make a run to the new 12-team College Football Playoff. LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier returns to replace last season’s Heisman winner Jayden Daniels (now a Washington Commander) behind center with Kyren Lacy expected to be the next LSU receiver in the NFL (as well as tight end Mason Taylor), following behind Malik Nabers (New York Giants) and Brian Thomas (Jacksonville Jaguars) this past season. A big bounce back is needed by the Tiger defense, known in the past for its tremendous defensive backs. Blake Baker takes over as defensive coordinator, looking to turn things around with linebacker Harold Perkins leading an improved unit on that side of the ball. Like LSU, USC lost a quarterback that won a Heisman Trophy. Caleb Williams was selected with the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. Lincoln Riley also lost former five-star signal caller Malachi Nelson to transfer to Boise State. So, it is expected to be Miller Moss taking snaps against the Tigers in Las Vegas. Woody Marks assumes the running back position while Zachariah Branch should step in as Moss’ go-to receiver this fall. Riley revamped his defense after he fired Alex Grinch, who also worked for him at Oklahoma and hired UCLA defensive coordinator De’Anton Lynn to improve that side of the ball. If the Trojans have improved defensively in the off-season, there is a good chance they can beat the tigers and be competitive in their first season in the Big Ten. In a showdown of two of college football’s great head coaches, Brian Kelly’s tigers will finally win their opening game of the season. Projected Score: LSU 38, USC 35
Monday, September 2
Boston College @ 10.Florida State (0-1) (Capital One Labor Day Kickoff)
7:30 PM ET, ESPN
Last season, the opening Monday of the season saw Duke upset a top ten Clemson team in Durham. Can Boston College do the same thing when they face Florida State in Tallahassee? Former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien taking over as head coach, there must be a renewed focus in Chestnut Hill on the football field. Quarterback Thomas Castellanos (formerly of UCF) and tailback Kye Robichaux (formerly Western Kentucky) will both be the engine that gets the Eagles a win over the Seminoles. Jerand Bradley, Lewis Bond, Jayden McGowan, and Jeremiah Franklin will be Castellanos’ pass catchers. Defensively, the linebacker trio of Kam Arnold, Bruce Steele, and Jaylen Blackwell will look to stop new Seminole quarterback DJ Uiagalelei (19-27, 193 yards in loss to Georgia Tech), who just came over from Oregon State after beginning his career in the ACC at Clemson. Uiagalelei replaces Jordan Travis (drafted by the New York Jets) and the Seminoles also lose terrific receivers Keon Coleman (Buffalo Bills) and Johnny Wilson (Philadelphia Eagles), defensive backs Renardo Green (San Francisco 49ers) and Jarrian Jones (Jacksonville Jaguars) Florida State fell to Georgia Tech 24-21 in Dublin last Saturday in week 0 and will look to bounce back against the Eagles back home in Tallahassee. Tailback Roydell Williams (12 carries, 38 yards, 1 TD) and receiver Malik Benson (4 catches and 39 yards) will look to make things easier on DJU while Marvin Jones Jr. and Patrick Payton are looking to continue to ease the loss of terrific edge rusher Jared Verse, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams. A win for Mike Norvell’s team would help them reset after their tough loss to the Yellow Jackets. Having already played in week 0, Florida State will be more comfortable as they play to beat Boston College and they will bounce back. Projected Score: Florida State 20, Boston College 17
