Predicting the best record for the top college football conference
USA Today Sports ‘Paul Myerberg classifies who you think will win in the Power Four Conferences and Group of Five.
Seriously sports
i’m back. The first full college football weekend of the season brings joy and fills the void for fans who have been waiting for more than seven months to return to the sport they love.
The tricky part of the start of the season is trying to sort out what happens during Opening Week. With departures to the NFL, incoming calls by forwarding probers, and coaching changes, there’s a lot to sort out and surprises when teams join the field on Saturday. But where do they happen?
That’s why the USA Today Sports College Football Staff is here. Matt Hayes, Jordan Mendoza, Paul Meyerberg, Eric Smith, Eddie Timanus and Blake Topmeyer weigh in with bold predictions for the first week of the college football season.
With Taylor Swift officially out of the market, ESPN moves to North Carolina coach Bill Belichick’s girlfriend/Muse Jordon Hudson as a new obsession. Standalone, less during Monday night primetime games. Ah, TCU wins the game. – Matt Hayes
TCU ruins Bill Belichick’s North Carolina debut
Despite all the weird offseason attention, there is a lot of hype about what North Kaorina can be with the Bilberic Chick genius. It is an electric first game that will be in the spotlight on Labor Day, and can drive Tar Heels to a statement victory. But there’s a dangerous TCU team led by quarterback Josh Hoover coming to town. He knows how to play big, and there are a lot of them on Monday nights. TCU finds themselves in another trap where they play a highly anticipated coach against a team that debuts. Horned frogs will never flop again. We began to lose the Belichick era in Chapel Hill. – Jordan Mendoza
ACC bends muscles against LSU, Notre Dame
ACC stretches muscles with two famous victories. Clemson defeated LSU to set the title run tone, while Miami disrupts Notre Dame behind a strong debut from quarterback Carson Beck. The showdown in Columbus will dominate the headlines that come out from week one, but notching these victories over key competition will increase the credibility of the ACC and play a major role in where league representatives land in playoff races. – Paul Meyerberg
When writing early upsetting recipes for college football season, all the elements are in Florida. The Seminoles are easily overlooked by Alabama players after a two-win season. Meanwhile, Crimson Tide plays in an adversarial environment, with the quarterback getting his first start. This will be formed as a four-quarter defensive struggle, so be amazed if Alabama is fighting to avoid shocking losses. – Eric Smith
The Ghost of Pac-12 is revived in Utah, UCLA Clash
#PAC12AfterDark’s spirit lives on Saturday night when former meetings made UCLA and Utah foes at the Rose Bowl (11pm ET, FOX). When they last met in 2022, the Bruins snapped a seven-game losing streak against UTES in a 42-32 shootout. Both teams transfer QBs so the score may not be that high this time, but it’s definitely worth a bit of sleep. – Eddie Timanus
Garrett Nussmeier takes the lead from Heisman after LSU defeats Clemson
Archmanning shows promise with losses in Ohio, but after LSU wins at Clemson, Garrett Nas Meyer claims frontrunner status at the odds of the Heisman Trophy, with the Tigers surge to second place in the poll. – Blake Topmeyer
