College Football Week 1: 5 teams on upset alert

Sep 12, 2015; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish holder DeShone Kizer (14) kicker Justin Yoon (19) and long snapper Scott Daly (61) celebrate after a field goal in the first quarter against the Virginia Cavaliers at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /

1 of 6

Week 1 of the college football season is finally upon us. Here are five teams we think might be on upset alert when action kicks off Thursday.

It’s been a long wait for us college football fans. The 2016 season kicked off last Friday night with the Cal vs. Hawaii matchup, as fans got their first taste of action in nearly nine months. While it wasn’t exactly a premier matchup, both the Rainbow Warriors and Golden Bears gave the country what it so desperately craved: football.

Week 1 is here, and there are plenty of solid matchups to keep an eye on. Don’t let the games between elite teams and FCS squads fool you: The first week has some pretty impressive contests between ranked teams, and even some seeming blowouts that could turn out closer than people think.

Indeed, the first few weeks of the college football season are always chaotic, especially with the ranked opponents battling it out, but there are five programs in particular that I believe will be on upset watch the begin the season.

Not every team can play a cupcake in week one and get away with it, but schools like Stanford, LSU, USC, Alabama, Clemson, and a handful of others have to play their best ball just to head into week two with a 1-0 mark.

Next: 5. UCLA Bruins

Home/College Football