College football Week 1: Top 25 schedule and predictions

College football Week 1 schedule for the Top 25 games features a few must-see games and we’ve got predictions for all of them.

In the first week of the college football season, teams usually stack the opening slate with a weaker opponent, while others try to strengthen the team’s schedule with either a difficult challenge or a rivalry game. In a top-heavy starting Top 25 including Clemson, Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State, fans get their first chance to see what the hype is about surrounding these storied programs.

The week consists of minimal opportunities for possible upsets; although we have seen many miraculous cases where the unexpected can occur. As little as they come by, it will be tough to see any of the Top 25 teams stumbling upon an FCS or small school opponent.

The one ranked matchup airs on ABC as No. 11 Oregon battles it out with the SEC’s sleeper team in the No. 16 Auburn Tigers. Fans will watch projected first-round quarterback talent Justin Herbert tries and begins a potential Pac-12 conference title season with a challenge in the Tigers.

This Week’s Top 25 television schedule including our game picks highlighted in bold is down below.

Thursday, Aug. 29

• Florida A&M at No. 17 UCF 7:30 p.m., CBSSN
• Georgia Tech at No. 1 Clemson 8 p.m., ACC Network
• Texas State at No. 12 Texas A&M 8:30 p.m., SEC Network
• No. 14 Utah at BYU 10:15 p.m., ESPN

Friday, Aug. 30

• Tulsa at No. 18 Michigan State 7 p.m., FS1
• No.19 Wisconsin at South Florida 7 p.m., ESPN

Saturday, Aug. 31

• Florida Atlantic at No. 5 Ohio State 12 p.m., FOX
• Northern Iowa at No. 21 Iowa State 12 p.m., FS1
• South Alabama at No. 24 Nebraska 12 p.m., ESPN
• Eastern Washington at No. 13 Washington 3 p.m., Pac-12 Network
• Duke at No. 2 Alabama (Neutral site) 3:30 p.m., ABC
• Idaho at No. 15 Penn State 3:30 p.m., BTN
• Northwestern at No. 25 Stanford 4 p.m., FOX
• No. 22 Syracuse at Liberty 6 p.m., ESPN+
• No. 3 Georgia at Vanderbilt 7:30 p.m., SECN
• Georgia Southern at No. 6 LSU 7:30 p.m., ESPNU
• Middle Tennessee at No. 7 Michigan 7:30 p.m., BTN
• Miami (Ohio) at No. 20 Iowa 7:30 p.m., FS1
• No. 16 Auburn at No. 11 Oregon (Neutral site) 7:30 p.m., ABC
• Louisiana Tech at No. 10 Texas 8 p.m., Longhorn Network
• New Mexico State at No. 23 Washington State 10 p.m., Pac-12 Network

Sunday, Sept. 1

• Houston at No. 4 Oklahoma 7:30 p.m., ABC

Monday, Sept. 2

• No. 9 Notre Dame at Louisville 8 p.m., ESPN

Few upsets are expected to be seen, however, there may be a diamond in the rough when it comes to Pat Fitzgerald’s Northwestern Wildcats who travel to Stanford in front of a raucous crowd. Expect a close game down to the wire with a possible upset in the making.

Other than the one potential upset and the ranked matchup on ABC, there aren’t many potential upsets on the overall slate that warrant a prediction. The Top 10 should all remain unscathed looking towards the next week by roughly halfway through the second quarter.

Even if there aren’t many upsets, at least college football is back as the excitement heading into the latest college football playoff is always enjoyable.