College football Week 1 odds, picks against the spread: LSU-Florida State highlights opening week

Last week’s soft launch of college football didn’t give us much drama or marquee matchups, but that changes in Week 1. In recent years, college football has been loading up the full opening week schedule with no NFL to compete with during the weekend. There is only one top 25 matchup this week, but there are a number of intriguing games.

The big one is the LSU Tigers and Florida State Seminoles meeting on Sunday night in Orlando. Last year’s game in New Orleans was a thriller. This year, both teams enter as top-1o teams in the preseason polls.

Before that, there are 11 games on Thursday with a pair of potentially fun matchups. The Utah Utes host the Florida Gators and are favored by about a touchdown. After the Anthony Richardson show gave Florida a win in Gainesville, the Utes are expected to get the Gators this year. Plus, Matt Rhule gets his first game in charge of the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a Big Ten opener at the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Thursday starts five straight days of college football. There are also six games on Friday, three games on Sunday and one on Labor Day Monday.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Deion Sanders makes his coaching debut for the Colorado Buffaloes against last year’s national runner-ups, the TCU Horned Frogs. TCU is a three-touchdown favorite in that one, but plenty of people will want to get a first look at Deion’s project.

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Here’s a deeper look at the most notable games that will take place across Labor Day Weekend in Week 1.

Kickoffs times are Eastern. Rankings are from the AP poll. All odds are from BetMGM. Click here for live odds.

Florida at No. 14 Utah — 8 p.m. Thursday on ESPN

Utah begins its Pac-12 farewell tour by hosting Florida. Utah, which has not lost at home since Nov. 21, 2020, enters the game favored by less than a touchdown.

The Utes are back-to-back Pac-12 champions, but grabbing another title on their way out the door — and perhaps in the conference’s last season ever — will be no easy task. The conference has five teams inside the top 20 of preseason rankings.

How the Utes fare this season, especially in their early games such as this one against Florida, will depend on the health of quarterback Cam Rising, who tore his ACL in January in Utah’s loss to Penn State in the Rose Bowl. Rising is doubtful to play against the Gators. Tight end Brant Kuithe, another fixture of the Utes’ offense, is also questionable to play Thursday after tearing his ACL last September.

The Gators enter this season with a new quarterback. Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz will take the reins as Florida’s signal-caller after Anthony Richardson was selected fourth overall by the Indianapolis Colts in the NFL Draft. The Gators’ returning running back duo of Montrell Johnson Jr. and Trevor Etienne should help ease Mertz’s transition into a new offense.

While Utah has its sights set on a conference title, Florida’s best hope is to qualify for another bowl game. A road win against a ranked Utah team would do wonders for the Gators’ season outlook, but it’s a daunting task in Week 1.

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Nebraska at Minnesota — 8 p.m. Thursday on FOX

Forget easing into the season. Nebraska and Minnesota are wasting no time getting into their conference schedules with a Big Ten matchup in Week 1. Minnesota is the favorite and is seeking its fifth consecutive win over its Big Ten West foe.

Matt Rhule returns to college football after an uninspiring stint with the Carolina Panthers. The man known for turning around college programs has been called upon to work his magic at Nebraska, which hasn’t posted a winning season since 2016 (23-45 in the past six seasons).

The Cornhuskers weren’t particularly impressive on either side of the ball last season, ranking in the bottom half of the Big Ten in both points scored and points allowed per game en route to finishing with a 4-8 record. Rhule will have to hope Georgia Tech transfer quarterback Jeff Sims can lead a hard-nosed offense that, yes, does intend to deploy a fullback.

Minnesota shows up with its own set of new faces. Quarterback Tanner Morgan is gone after starting 47 games for the Golden Gophers. Minnesota also lost Mohamed Ibrahim — its all-time rushing leader — and first-team All-American center John Michael Schmitz.

Redshirt sophomore Athan Kaliakmanis takes over as Minnesota’s full-time starter at quarterback after throwing three touchdowns and four interceptions in limited playing time last season. Tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford should provide Kaliakmanis with a veteran to depend on as he gets settled into a new season.

After going 9-4 last season, Minnesota faces a tough schedule in 2023 that includes five preseason top-25 teams. It will be crucial for the Golden Gophers to win against a Nebraska team trying to prove it has turned a corner under Rhule.

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Colorado at No. 17 TCU — Noon Saturday on FOX

No team has ever been talked about as much after a one-win season as this year’s Colorado Buffaloes. Led by new coach Deion Sanders and new starting quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the Buffaloes have been in the media spotlight since the moment Sanders’ arrived in Boulder. Nevertheless, the team is a heavy underdog in its first game of the season: a road trip to take on TCU.

A 65-7 drubbing at the hands of the Georgia Bulldogs marked the end of the Frogs’ Cinderella run in 2022, but coach Sonny Dykes has no time to enjoy the afterglow of the season in his second year at TCU. His team lost a program-record eight players to the NFL Draft, including quarterback Max Duggan and first-round wide receiver Quentin Johnston.

Entering the fold to replace Duggan is sophomore Chandler Morris, who started for TCU last season but was sidelined by an MCL injury in the opening contest. He’ll get another crack at leading the Frogs’ offense in 2023 and will do so under the guidance of new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Kendal Briles. TCU’s top three pass catchers departed for the NFL, leaving more than 2,000 receiving yards up for the taking. Whether or not Morris can replicate Duggan’s production might determine how close the Frogs can get to reaching the Big 12 Championship Game once again.

One player Morris must know is Colorado cornerback Travis Hunter, a sophomore transfer Sanders brought with him from Jackson State. Hunter was a top recruit in the 2022 class and played both ways last season as a freshman. Hunter is a poster child for the 50-man transfer class Sanders brought with him to Boulder, the highest-ranking transfer class in the country. It’s yet to be seen how quickly the talent influx will translate to wins, though, and an opening contest against a former playoff team is not an ideal introduction to the Sanders era.

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No. 3 Ohio State at Indiana — 3:30 p.m. Saturday on CBS

The Ohio State Buckeyes aim for more success against the Indiana Hoosiers when the familiar foes kick off the season Saturday afternoon. The Buckeyes enter this game as heavy favorites to extend their winning streak over the Hoosiers to 28 straight games, the longest active streak among FBS teams.

Ohio State starts the season ranked third in the polls and coach Ryan Day and company also desperately want to put an end to Michigan’s two-year reign atop the Big Ten. The Buckeyes are again stacked on offense, including wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., a returning unanimous All-American and Heisman Trophy candidate. However, all eyes will be on the quarterback position. Junior Kyle McCord beat out sophomore Devin Brown in a spirited competition and will get the first crack at filling the big shoes of two-time Heisman finalist C.J. Stroud.

Similarly, Indiana will also have a new signal-caller this season with coach Tom Allen going with either Tennessee transfer Tayven Jackson or redshirt freshman Brendan Sorsby or give both some snaps against Ohio State. The big difference between the Hoosiers and Buckeyes is that IU doesn’t boast nearly the same amount of talent at the skill positions. This offensive unit is looking to take a significant step forward after finishing in the bottom half of the Big Ten in almost every major offensive category last season.

Indiana hasn’t defeated Ohio State since 1988, and most of the games during this stretch haven’t been close. Even with some questions at quarterback, along the offensive line and with a defense that struggled mightily late last season, the Buckeyes shouldn’t have too much trouble maintaining their extended run of success against the Hoosiers.

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West Virginia at No. 7 Penn State — 7:30 p.m. Saturday on NBC

Expectations are high for the Penn State Nittany Lions, so they should be massive favorites against the West Virginia Mountaineers in the two teams’ first matchup since 1992. Coming off an 11-2 season that featured a Rose Bowl win, Penn State starts its 2023 campaign with eyes on one of the four spots in the College Football Playoff.

Sophomore quarterback Drew Allar should be under center for Penn State. The five-star recruit played in spurts behind Sean Clifford last season, accounting for 344 yards and four touchdowns (zero interceptions) in 60 attempts. But Allar won’t be tasked with doing it all in his first season as the starter. He’ll have one of college football’s best running back duos by his side in sophomores Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. The pair combined for nearly 2,000 yards rushing last season.

What looks to be a potent Penn State offense meets a West Virginia defense that got shredded in 2022. The Mountaineers’ 32.9 points per game allowed was second-worst in the Big 12 last year. After failing to top six wins in any of his first four seasons at West Virginia, Neal Brown may be coaching for his job this year.

The Mountaineers have yet to publicly name a starting quarterback, although Brown indicated he has made a decision. Garrett Greene or redshirt freshman Nicco Marchiol will lead new offensive coordinator Chad Scott’s offense in Week 1, but the public may have to wait until the first snap to find out.

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Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte

And so begins the Drake Maye show. This season, all eyes will be on the North Carolina Tar Heels’ Heisman-hopeful quarterback. Maye and North Carolina enter their season opener against the South Carolina Gamecocks as slight favorites at a neutral site.

Saturday’s game will give the first glimpse at how Maye and the rest of the North Carolina offense look under new coordinator Chip Lindsey. North Carolina also brought in transfer wide receivers Nate McCollum and Devontez Walker, although Walker has not been cleared to play by the NCAA after his second transfer.

Maye was the team’s leading rusher last season — a nice line on his resume, but likely not something the Tar Heels want to happen again. It will be worth watching how North Carolina fares on the ground against a South Carolina defense that was dreadful at stopping the run last season.

Don’t be fooled into thinking this game’s lofty point total is solely a reflection of North Carolina’s offense. The Tar Heels ranked last in the ACC last season in both points allowed and yards allowed per game.

Spencer Rattler and the Gamecocks will be the first to test North Carolina’s defense in 2023. Rattler is back for his second season at South Carolina, and All-SEC wide receiver Antwane Wells Jr. returns as his go-to target. The Gamecocks will also roll out a new offense under new coordinator Dowell Loggains. In a game where both defenses figure to struggle, both Lindsey and Loggains could come out of Week 1 having made strong first impressions on their respective fan bases.

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No. 5 LSU vs. No. 8 Florida State — 7:30 p.m. Sunday on ABC

Camping World Stadium, Orlando

LSU and Florida State will meet on a neutral field in early September for the second straight year. After last year’s thrilling contest in New Orleans, which FSU won 24-23 thanks to a blocked PAT with no time remaining, the rematch will take place in the Sunshine State. LSU has been tabbed the slight favorite.

LSU is the defending SEC West champion coming off of a 10-win season in coach Brian Kelly’s first year at the helm. The Tigers return most of their starters on offense, including dual-threat quarterback Jayden Daniels. The former Arizona State transfer thrived under Kelly and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock’s system. Plenty of dynamic weapons and an experienced offensive line will also support Daniels.

Florida State finally broke through last season under coach Mike Norvell, posting double-digit wins for the first time since 2016, and the Seminoles are a popular pick to win the ACC this fall. The offense should be explosive, with dual-threat quarterback Jordan Travis, widely considered a Heisman Trophy contender, running the show. Travis doesn’t lack playmakers but three transfers are expected to fill big roles in a reshuffled offensive line.

While offenses usually get most of the attention, it should be pointed out that both defenses feature game-wreckers. LSU’s Harold Perkins Jr. was sometimes unstoppable at linebacker during his freshman season, while FSU boasts returning All-American Jared Verse at defensive end. The Tigers will miss tackle Maason Smith, an All-SEC candidate, who received a one-game suspension for an NCAA rules violation.

There’s every reason for both teams to come out fired up for this game, but the Tigers will not only be looking for some payback for last season’s heartbreaking loss but also to snap the Seminoles’ five-game winning streak in the head-to-head series (FSU leads 8-2 overall).

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No. 9 Clemson at Duke — 8 p.m. Monday on ESPN

In a year that the ACC might be the most wide-open in recent memory, coach Dabo Swinney will open his 16th season at the helm for the No. 9 Clemson Tigers as favorites in a conference road contest against the Duke Blue Devils.

The Blue Devils enjoyed a massive program turnaround in 2022 under the direction of first-year head coach Mike Elko. Duke enjoyed a six-win improvement over its 2021 campaign and Elko earned ACC Coach of the Year honors. Starting quarterback Riley Leonard returns to lead Duke’s offense with all four of his top pass catchers from 2022 to work with, including senior Preseason All-ACC nominee Jalon Calhoun.

The Tigers’ secondary gave up 231 passing yards per game last year, ranked 76th in the nation. Leonard, one of the most highly touted signal-callers in the conference, will try to exploit that unit with the home crowd behind him.

A win for the Blue Devils would mark their first over Clemson since 2004 and the first-ranked win of Elko’s tenure in Durham.

For the Tigers, sophomore quarterback Cade Klubnik has the full reins of the Clemson offense after D.J. Uiagalelei transferred to Oregon State. Entering the 2022 ACC Championship Game after two failed drives from Uiagalelei, Klubnik earned the title of Championship Game MVP. Klubnik then made his first career start in the Orange Bowl against Tennessee.

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(Photo of Jayden Daniels: Todd Kirkland / Getty Images)