College football is back, and Week 1 brings some quality matchups to start the season. Three season-openers pit preseason top 25 teams against one another, including No. 1 Georgia against No. 14 Clemson in Atlanta.
Just in terms of rankings, Georgia-Clemson is the marquee game of the week, but the odds say it may not be a competitive affair. The Bulldogs are favored by two touchdowns. The last time these teams met in the 2021 season opener, Clemson was a 3-point favorite. Georgia won that game (10-3) and two national titles since then.
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In primetime on Saturday, No. 20 Texas A&M hosts No. 7 Notre Dame. The Aggies are 12-13 over the last two seasons and lost a lot of talent in the transfer portal as Jimbo Fisher left the coaching job and was replaced by Mike Elko. Elko can make a heck of a first impression if he guides the Aggies to a win. A&M is favored by a field goal.
With no NFL this weekend, No. 23 USC and No. 13 LSU take the Sunday night slot. The last two years, LSU played in this Sunday night game and lost to Florida State, in a classic in 2022 and a blowout last year. The Trojans don’t have Caleb Williams anymore but still have a preseason ranking. The Tigers are favored by less than a touchdown for this game in Las Vegas.
There are a handful of other Power 4 matchups this weekend, including Miami going to Florida and Penn State going to West Virginia. If you’re looking for some late Friday night football, TCU visits Stanford with a 10:30 p.m. ET start. Who says Pac-12 After Dark is dead?
All 25 AP top 25 teams are in action this weekend, including four on Thursday, although all four of those teams are playing FCS opponents. There are 21 games set for Thursday, but only two of those feature two FBS teams. North Carolina heads to Minnesota as a small underdog in what could be the most intriguing game of the night.
Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes host an FCS team on Thursday, but North Dakota State is far from your ordinary FCS opponent. The Bison have won nine FCS national titles since 2011. Colorado is favored by more than a touchdown. Even after a 4-8 first year, Deion’s team is still getting national TV treatment on ESPN.
Here are the odds and schedule for every game featuring an AP top 25 team, plus a few other notable games in Week 1. Odds for FBS vs. FCS games typically only show up closer to gameday, so those are not listed for now.
Odds update live and are from BetMGM. All kickoff times are Eastern. Rankings from the AP poll.
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Thursday, Aug. 29
Western Carolina at No. 24 NC State — 7 p.m. on ACC Network
Murray State at No. 11 Missouri — 8 p.m. on SEC Network
Lindenwood at No. 22 Kansas — 8 p.m. on ESPN+
At Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan.
North Carolina at Minnesota — 8 p.m. on FOX
North Dakota State at Colorado — 8 p.m. on ESPN
Southern Utah at No. 12 Utah — 9 p.m. on ESPN+
Friday, Aug. 30
Temple at No. 16 Oklahoma — 7 p.m. on ESPN
TCU at Stanford — 10:30 p.m. on ESPN
Saturday, Aug. 31
No. 14 Clemson vs. No. 1 Georgia — Noon on ABC
At Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta
No. 8 Penn State at West Virginia — Noon on FOX
Illinois State at No. 25 Iowa — Noon on Big Ten Network
Virginia Tech at Vanderbilt — Noon on ESPN
Chattanooga at No. 15 Tennessee — 12:45 p.m. on SEC Network
South Dakota State at No. 17 Oklahoma State — 2 p.m. on ESPN+
Akron at No. 2 Ohio State — 3:30 p.m. on CBS
Colorado State at No. 4 Texas — 3:30 p.m. on ESPN
No. 19 Miami at Florida — 3:30 p.m. on ABC
Western Kentucky at No. 5 Alabama — 7 p.m. on ESPN
Furman at No. 6 Ole Miss — 7 p.m. on ESPN+
UT Martin at No. 18 Kansas State — 7 p.m. on ESPN+
Idaho at No. 3 Oregon — 7:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network
No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 20 Texas A&M — 7:30 p.m. on ABC
Fresno State at No. 9 Michigan — 7:30 p.m. on NBC
New Mexico at No. 21 Arizona — 10:30 p.m. on ESPN
Sunday, Sept. 1
No. 23 USC vs. No. 13 LSU — 7:30 p.m. on ABC
At Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas
Monday, Sept. 2
Boston College at No. 10 Florida State — 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
(Photo of Cade Klubnik: Bryan M. Bennett / Getty Images)
Dan Santaromita is a senior editor for sports betting at The Athletic. Dan previously wrote for NBC Sports Chicago and ProSoccerUSA. He is a University of Missouri graduate who resides in Chicago. Follow Dan on Twitter @TheDanSanto
