College football gave us perhaps the greatest Week 0 in history as an appetizer, but the main course of Week 1 is on the horizon. The Labor Day weekend means meaningful games every day from Thursday through Monday, which sets up a great way to kickoff the 2024 season.
Many power teams will open with FCS or lower-conference opponents, but there are some serious power-on-power matchups to keep an eye on. At the top of the list, the only active coaches who have won multiple national championships meet when Kirby Smart’s top-ranked Georgia team faces Dabo Swinney’s No. 14 Clemson squad at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Elsewhere, No. 20 Texas A&M plays host to No. 7 Notre Dame, the program where Aggies coach Mike Elko became a nationally renowned defensive coordinator. No. 8 Penn State vs. West Virginia and No. 19 Miami vs. Florida give us reignited regional rivalries with College Football Playoff implications.
Additionally, there are a handful of games against lower-tier opponents to keep an eye on. Big 12 teams Colorado and No. 17 Oklahoma State played with fire by scheduling FCS powers North Dakota State and South Dakota State, respectively. No. 9 Michigan plays top Mountain West contender Fresno State. Without question, more teams could find themselves in trouble as the week goes on.
With all that said, here’s where odds sit for most of the top games of Week 1. Game odds are via SportsLine consensus.
The big games
No. 14 Clemson vs. No. 1 Georgia (-13.5) in Atlanta: The last time the Bulldogs and Tigers played in Week 1, it was 2021 and marked the beginning of the Bulldogs’ national championship run and the loosening of Clemson’s stranglehold on the ACC. Now, the two programs come into Week 1 from the opposite angle — Georgia on top and Clemson trying to claw its way back up. This is a wildly important opener for both programs to start the season on the right foot.
No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 20 Texas A&M (-3): The Aggies are surprisingly favored in the first game of the Mike Elko era despite playing a top 10 opponent. Texas A&M revamped its coaching staff and roster after firing Jimbo Fisher by turning to Elko, who was able to quickly flip Duke into a nine-win team in his first season. However, getting Notre Dame at plus money in this matchup might be too good to pass up.
No. 8 Penn State (-8.5) at West Virginia: Both the Nittany Lions and the Mountaineers are second-tier programs in their respective conferences hoping to make their case for the first tier in Week 1. In last season’s matchup, West Virginia kept things close for a half, but ultimately gave up 17 points in the fourth quarter of a 38-15 loss. Penn State enters a critical season in the first year of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. With two of the best running back rooms in college football, expect a fast-paced game.
No. 19 Miami (-2.5) at Florida: If Miami is going to live up to its lofty preseason expectations, the Hurricanes have to go on the road and take care of business against Florida. The Gators enter the season on a five-game losing streak after missing a bowl game in Billy Napier’s second season and went 1-6 against ranked opponents. Miami has specifically struggled in one-score games, going 2-3 with one of the worst game management scenarios in history against Georgia Tech last year. Putting those woes behind them could set up an ACC run.
No. 13 LSU (-4.5) vs. No. 23 USC, in Las Vegas — Sunday: This game is a perfect Week 1 matchup. USC’s Lincoln Riley and LSU’s Brian Kelly were both hired away with monster contracts after the 2021 seasons. After strong Year 1s, both programs took a notable step back in Year 2, especially because of collapses on defense. Now, the Trojans and the Tigers replace Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks and break in new defensive staffs. One of these teams will leave Las Vegas optimistic about their future. The other could collapse.
Best of the rest
- North Carolina at Minnesota (-1.5) — Thursday
- North Dakota State at Colorado (-9.5) — Thursday
- TCU (-8.5) at Stanford — Friday
- Virginia Tech (-13.5) at Vanderbilt
- Fresno State at No. 9 Michigan (-21.5)
- South Dakota State at No. 17 Oklahoma State (-9.5)
- Boston College at No. 10 Florida State (-17) — Monday
