CFB Week 1 Thread

[Dawg83]

Technically we have Week 0 first and I do think Iowa State vs Kansas State is an interesting season opener, but Week 1 is what everyone here cares about.

 

State -12 at USM: both teams were terrible last year but expect to look a lot different this year. I certainly understand the reasons a State fan may be worried about this one and also why a USM fan may be hopeful. I think I have State winning and covering though. I would feel better about USM’s chances if this game weren’t Week 1 before they’ve had a chance to gel a bit more. Just think State improved their talent level in general and shouldn’t be the same disastrous team this year, State 41, USM 20.

 

Ole Miss -38 vs Georgia State: not much mystery in this one but I am curious to see how Simmons looks and how they look defensively after losing so many talented guys, 38 is a big number, I lean GA State barely covers and loses like 52-17.

 

Texas at Ohio State (-2) - how bout this one right out of the gate (won’t be the last time I say that). We will see what Arch is made of quickly. I lean Buckeyes win at home.

 

LSU at Clemson (-4) - can Kelly finally win an opener? I actually am quite high on both of these teams. I actually am going to take LSU getting a road W here. I think Kelly is a better coach than he gets credit for and this year changes some perception on him.

 

Bama -13.5 at Florida State - DeBoer is another one I believe people have written off too quickly. Curious to see what Ty Simpson can do after he waited a long time for his turn. Bama wins and covers,

Edited August 19, 2025 by Dawg83

[pancho]

I agree on all those. auburn could be shaky at baylor. Notre Dame at Miami will be a good test for both as well . nebraska at cincy will go along way at finding out is the huskers are improved.

[Dawg83]

2 hours ago, pancho said:

I agree on all those. auburn could be shaky at baylor. Notre Dame at Miami will be a good test for both as well . nebraska at cincy will go along way at finding out is the huskers are improved.

Forgot about Auburn/Baylor. Really interested in that game.

[pancho]

the folk over on the plains won't be happy with a 7 win season for the right Rev Freezer

[Dawg83]

18 hours ago, pancho said:

the folk over on the plains won't be happy with a 7 win season for the right Rev Freezer

Four straight losing seasons for Auburn is hard to believe.

 

You can make the case that Mike Leach broke them lol. They were 6-3 going into that game where they blew a 28-3 lead to State, and have gone 16-25 since that game.

[Bulldogs4]

On 8/20/2025 at 10:49 AM, Dawg83 said:

Four straight losing seasons for Auburn is hard to believe.

 

You can make the case that Mike Leach broke them lol. They were 6-3 going into that game where they blew a 28-3 lead to State, and have gone 16-25 since that game.

You are correct. Harsin was doing a reasonably good job up to that point but that 2+ quarters destroyed the Auburn football program and they are still recovering from it today. Throw in their boosters disparaging him so bad as a part of it as well and he was doomed. 

[pancho]

best thing ever for Bo Nix

[Bulldogs4]

Iowa State with a 24-21 win over Kansas State that quite frankly felt worse than a three point win. They dominated the fourth quarter with the exception of the one long pass for a TD by KState. 
Iowa State could certainly be a team to watch this year and could knock on the door for a playoff spot. A lesser talented team that has played together longer is often times better than a bunch of mercenaries that are being paid to play as a bunch of individuals. We will see how it goes. 

[Dawg83]

Mullen got taken to the brink by an FCS team in his debut at UNLV. I am certain State fans will be monitoring his progress the next two years…. Especially if Lebby doesn’t get it going fairly soon.

[pancho]

I mean, give him a break now as he hasn't fully recovered from the Wendys issue with Arnett.  Speaking of Arnett, Has Norvell got the FSU folks by the neck now?  Malzahn and Arnett as coordinators for the Noles sounds like playing whack a mole at the FCS level.

Edited August 25, 2025 by pancho

[maroontide06]

10 hours ago, Dawg83 said:

Mullen got taken to the brink by an FCS team in his debut at UNLV. I am certain State fans will be monitoring his progress the next two years…. Especially if Lebby doesn’t get it going fairly soon.

Why would State fans be monitoring Merlinz?  Regardless of what happens with Lebby, I would think that ship has sailed and why would he want to come back?

[David44]

USM vs MIss State.  Going with State here. I think USM will need some turnovers and short fields to stay in it, BUT

                  If it happens to be tied or USM up at the half, MState will be in a danger zone. USM could not stop hardly

                  anyone last year, so if State takes care of the ball, their size advantage should prevail here.

Clemson vs LSU. I will be rooting for the Tigers (..uh LSU), but I think Clemson wins. Their Oline and Dline may both be better

                 and Klubnik is coming off of a really strong year. To go into week 1, in that environment and win, I think it starts

                 with defense, and Kelly has not impressed me yet on that side of the ball.

Ohio State vs Texas.  I think Texas will pull the upset here. Ohio State lost a lot. Even though Manning only started 3 games,

                 he's been there for 2 years. Manning may not light the world on fire (yet) , but I don't feel he will be the reason 

                 if they lose. 

[pancho]

I'm going with MSU and Clemson but feel like Ohio state may have more continuity than the horns are aware of. Baylor may beat auburn, notre dame may beat the canes in south florida and tcu will knockoff the tar heels

[Dawg83]

On 8/25/2025 at 7:10 AM, maroontide06 said:

Why would State fans be monitoring Merlinz?  Regardless of what happens with Lebby, I would think that ship has sailed and why would he want to come back?

I don’t think the ship has necessarily sailed

[pancho]

He could be compensated very well if he did but what does meghan want?

[Bulldogs4]

I do think the CDM ship is gone, over the horizon, Columbus has reached the West Indies instead of the East Indies. Done. Stick a fork in it. Toast.
I say that because had Mullen stayed at State through 2018 and then left, he would have a lot more goodwill with the fan base. He had a loaded team that probably would have won 10-11 games with him at the helm instead of 8 with a new coach. From a fan’s perspective, he left at the most worst possible time. And most of us still have long memories. 
Plus second go arounds rarely turn out well. 
 

I appreciate all he did and I hope he succeeds in Las Vegas but I just don’t see a place for him back here as a HC. 

[Dawg83]

Time heals all wounds is the only thing I would say about that. Nobody had a nastier divorce than Rich Rod and West Virginia circa 2007… and look who got back together this year!

 

All that to say, if Lebby gets it going then the Mullen discussion is moot.

[NoWammies]

Interested to see Amos return to Oxford where he stayed long enough for a cup of coffee. My guess is he’ll put up 100 yards rushing. I think with Georgia St returning a veteran QB, that +38 should be easy money. 

[Dawg83]

8 hours ago, NoWammies said:

Interested to see Amos return to Oxford where he stayed long enough for a cup of coffee. My guess is he’ll put up 100 yards rushing. I think with Georgia St returning a veteran QB, that +38 should be easy money. 

OMG that guy is still in college? He was a State commit for about 5 minutes too. He goes through schools as often as most people go through socks.

[NoWammies]

Was quite surprised as well when I saw him on the roster. He’s RB1 on their depth chart. Another guy I was surprised to see was Georgia transfer and former Germantown HS standout Branson Robinson as their RB2. He’s a RB I thought Ole Miss would go after this past offseason. Was highly touted out of high school as the #3 player in MS and #9 RB nationally but just hasn’t panned out in college so far. 

[Dawg83]

5 hours ago, NoWammies said:

Was quite surprised as well when I saw him on the roster. He’s RB1 on their depth chart. Another guy I was surprised to see was Georgia transfer and former Germantown HS standout Branson Robinson as their RB2. He’s a RB I thought Ole Miss would go after this past offseason. Was highly touted out of high school as the #3 player in MS and #9 RB nationally but just hasn’t panned out in college so far. 

Want to say Robinson had a knee injury that set his career back majorly.

[NoWammies]

26 minutes ago, Dawg83 said:

Want to say Robinson had a knee injury that set his career back majorly.

I was reading up on him this morning. Missed a season due to a ruptured patella tendon then had a MCL injury setback so yea def hasn’t had the best of luck. 

[NoWammies]

My first thought on the USF/Boise State game. I remember when knee pads were a thing. USF QB out there wearing biker shorts. 

[NoWammies]

I would say first craziness of the season but without Jeanty, I don’t know too many people who didn’t have this game circled as an early season ranked team loss. 

[Dawg83]

Nebraska beat Cincy in a game that went down to the wire.

 

Off the radar game but Wyoming 10, Akron 0 sounds like a miserable experience… only bring it up as a reminder that Joe Moorhead as an FBS head coach flat out sucks