This article is part of our College Football Picks series.
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Chris' Picks
Can't wait to get back into my Saturday ritual of yardwork at 8:00 a.m. EDT (waking up the neighbors), getting cleaned up and ready to watch football by noon kickoffs. And this year is particularly exciting with a great slate of games on Week 1. By my count, I finished three games under .500 overall in 2023, but that was a result of a terrible bowl season where it's apparently anyone's guess who shows up. I'm hoping to start the regular season off with a bang, and let's roll!
Jacksonville State (-2.5) vs. Coastal Carolina (Thursday)
It's a terrifying feeling when you feel this good about a game this early, where the opponents are smaller schools with less preseason information available than the marquee contests. But that's how I'm starting the 2024 season, and have already locked in two units here. Coastal seems to be pressing a full reset offensively, with a new QB, RB and multiple WRs. I won't pretend the Gamecocks don't have a plethora of new pieces, that's the era we're in. This game comes down to one stat for me; rushing defense. Jacksonville State ranked 15th against the run last year, Coastal 100th. Progression and regression are certain, but that's a huge gap to make up for a team in this portal era. Rich Rodriguez knows this and will run the ball through Coastal en route to a double-digit win.
West Virginia (+8) vs. Penn State
A classic offense versus defense matchup. West Virginia is getting some sleeper buzz in the Big 12, while Penn State is too in the Big 10 thanks to a strong defense and favorable schedule. Not going to overthink this. I just like the points at more than a touchown for the home team with the better offense, and I don't trust Penn State's offense. They're also going through a defensive transition with former DC Manny Diaz and his blitzing style now at Duke. I'm banking on Morgantown being a factor, and West Virginia's offensive line to create more running lanes than one might expect.
Virginia Tech (-13.5) at Vanderbilt
Continuity over transition. Virginia Tech is returning 20 starters, including all five across their offensive line while Vanderbilt has a new offensive coordinator, who QB Diego Pavia followed to Nashville yet hasn't been named the starter. They'll run an unorthodox option-style offense where the Hokies veteran linebackers will be able to adjust to and stuff out. And playing behind that returning offensive line, Hokies' QB Kyron Drones will make ample plays with his arm and legs, allowing the Hokies to coast.
Miami (-2.5) at Florida
Loyal readers know I'm a die-hard Hurricanes fan, and that usually makes me overly critical. I'm also always optimistic at the start of the season and think, "We're back," only to always be let down. It's the truth; Miami has been pushed around repeatedly by SEC schools for over a decade. This is their last chance with me as a believer. They've done an excellent job in the portal at skill positions, but more importantly, along the defensive line. Additions give them run-stoppers and incredible depth as edge rushers, where I think they'll be able to win this game. Both sides consider this a must-win, and playing on the road won't make this easy. But depth will get the Hurricanes across the finish line. Keep an eye on the spread, as I anticipate it sliding closer to kickoff.
South Alabama (-5) vs. North Texas
It's another lower-tier game where information is sparse and transfers out are abundant, creating some ambiguity. Both teams should feature elite offenses, but it's difficult to find a path to UNT's defense improving enough to win here. They ranked 131st in points allowed, dead last (133rd) against the run, and average (63rd) against the pass. South Alabama should have offensive continuity with former OC Major Applewhite being promoted to the lead role, and so long as they don't fall behind early and can maintain balance/run the ball regularly, they'll match points long enough to get a few defensive stops and pull away.
Last season: 41-44
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Jeff's Picks
After an exciting Week Zero, it's time for things to get into high gear with Week 1. It's our inaugural College Capper article, and although we ended last season in positive territory, we fell short of the 60 percent win rate we were aiming for. Week 1 is notoriously unpredictable, but if you played every under on the slate, chances are good you'd end up in the black. Week 0 and 1 unders won with a rate of over 57 percent last season, which makes sense as offenses try to get in sync. We've found some safe options to get us off to a good start.
Jacksonville State (-2.5) vs. Coastal Carolina
We'll begin with my favorite Thursday game. Rich Rodriguez and the Gamecocks turned a lot of heads last season. Even though top RB Ron Wiggins will miss this game, they're very deep at the position. As for the Chanticleers, they no longer have Grayson McCall under center, and they lost top talent on both sides of the ball. I expect the money to move in the Gamecocks' direction because this line is too narrow. I'm more than happy to lock them in at -2.5.
OVER 59.5 Colorado State 
@ Texas
The Longhorns will win this game, but the Rams won't go quietly. Braydon Fowler-Nicolosi has a big arm and a great target in Tony Horton. I think +32.5 is also a strong play due to some running back issues for Texas, but this game should have adequate firepower. Steve Sarkisian will get Quinn Ewers set up quickly with a slew of short-and-medium-length passes, and the Longhorns' defense is bound to grab a pick or two off of Fowler-Nicolosi, who threw 16 picks last season.
New Mexico (+31.5) @ Arizona
The Lobos had a Week 0 win well in hand until Montana State racked up 21 points in the fourth quarter. I'm a big fan of Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan, but a lot of Wildcats left with former coach Jedd Fisch, especially on defense. I am sure Brent Brennan can keep this offense humming, but despite the loss, the Lobos looked solid last week and showed an ability to move the ball. It will all come down to Arizona's defense, but I think the Lobos will keep it close enough.
Texas A&M (-2.5) vs. Notre Dame
College Station is a tough house, and you can lay the Aggies a few extra points when they play at home. Riley Leonard is the new QB for the Irish, and he's already had two ankle surgeries in his career. Notre Dame's defense is solid but they are trying to establish an identity with a lot of inexperienced talent, especially on the offensive line. If they can't protect Leonard, it could be a long day for the Irish.
Oregon (-43.5) vs. Idaho
there are several games on the docket with lines like this, but Dan Lanning loves to rack up the scores, and he'll be motivated for two reasons. He wants to make a big statement as the Ducks enter the Big 10, and he wants Heisman favorite Dillon Gabriel to make a big splash. The Ducks are stacked everywhere and are a favorite to make the expanded CFP. Idaho is no match for this team and it's entirely possible that Oregon will be up by 43 at the half.
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Greg's Picks
Georgia (-13.5) vs. Clemson
Clemson was out of sorts for most of the past season, but the Tigers pulled it together late in the year and now appear to be back on track. Back on track to a playoff berth perhaps, but the Tigers just aren't as loaded as they once were. Georgia, on the other hand, is loaded again and also has a bad taste in its mouth from finally losing the national championship game. I'm expecting Georgia to come out blazing this season and it starts right here. .
TCU (-9.5) at Stanford
Early in the season, it's tough to pick games based on personnel because you haven't seen the current roster playing together yet. It's important then to try and find other angles of attack, like this game where we have TCU, which had a big season-opener this past year, and I think you might remember what happened. TCU lost in a shootout to Colorado, and it completely derailed its entire season. I'm not comparing Stanford to Colorado, but TCU again finds itself as a big favorite in Week 1 against a lesser opponent. Something tells me the Horned Frogs will be ready this time.
Ohio State (-48.5) vs. Akron
I'm not generally a fan of lines this big, but in Week 1, you need to make some exceptions. Once again we are going to lean into the motivation aspect as the Buckeyes will be highly motivated this season after watching their rival win the chip this past season. Also in our favor is the opposition, which appears to be one of the worst teams in the country this season, well, at least the Zips were one of the worst teams this past season, so how much better could they be? This will all come down to execution in the first half and how big of a lead the Buckeyes can get before pulling their starts. I think they'll be up at least 35 at the half, but likely more. .
Florida (+2.5) vs. Miami
Miami is the team ranked coming into this game, and there appears to be some hope for the Hurricanes this season, but I have to ask myself when in the past 20 years has hype equaled production for this squad? The answer is never, not since the glory years ended in 2003 has Miami played above high expectations. The Hurricanes have had just one 10-win season since 2004, and while I do think they'll be improved this season, I don't think they'll be winning games like this one. Florida is no longer great, but the advantage the Gators have this week is being overlooked…at home.
LSU (-4.5) vs. USC
Again, a lot of unknowns entering this game, as both teams lost their star QBs to the NFL in the offseason. A couple of reasons why I'm taking the Tigers here. First, the Tigers are familiar with opening in the spotlight. Under Brian Kelly, they've had primetime spots opening week, and although it didn't work out how they would have liked, at least the coaching staff and some of the players are used to this by now. Second, Caleb Williams was a bigger loss than Jayden Daniels, and that's not to say that LSU will recover easily, but I think the Tigers have the team and coach that's better equipped to deal with it without their superstar.
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