There were a handful of College Football games played in Week 0, but the official kickoff on the new season begins this weekend.
The Playoff Committee have made it pretty clear that they are not too concerned if a team loses a game, and perhaps even two, but they do want proper scheduling.
Week 1 has plenty of big games, but the top one looks to be hosted by the Ohio State Buckeyes who will take on visiting Texas Longhorns- these are two teams that will be expecting to not only make the Playoff, but to actually win a National Championship.
The winner will likely be in the thoughts of the Playoff Committee all season, while the losing team have plenty of tough games left to prove themselves.
Other teams in the Power Conferences have also chosen to face one another and it is an opportunity to get a good look at some of the leading contenders.
College Football is an ever changing landscape with the new use of the transfer portal and with players heading to the NFL every year, but there are some schools that are always expected to be contending.
Pressure is on the likes of the Alabama Crimson Tide and LSU Tigers to get back into Championship contention out of the loaded SEC.
Michigan Wolverines were another disappointment last season, but they will do well to get the better of the Penn State Nittany Lions and Ohio State Buckeyes, while a number of non-Power Conference teams will be hoping to impress enough to earn a spot in the final twelve Playoff later in the year.
The College Football Picks returned a profit in Week 0, but there are number of selections from the games to be played across this weekend.
It is still very early in the season and you do want to be a little cautious as teams gel together, but that is the challenge for the page.
In recent years it has been a disappointing return from the College Football Picks, unlike the NFL selections, but the start made offers some encouragement that 2025 can be a much better season.
Alabama Crimson Tide @ Florida State Seminoles Pick: The new expanded Playoff format has motivated teams to pick stronger non-Conference opponents and there are some big games to be played in Week 1. We are in a new era where a single defeat and perhaps even two losses are not going to prevent a team from earning a spot in the Playoff, although neither the Alabama Crimson Tide nor Florida State Seminoles will be thinking about opening with a loss.
Last season was a big disappointment for both teams.
In the final year of the four team Playoff at the end of the 2023 season, the Florida State Seminoles were controversially left out, despite being an unbeaten Power 5 Conference Champion. There was a lot of talk going into last season about having it all to prove and to make sure the Seminoles were not put in that position again, but Florida State struggled out of the gate and ended up with a poor 2-10 record.
After being left out of the College Football Playoff, it was no surprise that the Seminoles were beaten up in the Bowl Game they were given, although that does mean they have lost eleven of their last thirteen games.
The transfer portal has been used heavily by the Seminoles as they look to bounce back from what is the worst season in fifty-two years, while there are new Offensive and Defensive Co-Ordinators to work with the much reshaped roster.
A new Quarter Back has also been signed and there is immediate pressure on Tommy Castellanos who has started twenty games for the Boston College Eagles over the last two seasons. He threw 33 Touchdown passes with the Eagles, but Castellanos added 19 Interceptions to that, while 14 scores on the ground suggests he will be a dual-threat capable of running the new Offensive plan.
The pressure is added to this opening game because of comments that Tommy Castellanos made in the summer suggesting the Crimson Tide will not be able to stop him, and that has been heard loud and clear in Alabama.
Three losses in the regular season meant the Alabama Crimson Tide were the first team out of the College Football Playoff last season, despite some believing they deserved their place in the twelve team format. The defeats to Vanderbilt and Oklahoma really hurt Alabama and so Head Coach Kevin DeBoer is going to be under some pressure of his own to deliver.
He won't have too many excuses with the talent that Alabama have up and down the roster and they look like they will be better than the Florida State Seminoles in most positions.
The one doubt is at Quarter Back where Ty Simpson came into College as a five star recruit, but who has had to bide his time before finally being named starter for the first time.
Ty Simpson has thrown just 50 passes in College Football and this is a true road start so a significant test for his character. He does benefit from playing behind one of the top Offensive Lines at this level, while the Crimson Tide are loaded with talent at the skill positions and that should really help this Quarter Back settle in.
It is never easy to have a true road game and even tougher in Week 1 when there is so much uncertainty around teams and the capabilities that each have.
However, there looks to be a big gap for the Seminoles to bridge after last season and this Alabama team look about as good as any in College Football. If Ty Simpson settles in, the Crimson Tide will be firmly focused on returning to the Playoffs at the end of this season and they may just wear down the hosts and put a dominant win on the board.
UTSA Roadrunners @ Texas A&M Aggies Pick: The move from the Big 12 to the SEC was always going to be challenging for the Texas A&M Aggies and they have struggled to remain competitive in a Conference where the wear and tear builds up every week.
They have remained at a decent level, but only two of the last eleven seasons have ended with more than eight wins on the board and so it has become very difficult to force a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Mike Elko took over as Head Coach last season and led the Aggies to an 8-5 season after Jimbo Fisher was removed following two seasons combining for a 12-13 record.
Having that year under Elko's guidance should help the Aggies know what to expect, while they are bringing back a talented Quarter Back in Marcel Reed.
After losing the opener in 2024, the Aggies bounced back with seven straight wins before the late capitulation, but there were some encouraging signs. Marcel Reed finished the season with 12 Touchdown passes and 4 Interceptions and added another 6 Touchdowns on the ground, while he is also a lot more experienced now.
There is plenty of talent around Reed on the Offensive side of the ball and that is going to give the Aggies fans plenty of excitement whenever their team is in possession.
We should see early signs of that against the UTSA Roadrunners who have lost huge pieces on both sides of the ball, but especially on the Defensive unit which does not have a single returning starter. Facing this potentially very explosive Texas A&M Offense is going to be a huge challenge out of the gate and it may put the pressure on the Roadrunners to keep up on the scoreboard.
UTSA finished with a 7-6 record last season and that was mainly down to a run of four wins from the final five games played. They did lose one of their early games at the home of the Texas Longhorns in a blowout and avoiding that is going to be a huge challenge for this team with the uncertainty on the Defensive side of the ball.
However, the Roadrunners should be capable of playing their part in this game with a more experienced Offensive unit that is led by Quarter Back Owen McCown who had 25 Touchdown passes and 10 Interceptions while starting all thirteen games in 2024.
There is some talent around him on this side of the ball and the big question mark about the Aggies and their ability to improve the record is regarding the Secondary. Owen McCown should have some success in this contest, even if it is stepping up to SEC level, and certainly more than he had against the very good Texas Longhorns last season.
Despite that, the Aggies should still have enough to pull away in the second half as they look to open up with something of a statement win against a rival.
A late stop will likely be needed to avoid the backdoor cover, but the home crowd can help the Aggies push enough to do that and begin the season with a solid win.
LSU Tigers @ Clemson Tigers Pick: They snuck into the College Football Playoff as Conference Champion last year and that despite suffering three losses in the regular season, but the Clemson Tigers look a lot more experienced and ready to enjoy another strong campaign.
They look to be the team to beat in the ACC having won the Championship Game against the SMU Mustangs, although neither team was able to make it out of the First Round in the Playoffs.
There is more expectation around the Clemson Tigers going into 2025 and they can make an early statement when hosting the LSU Tigers from the SEC in Week 1.
After winning another National Championship with players who are now performing at a very high level in the NFL, the LSU Tigers have perhaps struggled to match the heights in recent seasons. Head Coach Brian Kelly is going into his fourth year at the helm and while a 29-11 record is solid enough in three seasons, anything less than a Playoff push may not be considered good enough.
If the expanded Playoff format had been in place in his first season, Brian Kelly may have led the Tigers into the post-season having won the SEC West Division and ultimately fallen short against the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game. Since then the Tigers have fallen short of the previous year two seasons in a row and that is why there will be some pressure to get things right.
Much like Clemson, the LSU Tigers will be bringing an experienced Quarter Back into the season and Garrett Nussmeier finished 2024 with over 4000 passing yards and 29 Touchdowns thrown. That is encouraging, while the LSU Tigers look pretty stacked all over the field and a genuine contender to have a very strong run this year.
One concern is that the Offensive Line has been completely rebuilt through the transfer portal and that means there will be some teething troubles. Hearing Brian Kelly mention that he is willing to use a number of options throughout this opening game will be a concern for the fans, especially as the LSU Offensive Line will have to deal with the power that the Clemson Defensive Line have up front.
Give Garrett Nussmeier time and he will be able to link up with quality skill players nad attack this potentially underwhelming Clemson Secondary, but so many games come down to the Line of Scrimmage. If the home team can be disruptive up front, they can stall drives and hand the ball over to an experienced Quarter Back of their own.
Cade Klubnik threw for over 3600 yards last season and added 36 Touchdowns to that number and he is a fourth year College Football player.
It is rare for some of the top schools to be able to lean on experienced Quarter Backs and especially not with the experience Klubnik and Nussemeier will be bringing into the game.
The feeling is that the Clemson Tigers have a bit more rhythm and knowledge of one another and that could make up the gap to the talent that the LSU Tigers edge.
With a bit more securing, Cade Klubnik may have more time to attack the LSU Secondary compared with his counterpart and that may make all the difference in what is a quality start to the new season.
Home advantage cannot be dismissed in what is likely to be a fiery atmosphere in Death Valley and it is the Clemson Tigers who may do just enough to win, and cover, in this big Week 1 opener.
Utah Utes @ UCLA Bruins Pick: The former Pac-12 rivals are going to open up the 2025 College Football season as non-Conference opponents and there are certainly going to be plenty of eyes on the UCLA Bruins.
The Chip Kelly era came to a conclusion with three straight winning seasons before the Bruins jumped ship for the Big Ten and they finished with a 5-7 record in DeShaun Foster's first season at the helm.
Four wins from the last six games would have given the UCLA fans something to hang onto going into this season, but it is the arrival of Quarter Back Nico Iamaleava from the Tennessee Volunteers that may have raised expectations. He had a solid year leading the Volunteers to the College Football Playoff, although subsequent reports about the handling of the departure to Los Angeles has soured people on the talented player.
Nico Iamaleava can change the headlines with his play, but he is going to be protected by an Offensive Line that will need to come together very quickly. Having time is always important to a Quarter Back, but particularly for one that may not have the top skill players that his family insisted he should have had at his previous school.
Going up against the Utah Utes Defensive unit is always going to be a huge challenge for the Quarter Back and the Bruins, especially with some speculating that the Utes may have the best Defense in the Big 12 Conference.
Making Utah potentially a Playoff team is the fact that the Offensive unit looks to be improved- it is now led by Devon Dampier who proved to be a dual-threat in his time with New Mexico. Adding to his comfort is the fact that Utah have also brought in New Mexico's Offensive Co-Ordinator and that is why they have been set as the road favourite in this Week 1 opener.
The expectation is that Utah will win the game, but Nico Iamaleava can handle the pressure and at least make sure UCLA are competitive even in defeat.
It does feel like the Bruins are much further behind overall compared with their former Conference rival, but having that experience at Quarter Back can at least move them into a position to earn a backdoor cover.
The Utes have dominated the recent series between these rivals, but the last two games have been split and this feels like a lot of points to be handing to the home team, even if they may have some early issues getting on the same page for the entirety of the four Quarters.
South Carolina Gamecocks vs Virginia Tech Hokies Pick: Atlanta plays neutral host for this Week 1 College Football game featuring teams out of the SEC and ACC and there are serious expectations around both teams.
The South Carolina Gamecocks finished 2024 with a 9-4 record and they had won six in a row to conclude the regular season, which meant narrowly missing out on the College Football Playoff.
Ignoring the Bowl Game result, you can understand why so many Gamecocks fans are very excited about this season and they are bringing back an experienced Quarter Back in LaNorris Sellers. This is always so important in College Football and the growth of Sellers in 2024 offers plenty of encouragement for how he can perform this season.
He does have some new skill players to work with, but LaNorris Sellers will be facing a Virginia Tech Secondary that is going to need a bit of time to bed in.
There is also a new Defensive Co-Ordinator to work with the players and that could take a touch longer to understand compared with what is still a familiar system for those in South Carolina.
Virginia Tech finished with a 6-7 record last season and the excuses are running out for Head Coach Brent Pry who has not turned things around for this school and is now entering his fourth season at the helm. A winning record might ease some of the pressure, but some Hokies fans will believe the team should be challenging right at the top of the ACC and for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
That might be asking a bit too much for a team that is hoping for a healthier year for Quarter Back Kyrone Drones, but who have to rebuild the Offensive Line and with a new Coach leading this group. If they were facing the South Carolina Defensive Line from last season, you would really have to worry about the Hokies Offensive Line, but there are some key players who have moved on from the Gamecocks and that may mean Drones having a bit more time.
There is still some experience on the Defensive unit, but South Carolina have the same issue as the Hokies in that they will need the new players to gel together pretty quickly around the stronger names on the roster.
An opening game in a big NFL venue will offer plenty of motivation and inspiration and this is an opportunity for both the Hokies and Gamecocks to lay down a marker for the season.
The edge has to be with South Carolina who have been tipped up as a potential Playoff team and they can open this season with a confident win to back up the strong end to the 2024 regular season.
MY PICKS: Alabama Crimson Tide - 13.5 Points @ 1.83 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Texas A&M Aggies - 23.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Clemson Tigers - 4 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)
UCLA Bruins + 6 Points @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
South Carolina Gamecocks - 7 Points @ 1.86 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Week 0: 2-1, + 0.75 Units (3 Units Staked, + 25% Yield)
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