Week 1 features mostly cupcakes across the country, though there are some juicy matchups. We’ll learn a lot about Florida, LSU, and South Carolina, but not much about anyone else.
Thursday
- Florida at Utah (7 pm, ESPN). The Gators won a fluky game in Gainesville in last year’s opener, but the Utes and star QB Cameron Rising are 6.5-point favorites in the return game in Salt Lake City. I sort of like Utah to cover. Unless Billy Napier is a really good coach, Florida is going to struggle this year.
- South Dakota at Mizzou (7 pm, SEC Network). Mizzou is a bit of mystery this year. Their defense came out of nowhere to have an awesome season in 2022, and it was only enough for them to go 6-7. That unit lost a lot of talent, so if takes a step back, that could spell trouble in CoMo, given that the Tigers remain a work in progress on offense. It’s not even clear who their main QB will be this season. South Dakota isn’t going to answer many questions, but seeing what Mizzou’s offense looks like will be interesting.
Saturday
- Virginia at Tennessee (11 am, ABC). The Hoos can play some defense, but they are one of the ACC’s weaker teams and unlikely to challenge Tennessee. The big question for the Vols is can Joe Milton live up to the hype? His cannon arm is well-known across college football, but he didn’t win the starting job at Michigan or Tennessee until this year.
- Ball State at Kentucky (11 am, SEC Network). NC State transfer Devin Leary grades as one of college football’s most accurate passers. Of course, Will Levis also graded as an accurate passer, and Kentucky went 7-6 last fall, as they struggled to protect him. Kentucky is a popular sleeper to win nine games this year, their ability to hold up on the offensive line is going to be key.
- Western Carolina at Arkansas (noon, SECN+). The Hogs are slow-walking their way into this season, starting with an FCS opponent. I’ll be watching how some scheme changes on both sides of the ball impact key players for the Hogs. Can they hold up defensively using a more traditional scheme? Can KJ Jefferson improve his accuracy on short- and mid-range throws? Can the Hogs still generate huge holes for Rocket Sanders?
- Mercer at Ole Miss (1 pm, SECN+). Lane Kiffin stockpiled transfer quarterbacks, but ended up naming returning starter Jaxson Dart as his guy. Dart was pretty up-and-down last year. Star tailback Quinson Judkins is awesome, but Ole Miss, like Arkansas, is going to depend on a ton of transfers on both sides of the ball.
- UMass at Auburn (2:30 pm, ESPN). Hugh Freeze didn’t hit any major home runs either with his assistants or in the transfer portal, to the surprise of some. In terms of total raw talent, this is the weakest Auburn roster in several years, and many are picking them to finish 6th or 7th in the West.
- SE Louisiana at Mississippi State (3 pm, SEC Network). State begins the post-Leach era with a move away from the Air Raid. They return more starters than just about every SEC team, but trying to run a traditional offense with Air Raid personnel is scary to some. State could finish anywhere from 4-8 to 8-4.
- UT Martin at Georgia (5 pm, SECN+). This game will happen.
- New Mexico at Texas A&M (6 pm, ESPN). The fascinating marriage of Bobby Petrino and Jimbo Fisher begins with a cupcake. The Aggies are rolling with Connor Weigman at quarterback, but the question isn’t about the talent. Will Jimbo actually let Bobby run his offense? Is Texas A&M’s team culture as toxic as it sounds, and will that impact on-the-field performance?
- Alabama A&M at Vanderbilt (6 pm, SECN+). Vandy playing a Week Zero game every to jump to the top of the SEC standings is very clever.
- Middle Tennessee at Alabama (6:30 pm, SEC Network). There’s a weird uncertainty surrounding the Tide this year. They don’t have a clear quarterback. They’ve been fully passed in the SEC power rankings by Georgia. Maybe a chip on their shoulder drives them to another national title. Or maybe this is the beginning of the end of the Saban dynasty? Probably not, but I’m interested to see what their quarterback situation looks like.
- North Carolina at South Carolina (6:30 pm, ABC). Shane Beamer is a rising star in the coaching industry, and this the year to breakthrough if its going to happen. He has Spencer Rattler at quarterback and a golden chance to pick off a nearby rival. The Gamecocks’ offensive scheme handcuffed Rattler last year, so can new OC Dowell Loggains turn Rattler into a more consistent passer?
Sunday
- LSU vs. Florida State (6:30 pm, ABC). This is the big one, in Orlando this year after last season’s thriller was in New Orleans. The Tigers squandered away a game they dominated, but given that they won the West, they could have been playoff contenders had they finished the Seminoles off a season ago. FSU is no slouch; Mike Norvell’s team finally had a breakthrough last year with a young team and come into this season in a preseason top-10. Can LSU avoid the dumb mistakes that cost them last season?
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