What is the story about?
Corso
Shift
- Texas-Ohio State: Without a doubt the game of the day, the site of Corse’s final headgear selection and the (real) debut of Arch Manning as QB1 against the defensing champions. I don’t need to sell you on this game.
- Syracuse-Tennessee: A theme throughout week one is that the games are so spread out over the five days of football that the rest of the schedule hits the deck to give way for the big games of each shift, as signified that this is the second best game of the shift, barring anything unforeseen. Nothing against Fran Brown, but I don’t think the Syracuse Orange are ready to take down the Tennessee Orange.
- Northwestern-Tulane: Tulane will hope to keep their momentum going after losing QB Darian Mensah to Duke by bringing in former BYU QB Jake Retzlaff.
- Mississippi State-Southern Miss: Yes, Mississippi State is bad, Jeff Lebby is probably a dead end, and this is a weird game and time to open the season, but I think USM will be bad enough under Charles Huff’s first season to ensure that this isn’t an issue for the Bulldogs.
Sicko Special Shift
- Alabama-Florida State: For Mike Norvell’s sake, hopefully FSU is much better than they were last year. But I don’t think they’ll be good enough here, and that’s not necessarily an indictment. If FSU can keep it reasonably close I think that would be a win for the FSU 2-10 reclamation project.
- Howard-Florida A&M: The shift is so spread out and thin that we’re gonna make some good out of it by shining a light on some FCS and HBCU games. This one has has serious potential to be a banger of a game as the Bison take on the Rattlers in the Orange Blossom Classic down in Miami.
- South Dakota-Iowa State: The Cyclones won, but did not look super sharp in Ireland last weekend. South Dakota is not one of the Dakotas that strike fear into the hearts of FBS mid-pack teams, but the Coyotes were a playoff team last year and are capable of springing the upset if they’re not careful.
- Temple-UMass: Hello sickos, SP+ says this will be the closest game of the shift.
Detective Dabo Shift
- LSU-Clemson: Gimme Back My Bullets.
- Southeastern-Louisiana Tech: Things are bad in Ruston. Like, really bad. As in, only a 10 point favorite over Southeastern bad, which means it is very much in the realm of possibility that the Lions can spring the upset for the biggest win in program history. There is hope. Lion Up.
- UTEP-Utah State: Both teams are in super not great spots overall, but the Miners are actually ascending a little bit while the Aggies are…let’s call it directionless. But context aside, this could be a pretty entertaining or close enough game. Notice the lack of term “good”.
- Coastal Carolina-Virginia: I’m actually buying stock in Virginia football, I think they’re a program building the right way under Tony Elliott, although the pressure may be on for this to be the breakthrough season. I think the Chants will be a good measuring stoick for the program.
Robert Kekaula Memorial Shift
- Cal-Oregon State: As fun as last year was trusting the #CALGORITHM, the dearth of transfers out and lack of support in Berkeley have things looking bleak for the Golden Bears. Inversely, will Trent Bray be able to resume the success the program saw under Jonathan Smith? Lot of intrigue to be had here.
- Utah-UCLA: Nico Iamaleava will get his first start since forcing a transfer to Westwood, or more accurately out of Knoxville when he goes up against the normally stringent Kyle Whittingham defence that is coming off an uncharacteristically bad season. I’m expecting a bounce back from the Utes for sure.
- Idaho-Washington State: Less than 9 miles seperate the Kibbie Dome from Pullman Stadium, and since dropping down to FCS the Vandals have found their joy again on the football field. This game could have the juice and be well worth of staying up for.
- Georgia Southern-Fresno State: This one is going to be a banger, bet on it.
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