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Week One is finally here, with big games nationally and in the Big 12 beginning TONIGHT! The Frogs O’ War staff has picks for all the Big 12 contests (minus the FCS games) and the top national games.
Reminder: there’s still time to join our Pick ‘Em contest!
Big 12
UCF Knights vs. Jacksonville State Gamecocks – Thur. Aug. 28, 6:00 PM, ESPN+
- Anthony: New coaches for both teams, but the Knights open the Scott Frost Sequel with an easy win.
- Austin: UCF wins handily against TCU transfer Cam Cook and Jacksonville State.
- Caleb: UCF wins but Jax State covers. Scott Frost has a lot to replace after RJ Harvey & Kobe Hudson depart and the ‘Cocks show up with something to prove for new coach Charles Kelly.
- Drew: UCF wins comfortably.
- Russ: UCF with an easy victory to start.
Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers – Thur. Aug. 28, 8:00 PM, ESPN
- Anthony: Nebraska is expecting a return to national relevance in 2025, and maybe Cornhuskers fans believe that every year, but in QB Dylan Raiola’s 2nd season this could be the start of a breakout campaign.
- Austin: The Cornhuskers bring back one of college football’s most polarizing young quarterbacks in Dylan Raiola, raising expectations for a breakout season. Nebraska kicks things off with a nationally spotlighted win.
- Caleb: As much as I’d love to see Cincinnati pull this one out, I expect Nebraska to be a much more complete team in year 3 of Matt Rhule. Sorsby will take a step in his development this year but Cinci will struggle to protect him and Raiola will rest behind his Big 10 built O-line. Maybe after the game Sorsby can ask the media “How many times did Raiola get touched?” and then get his number retired after a 9-3 finish and losing a bowl game.
- Drew: I think if this game was at Cincinnati I would be a bigger believer in Brendan Sorsby and the Bearcats. With the game taking place in Kansas City where Nebraska fans will have no trouble traveling to and with Dylan Raiola potentially taking a second year jump, I have the Cornhuskers here.
- Russ: Nebraska opens 1-0 behind a strong outing from Dylan Raiola.
Baylor Bears vs. Auburn Tigers – Fri. August 29, 7:00 PM, FOX
- Anthony: This game is a tone setter for the season as one of the only games an SEC team would dare travel into Big 12 country. Tigers have the depth advantage, but Baylor’s top-line starters win the day in Waco.
- Austin: A terrific week one showdown between the SEC and Big 12. Although Auburn is favored, Baylor wins this one by at least a touchdown at home.
- Caleb: The saying “if you have two quarterbacks, you have no quarterback” must be doubly true if you have 3 of them. With indecision in the QB room, I’d imagine Dave Aranda keeps the Tigers from getting a rhythm and, conversely, spots a comfortable position for Sawyer Robertson & co. to start from. I’ll take the Backrow Baptist Baylor Bears.
- Drew: This game should be a thriller between two offenses that project to be among the best in the country with Sawyer Robertson returning under center for Baylor and Auburn sporting one of the most talented receiving rooms in the nation. Baylor has the clear edge at quarterback and homefield advantage here. Give me the Bears in a shootout.
- Russ: In a toss-up kind of game, I’ll roll with the home team and the Big 12 team. Give me Baylor.
Colorado Buffaloes vs. Georgia Tech
Yellowjackets – Fri. Aug. 29, 7:00 PM, ESPN
- Anthony: Coach Prime’s first game without Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders is a tough one. This time it’s Haynes King and the Jackets getting the hype headed into the season. Buffs win.
- Austin: Colorado’s outlook minus Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter is a mystery. The Buffs reloaded at quarterback, but will it be enough? Georgia Tech sneaks away with a hard-fought road victory.
- Caleb: I’m always a big fan of players transferring out of Texas A&M and experiencing success so Haynes King is naturally a favorite in my eyes. Georgia Tech is likely the grittiest team in the ACC and I can’t say the same for Colorado for obvious reasons. Prime struggles in the shadow of Travis Hunter & Shedeur’s departures and the Hornets roll.
- Drew: I really enjoy the running game design from Brent Key and Georgia Tech with Haynes King adding a solid designed quarterback run element. I think Colorado will be solid in 2025 but I think Georgia Tech wins this one.
- Russ: Haynes King leads the Yellow Jackets over the Shedeur-Hunter-less Buffaloes.
Arizona Wildcats vs. Hawaii Warriors – Sat. Aug. 30, 9:30 PM, TNT/HBO Max
- Anthony: Hawaii got the walk off winner over alleged P4 program Stanford in Week 0 and could pick up another one here. However Warriors QB Michael Alejado is hampered and Arizona returns QB Noah Fifita to begin the Wildcats redemption tour after a horrible 2024.
- Austin: Somehow, just somehow, the Rainbow Warriors are already 1-0 this season after defeating Stanford. Nonetheless, Hawaii’s undefeated streak is short-lived, as Arizona wins by a wide margin.
- Caleb: Emotional letdown after the Rainbow Warriors come back against Stanford and travel to face Arizona in the Fifita redemption tour. Significant talent gap means that the Wildcats start ‘25 on the right foot and secure a home victory.
- Drew: Micah Alejado battled last week and looks like a solid quarterback for the Rainbow Warriors but with his foot injury and the game taking place in Arizona, I have the Wildcats starting off 2025 with a win.
- Russ: Despite beating Stanford, I expect Hawaii to fall to the Wildcats here.
Utah Utes at UCLA Bruins – Sat. Aug. 30, 10:00 PM, FOX
- Anthony: A Pac 12 after dark redux. One would think the team bringing in a CFP QB from the SEC would have the advantage over the team with New Mexico’s QB, but it’s the Utes and Devon Dampier that roll into the Rose Bowl and get a B1G win.
- Austin: Utah wins this old Pac-12 matchup, but doesn’t cover the spread. Nico Iamaleava performs well in his Bruins debut, but it isn’t enough to top the Utes.
- Caleb: Not buying the Utah hype as much as most this offseason have; however, they’ll still score a victory over UCLA to kick their season off. Nico Iamaleava will get rewarded for his offseason greed with a marginally worse supporting cast and slightly better weather.
- Drew: This should be a very fun game with Nico Iamaleava’s UCLA debut and Utah looking to bounce back from a very disappointing 2024 season. Devon Dampier will be a major upgrade at quarterback for Utah and Kyle Whittingham’s defense forces three turnovers against the Bruins. I have Utah in this one.
- Russ: Another close game involving a Big 12 team — Give me Utah to ruin Nico Iamaleava’s debut.
Top National Games
Texas Longhorns at Ohio State Buckeyes – Sat. Aug. 30, 11:00 AM, FOX
- Anthony: I think this one will actually be a sloppy slugfest as the pair of new starting QBs try to carve up two of the sport’s elite defenses. The defending champs will have the best player on the field at all times in WR Jeremiah Smith and DB Caleb Downs, add the home field advantage and the Buckeyes earn the marquee win.
- Austin: As much as I’d like to roll with Arch Manning and the Longhorns, Ohio State gets the win in Columbus. Returning Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, Caleb Downs, and Sonny Styles is huge for the Buckeyes, who also lost plenty of marquee talent to the NFL.
- Caleb: The eyes of Texas will be upon Ohio State and more people will ask “why didn’t Arch start over Ewers?” as the same question is posed to 10 different panels on ESPN for the ensuing week. Colin Simmons and Anthony Hill are budding defensive superstars that show up to match Ohio State’s NFL recruit factory on offense.
- Drew: I’ll take the Longhorns to come up with a huge win on the road week one. Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs are arguably the two best players in the sport but I think Texas has the better quarterback and overall defense.
- Russ: There will be so much NFL talent on this field, but I’ll give the slight edge to the Buckeyes.
Syracuse Orange vs. Tennessee Volunteers – Sat. Aug. 30, 11:00 AM, ABC
- Anthony: I really like the skill position players for the Orange, but the Vols are better at almost every spot on the field. Is new Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar really three scores better than Steve Angeli at QB? Probably not, but everything else is enough for UT to escape with the win.
- Austin: It’s gotta be Tennessee. The Orange were fun to watch last season with Kyle McCord at the helm, but Steve Angeli is much less experienced than McCord was when he took over. The well-rounded Volunteers win by a few scores.
- Caleb: Really like what Josh Heupel brings to the table as a play caller and expect Tennessee to start strong against the fighting Honda McCords. I’ll wait until the weather gets colder for Syracuse to heat up & I imagine the rest of their conference will as well.
- Drew: Tennessee wins here pretty comfortably. I think Tennessee’s offensive system helps out their quarterback a lot and with Syracuse having to replace Kyle McCord who was good for them last year, I have Tennessee by at least two scores.
- Russ: Tennessee rolls over the Orange in this SEC-ACC contest.
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Florida State Seminoles – Sat. Aug. 30, 2:30 PM, ABC
- Anthony: The Ty Simpson era gets started with a bang, he throws at least three TDs and the Tide roll FSU. Seminoles fans want revenge for Bama being selected for the College Football Playoff Committee leaving the Noles on the cutting room floor in favor of Alabama despite FSU being undefeated. Unfortunately life is not a fairy tale and karma will have to wait for another day. Bama cruises.
- Austin: There’s no way Florida State will be as bad as they were a season ago, right? At least not according to former Boston College quarterback Tommy Castellanos. Yet, the Seminoles run into Alabama week one—that’s a recipe for disaster. The Crimson Tide win.
- Caleb: Speaking from experience, getting demolished by Georgia to end the season can have a ripple effect on the following year. Maybe that’s why Florida State’s play was more insufferable than Mike Norvell’s personality last year. While I’m not sure about that, I have much less to question about Kalen DeBoer’s second round with perennial powerhouse Alabama and I believe they coast in this one.
- Drew: Florida State should be better than they were in 2024 (mostly because it would be difficult to be any worse), but Alabama in week one is a very tough matchup. The Crimson Tide win by at least two scores.
- Russ: Florida State was God awful last season, while Alabama brings back loads of talent. Tide win.
LSU Tigers at Clemson Tigers – Sat. Aug. 30, 6:30 PM, ABC
- Anthony: Better players, better coach, home field advantage. The Tigers in orange make quick work of the Tigers in yellow. The primetime headliner of Saturday night is over by halftime, sending us all to an early bedtime.
- Austin: Both sets of Tigers boast Heisman hopefuls at quarterback, but Clemson’s Cade Klubnik has the superior supporting cast. Clemson wins at home.
- Caleb: Two Texas High School Football QB’s dueling it out at schools that aren’t in Texas, what’s more college football than that? I predict a return to form for Dabo’s squad, akin to his championship heyday, and they send Brian Kelly crying back to his fam-uh-lee.
- Drew: I am a big believer in Garrett Nussmeier and think he will contend for the Heisman this season but I can’t see Clemson losing at home, especially given LSU recent struggles in week one games. Both quarterbacks have big games but Klubnik leads Clemson to a week one win.
- Russ: LSU has stumbled in Week 1 openers under Brian Kelly. I’ll roll with Dabo and crew here.
Virginia Tech Hokies vs. South Carolina Gamecocks – Sun. Aug. 31, 2:00 PM, ESPN
- Anthony: The LaNorris Sellers hype has gone too far and the top-15 ranking for the Gamecocks may last into Week 7 with an otherwise easy start to the campaign. SC will win this game, but expect VT to keep it within arms reach most of the day. A sign of things to come as South Carolina may go 0-for-October and needing to defeat Coastal Carolina to reach bowl eligibility.
- Austin: I like South Carolina in this Sunday afternoon matchup. While the LaNorris Sellers hype may be a bit overblown (also as Anthony pointed out), the Gamecocks should still handle the Hokies.
- Caleb: South Carolina begins its dark horse SEC Championship campaign with a victory over VA Tech. The Gamecocks have constructed a high-end P4 roster and the Hokies haven’t shown any reason they’ll stand out in the ACC. In typical Shane Beamer fashion, SC will start strong before the wheels fall off, and then resurge at the end of the season to knock off one of the conference contenders for some reason. Set your watch to it.
- Drew: I think South Carolina is a bit overrated heading into 2025 but I still have them taking down the Hokies in week one. Dylan Stewart has the potential to be the best edge rusher in college football this season and I think he has multiple sacks in this one to lead South Carolina to a win.
- Russ: South Carolina opens its season 1-0 with a sound victory over the Hokies.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Miami Hurricanes – Sun. Aug. 31, 6:30 PM, ABC
- Anthony: I’m taking the Canes. Carson Beck will not be better than what Cam Ward gave The U last season, but he doesn’t have to be. The Irish are coming off a National Championship loss, breaking in a new QB after a position battle where neither player could separate, and have to open the season on the road in a marquee contest. It’s not going to go well for Notre Dame.
- Austin: Miami wins this one. It may come as a shock, especially facing the defending champions in week one. But Notre Dame didn’t look especially strong to begin last season either, barely defeating Texas A&M, then losing to Northern Illinois.
- Caleb: Catholics vs. Convicts is revived for a game that very few people actually want back, based on Notre Dame’s refusal to throw the ball and Miami’s refusal to do anything else. Carson Beck has his phone wrestled away from him long enough to guide a few scoring drives, but it’s not enough as Marcus Freeman’s team holds strong and runs the clock out for the entire 4th quarter. Rudy chants break out and nostalgia rules the day.
- Drew: I am not a big believer in Carson Beck and unfortunately for the Canes, Notre Dame’s secondary projects to be one of the best in the nation. I think Jeremiyah Love rushes for two touchdowns and Notre Dame forces a couple of turnovers in a win on the road.
- Russ: Notre Dame. I think the Irish defense steps up and carries the team to a road win here.
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