The month of September has finally arrived, which means the long Labor Day weekend is here. And it is filled with Week 1 college football action from Thursday night through Monday evening after a couple of appetizers in Week 0.
Let’s not waste any more time and get right into the weekend matchups!
B1G Thursday night clash
Penn State at Purdue, 8:00, FOX:
What is the state of James Franklin’s program? The Nittany Lions have struggled the last two years and could really use an opening road victory against a Big Ten West squad that has been on the upswing under Jeff Brohm, whose program has lost nine straight in this series going back to 2004. PSU struggled to consistently run the ball last season. Will Keyvone Lee and a revamped O-Line be able to get traction against a Purdue defensive line that is deep despite having lost George Karlaftis? And can Sean Clifford, in his fourth season as the starting QB in Happy Valley, outshine Purdue counterpart Aidan O’Connell? While it is one game in the first week of the season, this feels like a must for Franklin and Co.
Thursday’s Top 25 action
Central Michigan at No. 12 Oklahoma State. 7:00 p.m. ET, FS1: The Chippewas are coming off a 9-4 season, including a victory over Washington State in the Sun Bowl. They return Lew Nichols III, who led the nation with 1,848 yards rushing last season, as well as QB Daniel Richardson, who passed for 2,633 yards and 24 TDs. Meanwhile, Spencer Sanders leads a Cowboys offense that returns 10 starters, and the team will need more performances like the one he had in the Fiesta Bowl win over Notre Dame. Can the Chips shock the Pokes again as they did in 2016?
West Virginia at No. 17 Pittsburgh, 7:00, ESPN: ESPN’s College GameDay will be on campus for this tilt, marking the crew’s first visit to Pittsburgh since 2005. This game will mark the 105th edition of the Backyard Brawl, and West Virginia has won each of the last three matchups (2009-11)—when both were members of the Big East. WVU’s Neal Brown was able to woo JT Daniels through the transfer portal to run new coordinator Graham Harrell’s offense, while former USC signal caller Kedon Slovis has a chance to keep the Panthers offense humming under new coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr., who inherited all five starting linemen from ‘21. But he has the very difficult chore of replacing star QB Kenny Pickett and playmaking WR Jordan Addison.
VMI at No. 22 Wake Forest, 7:30, ACCN: The Demon Deacons had to turn to Michael Griffis with star QB Sam Hartman out indefinitely with a non-football related medical condition. Meanwhile, Wake fans should feel much more confident about the defense with the addition of new coordinator Brad Lambert, who has the acumen to improve a unit that ranked 88th in the FBS in team defense last season.
Friday’s Top 25 teams in action
Western Michigan at No. 15 Michigan State, 7:00, ESPN: The Broncos upset eventual ACC champion Pitt yet ended up finishing in a three-way tie for last place in the MAC West last season. Meanwhile, Mel Tucker led the Spartans to their best season since they gained a berth in the College Football Playoff in 2015. Replacing Kenneth Walker III is impossible, but Tucker went the transfer route again and brought in Jalen Berger (Wisconsin) and Jarek Broussard (Colorado), who led the Pac-12 in rushing in 2020 with 895 yards in six games. The biggest flaw of the ‘21 Spartans was their woeful pass defense, as they finished last in the FBS (342.8 yards per game). We may not get a lot of answers about the defensive backfield this week, but big strides need to be made this fall.
Other Friday headliners
Illinois at Indiana, 8:00, FS1: The Fighting Illini and Syracuse transfer QB Tommy DeVito are coming off a 32-point win in their season opener at home against Wyoming last Saturday. Their offensive line didn’t allow a sack or a tackle for loss in the impressive victory. IU, meanwhile, ended last season on an eight-game losing streak, and it hopes transfers Shaun Shivers (Auburn) and Josh Henderson (North Carolina) can immediately produce in the backfield. Will Hoosiers head coach Tom Allen go with Missouri transfer Connor Bazelak or Jack Tuttle at QB?
TCU at Colorado, 10:00, ESPN: Sonny Dykes is looking to bring some swagger back to TCU, and he has said that Max Duggan, Chandler Morris and Sam Jackson will all see action at QB against the Buffaloes. It’s safe to say that Dykes will oversee an offensive attack that showcases the passing game, especially against a green Colorado secondary. Meanwhile, Karl Dorrell is trying to rebuild the Buffaloes, a task made more difficult after losing a lot of talent through the transfer portal.
Okay, onto our first September Saturday of the 2022 season…
The headliners
No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 2 Ohio State, 7:30, ABC:
Ohio State’s addition of coordinator Jim Knowles was one of the best hires of the offseason. The Buckeyes struggled defensively in 2021, and Knowles was able to turn Oklahoma State’s unit into a stingy one. Ryan Day’s offense is so lethal that it could probably still outscore opponents and make the CFP with a below-average defense. But that shouldn’t be the case this fall.
This is a tough spot for Marcus Freeman, who will be coaching just his second game as ND’s head coach. The Fighting Irish enhanced their talent level and depth under Brian Kelly and continued to do so this offseason, but it’s a very tough ask of this offense to keep up with the Buckeyes at the Horseshoe. The Irish do have a chance to stick around and “win” the first half if they can weather the crazed environment. They have an advantage at the line of scrimmage, returning four starters and plenty of depth from their offensive line—though C Jarrett Patterson is dealing with a sprained foot. They also have a very strong D-Line.
Can QB Tyler Buchner and this Irish offense shorten the game by winning the war at the LOS? Can the defense limit enough big plays from C.J. Stroud, TreVeyon Henderson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba? Teams win in space in this era of college football, and it just seems like too tough of an assignment for the Irish to hang with the Buckeyes for 60 minutes.
No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 3 Georgia, 3:30, ABC (Atlanta):
Dan Lanning’s debut as Ducks head coach just so happens to be against the defending national champions, who will still be stout defensively after losing a slew of talent from last season’s dominant unit—coordinated by Lanning. Kirby Smart’s team will be able to run the football, Stetson Bennett returned after finally earning some respect under center, and the game is in Atlanta.
It has not been made official yet, but former Auburn QB Bo Nix is the likely starter for the Ducks. He has not fared well in three career losing starts to the Bulldogs, and he has been sacked nine times by ‘Dawg defenders. Nine times. Additionally, Oregon was physically overmatched last season by Oklahoma and twice by Utah. Maybe this will become a more physical defense under Lanning in time, but to beat the defending champs Saturday, the Ducks will need to create multiple turnovers, win the special teams battle and get Nix’s best performance.
Saturday’s other Top 25 teams in action
Sam Houston at No. 6 Texas A&M, Noon, SECN: The Bearkats won the FCS national championship in 2020 and are now transitioning to the FBS level, a tenure that begins in 2023. The Aggies will look to Haynes King, a redshirt sophomore who started the first two games at QB a year ago before suffering a season-ending injury. King, who beat out LSU transfer Max Johnson and true freshman Conner Weigman, was ESPN’s third-ranked dual-threat QB in the Class of 2020.
Colorado State at No. 8 Michigan, Noon, ABC: Jim Harbaugh said he will alternate QB starters—Cade McNamara and J.J. McCarthy—in at least the first two games. McNamara will start against the Rams, and McCarthy will start the following week against Hawai’i. A QB1 will then be named for Week 3 against UConn.
No. 13 NC State at East Carolina, Noon, ESPN: Dave Doeren’s Wolfpack squad is a CFP dark horse, with star QB Devin Leary and a slew of other returning starters. Leary’s counterpart in this one, Holton Ahlers, is a good-sized southpaw with 69 career TD passes and another 19 scores on the ground.
UTEP at No. 9 Oklahoma, 3:30, FOX: The Miners head to Norman following their 31-13 loss to North Texas in Week 0, while Brent Venables will make his head-coaching debut with the Sooners. Expect to see a refined OU defense as the Sooners look to create a new identity under their new program builder.
Bethune-Cookman at No. 16 Miami (FL), 3:30, ACCN: The Mario Cristobal era begins in Coral Gables after he led Oregon to a pair of Pac-12 titles and a 35-13 record. QB Tyler Van Dyke went 6-3 as a starter last season, passing for 25 TDs and 6 INTs. Perhaps the biggest key to instant success for Cristobal will be the play of a defense led by CB Tyrique Stevenson and DT Leonard Taylor.
No. 23 Cincinnati at No. 19 Arkansas, 3:30, ESPN: There are high expectations surrounding Sam Pittman’s Razorbacks, while Luke Fickell’s Bearcats are looking to prove their breakthrough CFP run was no joke last season. Hogs QB KJ Jefferson just may be the difference in this one.
No. 24 Houston at UTSA, 3:30, CBSSN: Dana Holgorsen and the Cougars are ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 poll for the first time since 2016 after appearing in the AAC championship and defeating Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl to finish off a 12-2 campaign. Meanwhile, Jeff Traylor led the Roadrunners to the program’s first 12-win season and conference championship last year. Expect an energetic Alamodome.
Troy at No. 21 Ole Miss, 4:00, SECN: Matt Corral has moved on, but Lane Kiffin was able to bring in Jaxson Dart, a USC transfer who is expected to get the start over Luke Altmyer. TCU transfer RB Zach Evans should be in store for a big season, but can the Rebels get more push up front from its O-Line?
No. 25 BYU at South Florida, 4:00, ESPNU: The Cougars will feature an experienced offense, led by QB Jaren Hall, against a porous USF defense that should be overwhelmed up front.
Rice at No. 14 USC, 6:00, Pac-12: The Lincoln Riley era begins with transfers Caleb Williams and Jordan Addison looking to display offensive fireworks, while new DC Alex Grinch looks to see immediate improvement from his line.
No. 7 Utah at Florida, 7:00, ESPN: This is a huge spot for the Pac-12, a league that faces an uncertain future with the impending departures of USC and UCLA. The Utes are coming off a season in which they captured their first Pac-12 title, and Kyle Whittingham has built a legitimate CFP contender with a star QB in Cameron Rising and a nasty defense. This will be Utah’s first SEC opponent since it beat Alabama more than 13 years ago in the Sugar Bowl. Meanwhile, Billy Napier will be making his Gators debut after his successful stint at Louisiana. Can the UF run defense make a vast improvement against a Utah offensive line looking to impose its will and dominate on the ground? The Gators will have a packed house thirsting to support an SEC power once again. Can redshirt sophomore QB Anthony Richardson and the Gators deliver in Napier’s debut?
Albany at No. 10 Baylor, 7:00, Big 12/ESPN+: The ascendance of QB Blake Shapen prompted Gerry Bohanon to transfer to USF, so the Bears hope their offense can complement a defense led by massive NT Siaki Ika.
Illinois State at No. 18 Wisconsin, 7:00, FS1: Can Graham Mertz put everything together and be the answer at QB that many Badger fans expected when he burst onto the scene in his first year as the starter?
Miami (OH) at No. 20 Kentucky, 7:00, SECN: With a win, Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops can match Bear Bryant’s school record for career victories (60). UK is coming off its second 10-win season in four years and is ranked in the preseason for the first time since 1978.
Utah State at No. 1 Alabama, 7:30, SECN: The national runner-up Crimson Tide host an Aggies squad that played UConn in Week 0 and put up 542 yards of total offense. But this ‘Bama team returns Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young, and Georgia Tech transfer Jahmyr Gibbs is ready to re-introduce himself to the college football world.
*Don’t forget: we have another late-night kickoff in Honolulu, as Hawai’i looks to put behind its lopsided loss to Vanderbilt in Week 0 when it battles Western Kentucky in an 11:59 p.m. ET kickoff. Late-night football? Nothing better…
Except, perhaps, Sunday college football:
Florida State at LSU, 7:30, ABC: The Seminoles have the luxury of having played a game already, scoring a 47-7 win over Duquesne in Week 0. The competition immediately takes a huge jump, of course, but this FSU offense looks ready to stay cohesive and productive despite having to deal with a Tigers defense loaded with talent. How fast, though, has Brian Kelly been able to make his mark on the Bayou Bengals since taking over after his successful stint in South Bend?
And, closing things out on Monday night:
No. 4 Clemson vs. Georgia Tech, 8:00, ESPN (Mercedes-Benz Stadium): The Yellow Jackets gave the Tigers fits last season, only losing 14-8 and putting up a really stingy defensive effort. Of course, that Clemson offense was anything but productive, particularly in the first half of the season. We know the Tigers are going to bring it defensively up front, but how prolific—and consistent—can this offense be under new coordinator Brandon Streeter?
This week’s best bets
*Central Michigan +21.5
*Arkansas -6.5
*FSU +3.5
Cocktail of the week
I acquired some fresh basil from a family garden, so I figured there is no better way to put it to use (besides in a pasta dish, of course) than in a cocktail!
Strawberry Basil Lemonade
-In a double rocks glass, muddle a few basil leaves and two strawberries.
-Fill the glass with ice and set aside.
-Pour 1.5 oz gin (or more!) and 2 oz. lemonade into a shaker with ice; shake until well chilled.
-Strain into the double rocks glass. Add a splash of club soda.
-Garnish with a basil leaf and strawberry slice. Enjoy!
I hope everyone has an amazing long holiday weekend!
Follow me on Twitter @Miller_Dave & email me at david.matthew.miller@gmail.com