College Football Week 1 Predictions: Ole Miss/Louisville, LSU/Clemson, FSU/SMU and more

The College Football Season is back, and all is right in (my) the world. This opening weekend gives fans one preseason ranked versus ranked, several interesting matchups, and a whole bunch of mismatches on paper. Off the field, stuff like lawsuits, politics, and state/federal judge decisions have drowned out some of the hype for the 2026 season. College Football needs several items fixed or vastly improved, no doubt about it. That said the depth of real contenders this year gives a glimpse of what this great sport could be like in the near future. Buckle up and get ready for a wild ride that is the College Football regular season

Marquee Matchups

#9 Ole Miss vs. #24 Louisville: Ole Miss’s semifinal run a year ago was marred by former head coach Lane Kiffin leaving before the playoffs started. The Rebels lost some talent to the NFL and transfer portal but were able to retain a fair number of players from last year’s team. Louisville’s season fell apart due to poor quarterback play and key injuries. Stud RB Isaac Brown is cleared to play and will be needed to ease the pressure for an experienced signal caller. Can Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss repeat the magic he showed coming off the bench? His receivers will need to step up, having lost much of their production. Both teams should field solid defense, so this game will likely go under the 55.5-point total.

DraftKings

4.5/5

Tip: Ole Miss -6.5 Passing Yards

• Chambliss big game
• Rebels return players
• Chambliss Heisman Candidate

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The Pick: Ole Miss –6.5

#11 LSU vs. Clemson: Players coming back from the NFL along with a host of other hot button comments and actions have taken away from the loaded LSU roster under first year coach Lane Kiffin. Just the way, Lane likes it. Two-time national champion coach Dabo Sweeney had a lot to say about the matter, but if were honest, Dabo has stuck his foot in his mouth over the past few years as well. On to the action taking place on the grass. The Tigers from Baton Rouge secured their stadium naming rights after defeating Clemson in what was previously called Death Valley in 2025. Can LSU put it all together this season is a question that will be answered over time. For now, it’s fair to wonder if the distractions from the NFL back to college debacle will affect LSU. The bottom line is this game will be played in Baton Rouge, along with a quarterback in Sam Levitt who has produced at Arizona State.

FanDuel

4.6/5

Tip: Clemson +10.5

• Pressure on Kiffin
• Fame in Baton Rouge
• LSU more talent

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The Pick: LSU wins but Clemson +10.5

Under The Radar

#19 SMU vs Florida State: SMU has a legit QB in Kevin Jennings and returns multiple starters from last year’s squad. FSU is looking to return to respectability after the last two dreadful years. This College Football podcaster favors the Mustangs coach, but this matchup will be in Tallahassee. A year ago, Florida State shocked Alabama only to go 5-7. The Seminoles must run the ball to control time of possession and keep Jennings on the side lines with an I-pad in his hands. SMU does enough in the fourth quarter to get the win.

Caesars

4.4/5

Tip: SMU -2.5

• Close game
• Jennings Big Night
• Strong Offensive Line

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The Pick: SMU –2.5

California vs UCLA: Both programs ushered in a new era of football by firing and hiring head coaches. The Golden Bears were able to bring back rising NFL prospect QB Jaron-Keawe Sagopolutele. UCLA brought back a quarterback that still needs to prove a bunch at this level in Nico Iamaleava. Last year UCLA couldn’t stop on nosebleed on defense, especially rushing yards. Cal could throw the ball well but only averaged 82 yards on the ground per game. The Bruins did make some strides as the season went along. UCLA has an experienced roster with JMU players adding to the depth. This pick’em old school PAC-10 tilt should come down to the wire.

BetMGM

4.5/5

Tip: Cal +2.5

• Bruin defense is an issue
• Cal at Home
• Tight Game

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The Pick: Cal +2.5

Saturday Upset Special

Tarleton State sneaks by Bowling Green as a slight +2 underdog.

Hardcore Barnburners

Baylor vs Auburn: With such a mediocre slate of Week 1 games, this one should provide much needed entertainment. Take note for the transfer of QB’s Byrun Brown for the Tigers and DJ Lagway for the Bears. Auburn was in a bunch of close games, but QB play failed them. Baylor defense was garbage last year and must make large strides to help the offense.

The Pick: Auburn wins but the pick is Baylor +7.5

UNLV vs Hawaii: Super early must win for both teams given the fact they played and lost in week zero. Memphis’s defensive line looked nasty last week, so UNLV should be ready for what Hawaii has in that department. West Coast football at night tends to give us fans something to cheer about.

The Pick: UNLV -3

Against The Spread

Ohio +23.5 versus Nebraska

Wyoming +3.5 versus Colorado State

Liberty +6.5 versus James Madison

Podcast Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rope-a-dope-radio-podcast/id1794655742?i=1000787752862

Quick Hits Recap

-Memphis defeated UNLV in a fun one 27-21 in week zero.

-Stanford covered as a 4.5-point favorite over Hawaii 37-27 thanks to a scoop and score on defense.

-North Carolina silences to critics at least in the first game of the season by beating TCU 15-10 in what was an ugly affair.

-Virginia dominates N.C. State 34-8 thanks to Cavs outrushing the Wolfpack 258 to 76.

Written by Chris Carlson Host of The College Ball Show available under The Rope A Dope Radio Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker, I-Heart Radio, Amazon Podcasts, Tunein, Deezer, Podchaser, Castbox  & More! Follow on Twitter @RopeADopeRadio