Week 0 is in the books, and college football is really back this weekend. Games are spread across Labor Day weekend, starting on Thursday and going through Monday night. The slate isn't as packed as past opening weeks, but there are still a lot of games that impact No. 1 Ohio State and the playoff race.
(7) Miami vs Stanford
The Miami Hurricanes travel out to Northern California to take on Stanford for the first time as conference rivals. The 3,105-mile trip is the second-longest possible trip between conference opponents in FBS, only behind Miami and Cal.
Hopefully Mark Fletcher Jr.'s mom has already started driving. The Hurricanes under Mario Cristobal have made it a habit of losing to inferior ACC competition, which keeps them out of the conference title game. They are 24.5-point favorites on Friday night, so I do not expect that to happen here, but keep an eye on that as the season goes.
Ball State vs (1) Ohio State
The national championship favorite begins its campaign on Saturday afternoon in the Horseshoe. Ohio State has a difficult schedule, but that does not apply to their season opener against Ball State, which essentially serves as a warm-up game before the Buckeyes get ready to go to Texas next weekend.
Boise State vs (2) Oregon
This game was one of the defining games of the playoff race two years ago. Ashton Jeanty and Boise State went to Eugene and gave the Ducks a heck of a game. Oregon won that game by just three points in a game where they returned a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown.
Neither team would lose a game until the College Football Playoff semifinals. The stars are aligning for a similar kind of game this season. Boise State is the favorite to make the playoff from the group of six conferences, while Oregon is one of the top contenders for the national title. A close game here would shape narratives for the rest of the season. The biggest problem facing the Broncos is the lack of a top-ten pick at running back on their team.
Texas State vs (5) Texas
Everything is bigger in Texas, including the pressure and expectation on the Longhorns this season. They open up with an in-state rival, the Texas State Bobcats. The rest of this analysis could be copied and pasted from the Ball State-Ohio State section.
Clemson vs (11) LSU
One year ago, these two teams opened the season in Clemson, with both ranked inside the top 10. LSU won that game and threw its name into early national championship conversations. As it turned out, Clemson wasn't very good. LSU wasn't very good in either.
One year later, Clemson begins the season unranked in the AP poll for the first time in 15 years, while LSU is now coached by Lane Kiffin and trying to add literal NFL players to their roster. This game is a showcase game for both programs. Clemson has a chance to show that they are still a force in the ACC and can compete with Miami for the conference title.
LSU has a chance to show everyone that Lane Kiffin was the man for the job. There are no must-win games in week one when you're a talented SEC team with a lot of meat left on the schedule, but this is as close as it gets for LSU. If they lose this game, they need to beat at least three of Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Alabama, and Texas without slipping up elsewhere in order to make the playoff. I've got the Tigers winning this one.
Washington State vs (17) Washington
The Apple Cup isn't what it used to be. It used to be the final game of the regular season that would impact the conference title race. Washington left for the Big Ten, but it's good that this game still gets played annually. These programs are currently in two totally different places.
Washington State is under the guidance of first-year head coach Kyle Moore as they look to navigate life in the new PAC-12. Washington was able to keep Demond Williams Jr. at quarterback as they look to take the next step and be competitive in the Big Ten. They will need to stack wins early, as their final two games are against Indiana and Oregon.
Wisconsin vs (4) Notre Dame
Notre Dame opens the series with a "home" game against Wisconsin in Wisconsin. The game will take place at Lambeau Field, the NFL's most iconic stadium, where the local fans will be rooting against the green team. Aesthetics aside, this is a big game for both teams.
This is a make-or-break year for former Buckeye Luke Fickell at Wisconsin. They've put more resources into the program, and the Badgers did some damage in the portal, including bringing in former Ohio State corner Bryce West. Beating Notre Dame will be a tall task, but they have to get back to something that more resembles Badger football.
Notre Dame's schedule is fairly weak. Wisconsin has a good chance to be the best team the Irish play until they go to BYU in late October. If they win this game, they're pretty much a lock to start the season 6-0 before they get to the more challenging portion of the schedule.
(24) Louisville vs (9) Ole Miss
These neutral-site non-conference games are starting to go away, and that is a good thing. That said, they still exist. The only game of week one that pits ranked teams against each other will be played at the home of the Tennessee Titans on the banks of the Cumberland River.
Former Ohio State quarterback Lincoln Keinholz will lead the Cardinals against Ole Miss, which was able to keep a lot of players from leaving for LSU with Lane Kiffin. Both of these teams expect to contend for their conference. This game will be a good barometer for how the ACC and the SEC compare in 2026.
(19) SMU vs Florida State
SMU begins its season as the second-highest-ranked team in the ACC. Two years ago, they made the conference title game in their first year in the conference and were a field goal away from having a chance to win it. They still made the College Football Playoff, and their goal is to make it back this season.
Miami is not on their schedule, but most of the next tier of the ACC is. Florida State should believe that they are in that second tier, as a program with the history of the Seminoles should always believe they are a playoff contender. It is a make-or-break year for FSU coach Mike Norvell, as they have missed a bowl game in each of the last two seasons following their undefeated 2023 season.
They are 7-17 over that stretch, which should be completely unacceptable at a program like Florida State. They've got a chance to show that they are for real in the ACC in a primetime, Labor Day night matchup with the Mustangs.
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