College Football Predictions for Week 1

In just under two weeks, college football will finally be back, with Jarren Williams and Miami butting heads with Feleipe Franks and Florida. And yes, we know some of these games are played under the guise of Week 0, but we refuse to acknowledge such nonsense. Football is back. With so may enticing matchups on the Week 1 docket, it's time got get down to the nitty gritty and make some picks.

14. No. 8 Florida 34, Miami 17

After beating out Tathan Martell and N'Kosi Perry to win the starting job, Williams could not have had a rougher first start than going against a Top 10 in-state rival in prime time. While he should play well against a depleted Florida defense, Feleipe Franks and Dan Mullen's offense will likely be too much for a Hurricanes defense who lost their best pass rusher, corner and two starting safeties to the draft.

13. No. 1 Clemson 49, Georgia Tech 14

Talk about a trial by fire. As Geoff Collins tries to switch Georgia Tech from the triple-option to a dropback spread offense, his first test will come against the most stacked team in the land. If Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne perform as expected, and the defense replaces the players they lost to the draft, Dabo Swinney and Clemson will have no problem disposing of the Yellow Jackets.

12. No. 15 Utah 31, BYU 28

The Holy War will feature two of the most unheralded quarterbacks in the country in the Utes' Tyler Huntley and the Cougars' Zach Wilson. While Wilson might have the edge as a passer, Utah has a better defense than BYU, and Kyle Whittingham has proven to be nails in big games like these. Expect this game to come down to the wire, but the Utes will come out on top.

11. No. 18 Wisconsin 24, South Florida 10

The Badgers still have issues at quarterback, as Jack Coan is barely an upgrade of Alex Hornibrook, but Paul Chryst's offense will once again be buoyed by one of the best backs in the country in Jonathan Taylor. While Taylor runs the Bulls into the ground, the Wisconsin defense should prove more than enough for Blake Barnett and South Florida, giving Charlie Strong an 0-1 start to the season.

10. No. 5 Ohio State 45, FAU 20

Ryan Day's Buckeyes somehow managed to replace a record-setting first-round pick in Dwayne Haskins with a former No. 1 recruit in Georgia transfer Justin Fields. While their defense has a lot of questions to answer, and Lane Kiffin's offense can put up some points, Ohio State shouldn't be troubled too much by Florida Atlantic and should start the year off 1-0.

9. Memphis 38, Ole Miss 35

Memphis might have lost their two top running backs in Darrell Henderson and Tony Pollard to the Rams and Cowboys, but they should still be one of the best offenses in Group of 5 football behind head coach Mike Norvell and quarterback Brady White. With Matt Luke's defense still subpar and starting quarterback Matt Corral unproven, the Tigers have some serious upset potential in this matchup.

8. No. 2 Alabama 56, Duke 6

Did you really expect anything different? Not only is Nick Saban motivated after losing to Clemson in the title game last year, but Tua Tagovailoa will be gunning for a Heisman alongside the best trio of wide receivers in the country in Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs and Jaylen Waddle. With Daniel Jones gone, expect David Cutcliffe and the Blue Devils to get beat up like Lamar Jackson-less Louisville was last year.

7. No. 23 Stanford 27, No. 25 Northwestern 24

The Cardinal and Wildcats are mirror images of other. They're both academic powerhouses, they both have old-school, experienced head coaches in Pat Fitzgerald and David Shaw, and feature future pro quarterbacks in Hunter Johnson and KJ Costello. Ultimately, Costello's experience and Stanford's defensive depth will give them a razor-thin win over a talented Northwestern team that could do damage in the Big Ten West.

6. Virginia Tech 34, Boston College 27

Justin Fuente is currently on VERY thin ice in Blacksburg after last season and needs to start off 2019 strong. While the prospect of stopping the bowling ball that is AJ Dillon in the backfield is a daunting task, quarterback Ryan Willis should be able to pick apart a Boston College defense that lost their two best pass rushers and three top defensive back to the NFL, giving the Hokies a win in Week 1.

5. Florida State 24, Boise State 21

The Deondre Francois fiasco has left desperate head coach Willie Taggart with James Blackman as his starting quarterback. While this should bode well for Boise State, the Broncos have their own quarterback problems, as redshirt sophomore Chase Cord is a total unknown. Unless he emerges as the next Kellen Moore, expect the Noles to win this one.

4. No. 3 Georgia 41, Vanderbilt 13

Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs will start the season with a conference matchup, but they will face arguably the worst team in the SEC. Graduate transfer Riley Neal will have to lead Derek Mason and the Commodores into battle against a stacked defense while Jake Fromm and D'Andre Swift look to slice up the Vandy resistance. Georgia shouldn't have much trouble with taking down Vanderbilt if they are firing on all cylinders.

3. No. 13 Oregon 31, No. 16 Auburn 21

Both these teams have good defenses and solid running games, but the gap in quarterback play is massive right now. Auburn starter Joey Gatewood has yet to take a snap in college, while Oregon trigger man Justin Herbert might end up being the No. 1 pick in the 2020 draft. The loss of Jarrett Stidham looms large, and Herbert and the Ducks should be able to take advantage.

2. No. 4 Oklahoma 49, Houston 35

Expect a shootout in this one. Jalen Hurts will play his first game in Lincoln Riley's doomsday offense, while Houston will feature arguably the best Group of Five quarterback in the country in D'Eriq King. While Hurts had his limitations as a passer at Alabama, Riley's work with Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray proves he'll get Hurts on the right track and ready to beat up on Houston's defense.

1. No. 9 Notre Dame 41, Louisville 20

Scott Satterfield needs some time before he can make Louisville back into a winner once again. With his quarterback situation still unresolved, the Cardinals will likely provide little resistance for Ian Book and the Irish. Brian Kelly breezed through the regular season in 2018, and has his eyes on yet another spot in the playoff, provided his offense continues to perform.