College football is back — for real now.
After some appetizers on Thursday and Friday night (and in Week Zero), here comes the full meal. The first weekend is a real doozy, with several top-10 matchups and dozens of storylines to follow through Monday.
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There will be plenty of action and we’ll be covering all of it below on Saturday. Here are the best games. (Scroll for live updates.)
No. 1 Texas at No. 3 Ohio State
Noon ET | Fox | OSU -1.5
Is this a national championship game preview? Texas is the favorite to win the title (+450) and Ohio State is the No. 2 favorite at +525. Both teams enter with highly touted quarterbacks who are largely unproven. We’ve gotten glimpses of Arch Manning over the last two seasons at Texas, but this is by far the biggest game of his career.
On the other side, former five-star recruit Julian Sayin will start at QB for Ohio State after he won the team’s QB competition during fall camp. He has the best receiver in college football to throw to in Jeremiah Smith.
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Ohio State also has a remade defense and Texas’ biggest question could be up front after it lost multiple offensive linemen.
No. 8 Alabama at Florida State
3:30 ET | ABC | Bama -13.5
Both teams are looking for rebound seasons in 2025. Kalen DeBoer and Alabama want to make the College Football Playoff; Florida State is just fighting for respectability after a disastrous 2024. BC transfer QB Thomas Castellanos is hoping to inject some life into the Seminoles, while Alabama’s new starting QB is Ty Simpson. He won’t be the running threat that Jalen Milroe was in his time as a starter. However, we could see a more refined passing game with him under center.
No. 7 LSU at No. 4 Clemson
7:30 ET | ABC | Clemson -4
LSU coach Brian Kelly has talked a lot over the offseason about how important the opener is for his Tigers; LSU has lost its last five season openers. Clemson was our preseason No. 1 team. Cade Klubnik is the No. 2 Heisman favorite behind Manning at +700 and just ahead of LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier at +950.
