After a long offseason, college football returns this week. There are always things to watch every week of the season. Here are 5 things to watch in college football week 1.
1. A Quarterback vs. His Former Coach
The transfer portal has created a lot of fun matchups of coaches and players facing off after being on the same team previously. Week 1 has a good matchup of a former quarterback and his coach. Riley Leonard was the quarterback at Duke, while Mike Elko was the head coach. Following the season, Elko left for Texas A&M job and Leonard entered the transfer portal and joined Notre Dame. Now, they face off in week 1.
There will be a lot of hype surround the game between the Fighting Irish and Aggies. Notre Dame has a talented defense and are really looking forward to seeing if Leonard can help the offense be more consistent. Texas A&M has a lot of talent on the roster, but Elko will be tasked with getting the most out of it. A win in this game is a big step for both teams as they try to compete this season.
2. Can Clemson Bounce Back?
Clemson has had plenty of success under Dabo Swinney, but the last few years haven’t been quite to the same standard. They haven’t been to the CFP since 2020. The expanded playoff can help them this year, but it also shouldn’t be ruled out that Clemson has done the work to improve to a point where they can compete for a title. The first game of the season will be a huge test of that, as they play Georgia.
Georgia has only lost two games over the last three seasons and are favored in this game by over two touchdowns. The Bulldogs have national championship aspirations, which if they become fulfilled, would give them three titles in four years. For the Tigers, the key will be the offense. Their defense still plays well, but the offense has struggled in recent years. Offensive coordinator Garrett Riley and quarterback Cade Klubnik will be in there second year working together and there is talent on the roster, so they could be improved. A game against an elite defense will show us how much Clemson has or hasn’t improved.
3. Coaches Who Need a Win
It may be a little early to talk about coaches being fired, but there are two coaches who need to have a big season matching up in week 1. At Florida, Billy Napier is entering year three. He won six games in year one and five games in year two, but more is expected. Now, he has to face the toughest schedule in the country, which includes the week 1 game against Miami. A win could help set him up for some success, but a loss could be the difference in his job security at the end of the season.
At Miami, Mario Cristobal is also entering year three. He won five games in his first season and seven in his second. While he is likely a little further away from the hot seat, than Napier, but things can change quickly. That is especially true given that Miami has a roster with enough talent to compete and make the CFP. With transfers coming in that include quarterback Cam Ward and running back Damien Martinez the sky is the limit. The game has some rivalry flair to it, so there is a lot on the line, in any way someone looks at it.
4. A Rivalry Game
Penn State and West Virginia have a rivalry that they renewed in 2023 for the first time since 1992. The Nittany Lions won, but now the Mountaineers will be looking for revenge, as they host the game. West Virginia wasn’t expected to have a great season in 2023, but they outperformed that by winning nine games. The Mountaineers found a star dual-threat quarterback in Garrett Greene, who really operated the Neal Brown’s offense well. Defensively, they ranked middle of the pack and have some new faces, so they’ll be tested early.
The Nittany Lions have struggled with Ohio State and Michigan the last several seasons, but with the changes to college football, that may not be as big of an issue. They don’t have to play both teams now because of the eradiction of divisions. On top of that, there is now a 12-team playoff, so they can afford a couple of losses. Drew Allar struggled against good competition last season, but now new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicky brings in a new offense. Their defense has a lot of talent and could help them win on the road in week 1.
5. A Game of Offense
Two teams that were heavily criticized for their defense last season, and rightfully so, will meet up in a standalone game on Sunday night. USC is entering a new era with Miller Moss taking over at quarterback. Lincoln Riley usually has the offense rolling, but the defense has struggled. They ranked 118th in scoring defense and they’ll need star players like defensive lineman Bear Alexander to step up.
LSU ranked tied for 78th in scoring defense last season. They had a Heisman-winning quarterback and some talented receivers, but they ended up losing three games, which mostly falls on the defense. They had talented players, including linebacker Harold Perkins, but how they used him and the scheme overall failed the Tigers. Blake Baker comes in now as the new defensive coordinator and he’ll have to improve things now that the offense lost so much talent to the NFL. If things aren’t improved for either team, this could be one of the highest-scoring games in recent memory.
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