NCAA College Football Matchups of the Week - Week 1
J. Harris - Boston Mountain Publishing
September 1, 2022 10:49 AM
Games of the Week
1. Notre Dame vs Ohio State, Saturday - 6:30pm (ct) - ABC
The first Top 5 matchup of the year will be taking place in the great State of Ohio. The Ohio State Buckeyes will take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in Columbus on Saturday night. There is plenty of excitement around this matchup where Ohio State owns the head-to-head matchup over the Irish 4-2. New ND coach Marcus Freeman’s first game will be against his alma mater Ohio State, where he played linebacker for the Buckeyes from 2004-2008. To add on to the excitement, ESPN College Gameday will be in attendance to highlight this week’s matchup. Two things that everyone will be looking for: Is Ohio State a true contender? How does Notre Dame look under new Head Coach Marcus Freeman?
Prediction: Ohio State
2. Oregon vs Georgia, Saturday - 2:30pm (ct) - ABC
The Georgia Bulldogs, last year's National Champions, will be taking on the Oregon Ducks in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Oregon has some questions heading into this week's game. New Head Coach Dan Lanning has yet to announce his Quarterback for this Top 15 matchup. Most believe that the starter will be former Auburn Tiger Bo Nix, but some are saying otherwise and believe that the Ducks may consider starting one of the young raw talents in the QB room in Freshman Ty Thompson or Jay Butterfield. The focus in this game: Can the former Georgia Defensive Coordinator Dan Lanning take down his former team, and will Georgia really be re-stocked enough to defend their title this year?
Prediction: Georgia
3. Cincinnati vs Arkansas, Saturday - 2:30pm (ct) - ESPN
This could be the most interesting game of the weekend. Cincinnati comes into this season after their first ever College Football Playoff appearance last year. Entering into SEC West country against Arkansas, one of the country's more beloved teams under Sam Pittman, Cincinnati has taken on a huge task as Arkansas is coming off their best season in the past decade. The Razorbacks believe they can have a big year this season, and a fast start will increase the enthusiasm in Fayetteville. This game will be a fun one to watch and should be a very good test for both teams to start off the season.
Prediction: Arkansas
4. Utah vs Florida, Saturday - 6:00pm (ct) - ESPN
The Utes, a Top 10 team, entering into the swamp at night, in early September, in the deep southeast is a scary sight for Utah fans this early in the season. Utah will be rolling into the Swamp this Saturday night, and it will be a sold-out crowd with a lot of tension and excitement. This could very easily be the best atmosphere of the weekend being Billy Napier’s first game as Head Coach of the Florida Gators. If Florida can pull this early upset, they will turn the heads of everyone in the country who has doubted them since last season.
Prediction: Utah
5. Pittsburgh vs West Virginia, Tonight - 6:00 PM (ct) - ESPN
Rivalry renewed. The backyard brawl is a college football classic that will return to the gridiron tonight. The last time these two teams met was 2011 when they were conference foes in the Big East. If you haven’t heard, there is serious passion between the two teams and fan bases which should lead to an amazing atmosphere to kick off our slate of Week 1 games. Tonight game will also show us how good Pittsburgh will be this season after a phenomenal year in 2021, which was led by Kenny Picket. With Picket now gone, will there be a huge drop off in their offense?
My prediction: Pittsburgh
Sleeper Games of Week 1
Houston vs UTSA, Saturday - 2:30pm (ct)
UTSA had a historical run last year, making the Top 25 as an undefeated team through Week 11 eventually falling to North Texas in late November. Houston can prove they are a solid team with a successful first contest to start the year. UTSA has a chance at an early upset, and the possibility to show everyone they’re not messing around and can compete with the bigger schools under 3rd-year Head Coach Jeff Traylor.
My prediction: UTSA
NC State vs ECU, Saturday - 11:00am (ct) - ESPN
NC State’s Devin Leary has been named one of the best Quarterbacks for this upcoming season. Having a top Quarterback leads to media attention, along with high expectations for this year’s team. This is another game where a rivalry is being renewed, and it makes you wonder if East Carolina will have a chance to start the year off with a big upset and build on last year’s 7-5 record.
My prediction: NC State
BYU vs South Florida, Saturday - 3:00pm (ct)
This game could be a great test for BYU to start off the year. South Florida has a new transfer in QB Gerry Bohanan from Baylor who is a massive upgrade for the Bulls compared to last year. The new slinger could take South Florida's offense to another level which could make BYU struggle here in Week 1.
My prediction: BYU
Penn State vs Purdue TONIGHT - 7:00pm (ct) - FOX
This is a big game in the Big Ten to start off the season. Penn State will be traveling to Purdue to kick off the 2022 season tonight. Two teams that have a lot of excitement around their programs leading into this season, and also two teams that have a history of ruining the records of the top dogs in their conference. This game could have a huge impact on how things turn out in the Big Ten this season and could lead to the winner of this game riding a huge wave of momentum towards the rest of the season.
My prediction: Purdue
Florida State vs LSU, Sunday - 6:30pm (ct) - ABC
The primetime game for Sunday night this year will be one for the books. LSU and Florida State are two historic programs that are traditionally known for winning. Each of the two teams struggled last year as the Seminoles didn't make a bowl game, and the Tigers squeaked in but were ultimately leveled in their final game of the year. Both teams are ready to get this season rolling. The winner of this game will gain a lot of confidence, and the loser may be a little worried about how this year will look going forward. This is Coach Kelly’s first game at LSU, and with a loss at the Superdome, he will need to work harder on his Southern accent going forward.
My Prediction: LSU
BMP Top Performers from Week 0
Mike Wright, QB - Vanderbilt
Passing - 13/21 146 yds 2 TD
Rushing - 13 car 163yds 2 TD
Mike Wright provided multiple big time plays which led to the Commodores massive win over Hawaii.
Drake Maye, QB - North Carolina
Passing - 29/37 294yds 5 TD
Drake Maye made up for the Wolf Pack’s defensive struggles by throwing a gem all night in the win over FAMU.
Ryan Hilinski, QB - Northwestern
Passing - 27/38 314yds 2 TD
Ryan Hilinski was consistent all game with very few mistakes against the Corn Huskers. He led the Wildcats to the win against Nebraska while many of the national pundits said otherwise.