College Football Week 1: 2021 may mark the most anticipated opening week to a college football season since the mid-1940s, when many programs resumed play following the height of U.S. involvement in World War II. College football Week 1 means the return of fans to the stands, with stadiums around the country increasing capacity to 100% in the quest for the College Football Playoff championship.
Plus, TV networks did not hold back with scheduling some blockbuster matchups to ring in the new year. Among those games are marquee kickoff matchups like UNC at Virginia Tech, Miami (FL) vs. Alabama and Georgia vs. Clemson. Even a handful of division rivalries fill in the gaps of Week 1, namely Penn State at Wisconsin.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 1 ODDS
| Date | Away Team | Home Team | Odds (ML) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/3 | North Carolina | Virginia Tech | UNC |
| 9/3 | Michigan State | Northwestern | NW |
| 9/4 | Western Michigan | Michigan | MICH |
| 9/4 | Penn State | Wisconsin | WIS |
| 9/4 | Indiana | Iowa | IOWA |
| 9/4 | Alabama* | Miami* | BAMA |
| 9/4 | Oregon State | Purdue | PUR |
| 9/4 | Georgia* | Clemson* | CLEM |
| 9/4 | UTSA | Illinois | ILL |
| 9/4 | LSU | UTSA | LSU |
| 9/5 | Notre Dame | Florida State | ND |
| 9/6 | Louisville* | Ole Miss* | UL |
Top Games College Football Week 1
North Carolina () at Virginia Tech
Sam Howell and the Tar Heels headline a busy Friday slate in their matchup against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Lane Stadium is a notoriously difficult place to play, especially at night. Add in the exceptional hype surrounding this season opener in particular and this place will be a battleground.
A huge leg-up for North Carolina (and a major reason for their high projected win total) is that they return all five starters on the offensive line. In 2020, both teams were back-to-back in rushing yards per game– Virginia Tech (10th) amassed 240.1 yards while UNC (11th) racked up 236.3 yards. However, neither team returns their backs. Carolina ranked first in the country in percentage of chunk plays, picking up at least 10 yards on 30% of their offensive snaps. Tech ranked second nationally in “explosive plays” (defined as a 10-yard or more rush or a 30-yard or more pass) at 15.4% of their snaps run.
Neither team brought a particularly enviable defense to the table in 2020, something that may continue in 2021. At each team’s pace-of-play mixed with their home run ability keeps their defense on the field, leading to more yards and points allowed. The good news for all of this– this game should be a high-flying Friday night affair.
Top Games College Football Week 1
Penn State at Wisconsin ()
While much of their season was derailed due to COVID cancellations, Wisconsin felt like they were destined for greater in 2020. Young star quarterback Graham Mertz started off red-hot, throwing five touchdowns in his Badgers debut. However, the dropped to 4-3 by the end of the season, but picked up a win in the Mayo Bowl.
Even worse of a flop in 2020 was Penn State, potentially the most disappointing team of the year. After five weeks, the Nittany Lions were 0-5 with losses to Maryland and Nebraska. Granted, they did win their final four games, which is more aligned with what’s expected of the program this coming season. To assert their fix, Penn State made a change at offensive coordinator when they hired Mike Yurchich from Texas (2020) and Ohio State (2019).
Scoring on Wisconsin is certainly easier said than done, as the Badgers allowed scores on just under 22% of drives– third in the nation. Their issue arose offensively, where they finished 88th in points per game (25.1) versus Penn State’s 55th-place finish (29.8). Should the Badgers want to put this game away, they have to force turnovers; Penn State finished with a -7 turnover margin, 112th in the FBS (out of 127). Penn State QB Sean Clifford tossed just one interception over the Nittany Lions’ four final games (all wins) compared to eight picks thrown through their first five games (all losses).