Laken Litman

American Football and College Soccer Analyst

The countdown has begun, for the first weekend of 2024 college football The season has arrived.

A lot has changed: The College Football Playoff has finally expanded to 12 teams, some of the game’s best coaches have left (Nick Saban and Jim Harbaugh won’t be on the sidelines near you anymore), and a number of rule changes have been implemented that have been used in the NFL for years (like a two-minute warning and coach-player communication through the helmet).

(Read more: College Football Rankings 2024: RJ Young’s Ultimate 134)

After months of discussing all of these things and more, it’s time for the games to begin. Week 1 has some quality games in store that will definitely have an impact on the CFP going forward.

Here are the five best matches to watch this weekend:

No. 8 Penn State bee West Virginia (12 noon ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app)

Penn State’s march toward its first CFP berth begins now. With the expanded field of 12 teams, the Nittany Lions finally get a chance to get that boogeyman off their backs after consistently winning 10 or 11 games and appearing in the New Year’s Six bowl games.

James Franklin has new offensive, defensive and special teams coordinators, and a talented roster to boot. Drew Allar returns with more experience after a rough first year as starting quarterback, but he’ll have to find chemistry with an unproven receiving corps. Running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton form one of the best duos in the country, and the defense, which ranked No. 2 in the nation last year, is led by defensive end/linebacker Abdul Carter, who is expected to be one of the best players in the Big Ten.

Meanwhile, West Virginia would like to shock the college football world with a major upset at home. The Mountaineers lost to the Nittany Lions in Happy Valley a year ago, but still made it through the season by winning nine games. Quarterback Garrett Greene and running backs C.J. Donaldson Jr. and Jahiem White form a dangerous trio and can make life difficult for any opponent they face this season – and Penn State may be the toughest opponent this team will face all year.

Betting line: Penn State -7.5, TOTAL: 49.5

No. 14 Clemson vs. no. 1 Georgia at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta (12:00 PM ET)

Georgia is a heavy favorite to win the national championship this year, so the Bulldogs should show why in this first game. Quarterback Carson Beck is a favorite for the Heisman Trophy and is projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He’ll likely have to throw the ball a lot against Clemson, as they’ll be without their top two running backs. Roderick Robinson, the team’s leading rusher, is coming off toe surgery and will be out for a few weeks, while Florida transfer Trevor Etienne is serving a one-game suspension after a DUI arrest in the spring. Still, the Bulldogs shouldn’t struggle on offense and are expected to have a top-five defense again.

Clemson also has a strong defense, and Kirby Smart described the Tigers’ players this week as “nervous, fast, hard-playing guys.” Offensively, there are more questions. Quarterback Cade Klubnik is entering his third year and second under offensive coordinator Garrett Riley. There was a lot of talk in the spring about his improvement, as well as running back Phil Mafah, who is one of the best at what he does in the ACC. That kind of early test will be a bellwether for the Tigers as they hope to make the CFP picture for the first time in a long time.

Betting line: Georgia -12.5, TOTAL: 48.5

No. 19 Miami bee Florida (3:30pm ET)

Here we have a match between two teams, led by coaches who absolutely cannot afford to lose the season opener.

Miami’s Mario Cristobal acquired dual-threat quarterback Cam Ward from Washington State via the e-portal during the offseason, instantly turning this team into an ACC title and CFP contender. The Hurricanes return two of their top pass catchers from last year’s talented receiving corps, and the rest of the roster got a boost through the e-portal. Cristobal will need those additions to make a splash in what’s seen as a pivotal third year as coach at his alma mater.

On the other hand, Florida coach Billy Napier also brought in a solid group of transfers and a top-20 recruiting class. Veteran quarterback Graham Mertz, entering his sixth year, hopes to improve on last year, when he threw for 20 touchdowns and just three interceptions. The problem for the Gators, however, is that they have one of the toughest schedules of the season, with games against Texas A&M, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, LSU and Ole Miss. A win at home in Week 1 would ease some of the pressure.

Betting line: Miami -2.5, TOTAL: 55.5

No. 7 Notre Dame at no. 20 Texas A&M (7:30 pm)

There are so many storylines to unpack here. Mike Elko is making his debut as head coach of Texas A&M against his former employer Notre Dame, where he served as defensive coordinator in 2017. Perhaps even more coincidentally, he’s also taking on his former star quarterback, Riley Leonard, who played for him at Duke before transferring to Notre Dame after Elko was hired by the Aggies.

Leonard, who struggled with nagging injuries last year, gives the Fighting Irish an immediate boost in the College Football Playoff discussion. The program has been to the CFP twice, but not since Marcus Freeman took over.

Kyle Field will shine and the team can’t wait to kick off the Elko era with a big win.

Betting line: Texas A&M -3.0, TOTAL: 50.5

No. 23 USC vs. no. 13 LSU at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas (Sunday, September 1 at 7:30pm ET)

We’re in for a treat on Sunday as USC and LSU square off in Las Vegas. These are two teams that just lost their Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks (Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels) to the NFL and will battle for playoff spots later.

The Trojans are looking for a fresh start in the Big Ten after going 8-5 in their final season in the Pac 12. Lincoln Riley named Miller Moss his starting QB, but he’s surrounded by a young offensive line. USC’s defense was one of the nation’s worst last year but is expected to improve under new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, who transformed UCLA’s unit into a top-10 defense in 2023.

Speaking of new DCs, LSU has one too after the Tigers’ defense allowed 6.1 yards per play last year. Brian Kelly is hoping his new addition, Blake Baker, who helped Missouri to an 11-win season last year, can make improvements. The Tigers also have a new offensive coordinator in Joe Sloan, who has a ton of talent to replace last year’s No. 1-ranked offense. Fortunately, LSU has four starters back on the offensive line and Garrett Nussmeier, a longtime backup-turned-starting QB who has been waiting for this moment his entire career.

Betting line: LSU -4.5, TOTAL: 66.5

Laken Litman covers American football, basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of “Strong Like a Woman,” to be published in spring 2022 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her on Twitter @LakenLitman.

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