Matchups will have long-term impact
The result of the AlabamaFlorida State could be a topic of conversation all season, especially among the College Football Playoff selection committee.
The top-ranked Crimson Tide and No. 3 Seminoles face off in an unprecedented opener Saturday in Atlanta’s shiny new stadium. The No. 1 team has never before started the season against a team ranked so high.
The winner gets an early resume builder, and the loser could come away better off for the effort, too.
OK, we are definitely getting way ahead of ourselves in week one. Maybe Tide-’Noles will turn out to be this season’s TexasNotre Dame. That game that seemed so meaningful last Labor Day weekend, but by the end of the season … not so much.
It is highly unlikely that’s the case this time. Alabama, Florida State or both could miss the playoff, but the chances are excellent they will contend and the selection committee will be trying to weigh this week-one data point. The ramifications could trickle down to how other top teams in the Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference are judged, too.
The same could be said of a number of early season nonconference matchups involving ranked teams: No. 11 Michigan vs. No. 17 Florida on Saturday in Arlington, Texas; No. 7 Oklahoma at No. 2 Ohio State and No. 12 Auburn at No. 5 Clemson on Sept. 9.
When the playoff field is revealed Dec. 3, results of the first few weeks of the season could still be echoing through the selections.
The picks:
MARQUEE MATCHUPS
No. 1 Alabama (minus 7) vs. No. 3 Florida State, in Atlanta The Tide has opened with a victory at a neutral site against a Power Five opponent each of the last five seasons. Average score: 39-14. But the Seminoles are the best opponent yet … ALABAMA 28-17. No. 11 Michigan (minus 4½) vs. No. 17 Florida in Arlington, Texas The Gators will start redshirt freshman QB Feleipe Franks and will be without 10 suspended players, including their top returning rusher (Jordan Scarlett) and receiver (Antonio Callaway). … FLORIDA 24-21, UPSET SPECIAL.
UPSET ALERT?
No. 13 LSU (minus 16) vs. BYU in New Orleans Game was moved from Houston to the Tigers’ backyard because of Hurricane Harvey … LSU 24-13. Appalachian State (plus 14½) at No. 15 Georgia Mountaineers gave Tennessee a scare on opening weekend last year … GEORGIA 27-14. Maryland (plus 18½) at No. 23 Texas Seems as if Texas fans have been waiting for the Tom Herman era to begin since 2015 … TEXAS 31-14. Montana State (no line) at No. 24 Washington State Cougars have lost to an FCS team to start the last two seasons. Couldn’t happen again, could it? … WASHINGTON STATE 40-17.
NEW COACH
Western Michigan (plus 26½) at No. 4 Southern California Former WMU star Tim Lester takes over for P.J. Fleck and gets USC on a nine-game winning streak … USC 52-17, BEST BET.
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
No. 25 Tennessee (minus 3) at Georgia Tech
Yellow Jackets beat three SEC teams last season and have won five of their last six against the conference going back to 2014 … TENNESSEE 24-17.
TWITTER REQUESTS
Wyoming (plus 11½) at Iowa — @naturalbacon
Cowboys quarterback Josh Allen gets early chance to validate some of the offseason hype against a Big Ten team … IOWA 28-20.
Texas A&M (plus 3½) at UCLA, Sunday — James—@ hands16 Losing coach becomes first of the season to get heat turned up on already hot seat … TEXAS A&M 28-23. Record last season: 213-105 straight up; 137-173-4 against the spread.