Pac-12 contenders head South

Cross-conference matchups provide early gauge in Week 1.

2022-09-01 - By Ralph D. Russo

Now the college football starts for real.

Well, not that it didn’t start for real for the teams that played Week 0 games. Those results very much count. Sorry, Nebraska. Congratulations, Vanderbilt!

If you’re a fan who decided not to fully activate in-season mode last Saturday, it’s fine. Warming up is important and what lies ahead is going to take all your energy.

The annual Labor Day weekend college football marathon stretches from tonight to Monday night and features a top-five matchup, a top-15 matchup and a sneaky good game between two teams toward the back of the AP Top 25.

For the weekly AP Top 25 picks, let’s start with the five most intriguing games. The lines are from Fanduel Sportsbook:

1) No. 7 Utah at Florida, Saturday.

Expectations are sky-high for the Utes, coming off their first Pac12 title. The Gators are rebuilding under new coach Billy Napier, but have a potential star in QB Anthony Richardson. Fair or not, this game has potential to set the narrative for the Pac-12’s season.

Line: Utah by 2½. Pick: Utah 28-21.

2) Florida State vs. LSU at New Orleans, Sunday.

The Brian Kelly era begins at LSU with plenty of questions about what to expect from a talented team in the midst of massive transition. We’ll get an idea of where the Seminoles’ rebuild stands early in coach Mike Norvell’s third season.

Line: LSU by 3½. Pick: Florida

State 27-24.

3) No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 11 Oregon at Atlanta, Saturday.

Ducks coach Dan Lanning’s first game with Oregon is against the team he helped win a national championship with last season as defensive coordinator. Georgia sent a battalion of players from last year’s team to the NFL but is still loaded. How the Ducks hold up could set the tone for their season.

Line: Georgia by 17½. Pick: Georgia 31-17.

4) No. 23 Cincinnati at No. 19 Arkansas, Saturday.

After their historic run to the playoff, the Bearcats’ next challenge is to maintain those lofty standards. A trip into the SEC West should provide a massive challenge.

Line: Arkansas by 6½. Pick: Arkansas 23-17.

5) No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 2 Ohio State, Saturday.

Marcus Freeman’s first regular-season game as coach of the Fighting Irish comes against his alma mater. The potent Buckeyes offense is daunting, but how their revamped defense looks against Notre Dame’s new starting quarterback, Tyler Buchner, is worth watching.

Line: Ohio State by 17½. Pick: Ohio State 42-17.

Other games involving ranked teams: TODAY

West Virginia (plus 7½) at No. 17 Pittsburgh: The Backyard Brawl returns with two USC transfers playing QB ... PITT 24-20.

Central Michigan (plus 20½) at No. 12 Oklahoma State: Cowboys coach Mike Gundy goes for career victory No. 150 ... OKLAHOMA STATE 35-17.

FRIDAY

Western Michigan (plus 21½) at No. 15 Michigan State: Spartans are 11-0 all-time against the Broncos. Make it 12-0 ... MICHIGAN STATE 35-16.

SATURDAY

Utah State (plus 41½) at No. 1 Alabama: How’s this for a jump up in competition? Aggies go from playing Uconn to Bama ... ALABAMA 48-14.

Colorado State at No. 8 Michigan (minus 31½): All eyes on Michigan’s peculiar QB competition ... MICHIGAN 45-10.

UTEP at No. 9 Oklahoma (minus 31½): Game 1 of the Brent Venables era in Norman ... OKLAHOMA 52-13.

No. 13 North Carolina State (minus 11½) at East Carolina: Season of high expectations for the Wolfpack starts with potentially tricky road trip ... N.C. STATE 31-17.

Rice at No. 14 Southern California (minus 33½): Coach Lincoln Riley unveils his transfer-heavy Trojans ... USC 49-10.

Miami (Ohio) at No. 20 Kentucky (minus 15½): Star RB Chris Rodriguez is one of several Wildcats suspended for the opener ... KENTUCKY 30-10.

Troy (plus 22½) at No. 21 Mississippi: Jaxson Dart or Luke Altmyer at QB for the Rebels? Or both? ... OLE MISS 45-20.

UTSA at No. 24 Houston (minus 4½): Tasty Group of Five matchup between schools switching conferences in 2023 ... HOUSTON 27-21.

No 25 BYU at South Florida (plus 12½): Can the Cougars stand the heat? ... BYU 28-14.

MONDAY

No. 4 Clemson (minus 21½) vs. Georgia Tech at Atlanta: Tigers have won seven straight meetings, their longest streak in an 85-game rivalry ... CLEMSON 31-7.