College Football Week 1 Top 25 Picks, Odds, Box Score Predictions, Rankings, Schedule
The best game of the 2025 college football season may take place in Week 1.
The top-ranked Texas Longhorns, led by Arch Manning, head to Ohio Stadium to take on the third-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes.
Both teams are expected to be in the national championship conversation. Saturday's winner could be atop the polls for at least the next six weeks before conference play begins.
Texas-Ohio State is the showcase contest in Week 1, but there are a few other Top 25 battles that will help to start set the college football hierarchy.
Week 1 Top 25 Schedule and Odds
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For a full list of Week 1 college football betting odds, visit DraftKings Sportsbook.
Thursday, August 28
No. 25 Boise State (-6.5) at South Florida (5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Friday, August 29
Western Illinois at No. 12 Illinois (7:30 p.m. ET, Peacock)
Saturday, August 30
No. 1 Texas at No. 3 Ohio State (-1.5) (Noon ET, Fox)
Syracuse vs. No. 24 Tennessee (-14) (Noon ET, ABC)
Old Dominion at No. 20 Indiana (-22.5) (2:30 p.m. ET, FS1)
Nevada at No. 2 Penn State (-44.5) (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
Marshall at No. 5 Georgia (-39.5) (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
No. 8 Alabama (-13.5) at Florida State (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
South Dakota at No. 22 Iowa State (3:30 p.m. ET, Fox)
Montana State at No. 7 Oregon (4 p.m. ET, BTN)
Illinois State at No. 18 Oklahoma (6 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Long Island at No. 15 Florida (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
North Dakota at No. 17 Kansas State (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
UTSA at No. 19 Texas A&M (-22.5) (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
No. 9 LSU at No. 4 Clemson (-4) (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
New Mexico at No. 14 Michigan (-36.5) (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC)
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at No. 23 Texas Tech (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Georgia State at No. 21 Ole Miss (-37.5) (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
East Texas A&M at No. 16 SMU (9 p.m. ET, ACC Network)
Northern Arizona at No. 11 Arizona State (10 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Sunday, August 31
Virginia Tech vs. No. 13 South Carolina (-7.5) (3 p.m. ET, ESPN)
No. 6 Notre Dame (-2.5) at No. 10 Miami (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
No. 1 Texas at No. 3 Ohio State (-1.5)
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Ohio State is the reigning College Football Playoff champion and the host of its Week 1 clash with Texas.
That's why the Buckeyes are the slight favorite and not the consensus preseason No. 1 Longhorns.
Texas has the better quarterback on paper with Arch Manning, but Ohio State has arguably the two best individual players in the sport in wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and safety Caleb Downs.
The Buckeyes do have a new quarterback in Julian Sayin, but he has three strong targets to work with in Smith, veteran wide out Carnell Tate and Purdue transfer tight end Max Klare.
Klare, who had 51 receptions for 685 yards last year at Purdue, could be the X-factor in the matchup, especially if Smith draws multiple defenders from the start.
Texas' offense is no slouch either with Manning and Quintrevion Wisner in the backfield and Ryan Wingo and others at wide receiver.
Both offenses will likely have their moments, but Ohio State has the best playmaker in the matchup in Smith and he could be the difference in a game expected to come down to the wire.
Prediction: Ohio State (-1.5)
No. 9 LSU at No. 4 Clemson (-4)
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Cade Klubnik and the Clemson Tigers enter the 2025 season with a world of hype behind them.
Not only are the near-consensus ACC champion in preseason polls, but they are considered a national title contender as well.
For the latter to be true, Clemson must deliver on its favorite status against the LSU Tigers on Saturday night.
History is on Clemson's side because LSU has not won a Week 1 game with Brian Kelly in charge.
LSU carries its own hype into the year with Garrett Nussmeier at quarterback, but if you do have a question about the Tigers, it is about their performance against ranked teams.
A year ago, LSU went 1-3 against ranked foes with the lone win coming in overtime over the Ole Miss Rebels.
Clemson didn't have a sterling record against Top 25 teams last year either, but the Tigers are at home and the trends against LSU are more concerning, so the pick feels like it has to be Clemson.
Prediction: Clemson (-4)
No. 6 Notre Dame (-2.5) at No. 10 Miami
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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish lost a handful of contributors from their title game run last season, but there's plenty of returning talent around new starting quarterback C.J. Carr to trust them on the road in Week 1.
Running back Jeremiyah Love and wide receivers Jordan Faison and Jaden Greathouse are back. The Irish also added wide receiver Malachi Fields from Virginia. Fields is coming off two straight 800-yard seasons in the ACC.
That's enough talent to help Carr make up the perceived gap at quarterback compared to Miami's Carson Beck.
However, it may be hard for anyone to trust the Georgia transfer after he put up average numbers for the Bulldogs last season.
Beck had 12 interceptions, 11 of which came in a month-long stretch in SEC play, and he only completed 64.7 percent of his passes in 2024.
Until Beck shows that he's improved from the average year at UGA, it's hard to trust him, especially against an elite program.
Prediction: Notre Dame (-2.5)
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