Week 0/1: The Chaos Begins
Week 0/1 is always a challenge when it comes to making correct picks. We base our selections on hype, what-ifs, past trends, and make-believe scenarios. We don’t actually start to see the identity of these teams and players until they hit the field. That’s what Week 1 is for. We begin to grasp how a team will look—will they improve, struggle all season, or just stay the same?
Some bold and irresponsible takes will inevitably come from Week 1, as they always do. But the college football nerds who live by realism begin to notice the emerging identities and make knowledgeable picks throughout the season. It’s the week where all predictions are put on the table. Who was right? Who was wrong? What shocked us? What was on brand? Who will be the ones to say, “I told you so”?
Week 1 is all about figuring this stuff out. It’s about throwing away any take made in the offseason and relying on the games in front of us. We’re finally here—the season is officially kicked off—and I’m so excited to see what this year has in store. Chaos has already ensued, and it won’t stop anytime soon. Will this year be a repeat of 2007? I sure hope so.
I Think I Did Pretty Well…
...considering I did not yet know the true identity of each program. Let’s get into the madness of Week 1 and how my picks shaped up.
Prime Picks Week 1: Record: 3-3
Nebraska vs. Cincinnati — NEB -6.5
LOSS
The line dropped to -5.5 throughout the week, but that wouldn’t have helped me. Nebraska looked dominant on defense in the first half. In the second half, their poor conditioning showed—they looked tired, exhausted even. They held their ground and squeezed out a win, but I wasn’t impressed. The offense was lackluster all game. I think Raiola has some kinks to work out, and I’m not sure they have any other stars on offense. They’ll improve, but maybe not to the level I expected. Maybe Cincy is a tougher matchup than I thought? This is the beauty of Week 1—we all jump to conclusions based on a small sample size. I kind of forgot about Brendan Sorsby. I like that guy. I’m going to keep an eye on Cincy… they might disrupt the Big 12. Hell, they could win the conference.
UNLV @ SHSU — Over 59.5
LOSS
The actual game total was 59. Fifty-nine. You’ve got to be kidding me. I knew that the missed field goal in the second quarter by SHSU would come back to haunt me. SHSU just looks terrible. They might have a rough season. I’m loving how UNLV looked, though. Dan Mullen has his boys right, and the MWC is theirs for the taking.
Toledo @ Kentucky — UK -7.5
WIN
Barely got this one out—my god. Kentucky made it difficult. Their defense had great stops and looked tough, yet ironically at times they couldn’t stop a cold. The fourth-down stop and then the safety made me question this bet and why I even chose it, but they survived and covered. Great win, UK.
LSU @ Clemson — LSU +4.0
WIN
Didn’t think LSU would pull it off after the first half. Nussmeier showed up in the second, and really, the whole team did. They just dominated. Brian Kelly loves running WR screens….. LSU’s defense looks revamped and—dare I say—elite? Clemson looked kind of sloppy, but know they’ll figure it out and be a playoff contender
Cal @ Oregon State — ORST -3.0
LOSS
The game did not off start good, and it slowly got worse for ORST. Might’ve been wrong about them. Oof. Fourteen to zero, only seven minutes into the game, and they could not figure out a way to claw back. I might’ve been way off. Cal’s defense looks intense—they’re flying to the ball. Oregon State might be awful. Egg on my face for this pick. I didn’t realize Cal has Tua 2.0. They might become a serious disruptor in the ACC.
Utah @ UCLA — Utah -6.5
WIN
Easiest pick of my life. Utah looks like they’re back to being a dominant force. Devon Dampier is better than advertised, and Nico is a shrimp. I sincerely hope the poor kid didnt hurt his future. 43-10—Utah all the way. UCLA never had a chance.
Weekend Thoughts
I had some random thoughts while watching games and checking scores, stats, and highlights. I keep up with each game as best I can throughout the day. (3 TVs in living room… not to brag)
Boise State? Really?
Is Auburn back? Or is Baylor still mid?
I think Colorado should go with the freshman QB next game.
Haynes King needs to win some sort of award this year based on effort alone. Brother is full of heart.
For being hyped for six months, the Texas @ OSU game sucked. Arch let me down. OSU’s offense was lackluster. Is Arch bad, or does Sark ruin QBs? Or was it all Matt Patricia?
Is FSU back? Castellanos backed up his big talk. You guys owe Norvell an apology. FSU dominated on all sides. They looked pissed, played with attitude, and had a clear objective—shut everyone up.
Will Tennessee be better than expected? They found their quarterback.
Mississippi State will cause chaos in the SEC. They’ll be a mid-tier team—5-7 record—but those five wins will include upsets that disrupt the SEC race and crush some dreams.
Georgia.
Penn State.
Texas State will be in the playoff. I’ve seen enough from my alma mater—speed, strength, tenacity.
Teams need to stop playing in the Ireland Week 0 game. Kansas State nearly had a disaster.
Why does Bryce Underwood wear #19? Who was the last great QB with that number? (It’s his birthday.)
Missouri State got a warm welcome to the FBS.
Is UTSA’s RB Robert Henry Jr. the next Derrick Henry, or is A&M’s run defense just bad? Marcel Reed for Heisman.
Austin Peay on the board with an FCS-over-FBS win. Poor Middle Tennessee State.
RICE. DO NOT LOSE TO FOOD.
Oh no, Hawaii.
Lanorris Sellers & Special Teams—South Carolina football.
Miami will be exciting to watch, and Notre Dame has their QB for the future. Happy for Carson Beck. These guys could meet again in the playoffs.
Bill Belichek. 1st drive looked like these Tar Heels will win the Natty. The rest of the game looked…. Disgusting.
One Bold Take
Bet on Arch to win the Heisman… because he is winning it. His odds dropped from +750 to +1600. He got his bad game out of the way. He got his sloppy, awful, inexcusable performance out of the way. This Texas defense will help him throughout the whole season, and I think that game was needed for him. In a crazy way… he has even more to prove now. Instead of hype, its negativity. Instead of praise, he has haters to manage. He will come back better than ever after the horrible week 1 performance and give off a season of the ages.
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