Week Zero didn’t give us a whole lot but boy oh boy was it entertaining. Week one is just that, our first full slate of games. The first three weeks are always exciting. The anticipation build up into a fever pitch all the way to the first touchdown. As that anticipation continues to build, here’s some things to look forward to.
Georgia Tech Post-Paul Johnson
Geoff Collins has a tough task in totally overhauling the Ramblin’ Wreck. This is a program that will produce a ton of interest for the next few years simply because there’s no precedent for this.
The Jackets are transitioning from their triple option attack to a pro style approach. Defensively, they’re still gonna be alright. The really intriguing thing will be watching how the offense transitions. Techniques for every position are being totally changed. The most important unit, the offensive line, is facing the massive task of learning how to operate out of different stances in a totally different offense. The receivers and backs are going to experience growing pains. The quarterback position will be interesting, if anything. It’s going to take years for this to start clicking.
They open the season Thursday night against Clemson. Clemson should win this pretty comfortably. However, the big story is the beginning of a new era in Atlanta. If Georgia Tech can make this game interesting, I’m immediately on board.
Clemson 35 Georgia Tech 13
Brad Salem’s Got the Keys
No one is exactly sure what the Michigan State offense will look like on Friday night. What we do know is that the Spartans have a lot of talent at the skill positions. We also know that MSU has struggled mightily in both run blocking and pass protection since the 2015 season.
There is a good quarterback somewhere inside of Brian Lewerke. Will offensive changes bring out the player we saw in 2017? Perhaps something better? All indications are that he’s healthy and as confident as ever. That’s a good sign, especially when we’re not really being told much else beyond that.
A change in philosophy is something that fans have been clamoring for for years. On Friday night against Tulsa, we’ll get to see just what changes have been brought to a supposedly revamped offense. Though, Mark Dantonio teams have been known to keep it pretty close to the vest in these games. The real coming-out party might be two weeks later against Arizona State.
MSU 38 Tulsa 10
Northwestern’s Big Opportunity
The Wildcats came out of nowhere to win the Big Ten West in 2018. They shook off a 1-3 start and ran the rest of their Big Ten schedule. To cap it off, they beat a pretty solid Utah team to win the Holiday Bowl.
Now Hunter Johnson, the former five-star recruit and Clemson QB, takes over in Evanston. Northwestern has quietly had some great quarterbacks dating back to Dan Persa. Johnson is easily the most talented of the bunch. If he can get things rolling early on, I can see them winning ten games.
That all starts against Stanford on Saturday. The Cardinal are favored, but I think Northwestern is the better team. They bring back one of the best defenses in the Big Ten. Pat Fitzgerald has never gotten the respect that he and his program deserve. They have an early opportunity to not only raise some eyebrows, but skyrocket their expectations for the season. In my opinion, it’s the best matchup of the week.
Fun Fax
Ohio State is 1-0 all-time against G5 teams from the state of Florida (win over UCF). They’ve never beaten Florida or Florida State. They’re 3-2 against Miami. For those following, that’s 4-2 against non-Gator or non-Seminole teams. They host Florida Atlantic on Saturday.
Colorado holds a decisive lead in the Rocky Mountain Showdown. They’ve won 62, lost 22 and tied Colorado State twice. The game hasn’t been played in Fort Collins since 1996. Since 2010, Colorado State has only won twice. Since 1998 when the series moved to a mostly-permanent meeting in Denver, Colorado State has won seven times. That’s nearly a third of their all-time wins against the Buffs.
Boise State is no stranger to neutral site games against the power conferences. In such games the Broncos are 2-1. They beat Virginia Tech in 2010 and Georgia in 2011. The lone loss? Ole Miss in 2014. They take on Florida State in Jacksonville as 5.5 point underdogs.
Upset Alert
I don’t necessarily think any of these will happen, but these are my best bets for week one. If you like underdogs, I’m pretty confident about the point spreads.
West Virginia
James Madison travels to Morgantown to take on the Mountaineers as 7 point underdogs. New head coaches for both teams. This could either be an easy day for West Virginia, or a memorable day for the Dukes.
James Madison played a very good game against NC State in a loss to open last season. We’ll see whether or not they miss a beat under new leadership.
WVU 31 JMU 21
South Carolina
Mack Brown is back at the helm in Chapel Hill. South Carolina is favored by nine but I’m not so confident. UNC will start a true-freshman quarterback for the first time ever. They’re a lot more talented than they’ve performed the last couple seasons. I think Mack Brown is reenergized. This could be a fun team in 2019.
UNC 31 South Carolina 30
Stanford
I seriously think Northwestern might be the better team. Stanford are five-point favorites. I think the Wildcats could make a big statement here. If Stanford can’t run the ball, an issue we saw down the stretch last year, this could be a long day for them. On the other side, I’m very excited for Hunter Johnson.
Northwestern 41 Stanford 24
Virginia Tech
Four-point favorites at home against a sneaky-solid Boston College squad. Tech is very tough to beat at home, especially in season openers. But I kinda like the Eagles here.
Tech 27 BC 28
USC
USC is currently favored by thirteen. That seems very high to me. I don’t think Fresno State will win, but they’ll be in this game into the fourth quarter. If USC doesn’t show a lot of improvement from last season, they could be in trouble.
USC 35 Fresno State 28