College Football Fan Guide for Week 1

1. Utah (#8) at Florida
Utah is ranked #8 in the AP/Coaches consolidated pre-season rankings. The game is at the Swamp and Utah is only a 2 point favorite. Utah had a great year in 2021, return Cameron Rising at QB, and have Whittingham set to coach his 18th season for the Utes . Florida is our number 7 ranked program but is breaking in a new system with Billy Napier. This is a very important game for the Pac-12's playoff hopes and a great test for both teams.

Sporto Prediction: Utah 34 - Florida 24
Saturday, Sept 3 at 6PM CT on ESPN

2. Notre Dame (#5) at Ohio State (#2)
The week 1 marquee matchup with two great programs in the top 5 of the aggregated preseason rankings. CJ Stroud and Ohio State are more than a two touchdown favorite. This is the 2nd tough game in a row for Marcus Freeman against teams called OSU. Notre Dame could still make a CFP run even if this prediction holds. Just a tough way to start the year.

Sporto Prediction: Ohio State 41 - Notre Dame 21
Saturday, Sept 3 at 6:30PM CT on ABC

3. Penn State at Purdue
This is the most important conference game in week 1. Purdue is trending positive with Jeff Brohm as our 6th ranked CFB coach. Penn State is a 3 point road favorite in betting lines. We give Purdue the coaching advantage and QB advantage after coming off a better season than Penn State. The wrong team could be favored here.

Sporto Prediction: Purdue 30 - Penn State 27
Thursday, Sept 1 at 7PM CT on Fox

4. Cincinnati (#22) at Arkansas (#21)
These are two programs with positive momentum. Cincinnati lost a lot of talent but the program knows how to win these types of games. Something has to give and we think KJ Jefferson and the Razorbacks will be too much for the Bearcats in Fayetteville.

Sporto Prediction: Arkansas 34 - Cincinnati 27
Saturday, Sept 3 at 2:30PM CT on ESPN

5. Oregon (#14) vs Georgia (#3)
Oregon was able to shock Ohio State on the road last year in the non-conference and they get another shot at an upset this year. The only problem is that Oregon is breaking in a new coach and Georgia is starting to resemble Alabama. This game would be much more interesting if we thought it would be closer.

Sporto Prediction: Georgia 37 - Oregon 17
Saturday, Sept 3 at 2:30PM CT on ABC

6. West Virginia at Pittsburg (#16)
Pitt is coming off one of their best seasons in a long time. West Virginia hasn't been great recently but has shown scrappiness in the non-conference. Both teams will have new, but talented QBs under center. This game is important for Pitt's momentum in 2022 and for the ACC.

Sporto Prediction: Pittsburgh 24 - West Virginia 23
Thursday, Sept 1 at 6PM CT on ESPN

7. Houston (#25) at UTSA
This battle of I-10 features two 12 win teams from a year ago. Both programs have a lot of momentum with Houston moving to the Big 12 in 2023 while UTSA will take their place in the American. This is a great chance for UTSA to continue to build as a program.

Sporto Prediction: Houston 42 - UTSA 41
Saturday, Sept 3 at 2:30PM CT on CBSSN

8. North Carolina at Appalachian State
The Mountaineers won 10 games last year including all 7 games in Boone, NC. UNC has upped their talent since Mack Brown's return but lost QB Sam Howell to the NFL. UNC is the slight favorite, but this smells of an upset in the making.

Sporto Prediction: Appalachian State 31 - North Carolina 30
Saturday, Sept 3 at 11AM CT on ESPNU

9. Arizona at San Diego State
San Diego State is favored by almost a touchdown against a struggling Arizona program. SDSU needs to put on a good show with a great game day atmosphere as this could be a Pac-12 audition. Look for the Aztecs to pass the test on the field.

Sporto Prediction: SDSU 30 - Arizona 20
Saturday, Sept 3 at 2:30PM CT on CBS

10. LSU vs Florida State
When scheduled, this game seemed like a blockbuster. Despite neither team being ranked, these are two top ten ranked programs taking stage in New Orleans. Brian Kelly's debut should be fun and Vegas has this as a close one. Both programs need this win.

Sporto Prediction: LSU 24 - Florida State 20
Sunday, Sept 4 at 6:30PM CT on ABC