All eyes will be on Atlanta's brand–new $1.6 billion Mercedes–Benz Stadium Saturday night as it makes its debut hosting a game of any kind that means something.
It actually hosted its first sports event last weekend when the Atlanta Falcons, who will be calling the facility home starting this year, hosted the Arizona Cardinals in an NFL preseason game. The Cardinals won that game so local fans may have to wait until Sept. 10, when Atlanta United FC of Major League Soccer plays its first home game in the venue, or until Sept. 17, when the Falcons host Green Bay in a rematch of last season's NFC championship game, to celebrate a regular–season victory for a home–based team.
The wait may be longer than that.
Nevertheless all eyes will be on the stadium Saturday when top–ranked Alabama faces third–ranked Florida State in a game that many — including ESPN's Lee Corso — believe the Seminoles can win.
Now, there could be a touch of bias involved there. Corso, after all, did play for Florida State when he was in college.
But that doesn't change the fact that Corso isn't the only one who thinks the Seminoles could win.
Apparently, it wouldn't be a surprise. Nor, apparently, would it be a surprise if the loser of Saturday night's game, whoever that may be, becomes the first team with two losses to make college football's Final Four.
So who will win Saturday? I will get to that shortly. Our immediate attention will be on Top 25 games that will be played tonight and tomorrow night. Then we can turn our attention to Atlanta.
Seems we have a little bit of everything this week. We have three games matching ranked teams head to head, we have some rivalries being renewed (in some cases for the first time in quite awhile), and we have several first–time matchups.
Idle: #14 Stanford
Thursday
- #2 Ohio State at Indiana, 7 p.m. (Central) on ESPN: A conference game as the season opener is very unusual — but not unheard of.
When I was in college, my alma mater, the University of Arkansas, agreed to open a season with a conference game against the University of Texas on Labor Day weekend. That decision was made because the TV networks wanted a rivalry for Labor Day evening.
In those pre–cable days, national TV appearances were few and far between. The opportunity for national exposure must have seemed like pure gold to football players for either school who wanted to play in the NFL.
No doubt network money also influenced the schools' decision to face each other on Sept. 1 — in Austin, Texas, where the temperature was in the 90s after sunset — instead of in mid–October, as they usually did.
So I can understand moving a conference game to a Thursday night for a national broadcast. They aren't as rare as they used to be, but they're still pretty valuable, especially for a nation of football fans who have been waiting several months for football to return.
But couldn't ESPN have found a more interesting matchup? Historically Ohio State wins nearly nine out of every 10 confrontations with Indiana on the football field. In fact, the Buckeyes haven't lost to the Hoosiers in football since Oct. 8, 1988.
Indiana hasn't had a winning season since 1993. Ohio State has won 10 or more games in 11 of the last 12 seasons. Even when the Buckeyes have had losing seasons, they have still beaten the Hoosiers like a drum.
It really isn't difficult to pick a winner in this game. I choose Ohio State. - Tulsa at #10 Oklahoma State, 6:30 p.m. (Central) on FS1: Oklahoma State has won nine of the last 11 meetings with Tulsa, but the teams haven't faced each other since 2011.
What's more, Tulsa has only won three times in Stillwater, the last time being in 1951. I don't think that streak will end tonight. My pick is Oklahoma State.
- #8 Washington at Rutgers, 7 p.m. (Central) on FS1: A few years ago, Rutgers had a pretty good team. But no more. The Scarlet Knights are coming off a 2–10 cmpaign.
They began last season with a loss (by five TDs) to Washington. I'm not saying the Huskies will win by five TDs. But I still expect Washington to win. - Utah State at #9 Wisconsin, 8 p.m. (Central) on ESPN: These teams have met twice before, both times at Wisconsin.
The Badgers won the first meeting, back in 1968. Utah State won the rematch in 2012. Utah State was 3–9 last year. Wisconsin was 11–3.
Wisconsin is the clear choice.
- #3 Florida State vs. #1 Alabama at Atlanta, 7 p.m. (Central) on ABC: If you don't think Florida State can beat Alabama, think about this: Alabama hasn't beaten Florida State in more than 40 years.
Of course, the teams have only played four times — and only once since the Tide beat the Seminoles in 1974 — so that really isn't as impressive as it sounds.
Still I have no doubt that someone with Florida State ties — a coach, a player, a fan — has been using that to rally the faithful this week. But it isn't as if Florida State has been beating Alabama each year for the last 42 years — only once.
While I know there are people who honestly believe Florida State can win this game, too, you're gonna have to show me. I pick Alabama. - Western Michigan at #4 Southern Cal, 4:15 p.m. (Central) on Pac–12 Network: Western Michigan had a successful season last year — 13–1 — but none of the teams they beat could be said to be on the same level as Southern Cal.
I have to take Southern Cal to win this one. - Kent State at #5 Clemson, 11 a.m. (Central) on ESPN: Defending national champs don't always get the top spot going into the next season, but they're usually in the top two or three.
It must be disappointing — to say the least — for Clemson to go into this season ranked #5.
But sometimes champs have to prove themselves all over again. This is the first step in that process for the Tigers.
I predict that they won't stumble. Clemson is my pick. - Akron at #6 Penn State, 11 a.m. (Central) on ABC: The Nittany Lions are 5–0 against Akron in a series that has been played exclusively in Happy Valley — as it is this time.
I was never entirely sold on Penn State last year, even though the Nittany Lions won the Big Ten title and lost the Rose Bowl to Southern Cal by a mere field goal.
And I'm not entirely sold on the Nittany Lions this year, either, but they have enough in the tank to beat Akron. I take Penn State. - Texas–El Paso at #7 Oklahoma, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on Fox: Oklahoma is 3–0 all time against UTEP.
The first two games were played in Norman, where OU simply rolled over the Miners. In their last meeting, which was played in El Paso, UTEP only lost by 17 points.
My guess is the margin will be considerably larger in this encounter. The pick is Oklahoma. - #11 Michigan vs. #17 Florida at Arlington, Texas, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on ABC: In three previous meetings — all New Year's Day bowls — Michigan has swept Florida.
I've heard talk about how good the Gators are supposed to be this year, and I'm inclined to think it's mostly talk. I expect Michigan to win handily. - Georgia Southern at #12 Auburn, 6:30 p.m. (Central) on ESPN: A lot of people think Auburn could beat Alabama when they meet at the end of the season.
I'm not sure if the Tigers are that good, but I'm pretty sure they're good enough to be a Sun Belt team that went 5–7 last year. I choose Auburn. - Brigham Young vs. #13 LSU at New Orleans, 8:30 p.m. (Central) on ESPN: This game was originally supposed to be played in Houston — but Hurricane Harvey changed those plans.
It was announced on Monday that the game has been moved to New Orleans. There is more than a touch of irony in this. A dozen years ago, after Hurricane Katrina hammered New Orleans, the New Orleans Saints played part of their home schedule in San Antonio, and thousands of displaced residents of New Orleans were taken to Houston.
At this stage of the season, it is impossible to know what to expect from most teams, but I did see BYU play last weekend, and I wasn't impressed. I pick LSU. - Appalachian State at #15 Georgia, 5:15 p.m. (Central) on ESPN: This is probably a good regional matchup, but I have to think Georgia will win by a wide margin.
- #16 Louisville vs. Purdue at Indianapolis, 6:30 p.m. (Central) on Fox: Nearly 30 years ago, on Sept. 19, 1987, these two schools met and fought to a 22–22 tie in those days before college football began permitting overtimes.
So it will be a first for whoever wins. And, being as that first meeting ended in a tie, it would be appropriate if this game ended up tied at the end of regulation, and the teams had to play at least one overtime period.
But I don't think that will happen. Purdue has won only nine games in the last four seasons. Louisville won nine games last season alone.
The choice is Louisville. - Bethune–Cookman at #18 Miami (Fla.), 11:30 a.m. (Central) on ACC Network: This is one of those cupcake games, the ones that the visitors schedule to get a nice payoff, knowing that the home team will be using them to pad their stats and put up a big score.
The obvious choice is Miami. - Stony Brook at #19 South Florida, 3 p.m. (Central) on ESPN3: Please refer to the prediction immediately preceding this one.
Except substitute Stony Brook for Bethune–Cookman — and South Florida for Miami. South Florida is my pick. - Central Arkansas at #20 Kansas State, 6:10 p.m. (Central) on ESPN3: I grew up in Conway, Ark., which is where Central Arkansas is located. My father taught for UCA's crosstown rival, Hendrix College, which did not compete in football when I was growing up. It was a fierce rivalry in basketball but nonexistent in football. As a result, I went to several UCA football game when I was younger and felt free to pull for the Bears each time.
I will probably be pulling for the Bears in this one, too, but it is extremely unlikely that UCA will win this game. I pick Kansas State. - Maryland at #23 Texas, 11 a.m. (Central) on FS1: These schools have met three times before, and Texas shut out Maryland every time.
Of course, it has been nearly 40 years since their last meeting, and Maryland might very well score this time, but I doubt the outcome will be much different. Texas is the pick. - Montana State at #24 Washington State, 9:30 p.m. (Central) on FS1: Washington State is something of a newcomer to the national rankings.
The Cougars won eight straight last year before losing their last three including the Holiday Bowl. They won nine games the year before — and beat Miami in the Sun Bowl.
Before that WSU endured eight consecutive losing seasons (11 if you count the 2006 season, when the Cougars went 6–6).
So is Washington State for real? You won't get the answer against Montana State. I pick Washington State.
- #22 West Virginia vs. #21 Virginia Tech at Landover, Md., 6:30 p.m. (Central) on ABC: This is a regional rivalry, but it has been more than a decade since the schools met.
Between 1915 and 2005, the schools met 50 times with the Black Diamond Trophy on the line. West Virginia leads the all–time series, but the Mountaineers have lost six of the last eight meetings.
On a neutral field, I think West Virginia can pull off the upset. Make the Mountaineers an upset special.
- #25 Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech at Atlanta, 7 p.m. (Central) on ESPN: It is hard for me to believe that it has been almost 30 years since these schools met on the gridiron.
For some reason I always figured they, too, were natural regional rivals, being less than a three–hour drive apart.
But, although they have played 43 times in all, they haven't met since Oct. 24, 1987.
Georgia Tech's football program has been kind of schizophrenic, sandwiching a dismal 2015 campaign (3–9) between two winning seasons in which Tech won bowl games.
Tennessee has been doing pretty well the last couple of years, but the Volunteers struggled for a long time before that.
Tennessee is a 3–point favorite, but I'm taking Georgia Tech in another upset special.
Overall: 2–0
Last week's upset specials: 0–0
Overall upset specials: 0–0
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