COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 30: Arch Manning #16 of the Texas Longhorns reacts after defeating the Texas A&M Aggies 17-7 at Kyle Field on November 30, 2024 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
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Welcome to the best college football Week 1 of all time with three top-10 matchups headlining the slate. Let’s get into it with the top storylines, betting odds and TV info for the top five games of the weekend.
Betting odds are via DraftKings Sportsbook.
1. Texas Longhorns Vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
Saturday’s slate starts with a bang with the Texas Longhorns and Ohio State Buckeyes getting things started from Columbus. Ohio State will look to defend its national title, while the first season with Arch Manning as Texas’ full-time starter is set to begin. The Longhorns will look for some level of revenge after the Buckeyes ended their season in the College Football Playoff semifinal round.
Ohio State is a 1.5-point favorite with the over/under set at 47.5. This game will air on FOX at noon ET.
2. LSU Tigers Vs. Clemson Tigers
The Saturday night action does not get better than the Clemson Tigers set to host the LSU Tigers in the Death Valley battle. The quarterbacks in this matchup include Clemson’s Cade Klubnik and LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, and they’re tied for the second best odds to win the Heisman Trophy behind Arch Manning. This feels like a significantly bigger game for Clemson, which does not have a ton of opportunities for big wins this season.
Clemson is a 3.5-point favorite with the over/under set at 57.5. The game will air on ABC at 7:30 p.m. ET.
3. Notre Dame Vs. Miami Hurricanes
The first full college football weekend spills in to Sunday when the Miami Hurricanes host the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Miami has not gone into a season with this much hype in a while, and the Hurricanes increased their win total by multiple games in each of the last two seasons. Notre Dame’s 2024 season fell short in the national title game with CJ Carr set to take over at quarterback as a redshirt freshman.
Notre Dame is a 2.5-point favorite with the over/under set at 49.5. The game will air on ABC at 7:30 p.m. ET.
4. Alabama Crimson Tide Vs. Florida State Seminoles
In a lot of seasons, Saturday afternoon’s matchup would be the biggest game of any college football weekend, but it’s impossible to understand what the 2025 edition of the Florida State Seminoles will be. They rolled through the regular season undefeated in 2023 despite missing the playoffs and followed that by a 2-10 campaign last year. Ty Simpson won the quarterback competition for the Alabama Crimson Tide, which are coming off a disappointing Year 1 under Kalen DeBoer that ended in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Alabama is a 13.5-point favorite with the over/under set at 50.5. The game will air on ABC at 3:30 p.m. ET.
5. Syracuse Orange Vs. Tennessee Volunteers
If you’ve got a second screen during the Texas Longhorns vs. Ohio State Buckeyes matchup, flip it over to watch the Syracuse Orange and Tennessee Volunteers take the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Tennessee is coming out of a messy offseason that led to Nico Iamaleava exiting and Joey Aguilar joining the quarterback room. The Volunteers are looking to reach the College Football Playoff for the second year in a row, while the Orange reached 10 wins in the first season under head coach Fran Brown.
Tennessee is a 14-point favorite with the over/under set at 50.5. The game will air on ABC at noon ET.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikbuchinger/2025/08/27/college-football-week-1/