Here are my best bets for Week 1 of college football.
No. 14 Clemson (+12.5, FanDuel) vs. No. 1 Georgia (noon ET)
Georgia is the best team in the country, but this handicap is about Clemson, who is overlooked and underrated heading into the Week 1 matchup between these two teams in Atlanta.
Dabo Swinney has been criticized for not taking advantage of the transfer portal, yet he has consistently assembled a roster of top-tier players.
There is talent on defense, especially on the line behind returning Freshman All-Americans Peter Woods and TJ Parker.
Last year's offense was disappointing (90th in EPA per play), but the Tigers could improve with nine starters returning in his second year under coordinator Garrett Riley.
The run game should be great thanks to the four returning OL starters and top RB Phil Muffa.
Quarterback Cade Klubnik will need to improve, but he could do so with five of his top seven receivers returning.
Plus, the Tigers weren't as bad as their conference record in 2023 (4-4). They suffered two overtime and three one-possession losses and were +98 in net yards per game in the ACC. A positive regression is on the horizon.
The Tigers are the best team in the ACC, a College Football Playoff team and a national title contender, and they shouldn't be two-touchdown underdogs to anyone.
Prediction: Clemson +12.5 (-115)
Ohio vs. Syracuse (-17.5, FanDuel) (3:30 p.m. ET)
Syracuse is bringing in a new coaching staff and things aren't looking good yet.
But the Orange return a ton of players, including 18 starters, led by 1,000-yard running back LeQuinte Allen, All-American tight end Oronde Gadsden, star linebacker Marlowe Wax and reliable safety Justin Barron.
Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord represents an upgrade at quarterback, especially considering the Orange ranked 100th in EPA per dropback last season.
That's a stark contrast to Ohio State.
The Bobcats return just six starters from last year's 10-3 team and rank last in terms of grades and experience among their returning players.
They also replaced their star QB (Curtis Luke), star RB (Shea Bangura) and seven pass catchers with a new QB (Parker Navarro) and OC (Brian Smith). Athens is a total rebuild.
There's already a significant talent mismatch, and Ohio won't be as well prepared as Syracuse heading into Week 1. I have a feeling they'll be in for a big loss at the Dome.
Bet: Syracuse -17.5 (-110)
UCLA (-14.5, FanDuel) vs. Hawaii (7:30 p.m. ET)
I'm looking forward to Hawaii.
The Bowers have a solid lineup of returning players, and quarterback Braden Shager should continue to develop in his third year with the run-and-shoot offense, especially with his top six pass-catching talent returning.
They also have a strong secondary behind CB Cam Stone and a solid front seven.
Hawaii will need to move the ball against a rebuilding UCLA defense.
The Bruins fielded a top-10 unit last season but are on their fourth DC in five years after star coordinator Danton Lin left for USC.
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It was all part of the upheaval on the UCLA staff following Chip Kelly's shocking resignation to become Ohio State's offensive coordinator.
The team replaced him with Deshawn Foster, who had no head coaching experience.
They also lost six defensive starters, including elite DL Laiatu Latu.
The Bruins are projected to have one of the worst and most inexperienced secondary in the Big Ten Conference.
Don't be surprised if the Shaggers fill up the stat sheet and the Rainbows pull off a complete upset.
Betting: Hawaii +14.5 (-120)
2023 season: 23-25.
