GAME PICKS: WEEK 1
GAME PICKS: WEEK 1
The beginning of an undefeated season has to start somewhere.
Let’s get old school. Each week throughout the 2024 season, I’ll pick the teams that I think will win their games over the weekend. We’ll do it for the MAC, but I’ll also make picks for Top 25 games (using the AP Poll for now) as well as eight other games across the nation.
Go ahead and make your own picks in the comments, too.
MY 2024 RECORD: Undefeated with no plans on changing
MAC GAMES
BUFFALO OVER LAFAYETTE. It's a risky play, I know. Buffalo lost its last two to FCS squads.
FORDHAM OVER BOWLING GREEN. My tune on this one has shifted away from Bowling Green’s favor, and I’m going with the FCS squad that’s a 16.5-point underdog. One, Fordham has the experience of going to and beating a MAC team just last year. Second, they even return QB C.J. Montes, who threw for exactly 3,000 yards last year. And third, Scot Loeffler said that there are probably going to be 2-3 season-ending injuries to talk about more in depth after Thursday’s game since he’ll have to turn-in his first-ever player availability report.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN OVER CENTRAL CONNECTICUT. I said “oof” when I read this on the schedule. And then I saw Central Connecticut’s record last year.
TOLEDO OVER DUQUESNE.
WISCONSIN OVER WESTERN MICHIGAN.
EASTERN MICHIGAN OVER UMASS. I don’t think this will be a blowout for either side, and I definitely wouldn’t be surprised if this had a 13-10 final score next to it. EMU needs some breakout performances at a few positions, but getting UMass to turn the ball over will be just as big of factor as it was in last year’s game.
PITT OVER KENT STATE.
#2 OHIO STATE OVER AKRON.
SYRACUSE OVER OHIO. I totally forgot who Syracuse’s quarterback was until I started writing this sentence. Hadn’t thought about him since January. Maybe Ohio might win this one actually.
MIAMI OVER NORTHWESTERN. Would be a great way for Miami to begin the 2024 year. Beating a Big Ten team and nobody could call it an upset.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS OVER WESTERN ILLINOIS. Western Illinois went 0-11 last year.
TOP 25
#25 IOWA OVER ILLINOIS STATE. I don’t have the answer to this so maybe you can help me. What’s the lowest-scoring B1G-over-FCS victory? I ask because I’ve been waiting a really long time for this season, I think I was a good boy this year and what I really want now is to see a 7-6 final score.
#24 NC STATE OVER WESTERN CAROLINA.
#22 KANSAS OVER LINDENWOOD.
#21 ARIZONA OVER NEW MEXICO.
#20 TEXAS A&M OVER #7 NOTRE DAME. I don’t know. I get that I’m picking Texas A&M here, but I just cannot trust Notre Dame in Week 1 games. That’s certainly a *me* problem because Notre Dame actually does well in Week 1’s on big stages. The blame on that lies somewhere between Tommy Rees and Deshone Kizer.
#19 MIAMI OVER FLORIDA. I want to be rock & roll enough to pick Florida here, but I don’t think Mario Cristobal’s implosion will happen this early in the year. Give it time.
#18 KANSAS STATE OVER UT MARTIN. Make sure you get your tickets early because the Kansas State hype train that’s traveling across the nation this year is going to fill up in a hurry.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE OVER #17 OKLAHOMA STATE. Biggest upset of the weekend in Stillwater, Okla., and it’d be the type of game that could get the Pokes immediately out of the running for an at-large spot in the Playoff.
#16 OKLAHOMA OVER TEMPLE. Oklahoma by 77.
#15 TENNESSEE OVER CHATTANOOGA.
#13 LSU OVER #23 USC. I don’t really have a good feel for who’s going to win the game. I just know that the final score, no matter who wins, will be 42-28.
#12 UTAH OVER SOUTHERN UTAH.
#11 MISSOURI OVER MURRAY STATE.
#10 FLORIDA STATE OVER BOSTON COLLEGE.
#9 MICHIGAN OVER FRESNO STATE.
#8 PENN STATE OVER WEST VIRGINIA. Again, I wish I were rock & roll enough to pick West Virginia here. I’m trusting Penn State doesn’t get shocked too hard in this opener, but I get a bad feeling I might be dead wrong and WVU wins by two scores. Penn State’s a safe pick and I hate myself for doing this to myself.
#6 OLE MISS OVER FURMAN.
#5 ALABAMA OVER WESTERN KENTUCKY.
#4 TEXAS OVER COLORADO STATE.
#3 OREGON OVER IDAHO.
#1 GEORGIA OVER #14 CLEMSON. I think this game is going to be awesome. This will definitely help Clemson in the long run. Hard to go against Georgia’s QB though.
EIGHT ADDITIONAL PICKS
My personal rule here: No boring picks. I’ll define that however I wish.
SAM HOUSTON OVER RICE. Welcome to the FBS Sam Houston, led by former CMU QB Jace Bauer (maybe he’s not starting, I have no clue, and I’m not even going to look it up either).
COLORADO OVER NORTH DAKOTA STATE. I know, it’s not the answer everybody wants. There’s a chance that Colorado comes out looking better than it showed in last year’s week 1 vs. TCU. No clue about Colorado after that, but the important players should still be able to put on a show.
NORTH CAROLINA OVER MINNESOTA.
TCU OVER STANFORD.
BOISE STATE OVER GEORGIA SOUTHERN.
GEORGIA STATE OVER GEORGIA TECH.
VANDERBILT OVER VIRGINIA TECH.
IDAHO STATE OVER OREGON STATE. I feel really bad about this one. I really do.
Make better picks than me in the comments section!
