College Football Straight Up Picks for Every Top 25 Game in Week 1 (Will Louisville Upset Ole Miss?)

Louisville is an underdog against Ole Miss in Week 1. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The 2026 college football season began with last Saturday's Week 0 action, but now we get to dive headfirst into the Week 1 slate when almost every team in the country is taking the field.

The good news is we have an abundance of games to bet on, but the bad news is there are plenty of lopsided affairs as several teams use this week as a warm-up against a lesser opponent, often one from FCS.

With that being said, I'm going to go through every game involving a top-25 team and give you my pick to win.

College Football Week 1 Picks

Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. No. 25 Missouri Prediction

Pick: Missouri N/A

Idaho vs. No. 21 Utah Prediction

Pick: Utah N/A

UTEP vs. No. 10 Oklahoma Prediction

Pick: Oklahoma N/A

No. 7 Miami vs. Stanford Prediction

Pick: Miami -4000

Fresno State vs. No. 14 USC Prediction

Pick: USC -2500

USC is one of the few teams that played in Week 0, taking down San Jose State 42-26. Giving up 26 points to the Spartans is something to flag for future games, but I have no doubt they will win this game. Whether or not they cover the spread is a different question entirely.

North Texas vs. No. 6 Indiana Prediction

Pick: Indiana N/A

The defending national champs should feel insulted they're ranked just No. 6 in the nation heading into the 2026 campaign. They should come out hot against an overmatched North Texas team.

East Carolina vs. No. 13 Alabama Prediction

Pick: Alabama -7000

Oregon State vs. No. 23 Houston Prediction

Pick: Houston -1800

Houston narrowly defeated Oregon State last season, winning 27-24. Despite that, they're set as significant favorites in the rematch. I would likely bet Oregon State to cover this spread, but the Cougars shouldn't have much trouble winning this game outright.

Ball State vs. No. 1 Ohio State Prediction

Pick: Ohio State N/A

Tennessee State vs. No. 3 Georgia Prediction

Pick: Georgia N/A

Boise State vs. No. 2 Oregon Prediction

Pick: Oregon -4000

Texas State vs. No. 5 Texas Prediction

Pick: Texas -10000

Marshall vs. No. 18 Penn State Prediction

Pick: Penn State -3500

Furman vs. No. 20 Tennessee Prediction

Pick: Tennessee N/A

Northern Illinois vs. No. 22 Iowa Prediction

Pick: Iowa N/A

Missouri State vs. No. 8 Texas A&M Prediction

Pick: Texas A&M N/A

Abilene Christian vs. No. 12 Texas Tech Prediction

Pick: Texas Tech N/A

Clemson vs. No. 11 LSU Prediction

Pick: LSU -410

The game of the week is Clemson against Lane Kiffin's LSU Tigers. LSU is going to be a fascinating team to watch with Kiffin as head coach, and I think they'll cruise past Clemson, who have let the times pass them by in recent years. Clemson isn't the team they used to be, and we shouldn't treat them as such.

Western Michigan vs. No. 16 Michigan Prediction

Pick: Michigan -7000

Utah Tech vs. No. 14 BYU Prediction

Pick: BYU N/A

Washington State vs. No. 17 Washington Prediction

Pick: Washington -2800

Wisconsin vs. No. 4 Notre Dame Prediction

Pick: Notre Dame -2300

No. 24 Louisville vs. No. 9 Ole Miss Prediction

The one upset I'm picking for Week 1 games involving Top 25 teams is for No. 24 Louisville to take down No. 9 Ole Miss. Louisville is going to have one of the best rushing attacks in the nation this season, and I expect Ole Miss to be relatively disappointing in 2026. This is a great look if you're seeking an upset winner.

Pick: Louisville +220

No. 19 SMU vs. Florida State Prediction

Pick: SMU -156

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