College Football Games on TV Today: Week 1 Schedule, Prediction for Monday

Week 1 of the college football schedule wraps up today with one more matchup, this time pitting two ACC rivals against each other, one currently ranked in the AP poll, and another desperately needing to prove itself and keep its head coach employed.

To one side, an insurgent conference hopeful who was recently in the College Football Playoff and coming off an historic recruiting effort; to the other, a blue blood program fallen on very hard times in the last couple of years and is hoping for a revival.

College Football Today: How to Watch the Week 1 Game on Monday

All times Eastern, and game lines are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

19 SMU at Florida State

College Football Games on TV Today: Week 1 Schedule, Prediction for Monday — USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Mon., Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN

Line: SMU -3, 53.5

Where Florida State is Right Now

A couple years ago, Mike Norvell coached a team that went undefeated in the regular season and then won the ACC championship. College Football Playoff selection was imminent, and from there, who knew what could happen?

Not much good, the Seminoles were controversially kept out of the semifinal in favor of one-loss SEC champion Alabama, helping give weight to the arguments around eventual playoff expansion, and since then Norvell’s program has been in freefall.

In the last two seasons, Florida State has won a combined eight games and lost 17 others, winning just 3 times in ACC competition, and has been nowhere near the national polls, but it’s giving Norvell another chance to make it right.

Where SMU is Right Now

In considerably better position, thanks to Rhett Lashlee. The Mustangs are a solid 20-7 over the last two seasons, were in the College Football Playoff, albeit briefly, a couple years ago, and quarterback Kevin Jennings returns in 2026 to lead what could be a potent offense.

Still, questions abound for those spots around him, particularly at wide receiver, with a new crop of targets coming in and yet to be proven, and SMU’s defense lost coordinator Scott Symons this offseason and the unit returns all of four starters.

What the Experts Are Saying

The SP+ college football prediction model is siding with the visitors in this matchup, but in what could be a very close decision.

The model predicts that SMU will defeat Florida State by a projected score of 27 to 25, and will escape with a mere 1.6 point advantage on the road.

What We Think Will Happen

Florida State won its Week 0 test against New Mexico State, but even that result left something to be desired with regards to its overall physicality in the trenches and a few gainers the defense let by early on that maybe they shouldn’t have.

New Seminole quarterback Ashton Daniels has some decent mobility and there are enough options in the backfield to properly test SMU’s new-looking defense up front, but Norvell’s tacklers could have trouble containing Jennings in and out of the pocket.

College Football HQ picks…

SMU wins 31-23
Covers the spread
And hits the over

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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