College Wire regional editor Patrick Conn makes his Week 1 predictions
While some teams kicked off the season in week 0, week 1 is the official starting point for the rest of the college football landscape. There are some key matchups this week that will set the tone for the 2022 campaign.
The trio of big matchups will begin on Saturday when the Oregon Ducks and Georgia Bulldogs meet in Atlanta at 3:30 p.m. ET. The next features the Utah Utes heading into the Swamp to meet the Florida Gators at 7:00 p.m. ET. The final matchup features two top-five ranked teams.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish head into Columbus to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes. Former Buckeyes linebacker Marcus Freeman will lead the Irish into this showdown in hostile territory.
Regional editor Patrick Conn breaks down 22 games that feature teams covered on the College Wire network. Who has the upper hand this weekend?
*Editor’s Note: Games are listed in order of kickoff time*
Ball State at Tennessee
Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
Game Time: 7:00 p.m. ET (Thursday)
Prediction: Tennessee
X-Factor: Hendon Hooker
For more on Tennessee check out Vols Wire
Penn State at Purdue
Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
Game Time: 8:00 p.m. ET (Thursday)
Prediction: Purdue
X-Factor: Aidan O’Connell
For more on Penn State check out Nittany Lions Wire
Western Michigan at No. 14 Michigan State
Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK
Game Time: 7:00 p.m. ET (Friday)
Prediction: Michigan State
X-Factor: Jayden Reed
For more on Michigan State check out Spartans Wire
TCU at Colorado
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Game Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
Prediction: TCU
X-Factor: Quentin Johnston
For more on the Buffs check out Colorado Buffaloes Wire
South Dakota State at Iowa
Hawk Central-USA TODAY Network
Game Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Prediction: Iowa
X-Factor: Sam LaPorta
For more on Iowa check out Hawkeyes Wire
North Carolina at Appalachian State
Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
Game Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Prediction: North Carolina
X-Factor: Drake Maye
For more on North Carolina check out Tar Heels Wire
Rutgers at Boston College
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Game Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Prediction: Boston College
X-Factor: Phil Jurkovec
For more on the Scarlet Knights check out Rutgers Wire
Sam Houston at No. 7 Texas A&M
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
Game Time: 12:00 p.m. CT
Prediction: Texas A&M
X-Factor: Devon Achane
For more on Texas A&M check out Aggies Wire
Colorado State at No. 6 Michigan
Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Game Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Prediction: Michigan
X-Factor: Blake Corum
For more on Michigan check out Wolverines Wire
No. 22 Cincinnati at No. 23 Arkansas
Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports
Game Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Prediction: Arkansas
X-Factor: Jalen Catalon
For more on Arkansas check out Razorbacks Wire
North Dakota at Nebraska
Brendan Moran-USA TODAY Sports
Game Time: 3:30 p.m.
Prediction: Nebraska
X-Factor: Anthony Grant
For more on Nebraska check out Cornhuskers Wire
No. 12 Oregon vs No. 3 Georgia (Atlanta, Georgia)
Online Athens-USA TODAY Network
Game Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Prediction: Georgia
X-Factor: Brock Bowers
For more on Oregon check out Ducks Wire
For more on the Dawgs check out UGA Wire
UTEP at No. 9 Oklahoma
Nathan J Fish/The Oklahoman / USA TODAY NETWORK
Game Time: 3:30 p.m. CT
Prediction: Oklahoma
X-Factor: Marvin Mims
For more on Oklahoma check out Sooners Wire
Rice at No. 15 USC
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Game Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
Prediction: USC
X-Factor: Jordan Addison
For more on USC check out Trojans Wire
No. 8 Utah at Florida
[Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Prediction: Florida
X-Factor: Ricky Pearsall
For more on Florida check out Gators Wire.
Mercer at Auburn
John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
Game Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Prediction: Auburn
X-Factor: Tank Bigsby
Illinois State at Wisconsin
USA TODAY Network
Game Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Prediction: Wisconsin
X-Factor: Braelon Allen
For more on Wisconsin check out Badgers Wire
Notre Dame at Ohio State
The Columbus Dispatch-USA TODAY Network
Game Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Prediction: Ohio State
X-Factor: Jaxon Smith-Njigba
For more on Notre Dame check out Fighting Irish Wire
For more on Ohio State check out Buckeyes Wire
Utah State at No. 1 Alabama
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Game Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Prediction: Alabama
X-Factor: Jahmyr Gibbs
For more on Alabama check out Roll Tide Wire
Louisiana-Monroe at No. 18 Texas
Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK
Game Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Prediction: Texas
X-Factor: Bijan Robinson
For more on Texas check out Longhorns Wire
Florida State vs LSU (New Orleans, Louisiana)
(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Game Time: 7:30 p.m. ET (Sunday)
Prediction: LSU
X-Factor: Kayshon Boutte
For more on the Tigers check out LSU Wire
Clemson at Georgia Tech
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
Game Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Prediction: Clemson
X-Factor: DJ Uiagalelei
For more on the Tigers check out Clemson Wire
For more college football coverage follow @PatrickConnCFB on Twitter and join in on the conversation.
