College Football Week 1 Picks & Expert Analysis

The University of Texas, ranked No. 4 in the AP Preseason Top 25, has had running backs go down left and right of late to season-ending injuries.

True freshman Christian Clark tore an Achilles tendon in practice Monday, six days after the Horns announced that CJ Baxter, last year’s opening-game starter, will undergo season-ending knee surgery. That won’t much affect UT’s opener on Aug. 31 vs. Colorado State, but here are two other picks we like.

Expert Prediction: Both home teams cover, although I don’t expect WVU to beat Penn State

North Carolina at Minnesota (-2.5)

Kickoff at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 29 in a Power 4 matchup between the Tar Heels of the ACC and Golden Gophers of the Big Ten. The also played last year in Chapel Hill and North Carolina rolled to a 31-13 victory behind 414 yards passing and two scores from Drake Maye – who was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. Nate McCollum added 15 catches for 165 yards and a touchdown, one catch shy of the school record. He’s back.

Drake Maye Replacement

The Heels still haven’t announced who replaces Maye under center this year between Max Johnson, Conner Harrell and Jacolby Criswell, but most believe it will be Johnson. He joined the Tar Heels this off season through the transfer portal, after spending two years apiece at LSU and Texas A&M. He has thrown for 5,853 yards and 47 touchdowns across his four-year career in the SEC. Regardless, North Carolina will likely be a run-first offense behind stellar running back Omarion Hampton. Last year, he rushed 253 times for 1,504 yards and 15 touchdowns, adding 29 catches for 222 yards and a score.

Darius Taylor

Expect a lot of running in this game, as Minnesota also has a terrific back in Taylor, who was named a preseason candidate for the 2024 Doak Walker Award and several other awards. Taylor played in only six games last season as a true freshman because of injuries. However, in those six games, he rushed 138 times for 799 yards (fifth most ever by a freshman in school history) and five touchdowns. He averaged 133.2 rushing yards per game, which was the third most in school history, and he set a true freshman rushing record with 208 yards against Bowling Green in the Quick Lane Bowl.

Cody Lindenberg

The Gophers also have one of the country’s top linebackers in Butkus Award candidate Lindenberg. He was limited to four games last year due to injury but had 31 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and forced one fumble.

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#8 Penn State at West Virginia (+10.5)

Kicks at noon ET on Saturday, Aug. 31. Another Week 1 Power Four game featuring No. 8 Penn State of the Big Ten and unranked West Virginia of the Big 12. It’s also a rematch from last season, when the Nittany Lions routed the visiting Mountaineers 38-15 in the season opener. In his then first career start, PSU quarterback Drew Allar threw for 325 yards and three touchdowns. Penn State out gained West Virginia 405-198 through three quarters. Meanwhile, a swarming defense forced four punts and three turnovers on downs. It was the first time the two regional rivals played since meeting every year from 1947 until 1992.

Allar is among those back for Penn State, which is a legit national title contender. Allar enters 2024 ranked first in school history in career interception percentage (0.45), third in completion percentage (59.7), seventh in touchdown pass percentage (6.49) and eighth in passing efficiency (129.3).

The defense is led by junior Abdul Carter, who was first-team All-Big Ten last year with 48 tackles (25 solo), 5.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, a forced fumble, an interception, five pass breakups and five QB hurries. His 24.1 pass rush win percentage ranked third in the FBS among players with at least 100 pass rush snaps last season. Carter made the switch from linebacker to defensive end following the 2023 campaign.

Nicholas Singleton

Excellent running back Singleton is also back after rushing 171 times for 752 yards and eight touchdowns while adding 26 catches for 308 yards and two touchdowns last year. He also had 13 kick returns or 313 yards (24.1 average) with a long return of 51 yards. Nicholson ranked third in the Big Ten in all-purpose yards per game (105.6) and tied-fifth in rushing touchdowns (8).

West Virginia won nine games last season to likely save Coach Neal Brown’s job and returns much of its offense. WVU could definitely contend in the wide-open Big 12. It’s probably the most talented roster of players, top to bottom, that Brown will be fielding since he came to WVU from Troy in 2019.

Garrett Greene

QB Greene returns. He completed 147-of-277 passes for 2,406 yards, 16 touchdowns last year, his first at WVU, and was the team’s third-leading rusher with 120 carries for 772 yards and a team-leading 13 touchdowns with a long run of 48 yards. He finished the season tied for first in the nation in rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, No. 2 in passing yards per completion (16.4) and No. 20 in yards per attempt (8.7).

Jahiem White and CJ Donaldson

The running back duo of White and Donaldson could be one of the country’s best, as both were named to the 2024 Doak Walker Award Watch List. As a freshman, White had a team-high 842 yards on 109 carries (7.7 ypc) and four touchdowns, while Donaldson had 798 yards on 171 carries (4.7 ypc) with 11 touchdowns. West Virginia’s rushing attack averaged a Power 5-best 228.9 yards per game in 2023, which was the most a Mountaineer club has posted since the Pat White/Steve Slaton heyday of 2007 (297.2 ypg).

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.@patmcafeeshow and the boys had to give "West Virginia SUPERSTAR" Tavon Austin his praise after his retirement announcement 👏 pic.twitter.com/c5eW63N7u7
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) August 14, 2024