Sure Losers College Football Week 1

Will Indiana have WR Simmie Cobbs when it hosts No. 2 Ohio State on Thursday? Earlier this summer, Cobbs was arrested on charges that included failure to identify, resisting law enforcement and public intoxication. Coach Tom Allen has been noncommittal. In 2015, Cobbs led the Hoosiers with 60 receptions for 1,035 yards. After being named to the Biletnikoff Award watch list over the summer, his 2016 season began with a suspension for the opener against FIU. On the first play from scrimmage after his suspension ended, the receiver tore his ACL and missed the remainder of the season. Indiana’s going to lose to the Buckeyes. Here are two other games where I know one team is going to lose in College Football Week 1, along with the latest betting odds for each college football game.

Sure Losers College Football Week 1

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— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) August 27, 2017

New Mexico State at Arizona State

When: Thursday, Aug. 31, 10:30 PM ET Where: Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe TV: Pac-12 Network Stream: Pac-12 website Radio: KXPZ 99.5 FM (New Mexico) / 98.7 FM (Arizona State) Opening College Football Week 1 Lines: ASU -23.5

Wilkins Wins QB Duel

Arizona had a QB battle this fall between Manny Wilkins and former Alabama top recruit Blake Barnett and Wilkins has won the job – for now. Last year, Wilkins started 10 games for the Sun Devils and finished the season with 12 passing touchdowns and five rushing touchdowns. He had 2,329 passing yards and rushed for 246 yards for the season. Wilkins joined Danny White and Todd Hons as the only other Sun Devil quarterbacks since 1970 to go 4-0 in their first career starts. Barnett, who went to high school in the Los Angeles area, signed with Alabama as a five-star prospect in the 2015 recruiting cycle; he was the No. 2 pro-style quarterback in the class, behind Josh Rosen, and a top-25 prospect overall. After redshirting during his first season with the Tide, he started last season’s opener against USC. But Hurts came on early during that game and never lost his hold on the job. Preseason polls have ASU picked to finish toward the bottom of the Pac-12 South. Coach Todd Graham’s squad is coming off two consecutive losing seasons. They’re a combined 2-9 on the road in that span. And the Sun Devils ended last season losing seven of their past eight, including the embarrassing loss to Arizona in Tucson. It’s still a lot better than New Mexico State.

College Football Week 1 Betting Totals Under Picks

Aggies In Transition

New Mexico State is entering its final season as a member of the Sun Belt as the Aggies will become an FBS Independent in 2018. Head coach Doug Martin does have 16 starters returning. QB Tyler Rogers was solid last fall, cutting back on interceptions (12) that plagued him in 2014 (23) while proving to be a legitimate dual threat. He finished third in the Sun Belt in total offense, rushing for a career-best 333 yards to go along with his 2,603 passing yards. Star RB Larry Rose III is back, but he wasn’t healthy throughout last year. If he’s in one piece, the Aggies have their weapon to work everything around. With four starters back up front – and young size ready to fill in the gaps – the running game will be solid. The defense was awful last year as the Aggies were repeatedly abused both on the ground and through the air last season. New Mexico State finished 121st in the country allowing 38.8 points a game. They also surrendered just under 500 yards per contest (121st). There has to be more of a pass rush – generating just 11 last season.

Temple at Notre Dame

When: Saturday, Sept. 2, 3:30 PM ET Where: Notre Dame Stadium TV: NBC Stream: NBC Sports Radio: 97.5 FM The Fanatic (Temple) / 93.1 FM The Fan (Notre Dame) Opening College Football Week 1 Lines: Notre Dame -18

Kelly Better Win

Few coaches enter this season on a hotter seat than Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly – if the Irish lose this game, I don’t see how Kelly is back next year off a 4-8 record in 2016 because there are at least a handful of other losses likely on the schedule. Defensively, Notre Dame struggled against the run last season and ranked 42nd nationally in total defense (378.8 total yards allowed per game) and No. 62 in scoring defense (30.9 points allowed per game). However, seven starters return, led by playmaking linebacker Nyles Morgan. DeShone Kizer left for the NFL so the new QB is Brandon Wimbush. He played in two games as the backup quarterback last year, seeing action against UMass and Pittsburgh. Wimbush. accounted for 109 yards of total offense against the Minutemen, gaining 92 yards on four carries while completing three of his five passes for 17 yards. He also had a 58-yard TD run. Wimbush had a 17-yard run among his three carries against the Panthers. Wimbush has an army of capable receivers, anchored by top targets Equanimeous St. Brown and Cam Smith, but will also get out and run when he needs to. St. Brown used his height and athleticism to create physical mismatches with defenders in 2016 to the tune of 961 yards and nine touchdowns. The O-Line should be a strength. Senior offensive guard Quenton Nelson and graduate offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey of the were both named 2017 Preseason Associated Press All-Americans. Nelson, Notre Dame's 2016 Offensive Lineman of the Year, started all 12 games at left guard last season and has started 23 times in his 24-game, two-year playing career. In 2016 Pro Football Focus ranked him eighth in the Football Bowl Subdivision among offensive guards with a grade of 20.5. Nelson did not allow a sack and allowed just one QB hit in `16 (on 439 pass block snaps). In fact, Nelson has surrendered just three sacks and three quarterback hits over his Irish career (850 pass block snaps). McGlinchey started all 12 games in 2016 and enters 2017 with a string of 26 consecutive starts. McGlinchey has allowed just three sacks and four quarterback hits over his Notre Dame career (974 pass block snaps).

Owls Under New Leadership

It’s a new beginning for Temple, with former Florida defensive coordinator Geoff Collins taking over as head coach for the departed Matt Rhule, who went to Baylor. The 45-year- old Collins spent the last two seasons running the Gators’ defense under head coach Jim McElwain. In that two-year span, Florida’s defense put up top-10 numbers in the FBS in scoring defense, total defense and passing defense en route to helping the Gators earn back-to- back SEC East titles. Last year under Collins’ watch, the Gators defense allowed 17.9 points per game (10th in the nation), 298.3 yards per game (6th in the nation) and 156.3 passing yards per game (3rd in the nation). Wide receiver looks to be one of the team’s strengths. Ventell Bryant, Keith Kirkwood and Adonis Jennings combined for 123 catches, 2,017 yards and 12 touchdowns (four apiece) for a team that had 31 rushing scores. Nobody in Temple’s quarterback derby has ever started a college game. In fact, nobody had played any meaningful football at the position because Phillip Walker started the last 47 games. Candidates are redshirt junior Frank Nutile, redshirt sophomore Logan Marchi, redshirt freshman Anthony Russo, and freshman Todd Centeio. Collins indicated last week that it’s possible three of the four could see action in the opener. Temple’s defense was superb in 2016. They ranked third in the country in pass defense and total defense and 11th in scoring defense. The front seven did a superb job getting to the quarterback, but six starters on the front seven are gone, including star Haason Reddick.

Expert College Football Week 1 Predictions

Temple is in a mini-rebuilding season and won’t put up much of a fight at Notre Dame. New Mexico State is one of the worst programs in the FBS and will get pummeled. Before you go, be sure to check out all the odds for College Football Week 1!