Week 1: Return to the Summit

It's the moooost wonderful tiiiiiime of the yeeeeear... with new Maize and Blue fever and Buckeye receivers ruled out for the yeeeeear....yes, I know that I just rhymed year with yeeeeear...

Oklahoma Sooners @ Houston Cougars
Draper: The Fighting Tom Hermans were the toast of the town last year after their Peach Bowl win over a completely uninspired Noles.  Good for them...but they aren't off the radar anymore.  Oh, and by the way, OU should be really really good.  The benefit for the Cougars is avoiding Norman, but I have a feeling incessant chants of BOOMER will be echoing around NRG Stadium even in the Cougar hometown.  Baker Mayfield makes a statement in the tuneup for OSU and the Sooners teach the young upstarts a lesson.  OU: 42--UH: 24
Hoying: This game should serve as a nice aperitif for the biggest OSU-OU matchup outside of Bedlam. After all, according to the fans of Buckeye nation, Tom Herman is like a competent version of that bum Urban Meyer, so if Houston can't knock off the Sooners, then the Bucks have no shot, right? The more interesting storyline: how did Oklahoma, a college football program with a reasonable claim for "greatest of all time" get suckered into playing AT Houston? It's not like they're reliving the glory days of the Southwest Conference (Oklahoma was Big 8 back then). Tom Herman, man. Working miracles already. OU: 45--UH: 27
Schweinfurth: Touchdown Tom Herman is quickly turning Houston into Ohio State South. He has done a great job of installing a high powered offense as well as a perfectionist culture. Unfortunately for the Cougars, attitude doesn't trump talent in this one. Baker Mayfield is the real deal. The only good news here is that Urban will get some good game film for the Week 3 match-up. OU: 42--UH: 30
Seeberg:  MY BRETHREN WE MAY REJOICE.  COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAS RETURNED.  I will do my best to defend my letsgobucks title this year.  That said, what an unbelievable opening week slate.  Maybe the playoff really has influenced teams to beef up their non-conference schedules.  This game is the classic trap game for the perenially underachieving Sooners...except Houston put everybody on notice last season, so Stoops and Co. will be ready.  Don't sleep on Samaje Perine either, I expect his running to be the difference in this one as Oklahoma outlasts the Houston Hermans.  OU: 41--UH: 27

Georgia Bulldogs vs. North Carolina Tarheels
Draper: UNC had a nice cap to last season with an ACC Coastal championship, but that's like saying you won the B1G West...snoooorrrree.  With that being said, we're at that point of the year in which everyone wonders will UGA wake up and return to glory in the SEC East or quietly fart away another 8-4 season.  I honestly have no clue what will happen here.  UNC has the better team but UGA has the best player in Nick Chubb.  I'm more of a subscriber in UGA always failing to meet expectations so I'll lean on the Heels (a team I had no faith in last year).  Close game and flip a coin.  UGA: 31--UNC: 34
Hoying: Would you believe the SEC could go 0-3 against another conference to open a football season? With rediscovered ACC juggernauts Clemson and Florida State taking on substantially weaker opponents Auburn and Ole Miss, respectively, That Conference Down South needs a big win from first-year Georgia head coach Kirby Smart to save face. Do the Dawgs have the horses to do it? Well, RB Nick Chubb is back. And the Heels gave up 645 rushing yards to Baylor the last time they took the field. This could get ugly, quickly, though the UNC offense is nearly as difficult to stop. UGA: 42--UNC: 35
Schweinfurth: It's interesting that no one really knows what Bulldogs team will show up. We are going to find out quickly if Mark Richt was the problem all these years. It helps that Nick Chubb is back and healthy for the Dogs. Chubb-y Time is the difference in this one. UGA: 38--UNC: 35
Seeberg:  As far as opening week games this is as brutal a pick as there could be.  Two teams that manage to achieve just under expectations with remarkable consistency.  Can Kirby Smart continue the Marc Richt  "eh"-ness?  I don't know, but the Bulldogs have Nick Chubb supposedly at 100%, and that should be enough.  UGA: 38--UNC: 28

USC Trojans vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
Draper:  The Tide return to defend their title....again, and there's no real reason to expect them to stumble here.  One thing Nick Saban has been great about is scheduling early season marquee games...via name recognition.  While USC should be decent this year, let's not confuse this team with the juggernaut in the early 2000s.  'Decent' is rarely good enough to hang with the Tide.  The reload is too strong and Bama rolls.  USC: 13--Bama: 27
Hoying: How quickly fortunes change in college football, even among the bluest of the blue bloods. 10 years ago, Alabama bumbled and stumbled to a 6-7 season in its final pre-Saban year. That same fall, USC was one historic gack against UCLA from facing our beloved Buckeyes in a 4th straight national title game. Now the aura of invincibility glows a little darker shade of crimson, as the Tide gear up for another championship run. Losing Derrick Henry hurts, and nobody seems to know who the Tide's QB will be, but a team with the best recruiting class in the country year in and year out isn't likely to face too much adversity. USC's resurgence to national prominence will have to wait. USC: 13--Bama: 24
Schweinfurth: Saban just doesn't lose these games, and it frustrates the hell out of me. This one could be a bit more interesting as the Tide are breaking in a new QB. Everyone has made a huge deal about the amount of talent Ohio State lost after last year, but 'Bama lost quite a bit too. This game will be closer than is probably should be. USC: 17--Bama: 24
Seeberg:  Who will be Bama's starting QB?  Last year that question could've cost the Tide this game.  This year, USC is also asking that question as Cody Kessler will no doubt have his career destroyed by the Browns.  Bama won't score a ton, but they won't have to.  USC: 13--Bama: 24

Florida State Seminoles vs. Ole Miss Rebels
Draper: Hey everyone! Remember Dalvin Cook? One of the best backs last year that was ignored down the stretch due to injury and lack of title aspirations? He's back in Tallahassee surrounded by a bevy of talent that should be among the elite of the year.  Ole Miss is being touted because, well, Ess-Eee-Cee.  I don't see this as the powerhouse matchup but it should be a nice early season game.  Freshman Deondre Francois will start at QB for the Noles over the injured Sean McGuire but I don't think there's any worry because lost in all this is that FSU's defense is a rock.  Cook and the Noles zip-zop-zoo-bidy-bop all over the Rebels and coast to an impressive start.  FSU: 41--Ole Miss: 23
Hoying: Ole Miss may think they have the best team money can buy, but all the cash in the SEC couldn't cover the recruiting gap between Hugh Freeze and Jimbo Fisher. The Rebel fans will want to borrow Tunsil's gas mask to protect themselves from the steaming pile their team is going to produce on Saturday. FSU: 38--Ole Miss: 17
Schweinfurth: Let's keep this short and sweet. Ole Miss lost a lot of talent last year. Florida State still has Dalvin Cook. FSU: 42--Ole Miss: 17
Seeberg:  Is Ole Miss really as good as their nearly top-10 ranking?  Experts say no, but ESECPN says yes.  Thankfully that shouldn't last long at the hands of Florida State, a team returning roughly 57 starters.  Seminoles will take their foot off the gas only to avoid scoring 50 and incurring the wrath of the rest of the deep south.  FSU: 48--Ole Miss: 24

Bowling Green Falcons @ THE Ohio State Buckeyes
Draper: The reason to watch this game (other than the amazing alumnus in the North script) can be summarized in 5 words: Joe Thomas Barrett the IV.  The loss of Torrance Gibson is a blow to the young receiving corps after the mass-exodus to the NFL last year, but it's all about the QB.  If JT can return to the glory of 2014 form, expect great things from this young team.  If the team doesn't rally around him, then it's time for concern.  With only 3 starters returning on both sides of the ball, there's certainly an experience gap, but you know the mantra.  Buckeyes show they've reloaded and make a statement in game one.  No mercy.  OSU: 52 -- BGSU: 10
Hoying: Say goodbye to "the Chase" and "the Grind" and hello to "the Edge." Given the incredible loss of talent to the draft last year, it would seem that this season ought to be one of tempered expectations. Then again, this team doesn't seem to like winning championships when all the pieces are in place (1995, 1998, 2003, 2006, 2010, 2013, 2015), preferring to accumulate a critical mass of doubters and haters before riding to victory (2002, 2014). Unfortunately, once again, our opening season game will tell us nothing. Sure, BGSU might be one of the better MAC teams, capable of beating a Purdue or Rutgers, but Urban isn't one to let Bowling Green walk off the field with a victory. If JT manages not to be a head case like he was against Northern Illinois last year, this one should be over quickly. OSU: 49--BGSU: 20
Schweinfurth: Time to check on the reload. Not that I'm nervous about this game, Ohio State will win going away, but replacing an entire secondary is always an adventure. This defense is going to give up some big plays. It happens with young defenses, but the first two games will give the young Bucks time to learn on the job. The offense will be fine. It helps to have a veteran signal caller under center. Teammates were calling Mike Weber 'Lil Guap last year before he got injured. This offense will still be explosive and, yes, Weber will go for 1000 yards this year. Bucks win this going away, but don't quite get the cover. BGSU: 21--OSU: 42
Seeberg:  Let's see, all we have to do is replace the best RB in the country, the best DE in the country, 80% of an offensive line, two top 10 WRs, a TE, two safeties, a nasty cover corner and a freakishly fast OLB.  Any team not named Ohio State or Alabama wouldn't even garner a preseason ranking in that scenario.  Still, question marks abound on both sides of the ball.  Thankfully, the signal caller has had full reps with the first team and should return close to 2014 form as a result.  Barrett carries the day, Raekwon amasses roughly 35 tackles, and the Bucks wear down BGSUcks in the second half.  OSU: 45--BGSU: 23

Upset Special
Draper: Texas over ND
Hoying: Northwestern State over Baylor
Schweinfurth: Wisconsin over LSU (why not)
Seeberg:  CRAP, Draper took mine.  La Tech over Arkansas