Power Rankings
- Ohio State – It is the defending national champion for a reason.
- Penn State – This is Penn State’s best chance at a national title in decades. Can they get over the hump?
- Oregon – The Ducks lost a ton of key pieces, but this team will still be a player in the Big Ten race.
- Indiana – Indiana is a football school now, folks. Get used to it.
- Illinois – Bret Bielema has done an incredible job with this program. My CFP darkhorse.
- Iowa – The Hawkeyes are being slept on once again. Can Mark Gronowski be that guy?
- Michigan – Michigan will be a solid team this year, but they won’t be anything special.
- Nebraska – Another year of improvement is on the horizon in Lincoln, but it only happens if the Huskers win close games and shake hands with rival players.
- USC – Lincoln Riley is on the hot seat.
- Minnesota – Love him or hate him, P.J. Fleck has done a great job making the Gophers a competitive program. It still wasn’t a fair catch, though.
- Washington – The Huskies enter 2025 with a lot of hype, but I’ll believe it when I see it.
- Michigan State – I’m higher on the Spartans than most people. Jonathan Smith can flat out coach.
- Rutgers – The Scarlet Knights will be mediocre, but they’ll still be tough to beat.
- UCLA — The Bruins are such a confusing program. It’s easy to see why basketball is the draw out there.
- Maryland – 2025 could be the final season of the Mike Locksley era.
- Wisconsin – Have you seen Wisconsin’s schedule? It’s brutal.
- Northwestern – Another rough year incoming for the Wildcats. At least that new stadium looks cool.
- Purdue – Barry Odom is the man to rebuild Purdue, but it’s not happening this year.
Matchups
Spartan Stadium: Western Michigan (0-0, 0-0) @ Michigan State (0-0, 0-0)
East Lansing, MI
Where/when to watch: Friday at 6:00 p.m. on FS1 | Line: MSU -18.5 | O/U: 49.5
Michigan State has a chance to surprise some people this season, but this game feels like a massive trap game. I’m not predicting a Western Michigan upset here, but the Broncos will make this a four-quarter contest.
Memorial Stadium: Western Illinois (0-0, 0-0) @ Illinois (0-0, 0-0)
Champaign, IL
Where/when to watch: Friday at 6:30 p.m. on Peacock | Line: N/A | O/U: N/A
I’m sure the great John Bohnenkamp will have plenty of intel on Western Illinois, but the Leathernecks don’t stand a chance against Illinois. The Fighting Illini have a ton of high expectations this year, but they are well-warranted.
Ohio Stadium: Texas (0-0, 0-0) @ Ohio State (0-0, 0-0)
Columbus, OH
Where/when to watch: Saturday at 11:00 a.m. on FOX | Line: OSU -2.5 | O/U: 48.5
It’s a shame this game is during the day because these two teams could easily meet again in the College Football Playoff. You won’t find better Week 1 matchups than this one. I’m glad the Iowa-Albany contest doesn’t kick off until later that evening so I can watch this game.
SECU Stadium: Florida Atlantic (0-0, 0-0) @ Maryland (0-0, 0-0)
College Park, MD
Where/when to watch: Saturday at 11:00 a.m. on BTN | Line: Maryland -16.5 | O/U: 57.5
I’m falling asleep already. My eyes will be on Texas-Ohio State.
Ross-Ade Stadium: Ball State (0-0, 0-0) @ Purdue (0-0, 0-0)
West Lafayette, IN
Where/when to watch: Saturday at 11:00 a.m. on BTN | Line: Purdue -17 | O/U: 50.5
Barry Odom rebuilt UNLV of all teams into one of the best Group of Five programs in the nation. He’ll get Purdue back to respectability in due time, but the 2025 season will be a struggle. This is one of the few winnable games on the Boilermakers’ schedule.
Yulman Stadium: Northwestern (0-0, 0-0) @ Tulane (0-0, 0-0)
New Orleans, LA
Where/when to watch: Saturday at 11:00 a.m. on ESPNU | Line: Tulane -6.5 | O/U: 46.5
Northwestern opening the season on the road at Tulane is bizarre, but the Wildcats are the underdogs for a reason. The Green Wave will win this one by double-digits.
Memorial Stadium: Old Dominion (0-0, 0-0) @ Indiana (0-0, 0-0)
Bloomington, IN
Where/when to watch: Saturday at 1:30 p.m. on FS1 | Line: Indiana -23.5 | O/U: 54.5
I love the country music band Old Dominion, but the college football team that shares their name isn’t very good. Indiana will probably hang 50 points on them.
Beaver Stadium: Nevada (0-0, 0-0) @ Penn State (0-0, 0-0)
State College, PA
Where/when to watch: Saturday at 2:30 p.m. on CBS | Line: PSU -45.5 | O/U: 58.5
Penn State hasn’t won a national championship since 1986, and 2025 is its best opportunity to end that drought. This should be a great tune-up game for the Nittany Lions, who will pay a visit to Iowa City on Oct. 18.
Autzen Stadium: Montana State (0-0, 0-0) @ Oregon (0-0, 0-0)
Eugene, OR
Where/when to watch: Saturday at 3:00 p.m. on BTN | Line: N/A | O/U: N/A
Oregon will probably run away with this game in the second half, but Montana State is a really good FCS program. After all, Idaho nearly pulled off a major upset at Autzen in the 2024 season opener.
Kinnick Stadium: Albany (0-0, 0-0) @ Iowa (0-0, 0-0)
Iowa City, IA
Where/when to watch: Saturday at 5:00 p.m. on FS1 | Line: N/A | O/U:
I’m still trying to figure out how this game made its way into a primetime slot, but there’s nothing better than a night game at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa football is back, folks!
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: Missouri State (0-0, 0-0) @ USC (0-0, 0-0)
Los Angeles, CA
Where/when to watch: Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on BTN | Line: USC -35.5 | O/U: 58.5
A bear would easily defeat a Trojan in a fight, but not in this college football game. Lincoln Riley’s seat remains hot, but there’s no way he loses this game at home. Right?
Michigan Stadium: New Mexico (0-0, 0-0) @ Michigan (0-0, 0-0)
Ann Arbor, MI
Where/when to watch: Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on NBC | Line: Michigan -36 | O/U: 52.5
I love Breaking Bad, so I’ll always have a soft spot for New Mexico, but the Lobos have no chance to win in the Big House. I’m afraid Michigan will send New Mexico on a one-way flight to Belize.
Rose Bowl: Utah (0-0, 0-0) @ UCLA (0-0, 0-0)
Los Angeles, CA
Where/when to watch: Saturday at 10:00 p.m. on FOX | Line: Utah -6.5 | O/U: 50.5
Aside from Texas-Ohio State, this is the best matchup on the Big Ten schedule. Utah should be better after a subpar 2024 campaign, and the Bruins will do everything they can to defend their home turf. Another episode of Big Ten After Dark returns.
Husky Stadium: Colorado State (0-0, 0-0) @ Washington (0-0, 0-0)
Seattle, WA
Where/when to watch: Saturday at 10:00 p.m. on BTN | Line: UW -19.5 | O/U: 52.5
This game doesn’t excite me at all, but since I’m a junkie, I’ll still tune in.