Last week, our Friday Locks crew went 5-4 on their picks, showing a solid performance but leaving room for improvement. This week, we’re adding a fourth picker to the mix, increasing our chances of hitting on more winners.
We’ve got a total of eight games on the slate, including the matchup between Penn State and West Virginia. Three of our pickers have weighed in on that game, offering a variety of predictions.
Week 1 Picks
Caleb
Oklahoma (-41.5) vs. Temple | Temple is just not a great football team and I fully expect OU to show off this new Seth Littrell offense.
Notre Dame (+3.5) at Texas A&M | I believe this Notre Dame defense will be legit and I have little faith in this Texas A&M offense.
Colorado State (+32) at Texas | Texas lost a lot of weapons on both sides of the ball, I’m not expecting Texas to drop this game to the Rams but I do expect the Rams to make this game closer than people think.
Craig
Penn State (-8.5) at West Virginia | The Nittany Lions Penn beat the Mountaineers by more than 3 scores last year in this matchup. Although it is in Morgantown this time around, I still think Penn State covers this spread.
Arizona (-31) vs. New Mexico | The Lobos put on a decent showing in Week Zero. But, the competition is much steeper this week against the Wildcats. Arizona wins this one in big fashion.
LSU -4.5 vs. USC | I’m not sure that USC is big enough or physical enough to stand a chance in this matchup. I do think the Trojans will keep it close in the first half, but the Tigers will pull away at the end of the game.
Matt
Georgia (-11.5) vs. Clemson | While Clemson has shown signs of improvement, Georgia’s overall talent and experience give them a significant edge. The Bulldogs’ strong defense, coupled with their potent offense, should be too much for Clemson to handle. Georgia’s ability to control the line of scrimmage and limit Clemson’s offensive opportunities will be key to their victory.
West Virginia (+7.5) vs. Penn State | While Penn State has a clear talent advantage, West Virginia has shown signs of improvement, particularly on defense. Their ability to disrupt Penn State’s rhythm and create turnovers could keep the game close.
Florida (+3.5) vs. Miami | Florida’s offense, led by Graham Mertz and Montrell Johnson should be able to put points on the board consistently against a Miami defense that will need to play at a high level.
Zack
Penn State at West Virginia (+8.5) | West Virginia has a history of playing surprisingly well in season-opening games, particularly when entering an underdog. Penn State got the better of the Mountaineers by 23 points last season, but I think West Virginia keeps this one to within a touchdown.
New Mexico at Arizona (-31) | The Lobos just barely lost in their opener last week to Montana State, but their schedule doesn’t get any easier than that. Arizona is poised to make a run at the Big 12 Championship in their first season in the conference, and a big win in Week 1 would put them on a solid path.
LSU (-4.5) at USC | The Trojans were wildly disappointing last season, and after going 0-4 against ranked teams in 2023, I think they lose to the 12th-ranked Tigers by double digits to kick off another disappointing campaign.
Season Results
| Name | Last Week | Overall |
| Matt | 3-0 | 3-0 |
| Zack | 2-1 | 2-1 |
| Craig | 0-3 | 0-3 |
| Caleb | 0-0 | 0-0 |
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