The 2024 college football season has already delivered dramatic moments, heroic performance and some upsets, and Week 1 is just getting started. Now, as the first full Saturday of action arrives, fans have a full day's worth of games to consume. Among those games are a handful of marquee matchups carrying high stakes early in the season.
Up first is a wave of showdowns starting at noon ET that includes No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 14 Clemson and No. 8 Penn State traveling to West Virginia. The early window will also provide our first look at No. 2 Ohio State as the Buckeyes host Akron and look to begin their title-or-bust season in style.
That's only the beginning. The afternoon brings a Sunshine State showdown between No. 19 Miami and Florida that is vital for both teams; the Hurricanes and Gators have struggled in their first two seasons under new coaches and need fast starts to help build momentum for their programs. Finally, the evening wave is highlighted by a top-20 battle between No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 20 Texas A&M as the Fighting Irish travel to Aggieland to take on an A&M squad that is rebooting under first-year coach Mike Elko.
Be sure to stick with CBS Sports all day Saturday for college football coverage from the opening kickoff onward. Let's take a look at our expert picks for the best games in Week 1.
Odds via SportsLine consensus | All times Eastern
UCLA at Hawaii
7:30 p.m. | CBS, Paramount+ with Showtime, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App -- Although Hawaii did notch a 21-point win as a 39.5-point favorite last weekend, there were moments where the Rainbow Warriors looked vulnerable. UCLA has won three consecutive season openers, and this is the perfect chance for first-year coach DeShaun Foster to make a statement at the helm of his alma mater. UCLA's magic number is 25; the Bruins went 8-0 in 2023 when hitting that point total. Pick: UCLA -14 -- Cameron Salerno
No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 20 Texas A&M
7:30 p.m. | ABC, fubo (Try for free) -- Despite the ranking difference, Texas A&M is a slight favorite over Notre Dame. Looking down the rosters, that advantage is for good reason. The Aggies can muck up the game in the trenches and potentially cause real headaches with their stacked defensive line. The big questions for Texas A&M come on offense, but the Aggies will do just enough to leave Kyle Field with their first signature victory under Mike Elko. Pick: Texas A&M -3 -- Shehan Jeyarajah
No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 14 Clemson
Noon | ABC, fubo (Try for free) -- Clemson needs to find a way to stretch the field and be more explosive than it has in recent years. That's up to quarterback Cade Klubnik to produce, but the other issue is in the red zone where the Tigers ranked 118th in conversions last season. Georgia has more firepower offensively and defensively, but with uncertainty at running back for Georgia, there is an opening here for Clemson's new-look defensive line to get pressure on Carson Beck and also slow the Bulldogs' rushing attack. Pick: Clemson +13.5 -- Brandon Marcello
No. 8 Penn State at West Virginia
Noon | Fox, fubo (Try for free) -- The Penn State defense will be the best unit on the field in this game, and as we saw last season, they'll make life difficult for Garrett Greene and the Mountaineers offense. As for Penn State's offense, while I'm high on the long-term projections under first-year offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, it's sensible to expect a few speed bumps early, particularly in a tough road environment. Pick: Under 51.5 -- Tom Fornelli
Akron at No. 2 Ohio State
3:30 p.m. | CBS, Paramount+ with Showtime, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App -- This game has a huge spread. To call the Buckeyes heavy favorites would be the understatement of the year, but it makes sense when you dive into the numbers. Akron had the MAC's second-worst scoring offense (16.3 points per game) and fourth-worst scoring defense (28 ppg) a year ago. In two games against power-conference competition last season, the Zips scored a combined 30 points -- 27 of which came against a hapless Indiana squad -- and allowed 64. Ohio State should be able to score at will while its ridiculously loaded defense keeps Akron on its side of the field for most of the game. Pick: Ohio State -50 -- Fornelli
No. 19 Miami at Florida
3:30 p.m. | ABC, fubo (Try for free) -- If there's a place to exploit Miami, it's likely in the secondary after the Hurricanes lost three NFL Draft picks from their defensive backfield. However, downfield passing was not Florida's strength last season, and there's no reason to believe that will change in Week 1. The 'Canes are rock solid up front on both sides of the ball and should be able to emerge as the more physical team in a relatively even matchup. Pick: Miami -2.5 -- David Cobb
Which college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 1? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread -- all from a proven computer model that has returned well over $2,000 in profit since its inception -- and find out.
