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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
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SI Staff

College Football Week 1 Picks: Who Will Open With a Victory?

Week 1 of the 2021 college football season is finally here, and it's a good one— anchored by a marquee Saturday night showdown between No. 3 Clemson and No. 5 Georgia that already carries playoff implications.

After getting a taste of action in Week 0, Week 1 consists of five straight days of matchups. In addition to the usual Thursday, Friday and Saturday games, the FBS slate will see Florida State host No. 9 Notre Dame on Sunday night and Louisville and Ole Miss meet in Atlanta on Labor Day. In addition, Alabama–Miami, Penn State–Wisconsin, Indiana–Iowa and Louisiana–Texas round out the opening top-25 battles, and a host of other intriguing clashes await.

Watch NCAA football games online all season long with fuboTV: Start with a 7-day free trial!

Who will prevail in Week 1? Five Sports Illustrated writers and editors—Pat Forde, Ross Dellenger, Richard Johnson, John Garcia and Molly Geary—make their predictions for 16 key games.

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