What’s on tap for Week 1?

Now that we got the appetizers out of the way, it’s time for the main course. The real regular season begins this weekend and there are plenty of marquee matchups for your viewing pleasure.

Listed below are the best matchups we will have this weekend and my thoughts on each one:

1. #5 Georgia vs. #3 Clemson– The battle of I-85 is renewed this weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina, with the Georgia bulldogs and Clemson Tigers battling out for bragging rights and a head start to the college football playoff. The bulldogs bring back poised signal caller J.T. Daniels who started in the final four games of the 2020 season. Daniels looked very comfortable in the pocket and threw the ball accurately, throwing for 1231 yards, 10 touchdowns, and only 2 interceptions in the four games he played. On the other side of the field will be sophomore quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, who started in two games due to Trevor Lawrence being sidelined with Covid-19, played admirably, throwing for 914 yards and 5 touchdowns. There are going to be five stars all over this field Saturday evening, and a lot of them played against each other in high school. I believe this game will be won in the trenches. Georgia brings back an excellent pass rush, and the tigers offensive line was suspect at times last season. Look for Clemson to try some trickery in this game, either onside kicks or DJ in the slot. In my opinion, this is the game of the week.
2. #1 Alabama vs. #14 Miami – I’m thankful that the people who create the schedules did not set this game to start at the same time as Georgia vs. Clemson because this will be another game that needs my undivided attention. Here’s some FYI- Alabama is replacing a quarterback, a Heisman trophy winner at wide receiver, three offensive lineman, and a stable of running backs, and yet I still feel confident that this 2021 Alabama squad will be among the elite. Sophomore Quarterback Bryce Young showed a lot of promise in the Spring game. He looked to be a real commander behind center. However, Miami is looking to make a statement in this game. The Canes return 19 starters and among them is Heisman contender D’Eriq King, star quarterback for the Canes. King tore his right ACL in the Cheez-it bowl and had to sit out for the Spring. He should be 100 % by now. If I were King, I would be looking for Mike Harley and Oklahoma transfer Charleston Rambo to get open because they’re your big weapons on offense. Don’t sleep on Miami, they will push the tide in this game.
3. #16 LSU vs. UCLA– 2020 will be the season the cajun tigers hope to soon forget, as it was a polar opposite to their 2019 national championship run. It was to be expected, looking at all the firepower they lost from that team, it would be hard to replicate that type of success. The Tigers also had many players sidelined due to covid-19 so you can’t judge the season too harshly, I’ll leave that to coach O. 2021 should look a lot different, and leading the team is Quarterback Max Johnson who is starting over Myles Brennan due to an arm injury. Johnson is the son of former Tamp Bay Bucs QB Brad Johnson and nephew of Mark Richt, so it should be no shock that he was highly recruited. Johnson looked sharp in the two games he played in(Ole Miss and Florida). Look for offensive coordinator Jake Peetz to utilize Johnson’s arm and air it out. Also, the tiger defense looked dreadful at times last season, they will need a sharp game on Saturday against a UCLA program that looks to be rising from the ashes. They call LSU “DB U” and the Bruins will put their name to the test.
4. #10 North Carolina vs. Virginia Tech – An early ACC conference matchup will be in prime time this Friday, as the tar heels travel to Blacksburg to take on a Virginia Tech program that is a shadow of it’s former self. Since he took over for Frank Beamer, Hokie head coach Justin Fuente has a record of 38-26. That’s not awful, but it’s not the expectation for this program. His team went 5-6 last season and has lost three straight bowl games. A fanbase that is used to winning ACC championships is starting to get restless. Just due south of Blacksburg (more like 3 hours) is Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where the mood of the tar heel nation is electric. They have a championship head coach, Mack Brown and a Heisman candidate at Quarterback, Sam Howell. Last season, Howell threw for 3586 yards and 30 touchdowns. The heels lost a lot of fire power on offense but they have recruited very well. They haven’t fared well against the hokies as of late but they should be looking for W tomorrow night.
5. #9 Notre Dame vs. Florida State – There will be a lot of emotions going on in this game. Legendary FSU coach, Bobby Bowden passed away on August 8, 2021. His accomplishments at Florida State have been etched in stone, as he leaves a legacy of greatness. Now at the helm is Mike Norvell, who is looking to restore the Seminoles back to their glory years, has a tough test Sunday evening with the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame in town. Even though the Irish lost Ian Book and some other weapons, they should be in a good hands with grad transfer Jack Coan. Coan played for the Wisconsin Badgers the past fours seasons, and had some great moments there. It could be a two-quarterback system for the Noles, as both Jordan Travis and UCF transfer McKenzie Milton have not been awarded the starting job. However, seeing Milton walking again is a modern day miracle after the brutal leg injury he suffered a few years ago. He didn’t think he would ever be able play football, let alone walk. Now that is a feel good story, good enough for Hollywood.

Honorable mentions:

#19 Penn St. vs. #12 Wisconsin (Saturday at Noon FOX)

Bosie St. vs. UCF(Thursday at 7:00 ESPN)

#4 Ohio St. vs. Minnesota (Thursday at 8:00 FOX)

#23 Louisiana vs. #21 Texas (Saturday 4:30 FOX)

So sit down and relax in your favorite recliner or sofa, crank open your favorite beverage, grab your remote, and lets watch some football!