Welcome to “Feast Week” across college football, an opening weekend ripe with countless spotlight games pitting top 25 teams and national championship contenders on the grand stage. Talking season is over and our first set of predictions are here, intended to give you an edge despite a variety of unknowns we’ll get answers to over the next few days.
Chris Hummer and I started this uninterrupted weekly picks column in 2017 at 247Sports and we’re bringing it here to CBS Sports for 2025. We’ll keep a season-long running tally and our head-to-head winner has averaged an accuracy rating against the spread at just over 62% annually since we began. We pick college football’s 10 best games each week and give you our picks straight up and against the spread (ATS).
All we ask is you tail accordingly and wager responsibly! For clarity, lines for these selections were taken Aug. 24 via FanDuel Sportsbook.
Hummer (Cincinnati +6.5): Both these teams should be better in 2025 after significant roster upgrades in the transfer portal. I’d argue the Bearcats have the better quarterback with Brendan Sorsby, but the Huskers have an advantage on both lines of scrimmage. I’d expect this to be a close contest with the potential for quite a few points. If this was a 7.5-point line, I’d hammer the Bearcats as I think this is a game between even teams with some serious questions to answer. As it is, I’ll cautiously take Cincinnati to cover. … Nebraska 31, Cincinnati 28
Crawford (Nebraska -6.5) — I’m high on the Huskers this season and picked them to finish fifth in the Big Ten standings. Needless to say, I’m expecting Nebraska to open with an impressive showing against the Bearcats with Dylan Raiola showcasing the next step in his development. If Nebraska wins here and beats Michigan in a couple of weeks, there’s a legitimate chance this team’s unbeaten heading into November. … Nebraska 31, Cincinnati 13
Hummer (Auburn -2.5): This game comes down to two areas. First, how does Auburn’s secondary hold up? Baylor is going to throw it a ton with Sawyer Robertson pulling the trigger. He averaged 35 passes per game over Baylor’s last nine games last year. That’s how Baylor wins. But I am bullish on an Auburn pass defense that finished top 50 nationally last year and made some upgrades in the portal. The second is more tenuous: Can Jackson Arnold thrive? Hugh Freeze isn’t exactly inspiring confidence with his talk of three quarterbacks seeing snaps. But I’m a believer in Auburn’s offensive talent and think Arnold will be good enough. The Tigers start the season off with a statement in Waco. … Auburn 27, Baylor 24
Crawford (Auburn -2.5): There’s pressure on Dave Aranda and Freeze. The latter is not going to play three quarterbacks on the road, but Auburn will have three different play-callers, following a plan instituted last season that didn’t come without hiccups. The Tigers getting to where they want to be this fall may not be possible if confidence is rattled early with a loss to Baylor and Freeze knows it. Keep it simple for Arnold, get the ball in the hands of ample wideout talent and Auburn should win. … Auburn 29, Baylor 24
Hummer (Syracuse +13.5): I’ll take the points in this one. Tennessee is the more talented team. The Vols also come with a very high floor while the Orange are replacing 15 starters off a 10-win team. But the Vols do have some question marks. One of the nation’s best secondaries a year ago returns just three starters, and the Orange are going to chunk the ball under OC Jeff Nixon. I also have real questions about Tennessee’s offense after losing Dylan Sampson, Nico Iamaleava and almost every key pass catcher on the roster. The Orange are also a little better in the trenches than people realize. The Vols win, but it’s a four-quarter game. … Tennessee 34, Syracuse 24
Crawford (Tennessee -13.5): It’s going to take several weeks to see if Josh Heupel gets the last laugh with his offseason decision to let Iamaleava walk in favor of Joey Aguilar at quarterback. Fresh off a playoff trip last fall, Tennessee may not reach the field in 2025 but should get to bowl eligibility with ease given some of the talent returning in other spots. Syracuse won 10 games in 2024, but the Orange will take a step back in Fran Brown’s second campaign. … Tennessee 34, Syracuse 16
Hummer (UCLA +6.5): I really like the Bruins here to cover. Utah is a team I’m extremely bullish on due to their defense and offensive line. But there is certainly a question as to what the Utes’ passing attack led by Devon Dampier will look like. I think that could be shaky early in the year. UCLA should be considerably better this year offensively with Iamaleava under center. He’s a huge upgrade for an incredibly pedestrian passing attack a season ago. If UCLA’s new-look defense — nine new starters — can create any sort of pressure this is going to be close. … Utah 24, UCLA 21
Crawford (Utah -6.5): I was hoping this line would creep over seven points by kickoff so it would make the Bruins a juicier selection in Iamaleava’s debut. Expect a four-quarter game regardless between squads we know very little about from the outset other than new starters at quarterback and programs looking to rebound from disappointing finishes in 2024. I’m trusting Kyle Whittingham in this spot. … Utah 27, UCLA 20
No. 9 LSU at No. 4 Clemson (-3.5)
Hummer (Clemson -3.5): What a game to open the season. This is a battle of arguably the sport’s two best quarterbacks (Cade Klubnik, Garrett Nussmeier) and two of the best overall rosters in the sport. LSU is my SEC championship pick for the year, but I don’t love how this game sets up for it. The Tigers from Baton Rouge are working in new additions across the roster with only seven returning starters, so that’s going to take time to gel. I also worry about LSU’s new-look offensive tackles going up against what could be the best D-line in the country. Both these teams will be excellent by season’s end but give me Clemson in Week 1 to get it done. Plus, Brian Kelly just doesn’t win in Week 1. He’s lost five straight openers. … Clemson 24, LSU 20
Crawford (LSU +3.5): Kelly gave the other Tigers more than enough bulletin board material ahead of this one during the summer, from harping on LSU’s season-opening losing skid to chiding the other Death Valley. You’re going to see a ton of future NFL Draft picks in this one between two teams I’ve projected to be included in the playoff this fall. And you can’t understate the elite quarterback matchup, either. The spot where I worry about LSU’s chances here comes at the line of scrimmage where four new offensive line starters must protect Nussmeier. … Clemson 30, LSU 27
Hummer (Ohio State -2.5): These teams played seven months ago, but there’s not a ton you can take away from that game after both programs lost double-digit draft picks. You can slice this game apart however you want. Both teams are loaded. Ohio State probably gets the edge at receiver, tight end and in the secondary. Texas will have the better front seven play. Quarterback and the offensive lines? We’ll see. Both teams are majorly resetting those units, and whichever team wins in those areas probably takes this game. Frankly, this is a coin toss. But I have a hard time picking against Ohio State at home. … Ohio State 24, Texas 21
Crawford (Texas +2.5): The early line for this mammoth matchup was 3.5 points in the spring, but that number is long gone. Steve Sarkisian’s smart. He’s going to make Ohio State show its new-look defensive front can stop the run before throwing Manning to the wolves on the road. And with that Buckeyes defense, I have questions within the front seven. The Longhorns go into Ohio Stadium and have their way at the line of scrimmage against the defending national champions, who will be back in the thick of the conversation later this season in the Big Ten. … Texas 27, Ohio State 24
Hummer (Alabama -13.5): There’s a lot of potential value with Florida State this year coming off a disastrous two-win season. The Seminoles are going to be better. The roster is too talented and Gus Malzahn’s offense tends to raise the floor for a team. But I love Alabama in this one. The Tide had an excellent run defense a year ago and bring back a lot of key pieces along the front seven. I also think Ty Simpson gives Alabama’s offense a much, much higher down-to-down floor than Jalen Milroe did. This is close for a half, but the Tide pull away in the second half as Florida State struggles to consistently move the football. … Alabama 35, Florida State 21
Crawford (Alabama -13.5): There’s some hesitancy in this selection, because we don’t truly know who Simpson is yet as the Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback. There’s just as many questions on offense for the Seminoles, who transition to a Malzahn-coached attack with former Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos as the new starter. Despite being without starting running back Jam Miller, Alabama will win in Tallahassee but may need to a late score to ice it in a two-possession game. … Alabama 35, Florida State 20
Hummer (South Carolina -7.5): I don’t have a lot of confidence in Virginia Tech going into this season. The Hokies should be solid offensively if Kyron Drones can stay healthy — expect him to run it plenty in 2025 — but an offensive line with five new starters has a very tough task ahead against Dylan Stewart and what is still an excellent South Carolina defensive front. Rahsul Faison’s last-minute eligibility waiver approval is also a huge boon for the Gamecocks, who can rely on the run as the passing game develops over the course of the season. … South Carolina 28, Virginia Tech 20
Crawford (South Carolina -7.5): The Gamecocks have heard it throughout the offseason … how will a nine-win team be able to absorb the vast loss of defensive personnel to the NFL Draft? Shane Beamer’s not worried, nor should bettors in this spot for South Carolina. While the season-opening spot is usually a tough one here for the Gamecocks, who have failed to cover in Week 1 back to back years, there’s a brewing confidence from those inside the program that LaNorris Sellers and this group opens with a bang in Atlanta. … South Carolina 31, Virginia Tech 17
No. 6 Notre Dame (-2.5) at No. 10 Miami — Sunday
Hummer (Miami +2.5): A battle of two of the best offensive lines in the country, this game likely comes down to two things: 1.) Is Miami’s new look defense any better at stopping big plays? 2.) Is CJ Carr ready for a test like this on the road? Miami loaded up in the portal defensively and also made a defensive switch to what projects to be a very blitz-happy scheme that thrives on throwing different looks at a quarterback. Could Miami bust some more? Certainly. But we’ll see how the execution happens. As for Carr … he didn’t exactly kill it in camp. The Irish have an ideal setup around him. He just has to avoid big turnovers. Can he win on the road? I like Miami to make an early statement. … Miami 28, Notre Dame 27
Crawford (Miami +2.5): The loaded Week 1 continues with this showdown on Sunday night. The Hurricanes should win a lot of games this season at the line of scrimmage with a bevy of returning talent along with portal additions. Anchored by a veteran offensive front that is Miami’s deepest in years, Mario Cristobal will lean on those guys in the opener. Carson Beck has much to prove under center and the Fighting Irish are going to feed Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price as much as they can with Carr making his first career start. … Miami 23, Notre Dame 20
Hummer (TCU -3.5): It’s hard to know much about this Tar Heels team. They return only six starters and Bill Belichick’s debut staff almost all comes from the NFL I do believe UNC will be will prepared, but I question how good it’ll be along the lines of scrimmage, both of which are totally revamped from a year ago. TCU on the other hand? I know exactly what the Horned Frogs are. They’re going to be one of the best passing offenses in the FBS, and they should be much better up front defensively this season with better help. TCU delivers Belichick a loss in his UNC debut. … TCU 34, North Carolina 27
Crawford (TCU -3.5): With more than a dozen returning starters, I think veteran leadership prevails in this spot for TCU and spoils Belichick’s debut for the Tar Heels. That said, there are going to be a ton of folks backing the home team. North Carolina’s schedule is conducive to success this fall and if the Tar Heels are able to upset the Horned Frogs on Monday night, there’s a real shot at double-digit wins given the lack of quality competition elsewhere outside of a matchup with Clemson in a few weeks. … TCU 41, North Carolina 27
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