It's finally Week 1 in college football, with no shortage of exciting matchups to choose from throughout the weekend.
We've already delivered a full array of college football picks, but ahead of Saturday's slate, let's take a closer look at a trio of games, how the college football odds have moved, and any weather that may impact the day's games.
Featured college football Week 1 odds
Utah State vs Alabama
Utah State gets the unfortunate gift of a Week 1 trip to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama. The Crimson Tide are 41.5-point favorites here, but that's after considerable line movement due to the Aggies' Week 0 performance.
Utah State beat UConn by just 11 points, despite entering as 24-point favorites. That was enough to move the Aggies' line here from between 38.5-39.5 to Utah State +41.5.
Notre Dame vs Ohio State
Arguably the headliner of Saturday's college football slate will come in Columbus, where Ohio State hosts Notre Dame. Despite the Irish's standing as a Top-10 team in the nation, the Buckeyes are 17-point favorites at the Horseshoe. This week has seen the line move between 17 and 17.5 points, after rising from as low as 14.5 in mid-August.
Utah vs Florida
Another excellent matchup will come in The Swamp, where the Gators host Utah as 3-point underdogs. This spread has doubled since the lookahead lines hit the board in the spring, but as of this week, the line movement has only seen the Utes move from -2.5 to -3.
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College football Week 1 news
Bo knows
It's a new era for Oregon, with former Georgia DC Dan Lanning taking charge of his new program as the Ducks face the Bulldogs. Lanning won't be the only familiar face Georgia will see, however, with Auburn transfer Bo Nix in line to start for Oregon in Week 1.
Nix has previously faced the Bulldogs (and Lanning) three times in his collegiate career and will carry the weight of an 0-3 record into this game.
Bearcat bounce back
Cincinnati will be among the most intriguing teams to follow early in the 2022 season. The Bearcats made history last year, as the first Group of Five school to make the CFP, but now the encore comes with a considerably different spine. Cincy lost a host of core players, most notably QB Desmond Ridder and CB Sauce Gardner. Oddsmakers aren't showing a ton of faith, with the Bearcats 6.5-point dogs on the road to Arkansas.
Freeman returns
Hanging over Notre Dame's trip to Columbus is the man on the sidelines, Irish head coach Marcus Freeman. The new HC made his name as a Buckeye, where he earned All-Big Ten honors and went on to be a fifth-round pick of the Texans. Freeman's career as a head coach didn't exactly get off to a charmed start, with a Fiesta Bowl loss quickly following Brian Kelly's departure at the end of last season.
An upset — like the one the Ducks pulled off at the Horseshoe last year — would be quite a statement for Freeman to make.
College football Week 1 injuries
Notre Dame vs Ohio State
The Irish offense limps into Columbus, with no injury more glaring than that of All-American center Jarrett Patterson. Should Patterson's foot injury hold him out, it could be a long day for QB Tyler Buchner, with a deep and relentless Ohio State defensive front to contend with.
UL Monroe vs Texas
If Texas football is to be back in 2022, it'll be without transfer WR Isaiah Neyor, who suffered a season-ending injury in mid-August. A 6-foot-3, 216-pound receiver, the former Wyoming stud was a great get for the Longhorns after a 44-catch, 878-yard, 12-TD 2021 season. Texas should have no issues overcoming the loss early, as it enters Saturday as 37.5-point favorites over UL Monroe.
Check out our full College football injury reports.
College football Week 1 weather
The Big House can get rocked with some brutal football weather but it'll be OK Saturday, with a total of 62 on the board and only a 10% chance of rain.
Notre Dame vs. Ohio State, with a total of 59, may not be as lucky, with chances of rain creeping up toward 50% as the weekend nears.
And, for those flinching at the full-game spread Alabama is tasked with covering, the first-half spread could be more appealing — as the Tide and Aggies are looking at a hot, heavy day in the south with 70% humidity and an 81% chance of rain.
See our full live college football weather info.
