It is finally here.  College Football returns Thursday, in a big, jammed packed Thursday and Friday schedule this week.  My format for college football will be a little different than other sports.  Since there are so many games each weekend in college football, I will preview the games that are between ranked teams, big conference matchups, upset alerts, and any other game that has a fancy to it.  Week 1 definitely has some great games, including one possible major upset.

 No.21 Texas A&M vs. No.9 South Carolina

Both teams lost a whole in the draft this past year, and recovering will have it’s pains, but this is a great SEC Conference matchup featuring two ranked teams.  South Carolina has Mike Davis, the stud running back who had 11 TD’s last season.  The Aggies are starting Kenny Hill, a sophomore QB who’s thrown a 183 yards in his career.  The Gamecocks should take care of the Aggies in Columbia.  Prediction: South Carolina-27 A&M-20

No.16 Clemson vs.No.12 Georgia

Personally, Georgia is a little overrated.  I don’t think they deserve the No.12 spot in the nation, though they still have Todd Gurley.  Aaron Murray is with the Chiefs, and Huston Mason played two games last season.  He put up a lot of yards, but threw three interceptions.  Clemson lost a lot of talent too, and it still bugs me that they never won a national championship.  They still have a lot of experienced guys, and they definitely make a bowl game this year.  Prediction: Clemson-20 Georgia-17

No.14 Wisconsin vs. No.13 LSU

A great non-conference matchup between two closely ranked teams, this one should be a dandy.  It’s also being played at NRG Stadium (formally Reliant Stadium) in Houston, Texas.  A QB competition has been taking place at LSU and Wisconsin and both coaches haven’t named a starter.  Both of these teams have great defenses, and it should be a low scoring game.  Prediction: Wisconsin-14 LSU-10

Other Interesting Games

No.15 USC vs. Fresno State

A matchup of last year’s Las Vegas Bowl, where USC killed a heavily favored Fresno State, a team which included Derek Carr.  This is a very interesting game.  I’m a little confused about how high USC was ranked, but after Steve Sarkisian was hired this offseason, so I see where it came from.  Fresno State won’t have the year they did last year, and they could really fall apart quickly.  USC should roll through this game.  Prediction: USC-35 Fresno State-7

Miami (FL) vs. Louisville

Both teams were great last year, and both lost their star QB’s to the NFL.  Louisville has a new coach in Bobby Petrino after Charlie Strong left for Texas.  Louisville killed their conference rival last year, when both were ranked, 36-9.  This game shouldn’t be that bad, but it would be a upset should Miami win. Prediction: Louisville-24 Miami-13

Upset Alerts

This week provides a couple of upset alerts, including the No.1 team.

No.1 Florida State vs Oklahoma State

I may be crazy, but Florida State has a tough game Week 1.  The game is a neutral site, being played at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.  The Cowboys put up points, and so the Seminoles.  If Oklahoma State puts up points, this one could come down to the wire, and possibly send the Seminoles to 0-1 record to begin the season.

Boise State vs. No.18 Ole Miss

Another neutral site game, being played at the Georgia Dome, this game features a team who isn’t used to be not ranked come kickoff week, and a team who should be making some noise in the SEC this year.  Boise State has a new coaching staff, and probably won’t be a big threat to anyone.  Ole Miss lost a lot of close games last year, and they should be rebounding a bit.  No matter who coaching the Broncos, Boise State plays tough, and even though Ole Miss is favored, the Broncos could get in a groove that the Rebels can’t stop.