Get the yard mowed and the chores done. The first full college football Saturday of the year is here.
Week 1 features fun intraconference matchups across the country that might become extremely relevant when discussing playoff seeding months from now. Of note, the new-look #11 LSU Tigers host Clemson on Saturday night. Wisconsin and #4 Notre Dame will duel at Lambeau Field on Sunday. Plus, a potential sleeper, #24 Louisville, visits #9 Ole Miss in the only matchup of the weekend between ranked squads.
What should we expect with so many familiar faces in new places because of the transfer portal?
For informational purposes only. This is opinion, not trading advice. Kalshi is not affiliated with the NCAA. See full disclaimer below.
Baylor vs. Auburn
Among the afternoon games, I find the Auburn Tigers’ home opener against Baylor as the most captivating contest.
It’s a new era at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The school hired Alex Golesh, who led the South Florida Bulls to a 9-3 record with multiple high-profile upsets a year ago, as its next head coach as the team looks to return to the SEC Championship Game for the first time since 2017.
Golesh brought a key friend with him. Dual-threat quarterback Byrum Brown is among Kalshi’s top-20 players in Heisman Trophy odds after a season where he averaged 263.2 passing yards and 84.0 rushing yards per game. His 42 total touchdowns tied Fernando Mendoza for the most in the country.
Baylor’s Dave Aranda begins his seventh season coaching the school, and they’ll wrap up their Week 1 home-and-home series with Auburn after losing in Waco a year ago. Aranda replaces Sawyer Robertson with DJ Lagway, the former Florida standout, at quarterback.
Both Golesh’s Bulls and the Tigers were top-35 schools in yards per play (YPP) allowed on defense a year ago, and the Bears (92nd) had trouble getting stops — though Baylor did add five upperclassmen in the portal on that side of the ball.
Brown’s squad averaged 40.5 points per game (PPG) in Tampa a year ago. Baylor’s offense better be ready to light it up.
Swami's Crystal Ball Says: Auburn 38, Baylor 30
Clemson vs. #11 LSU
In more ways than one, the college football landscape has its eyes glued to Lane Kiffin’s LSU Tigers this season.
Kiffin has stretched the absolute limits of the portal to turn LSU into a contender, including recruiting former players of his who have already reported to NFL training camps. However, even within the provisions of that lawsuit, his most notable progress was in loading up the offense, as he often does. Former Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt will call the signals, NFL Draft prospect Jordan Seaton was added at left tackle from Colorado, and the wide receiver room is flush with talent, including Jayce Brown from Kansas State.
Though once opposed to the portal, Dabo Swinney and Clemson pivoted to add a few reinforcements on defense this summer. A disappointing 7-6 record probably led to that decision. The Cade Klubnik era in Death Valley is over; Christopher Vizzina takes over after 71 attempts in mop-up duty last year. At least he’ll have a stud duo of receivers, Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore, to lean on.
A night game in Baton Rouge is an environment so intimidating that perhaps even LSU’s offense, full of new parts needing to gel, might be a tad nervous. There’s no doubt, though, that Vizzina will have it worse than anyone.
Swami's Crystal Ball Says: LSU 27, Clemson 16
Wisconsin vs. #4 Notre Dame
It’ll be sunny with temperatures reaching 80 degrees in Green Bay on Sunday, so the tundra is far from frozen. Still, it’ll be awesome to see college football at this historic pro venue for the first time since 2016. Wisconsin defeated LSU, 16-14, in that one.
This is also Notre Dame's opening contest, a team with sky-high expectations in 2026. After getting left out of the College Football Playoff, despite 10 straight wins after two early-season defeats to fellow playoff teams, the Irish have a chip on their shoulder and bring back key contributors like QB C.J. Carr and CB Leonard Moore, who is expected to be one of the top picks in April’s draft.
Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell is looking to get the program back on track after a 16-21 record in three official seasons with the school. The team is still looking for a reliable source of offense, hoping Old Dominion transfer Colton Joseph is the answer at quarterback. Abu Sama III is a high-profile running back transfer from Iowa State, as well.
In terms of YPP allowed, Notre Dame has been a top-10 school for three straight seasons. Marcus Freeman’s side of the ball is not an easy adversary for someone like Joseph, who might be forced into more third-and-long situations that the pro-style offense is designed to handle.
Swami's Crystal Ball Says: Notre Dame 31, Wisconsin 10
#24 Louisville at #9 Ole Miss
There’s one ranked matchup on the calendar, and it’ll have its own spotlight on Sunday night.
Jeff Brohm’s Louisville Cardinals set out for their fifth consecutive winning season. Star running back Isaac Brown’s return certainly helps the case for it, and Ohio State transfer Lincoln Kienholz is the latest transfer, following in the footsteps of Tyler Shough and Miller Moss, looking to have a career year in Derby City.
On the other side, Ole Miss and head coach Pete Golding are hoping to prove last year’s Cinderella run in the playoffs was no fluke. The team’s biggest win came in a courtroom, which granted QB Trinidad Chambliss another year of college eligibility. Running back Kewan Lacy is also expected to be one of the first taken at the position in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Quietly, Louisville was 16th in YPP allowed a year ago, and they’re 27th in ESPN’s SP+ efficiency rankings in the preseason with upperclassmen starting at every position. Slowing down Chambliss and Lacy is no simple task, but they will give us a decent litmus test of this scoring unit’s explosiveness in its first year without Lane Kiffin’s system in place. Plus, the Rebels have new starters at both offensive tackle spots.
I think this game ultimately comes down to Kienholz’s composure in a raucous Oxford setting. Brohm seems confident, but why do we love football? The truth will be evident on the gridiron over the course of a few hours.
Swami's Crystal Ball Says: Ole Miss 30, Louisville 27
The opinions and perspectives presented in this article belong solely to the author. This is not financial advice and does not constitute an offer, solicitation, or recommendation to trade any specific product. Information is provided for convenience only on an "AS IS" basis. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. 18+ only. Restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Trading event contracts and trading leveraged products, including perpetual futures, involves significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. Please carefully consider if it is appropriate for you in light of your personal financial circumstances. Kalshi products are not available in all jurisdictions. See kalshi.com/regulatory for more information. Kalshi is subject to U.S. regulatory oversight by the CFTC. Kalshi is not affiliated with the NCAA.
