The Saturday Down South staff returns for another season to give their picks for some of the top college football games each week. During the regular season, we’ll be picking the 10 best matchups. In Week 0, we have only 5 games to work with.
Everyone is 0-0. Eyes are wide. Hope springs anew.
Let’s get to it.
(Editor’s note: All odds are via BetMGM. Point spreads used for this piece were taken earlier in the week and might not necessarily reflect current odds.)
Week 0 college football scorecard
Here’s how the crew picked the 5 FBS games in Week 0. If you want to bet alongside the guys, check out our guide on the best sports betting apps to score a sign-up bonus at your shop of choice.
No. 22 Iowa State vs. No. 17 Kansas State (-3)
Spenser Davis: I think Kansas State is a legit threat to win the Big 12 (although I’d give the edge to Arizona State as of now) and I don’t necessarily see the Cyclones in that tier. Iowa State has the coaching advantage in a lot of situations, but I’m not so sure that’s the case in this one. I also think Rocco Becht is a bit overrated as a passer. I’ll back the Wildcats here. PICK: Kansas State
Andy Olson: Avery Johnson’s 42.9% completion percentage in KSU’s November loss to ISU stands out in a bad way on his 2024 stat sheet, but he’s had more than 8 months to mature and study what went wrong. It’s not a true rematch, but I like Johnson and the Wildcats in this Round 2 of sorts. PICK: Kansas State
Derek Peterson: I’m taking the Wildcats without much hesitation at the key number of 3. Iowa State was indomitable in one-score games last season and I bet that flips in 2025 given what has to be replaced on defense. The Snydercats match up well against Iowa State’s projected weaknesses and, like Spenser, I think these teams are in different tiers within their conference, even though both are ranked in the AP poll to begin the season. PICK: Kansas State
Adam Spencer: This comes down to Iowa State’s iffy run defense. Kansas State has a mobile QB and a talented RB in Dylan Edwards. I think Avery Johnson and company will win this majorly important Big 12 matchup to get the 2025 season started across the pond. PICK: Kansas State
Ethan Stone: The question on my mind: Who will catch the football for Iowa State? The Cyclones are without Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins, who will both be playing on Sundays this season. I like Becht as a passer more than Johnson, but I think Johnson’s surrounding cast is superior. The Wildcats also have the advantage in the trenches. I lean K-State. PICK: Kansas State
Idaho State at UNLV (-24.5)
SD: I don’t particularly care that Idaho State was a mediocre FCS team last year. I imagine UNLV will find a way to win this game, but I don’t find it inspiring that Alex Orji *and* Anthony Colandrea will reportedly be playing in Week 1. Those guys are pretty different stylistically — Dan Mullen really can’t decide between them? The advanced metrics generally point to a blowout beyond 24.5 points, which raises my suspicion level further. PICK: Idaho State
AO: Dan Mullen is going to want to make a statement and show that he’s still got it as a coach, particularly as an offensive play-caller. Fans watching (or hate-watching) the ex-SEC coach are likely to recognize a few names because there are few things Mullen loves more than taking transfers. PICK: UNLV
DP: UNLV is on my shortlist of teams from the G6 level who can make a run at the CFP. Why? Because Dan Mullen loaded up the roster with a bunch of power conference bodies. Against a small Idaho State team that hasn’t been good since Mullen was in Starkville, UNLV should do whatever it wants. Mullen has been excellent throughout his career at putting dudes with specific skillsets in positions to maximize those skillsets. I kind of love the pairing with him and Alex Orji. PICK: UNLV
AS: Idaho State has been awful against power conference teams over the years. UNLV brought in a ton of guys from power conferences in the transfer portal. I’ll take Dan Mullen to start his Vegas tenure off right by covering the spread. PICK: UNLV
ES: UNLV is a playoff contender, and I had to look up where Idaho State is on a map. Pocatello, if you’re wondering. PICK: UNLV
Fresno State at Kansas (-12.5)
SD: Apropos of nothing, this will be the first time Kansas has played a season-opener against an FBS program since 2008 (excluding the 2020 season when KU only played 1 nonconference game). Astounding. The Jayhawks have become a pretty good program under Lance Leipold but they’ve rarely been favored by double digits during his tenure. That said, Fresno is outside of the top-100 in both offensive and defensive returning production per Bill Connelly. PICK: Kansas
AO: Kansas was one of college football’s weirdest teams last season, posting a 5-7 record that ended with lopsided losses to Colorado and Baylor, but also included back-to-back wins over ranked ISU and BYU teams. Despite that 5-7 finish, KU has a sellout crowd at its newly renovated stadium. Perhaps the Jayhawks are about to take out some frustration and put on a show. PICK: Kansas
DP: Yeah, I like Fresno State to make this a compelling game. Neither of these teams have much continuity heading into the new season, but while Kansas has enjoyed wild swings of late, Fresno found a head coach who has built his career on being sturdy. Matt Entz, of North Dakota State fame, will have the Bulldogs playing sound ball, and that might matter for something against a mistake-prone Kansas quarterback with new faces all around him. PICK: Fresno State
AS: Look, I’m just not going to pick Kansas in any instance, OK? Give me Fresno State to cover the spread on a last-second pick-6 or something crazy. That way the Jayhawks will be frustrated and struggling when they face my Mizzou Tigers in Week 2. PICK: Fresno State
ES: In most instances, I’m going to take the Power 4 team at home against a G5 program with little returning production. This time is no different. PICK: Kansas
Sam Houston at Western Kentucky (-10)
SD: Sam Houston won 10 games last year but then lost head coach KC Keeler to Temple. The Bearkats return quarterback Hunter Watson, but he’s not a very efficient passer. Tyson Helton has turned WKU into a program that consistently wins 8-9 games a year and the Hilltoppers are historically pretty good at covering big spreads like this (12-8 since Helton took over when favored by 10 or more). PICK: Western Kentucky
AO: I’ve got to take at least one underdog to cover, and I’m going with the Bearkats. There’s a lot to like about Phil Longo, so perhaps that offensive scheme will keep this one a little closer than expected. PICK: Sam Houston
DP: I don’t really have a read on this game. I think there will be points, but I have no clue if they will all be scored by Western Kentucky or not. I like the potential in WKU’s passing attack, so I’ll hold my nose and lean that direction. PICK: Western Kentucky
AS: Sam Houston is actually ranked higher than Western Kentucky in ESPN’s Football Power Index. Now, I realize the FPI has its flaws, but if we’re basically saying that these 2 teams are fairly equal in the grand scheme of things, 10 points is a huge spread to cover. Give me the Bearkats to keep this game within single digits. PICK: Sam Houston
ES: These are 2 of the better teams in Conference USA, and it’s likely to be a high-scoring affair. I want to think that gives the Hilltoppers the advantage. But like Adam said, that spread is just too much to go with WKU. PICK: Sam Houston
Stanford at Hawai’i (-2.5)
SD: Hawai’i is generally pretty good in these season-opener spots at home. From 2011 through 2021, the Rainbow Warriors covered 5 home openers in a row by an average of 13 points per game. Maybe it’s something to do with the early-season travel? Now, that streak was unceremoniously stopped by Vanderbilt in 2022 so it’s not fool-proof. But Timmy Chang seems to have this program going in the right direction, so maybe Hawai’i gets back to protecting home field. PICK: Hawai’i
AO: I’d normally be inclined to take an ACC team to cover against Hawai’i, but Stanford is a mess of a program. It’s hard for Stanford to take advantage of the transfer portal as a university where the athletes actually play school. I really wanted to use a line about a guy named Andrew bringing the Cardinal some Luck, but I’m going with the Rainbow Warriors. PICK: Hawai’i
DP: For the late-night crowd, Hawai’i quarterback Micah Alejado is going to be a really fun watch. Stanford is not. PICK: Hawai’i
AS: The fact that Stanford is an underdog in this game tells you all you need to know about the Cardinal in 2025. I’ll take Hawai’i to cover the spread at home. I couldn’t name you a single player on the Stanford roster this year. All I know is that Stanford’s QB1 from last year is Jackson Arnold’s backup at Auburn this fall. Yikes. PICK: Hawai’i
ES: Stanford has so many questions, and they’ll have to travel well over 2,000 miles to play a Hawai’i team that has the most momentum the program has had in some time. I like the Rainbow Warriors. PICK: Hawai’i
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
