College Football Weekend Kickoff: Top 10 Must-Watch Games, Upsets Brewing, And Arch Manning Hype In Overdrive
Upsets, rivalries, and stars on display: Here are the Top 10 games shaping college football’s Labor Day Weekend kickoff.
I hope you took this past Saturday to prepare yourself for the official start to college football, which will be on full display starting Thursday night, as the 2025 season is finally kicking into full gear.
What better way to spend the upcoming five days than sitting in your man-cave, enjoying your multi-television setup, while we entrench ourselves in this beautiful lineup?
Thankfully, this past Saturday produced enough drama so that we could enjoy the appetizer that was Kansas State versus Iowa State, and Stanford versus Hawaii. Yes, I said Hawaii, so hopefully you were watching when the last-second field goal sailed through the uprights, which could send the Cardinal into a tailspin.
How could you not be excited about the upcoming slate of games that will have us entertained for five days straight? That's a rhetorical question, so I don't need you to come up with an answer.
As for ranking the games set to be played this week, it's hard to put a number on these matchups, given that I would watch two FCS teams battling inside a high school stadium if it were on television.
But, let's give it a go.
My College Football Top-10 Games Of Labor Day Weekend
No. 1: Texas vs. Ohio State (12 pm ET, Saturday on FOX)
Let the Arch Manning hype begin, though it's already reached a peak level before he starts his third ever college football game. Look, obviously this one will have the attention of just about everyone who has a pulse, and enjoys this beautiful sport, but don't freak out if your team loses. It's not the end of the world, especially with the 12-team playoff. Can Ohio State's defense shutdown the Manning hype-train? Absolutely they can, and folks seem to be talking more about the Longhorns than the defending national champions.
No. 2: LSU vs. Clemson (7:30 pm ET, Saturday)
Oh my goodness, this game is going to be bonkers. And I'm just talking about the environment right now. A night game in Death Valley, between two teams fighting for a national championship, sign me up. It's Cade Klubnik versus Garrett Nussmeir, Brian Kelly versus Dabo Swinney. We've seen how LSU opens the season on the road, and my goodness, they need a win to open the regular season. But, Clemson has a squad that should contend for a championship, and the Tigers are prone to lose in these opening games. Something has to give in the great State of South Carolina.
No. 3: Miami vs. Notre Dame (7:30 pm ET, Sunday)
Ok, let's see if Carson Beck is ready to help lead Miami back into the national conversation for a title. What better way to open the season than this historic rivalry in South Florida, at night? We all know the history between these two teams, and I can promise you Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman will have his team ready for a fight. Sign me up, and I know you'll be watching.
No. 4: Alabama vs. Florida State (3:30 pm ET, Saturday)
Are we finally moving past the Nick Saban talk at Alabama? Can Kalen DeBoer coach this squad without everyone trying to compare his results up against the legendary coach? Sorry, he's not running from that. But, Alabama does have a team that should contend for a national championship, while Florida State is trying to prove that 2024 was just a fluke. Can Mike Norvell turn this thing around in Tallahassee? We're going to find out. Hopefully FSU can back up all the off-season chatter about this opening game, or Alabama will run right through them.
No.5: South Carolina vs. Virginia Tech (3:00 pm ET, Sunday)
It's ‘Beamer Ball’ in Atlanta. All eyes are on LaNorris Sellers and South Carolina, hoping to prove some folks right about this upcoming season. I'm stoked to see this game on Sunday afternoon, especially when you throw in the Shane Beamer effect, and going up against his father's old team. This should be a fun one, and I fully expect the Gamecocks to win. Now, watch Virginia Tech come out of the gates and ruin the expectations of South Carolina. I'm kidding. Or am I?
No. 6: Colorado vs. Georgia Tech (8:00 pm ET, Friday)
Life at Colorado for Deion Sanders without Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders will start on Friday night against Georgia Tech. Can the Buffaloes be a surprise team in the Big 12 this season? They’ll have to get through Tech quarterback Haynes King, who should cause all sorts of problems for the Colorado defense. This one will be fun, and I'm sure the overreactions would be minimal if Deion Sanders were to lose his first game without Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders. It's only logical.…
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No.7: Auburn vs. Baylor (8:00 pm ET, Friday)
We're on Hugh Freeze alert already, given the off-season chatter surrounding this Auburn program. No, I don't expect the Tigers to actually play three quarterbacks, but who knows at this point. Baylor would love nothing more than to force Auburn fans into full-on panic mode following the opening game of the 2025 season. Though the Tigers should win this game with overall talent, I don't know if I trust this Auburn team just yet. They're going to have to prove it.
No.8: North Carolina vs. TCU (8:00 pm ET, Monday)
Are you ready for Belichick-Mania? I know the folks at North Carolina are, along with the production team from Hulu. Yes, we're getting a docu-series of Bill Belichick's first season in Chapel Hill. This will be the final game of the weekend, played on Monday night. I have no idea what to expect from this UNC team, but you can bet TCU is coming into town to score a lot of points. Will Jordon Hudson make an appearance? What do you think?
No.9: Cincinnati vs. Nebraska (9:00 pm ET, Thursday)
The Dylan Raiola campaign continues for Nebraska, as they play Cincinnati on Thursday night in Kansas City. Can Matt Rhule get the Cornhuskers back into the Big 10 conversation? He's got enough talented players to cause some chaos this season, but they had better start the season with a win against the Bearcats.
No. 10: Utah vs. UCLA (11:00 pm ET, Saturday)
The Nico Iamaleava era officially begins this weekend in LA, as Utah heads to town for this season-opener. After an offseason filled with chaos for Iamaleava, there will certainly be a large number of eyes on the Bruins quarterback. I'd imagine a lot of those eyes will be located within the Tennessee fan base, where ‘hate-watching’ will be in full force. Nico has a chance to be productive this season, but that all depends on his offensive co-stars. Judging by the talent Utah has, it could be a rough Saturday at the Rose Bowl if the UCLA defense doesn’t show up.
Honorable Mention:
Do not sleep on the South Florida versus Boise State game on Thursday. This one could turn into a shootout in Florida.
There you have it, my college football Top-10 of games this weekend. We finally made it to a full Saturday slate, and you can bet there will be a number of upsets on the horizon.
Let me know what you think. Email me at Trey.Wallace@OutKick.com and we'll discuss your opening weekend predictions. What game should’ve made the list?