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NCAA College Week 1 - late games
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Fearless Rick & Coin Flip NCAA Week 1 Late Games
All times Eastern
Saturday, August 30, 2025
1 Texas at 3 Ohio State (-2.5, 48) 12:00 pm (FOX) - This is the big one, a game with eventual playoff implication contested by last season’s national champion and the team they beat (28-14) to claim the crown. Bear in mind, the game was decided late in the fourth quarter on an 83-yard fumble recovery by Jack Sawyer as the Longhorns were close to Ohio State’s goal line with the score 21-14.
There are so many variables in this game that it is impossible to list them all, but the biggest is at quarterback. Arch Manning gets his first big game start for the Longhorns, and he should play to his potential, which is very high. Ohio State will start Julian Sayin, who has limited experience, but can really fling it and has experienced receivers.
This will be a coaches’ game. Texas’ Steve Sarkisian and the Buckeyes’ Ryan Day have both been in big games before.
The teams have met four times before, with two wins each. Tiebreaker goes to Ohio State, though the Longhorns, and their defense, will be tough to beat, but Ohio State, at home? Look out.
Coin Flip: Texas
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Buckeyes 27 Longhorns 20
Syracuse should prove a worthy opponent in this opener. They also finished 10-3 in 2024, ending their season with a 52-35 win over Washington State in the Holiday Bowl. With losses to Stanford, Pitt, and Boston College, given a some breaks, fewer mental errors and turnovers the Orange could have been undefeated. They also have a new QB, Steve Angeli, a transfer from Notre Dame. The Orange will not go quietly and are probably good enough to make this much closer than the line suggests.
Coin Flip: Tennessee
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Volunteers 34 Orange 30
The Wolf Pack was 0-7 in Mountain West play in 2024 and 3-10 overall. This is a patsy for Penn State in a workout for starters and subs.
Coin Flip: Penn State
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Nittany Lions 56 Wolf Pack 6
The Crimson Tide had, for them, a down year, at 9-4, in the first year with Kalen DeBoer as head coach. The Tide faithful will not tolerate anything less than a playoff run this season and a big win here is expected.
Coin Flip: Florida State
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Crimson Tide 42 Seminoles 14
South Dakota is one of the top Division II teams and will show up with ill intent. Last season, they upset the Badgers, 27-13, at Wisconsin, so they’re capable of winning when they’re road dogs.
Iowa State has the advantage on both sides of the ball, but this is also a trap game for them with Iowa next week. A squeaker?
Coin Flip: South Dakota
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Cyclones 27 Coyotes 23
LSU, as usual, a contender in the SEC, lacks consistency in their running game and will find first downs at a premium. Look for Clemson’s defense to give their offense favorable field position and the offense to get off the mark early and score often.
Coin Flip: Clemson
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Clemson Tigers 38 LSU Tigers 17
Michigan is expected to return to the elite ranks of the college world. Bryce Underwood is the starter at QB for the Wolverines, after a season in which they struggled for offense, he is a capable passer. The Michigan defense is going to be top-shelf, proven in their 13-10 win over Ohio State and a 19-13 win over Alabama in the Reliaquest Bowl to close out the season. They may pitch a shutout here.
Coin Flip: New Mexico
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Wolverines 45 Lobos 3
Virginia Tech at 13 South Carolina (-8, 52.5) 3:00 pm (ESPN) - South Carolina could be one of the sleeper teams of 2025. They finished the regular season at 9-3 and were within a whisker of making the 12-team national playoff. Instead, they ended up at the Citrus Bowl and lost a dogfight to Illinois, 21-17.
The Gamecocks have very high hopes and plenty of talent, including returning QB LaNorris Sellers, who can, and has, hurt opponents with his hands and his feet. He led the team in passing and rushing in their upset win over Clemson, 17-14, last season.
The Hokies went 6-6 last season, found their way to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl and got plastered by Minnesota, 24-10. They’re a mid-level ACC squad with some upside, but this is a tough place to start.
Coin Flip: Virginia Tech
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Gamecocks 34 Hokies 20
There’s a reason Beck left Georgia. His future there was as a non-starter there, thus the transfer portal worked out for him. The Fighting Irish are seeking a national championship and could make life miserable for the Miami faithful.
Coin Flip: Miami
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Fighting Irish 27 Hurricanes 17
TCU (-3, 56) at North Carolina 8:00 pm (ESPN) - The highly anticipated debut of Bill Belichick as a college head coach for North Carolina closes out the big college weekend with a bang.
North Carolina was a disappointing 6-7 last year, losing to UConn, 27-14, in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl fo close out the season. Enter Belichick and many portal moves. The coach knows how to put players into positions in which they can be successful and he’s likely going to do that with the Tar Heels. TCU will give them a good game. They were 9-4, but didn’t play any teams that ended the season ranked.
Tar Heels should take care of business.
Coin Flip: North Carolina
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Tar Heels 30 Horned Frogs 21
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