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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, September 5
North Texas at 6 Indiana (-40.5, 55) 12:00 pm (FOX) - Defending national champions, Indiana has a lot on the line here against a North Texas team that reached the American conference championship game, losing, 34-21, to Tulane.
The Mean Green made amends by winning the New Mexico Bowl over San Diego State, 49-47. North Texas is not likely to go do easy and Indiana doesn’t have many of the same players as they did last season. Points look very, very juicy.
Coin Flip: North Texas
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Hoosiers 31 Mean Green 20
All said and done, the Pirates may turn the tide on Alabama. Defensive scheming should work well against an offense that may not be at its best.
Coin Flip: Alabama
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Crimson Tide 31 Pirates 26
Still, their 2-10 record from last season doesn’t scare the Cougars, who are seeking a Big 12 title after going 6-3 in the conference and 10-3 overall last season.
Coin Flip: Houston
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Cougars 41 Beavers 14
Look for the Ducks to fly high on offense and show up with a defense that might be even better than last year’s.
Coin Flip: Boise State
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Ducks 51 Broncos 13
Auburn had a very down season in 2025, winning only one of eight conference games, so this will be a real test for them. Baylor was 3-6 in in Big 12 and 5-7 overall, making this game look more like a toss-up than the seven point line indicates.
Coin Flip: Auburn
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Bears 37 Tigers 31
Coach Lane Kiffin took over as the LSU head coach at the end of last season and is expected to lead the Tigers back to national prominence. This game will be a litmus test for his high hopes against a crafty Dabo Swinney, head coach of the Clemson Tigers. Clemson has had a couple of rough seasons, but Swinney has a plan and losing to LSU may not be part of it. The war of words has already begun and the Clemson players will be ready to rock.
Coin Flip: LSU
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Clemson Tigers 27 LSU Tigers 24
Washington State at 17 Washington (-23.5, 50) 4:00 pm (NBC) - If there’s any question how irrelevant preseason rankings are, this is the game that proves the point. A long-running, traditional, natural rivalry is set up as a runaway for the ranked Huskies.
The Cougars managed a 7-6 record last season and now have company in an expanded PAC-12 conference. They should put forth a competitive effort and may come away with a win.
Coin Flip: Washington State
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Cougars 34 Huskies 24
Wisconsin is one of the better defensive teams out of the Big 10, but they’re not likely to slow down Notre Dame’s offense. Besides, the Fighting Irish may have one of the best defenses in the country. We’ll find out who’s boss right away with this prime-time matchup.
Coin Flip: Notre Dame
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Fighting Irish 38 Badgers 14
Even with Lane Kiffin being replaced by Pete Golding, there isn’t much drop-off to be expected from Ole Miss. They’re likely to compete heavily in the SEC and may very well return to the CFP. Louisville, although a solid squad in their own right, will struggle to keep their defense off the field.
Coin Flip: Louisville
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Rebels 34 Cardinals 20
19 SMU (-3, 52.5) at Florida State 8:00 pm (ESPN) - Florida State unranked and an underdog at home? Blasphemy!
Of course, one has to consider what a colossal flop the Seminoles were in 2025 (5-7) to understand the reasoning. It doesn’t help matters that SMU went through their 2025 campaign at 9-4, finishing up with a 24-19 win over Arizona in the Holiday Bowl. The Mustangs are always a team on the edge, and this season they just might break into the top ranks.
Of course, a win here would be essential to that cause and much can go wrong. Florida State already has a win in hand, a Week Zero, 34-17, win over New Mexico State, though that may not count for much. These ACC foes did not play each other last season.
Coin Flip: SMU
Fearless Rick’s Pick: Mustangs 35 Seminoles 20
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