CFB: Week 1 Preview

Rankings (Projected Record):

1. Clemson (12-0)

2. Alabama (12-0)

3. Georgia (11-1)

4. Oklahoma (11-1)

5. Ohio State (11-1)

6. Michigan (11-1)

7. Texas (10-2)

8. Notre Dame (10-2)

9. Utah (10-2)

10. Oregon (9-3)

No. 1 Clemson, behind Trevor Lawrence will try to keep their 15-game winning streak alive as they open their season with a conference game against Georgia Tech. Just behind them is a pair of SEC teams: Alabama and Georgia, who seem to be on a crash-course for a third straight postseason battle. No. 4 Oklahoma and No. 7 Texas headline the Big 12 and most believe at least one of them will finish the season in the College Football Playoff. In between them, No. 5 Ohio State and No. 6 Michigan are at the top of the Big Ten. The Buckeyes and Wolverines are both projected to go 11-1. Notre Dame, who begins the season against Louisville on September 2nd, will look to return to the CFP for the second straight season. Rounding out our rankings are two Pac-12 squads: Utah and Oregon.

Week 1 Picks:

Miami @ Florida

Northwestern @ Stanford

Houston @ No. 4 Oklahoma

No. 10 Oregon @ Auburn

Duke @ No. 2 Alabama

The 150th college football season begins with the return of a past rivalry: Miami and Florida. The Hurricanes are coming off a disappointing year, while the Gators surprised many by winning 10 games in 2018. The winner of this game will get their campaign off to a good start while the loser will have no room for error. Stanford hosts Northwestern later in the week, as the Cardinal hope to get revenge on the Wildcats from a few years ago. No. 4 Oklahoma will take on Houston as Jalen Hurts will be under center for the Sooners for the first time. And in two of the most anticipated games of Week 1, No. 10 Oregon and Justin Herbert will try to take down Auburn, while No. 2 Alabama take the field for the first time since their loss in the national title game. We're taking Florida, Stanford, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Alabama.

Heisman Standings:

1. Trevor Lawrence (Clemson)

2. Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama)

3. Jake Fromm (Georgia)

4. Justin Fields (Ohio State)

5. Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma)

There are dozens and dozens of players that have the potential to lift themselves to Heisman level, but these five signal callers have separated themselves from the rest of the pack during the preseason. Trevor Lawrence had one of the best freshman seasons in college football history and he, along with Tua Tagovailoa are heavily expected to be in New York. They open the year as the favorites, but Jake Fromm from Georgia isn't a long shot by any means. He has led Georgia to a 24-5 record in his two seasons, including an SEC title and Rose Bowl victory in 2017. Justin Fields, who backed up Fromm in 2018, transferred to Ohio State and will be the starting quarterback in Ryan Day's head coaching debut. Jalen Hurts, who is also a transfer, will look to be the third straight Heisman winner from Oklahoma.

Photo Credit: The Spun.