Oregon, LSU Headline 2026 Week 1 Picks as SMU Edges Florida State 26-23

3 articles · Updated · Bleacher Report · Sep 2

Week 1 projections for the 2026 college football season spotlight five marquee games, with Oregon picked to beat Boise State 41-21 and LSU favored over Clemson 27-16.
Sunday and Monday matchups carry early résumé and conference weight: Notre Dame is projected over Wisconsin 30-17, Ole Miss over Louisville 34-29, and SMU over Florida State 26-23 in an ACC game.
Several openers also double as debuts or early tests for high-profile figures, including Lane Kiffin at LSU, Arch Manning at Texas, Matt Campbell at Penn State and Kyle Whittingham at Michigan.
Most of the full opening weekend remains dominated by buy games, with AP Top 25 teams largely expected to handle Group of Six or FCS opponents comfortably.
The broader Week 1 theme is less about rankings upheaval than early signals on contenders, transfer-heavy offenses and whether teams like Boise State and Fresno State can gain national traction in competitive losses.