‘College GameDay’ picks conference champions, national champion, and Week 1 games

ESPN's "College GameDay" is starting its tour around the country with a big-time matchup in Baton Rouge with the "Battle of Death Valley" between LSU and Clemson.

Saturday's top-25 matchup marks the official start of the Lane Kiffin era in Baton Rouge, as the former Mississippi coach looks to rebuild the Tigers' program back to the top of the SEC with Arizona State transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt under center.

LSU and Clemson are slated for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Tiger Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 5.

Julian Sayin and Arch Manning begin their second seasons operating Ohio State's and Texas' offenses during the noon and 3:30 p.m. ET windows on Saturday against Ball State and Texas State, respectively. Both quarterbacks enter the season with top-five odds to win the Heisman Trophy in December.

Other games across the country taking place over the weekend include Mississippi vs. Louisville in the Music City Kickoff on Sunday, Sept. 6 in Nashville and Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

Here's a look at how "College GameDay" picked each of the marquee Week 1 matchups on Saturday, including several games taking place on Sunday and Monday during Labor Day Weekend:

The…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/sports/