College football odds, predictions: LSU vs. Clemson, Ole Miss vs. Louisville lead Week 1 picks

College football's first full weekend is here, bringing five consecutive days of meaningful games and enough marquee matchups to keep the remote working overtime.

Week 1 begins Thursday night, rolls through a loaded Saturday slate and stretches into Monday evening, giving us an early look at several teams carrying College Football Playoff expectations into the 2026 season. Neutral-site showdowns, one notable ranked matchup and uncomfortable road trips headline Labor Day weekend, when preseason confidence finally collides with reality.

This is where contenders begin building résumés, and coaches facing pressure can change the conversation. Our weekly picks are back, too, with predictions against the spread for the biggest games throughout the weekend. There will be winners, bad beats and a few early-season surprises along the way.

Hummer (Stanford +23.5): Stanford's offense looked better in Week 0 than it has in a few seasons. The Cardinal scored 37 points against Hawaii, ran the ball reasonably well (4.7 ypc) and didn't allow a sack. Will it look the same against Miami? Probably not. But to cover a spread this size, that unit just needs to be functional. Long-term, I think Miami is one of the no-doubt teams of the season. But I could…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/