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Top Headlines of College Football’s exciting Week 1 slate

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College football week 1
FILE – Notre Dame defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey (7) plays during the second half of the Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football game against Oklahoma State, Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022, in Glendale, Ariz. If Notre Dame is going to beat Ohio State for the first time since 1936, everyone in South Bend knows the defense must ace its test. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File)

The College Football season is back!

Fans around the country will be glued to their televisions throughout Saturday afternoon with the arrival of their favorite schools finally playing meaningful football. 

Heisman Trophy hopefuls, College Football Playoff favorites, and upset picks are all expected in what could be an exciting start to the 2022-23 football season. 

We have the top headlines you need to follow for Saturday right here. 

Heisman Hopefuls

Bryce Young is looking to be the first college football player sinToriffin to win back-to-back Heisman Trophy awards. In order to do so, he has to compete in a very crowded field.

CJ Stroud, the quarterback from Ohio State, is currently the favorite for the prestigious college award, but it should be neck-and-neck between the two NFL hopefuls.

Young and even new-USC quarterback, Caleb Williams (3rd favorite) have favorable matchups to start their seasons. 

Stroud, on the other hand, opens up the season with a marquee matchup against Notre Dame. A strong early performance could help increase the gap amongst the Heisman favorites. 

Oregon v. Georgia

There are a ton of intriguing and exciting matchups on Saturday. One of which sees the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs and the Oregon Ducks. A 3 vs. 11 matchup will be a top matchup for any week of college football, this is just the tip of the week one iceberg. 

Georgia lost a plethora of top defensive players to the NFL Draft last season, but still returns some key pieces like quarterback, Stetson Bennett. 

Oregon on the other hand has a new head coach after Mario Cristobal left for Miami. The Ducks are seen as early favorites for the PAC-12 title, but a win against the defending champions could very well help Oregon get an early edge for the college football playoff. 

Notre Dame vs. Ohio State

Notre Dame has a new head coach. As strong as a setup Marcus Freeman has shown within his first year with the program, starting against Ohio State is a very difficult first test. 

The Buckeyes are pissed coming off a year in which Michigan won the Big Ten after knocking off the rival. Stroud and the strong set of offensive weapons could very well turn Ohio State into the best team in college football. 

Ohio State is favored by 17 points Saturday. That isn’t by accident. Notre Dame has a new quarterback in Tyler Buchner and will need to play an almost flawless game to even keep this close. 

Cincinnati vs. Arkansas

The college football playoff committee doesn’t want to deal with a group of five school again. They could get their wish with Cincinnati and Arkansas set to face off to open the college football season. 

Sam Pittman has done an excellent job in resurrecting the Razorback program with Arkansas on the prize in a loaded SEC. 

Desmond Ridder is no longer the quarterback in Cincinnati anymore, and a quarterback battle won’t be officially over until gametime. KJ Jefferson on the other hand enjoyed a very solid first season as the Razorbacks’ starter in 2021. Jefferson combined for over 27 touchdowns and over 3,000 total yards behind a loaded offensive line. 

The Bearcats and Razorbacks both tout solid trenches which could lead to one of the most exciting matchups in week one. 

The USC Conundrum

Lincoln Riley in the PAC-12. That will take some time getting used to, but the Trojans open their 2022 season against Rice. USC plays just two ranked opponents the entire year (Utah and Notre Dame) as Riley tries to show his offensive acumen can transfer well to a new conference. 

Caleb Williams followed Riley to California from Oklahoma and should be a top pick in next year’s draft should the quarterback play well. 

Of course, the Trojans’ time in the PAC-12 will be short-lived with an incoming move to the Big Ten in a few years.

The first year under Lincoln Riley will be key for this program. 

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