Week 1 is here, and the board already offers plenty to chew on with 11 games on tap tonight. Rather than trying to force a side in every matchup, the cleaner play in one of the night’s most intriguing games is the OVER in Colorado vs. Georgia Tech.
That pick starts with Georgia Tech, which showed real juice on offense last season. The Yellow Jackets finished 10th in the country in EPA per play and second in offensive success rate. The problem was what happened when they didn’t have the ball: Georgia Tech’s defense came in at 120th in opponent EPA per play and 111th in defensive success rate.
Colorado brings its own reasons to expect points. Neither side of the ball was especially sharp last season, but the quarterback battle went to Lewis, and that at least gives the Buffaloes a path to improvement.
He’ll also have wide receiver Danny Scudero, the San Jose State transfer who posted 1,297 receiving yards last season. That kind of explosive target is exactly the sort of weapon Colorado lacked a year ago, and it should help push this one toward a high-scoring finish.
Another game where the number feels too heavy is Illinois-UAB. Illinois is still expected to win, but there are enough concerns on the defensive side to make the points attractive.
The Illini were one of the worst defenses in the country last year, finishing 120th in defensive success rate, and then they lost their two best players, Gabe Jacas and Miles Scott, to the NFL Draft. On top of that, they didn’t do much in the transfer portal to patch things up.
That opens the door for UAB, which enters with a fresh start under Mortensen in his first year as head coach. Illinois should be in position to take the game, but the spread looks a little too ambitious. The Blazers are the side worth taking with the points.
The other play on the card is Rutgers laying points against UMass. That’s a tough sell for the Minutemen, who have been one of the most difficult teams to back in college football.
UMass has spent years scraping together just a couple wins a season, and last year it went winless while also failing to cover on a weekly basis. The last winning season for the Minutemen came back in 2008, when they finished 7-5.
This year’s outlook doesn’t look much different. Rutgers has enough talent to run away from a UMass team that doesn’t appear equipped to slow down KJ Duff or much of anything else in the secondary. In a matchup like this, laying the points makes sense.
In Other News...
Georgia Tech Could Make Colorados New QB Uncomfortable Right Away
Colorado is heading into Week 1 with redshirt freshman Julian Lewis expected to make the start against Georgia Tech, and that sets up a pretty revealing first test for a young quarterback with almost no college game experience. A former five-star recruit, Lewis has drawn encouraging reviews from Buffaloes quarterbacks coach Hajj-Malik Williams for the way he has developed and handled the lead-up to the opener, but praise in August only matters so much once the games begin.
The real challenge comes in the setting and the matchup itself, with Georgia Tech offering a road environment that can quickly expose any hesitation from a first-time starter. Lewis ability to run the football effectively could become a key part of Colorados plan, especially if the Yellow Jackets make him prove early that he can handle the speed, pressure and noise that come with opening night away from home. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Tech's New QB Brings Intrigue Fans Won't Ignore
Georgia Tech has turned the page at quarterback, and Alberto Mendoza arrives with a mix of promise and uncertainty that should make this fall worth watching. The transfer from Indiana has won the starting job for the Yellow Jackets, beating out redshirt freshman Grady Adamson to replace Haynes King, giving the offense a new face heading into the season.
Mendozas path makes the decision even more interesting. He spent time backing up his brother Fernando Mendoza at Indiana and brings limited collegiate playing experience to a key job in the ACC, which means Georgia Tech is betting on upside as much as rsum. For a team trying to steady its offense around a new signal-caller, the appeal is obvious, but so is the mystery of what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Tech Has A Chance To Land A Versatile Target Fans Should Watch
Georgia Tech is hosting Jeremy Jenkins Jr. this week, and the Class of 2027 forward has quickly become one of the more interesting names on the recruiting board. His official visit comes as he works through a process that already includes planned trips to Mississippi State and Houston, a sign that the Jackets are in the mix for a player who has reopened his recruitment after previously trimming things down.
Jenkins has made it clear what he wants, and that fits naturally with the way Georgia Tech wants to play. He has been drawn to programs that can use him in a versatile role, and the Yellow Jackets fast, position-less style along with their hands-on coaching approach has given them a legitimate chance to stand out. The visit matters because it gives Georgia Tech another opportunity to sell that fit before the rest of his schedule unfolds. [Read more 🡒]