2026 College Football Week 1: Best Games To Watch This Weekend

The Colorado Buffaloes helped kick off college football Week 1 by going into Atlanta as underdogs and shocking the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

With a packed slate of games this weekend, should fans and bettors anticipate more upsets?

Let’s take a glance at five matchups to watch this weekend, with odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of Sept. 4.

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(All Times ET)

Saturday, Sept. 5

Spread: Indiana -40.5
Moneyline: N/A
O/U: 56.5

What To Know: Indiana’s title defense begins this weekend. Led by their bold head coach Curt Cignetti and by eventual Heisman winner and NFL No. 1 draft pick Fernando Mendoza at quarterback, the Hoosiers’ championship run in 2025 was absolutely magical. Based on the odds, they shouldn’t run into any road blocks in Week 1 as 40.5-point favorites. Last season, Indiana opened up its year by cruising past Old Dominion, 27-14.

Spread: Oregon -24.5
Moneyline: Oregon -2400, Boise State +1200
O/U: 51.5

What To Know: The pressure is on for head coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks. Not only are they the No. 2 team in the country, they’re fourth on the board to win the College Football Playoff. Starting QB Dante Moore is also one of the Heisman favorites, sitting third on that board behind Notre Dame’s CJ Carr and Texas’ Arch Manning. FOX Sports betting analyst Geoff Schwartz explained that Oregon’s defensive line is one of the best in the sport, and that could spell trouble for Boise State in this game as the Broncos rely heavily on the run game.

Spread: Texas -29.5
Moneyline: Texas -9000; Texas State +2500
O/U: 59.5

What To Know: The Texas Longhorns have high expectations going into 2026. They’re third on the oddsboard to win the championship and starting quarterback Arch Manning is neck-and-neck with CJ Carr at the top of the Heisman oddsboard. Texas opened up last season with a loss at Ohio State, but the Longhorns get to play an over-matched Texas State squad to open up 2026. Based on the odds, the heavily favored Horns should hook ’em without much trouble.

Spread: Penn State -23.5
Moneyline: Penn State -3200; Marshall +1400
O/U: 52.5

What To Know: Penn State’s 2025 took a turn for the worse, as the Nittany Lions went on a six-game losing streak after winning their first four. They ultimately fired head coach James Franklin, but the damage had already been done in a year when they opened as one of the favoirtes to win it all. FOX Sports betting analyst Will Hill noted that, even though they failed to meet expectations last season, they’re still a good bet to at least make the College Football Playoff in 2026. They are No. 18 in the AP Poll currently and are favored to win big in Week 1. The showdown against Marshall should give Penn State a chance to start getting back on track with an easy non-conference win.

Sunday, Sept. 6

Spread: Ole Miss -6.5
Moneyline: Ole Miss -270; Louisville +220
O/U: 55.5

What To Know: The Sunday night, primetime game features two ranked squads — one of which is coming off a solid College Football Playoff showing. After defeating Georgia in the CFP quarterfinal round, the Rebs fell 31-27 to Miami in the semis. Now, veteran Trinidad Chambliss is back as the starting QB for Ole Miss, while Louisville will be trotting out Ohio State transfer Lincoln Kienholz. However, FOX Sports betting analyst Will Hill is backing underdog Louisville to cover the spread, as the Cardinals and their “new-look” roster try to bring down Ole Miss in Nashville.