"Good morning, college football fans! The crisp autumn air, the roar of the crowd, the pageantry of the greatest sport on Earth—welcome to Week 1 of College GameDay, live from the Classic City, Athens, Georgia!
"Behind me, the hallowed grounds of Sanford Stadium stand ready to host one of the biggest games of the year as the Dawgs of Georgia take on the Tigers of Clemson. Two perennial powerhouses. Two fanbases that live, breathe, and bleed football. And tonight, between the hedges, it's a showdown with national implications right out of the gate!
"The Georgia Bulldogs, led by head coach Kirby Smart, come into this season with championship expectations. With a loaded roster and a defense as stout as ever, the Dawgs are hungry to prove they belong back on top. And then there’s Clemson—Dabo Swinney's Tigers are no strangers to the big stage. With a new quarterback at the helm and a defense poised to wreak havoc, they’re looking to make an early statement.
"It’s SEC pride versus ACC grit. It’s tradition versus tradition. And it’s all happening here in Athens, where college football is more than just a game—it’s a way of life.
"From sunrise to kickoff, we’ve got you covered. Analysis, predictions, and of course, the most electric atmosphere in sports! So, grab your coffee, your tailgate snacks, and buckle up, because College GameDay is just getting started!"
| NCAA Football Rankings - AP Top 25 - Updated: Aug 31, 2024 |
| RK | LW | TEAM (VOTES) | W | L | POINTS |
| 1 | - | Georgia | 0 | 0 | 1569 |
| 2 | - | Ohio State | 0 | 0 | 1492 |
| 3 | - | Texas | 0 | 0 | 1473 |
| 4 | - | Oregon | 0 | 0 | 1364 |
| 5 | - | Ole Miss | 0 | 0 | 1268 |
| 6 | - | Alabama | 0 | 0 | 1257 |
| 7 | - | Penn State | 0 | 0 | 1197 |
| 8 | - | Notre Dame | 0 | 0 | 1096 |
| 9 | - | Michigan | 0 | 0 | 1071 |
| 10 | - | Missouri | 0 | 0 | 920 |
| 11 | - | Florida State | 0 | 1 | 866 |
| 12 | - | Utah | 0 | 0 | 781 |
| 13 | - | LSU | 0 | 0 | 684 |
| 14 | - | Oklahoma | 0 | 0 | 666 |
| 15 | - | Tennessee | 0 | 0 | 593 |
| 16 | - | Arizona | 0 | 0 | 585 |
| 17 | - | Clemson | 0 | 0 | 494 |
| 18 | - | Oklahoma State | 0 | 0 | 485 |
| 19 | - | Kansas State | 0 | 0 | 381 |
| 20 | - | Louisville | 0 | 0 | 360 |
| 21 | - | Kansas | 0 | 0 | 345 |
| 22 | - | NC State | 0 | 0 | 339 |
| 23 | - | Miami | 0 | 0 | 309 |
| 24 | - | Texas A&M | 0 | 0 | 181 |
| 25 | - | USC | 0 | 0 | 123 |
#7 PENN STATE @ WEST VIRGINIA
Look, West Virginia isn't ranked. But James Franklin seems to have a tough time in week one, and these Mountaineers are looking to play for their coach who's very much on the hot seat right now. This has the ingredients on the counter to be mixed into an upset, but will the ingredients be mixed right, or will the predictable happen, and Penn State takes out West Virginia?
GAMEDAY PREDICTION: PENN STATE
#13 LSU @ #25 USC
The new look Big Ten can be put on hold for Lincoln Riley and the boys. LSU goes across the country to open up Week 1 against USC. This is a battle of two teams who could be there at the end of the year in the College Football Playoffs. Riley's been promising championships since he's got to Los Angeles, now he'll have to start making good on those. In a new look Big Ten, it could be an even steeper hill. Week one against LSU certainly suggests that.
GAMEDAY PREDICTION: USC
#8 NOTRE DAME @ #24 TEXAS A&M
The schedule is the same as it is every year for Notre Dame. Exclusively non-conference since they themselves don't sit in one. This year is different though. Without a conference championship game to win for the Irish, they begin their journey of needing to be an at-large team to get into the CFP. A tough Texas A&M team could be a resume builder if they can get it done.
GAMEDAY PREDICTION: NOTRE DAME
#17 CLEMSON @ #1 GEORGIA
And now guys...the big one....(crowd cheers)....The #1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs look to defend their home turf against rival Clemson today. Caron Beck is looking to lead the Bulldogs to the promised land this year, a National Championship. Meanwhile Cade Klubnik and the Clemson Tigers are looking to show everyone that the ACC can hang with the "big two" this year, and this is just another test.
GAMEDAY PREDICTION:
GAMEDAY PRESS CONFERENCE: TOM WETZEL as he prepares against Week 1 Opponent, UCLA on the road.
Coach Tom Wetzel walked through the conference doors and almost immediately heard people stammer to their chairs and get their questions ready. It wasn't that he was anyone important he thought, it was just the Los Angeles media – ready for any sort of story they can put in the paper. This town surely wasn't starved for content or stories, but in this town the hottest things are only hot for a half a second. People move on, even the celebrities are eventually written off.
As Tom Wetzel walked towards the microphone he was in a pretty good mood. He entered the game 1-0 and sure it was against Delaware State but still, it was something to build on. As soon as he sat down, the questions started being fired at him.
Reporter 1 (Local Pasadena Media):
“Coach Wetzel, this is your first big test against a Power Five program in your head coaching career. How do you balance the excitement of playing in a venue like the Rose Bowl with the focus needed to execute your game plan?”
Well I'm surely not going to pretend like this is any other venue. The Rose Bowl was a big part of my fandom as a child. I grew up a Michigan Wolverines fan, and the Big Ten and Pac-10 winner every year would meet here for the Rose Bowl. I don't think we're on that level as a program yet, but to be able to come in here and prove ourselves against a power-5 team like UCLA, a team that has a storied tradition – that's something I know I am excited for, and I know the guys are prepared for.
Reporter 2 (ESPN):
“You spoke about proving yourselves against a storied program like UCLA. How do you prepare your team mentally and physically to rise to that challenge, especially given the talent gap that some analysts have pointed out?”
Well I think its important to realize its a lot like every other game. We need to control the ball. We need to limit turnovers. You know the coach speak – but it's Coach speak because it's true. We do need to do those things, and I think if we don't beat ourselves here, I think it gives us a shot to pull this one out. Look, our guys are mentally ready and they've heard the talent gap stuff. We're a team who's trying to knock some sense into a few of the bigger teams. We're a team on the rise. We've been sleeping in Hawaii for awhile, but we're ready to let the country know we're awake now. How we show people that, is we come out and we compete – hard. 60 minutes of football, and we'll see who's left standing.
Reporter 3 (LA Times):
“Coach, UCLA’s quarterback Ethan Garbers (Senior) is getting a lot of attention for his dual-threat ability. How do you plan to contain him and keep him from dictating the game?”
Yeah, Ethan is a talented Quarterback for sure. We've seen a lot off video on him, and UCLA is lucky to have him. Unfortunately, that means we're the unlucky ones who have to deal with him on Saturday. I think we have to contain the sidelines, we have to bring the game into the middle of the field. We want to play in a phone booth, but we're going to have to get UCLA to play us there. We have to work on that, but again – this will all be a test. Ethan is a test and half, but I think our guys will come prepared.
Reporter 4 (CBS Sports):
“Coach, as we wrap up, how important is it for your program to start continue in Week 1 with a statement win, and what would a victory here in Pasadena mean for the direction of Hawaii football under your leadership?”
I think it's a lot more important to assess effort and ability for us as a program. Sure, coming out of here against UCLA would be a huge confidence boost and it'd be something that'd be a very bright moment for Hawaii football, but this year, and especially at this time before conference play – this is really a measuring stick for us. We want to see what we have to work on, we want to see what we can do, and we want to see if we can give ourselves a chance to win this. If so, we're going better than a lot of people have told us given the spread. But if not, we'll figure out a way to make ourselves better and improve. Every game is a win – you just need to find it.