Week 1 of College Football provided some exciting finishes, and also showed some separation between teams. Now you never want to overreact from the results of the first game of the year, but Georgia definitely showed that they belong in the number 1 spot!
Take a look and see where your team stands in this week’s Top 5 Rankings.
Scroll to the bottom to see how Rivalry Sports did on their picks for the Week 1 games and to see a summary of this week’s picks!
Win/Loss Records of the picks for Week 1:
| Picker | Rivalry Sports – Dustin Kirby | Guest Picker |
| Win – Loss Record Week 1 | 17 – 2 | 16 – 3 |
| Overall Won/Loss Record on Picks this Season | 17 – 2 | 16 – 3 |
Guest Picker Won/Loss Records
| Guest Picker | Week | Won/Loss Record on Picks | Winning Percentage |
| Stephanie Kirby | 1 | 16 – 3 | 84.2% |
RIVALRY SPORTS LOCK PICK OF THE WEEK
| Week | Rivalry Sports Game Score Pick | Actual Result |
| 1 | #5 Alabama over Western Kentucky 45 – 13 | #5 Alabama over Western Kentucky – 63 – 0 |
| 2 | #6 Ole Miss over MTSU 48 – 10 |
Check out last week’s Top 5 Rankings
Weekly Rivalry Sports Top 5 for each Power Conference
SEC TOP FIVE
The SEC showed in Week 1 that as usual the conference is loaded with great teams, maybe more than ever with the addition of Oklahoma and Texas. I have a feeling that teams will be jockeying for a spot in the Top 5 throughout the year, but for now all of the Top 5 teams more than took care of business so I won’t be moving any of them out.
Texas looked great against Colorado State last week though and the Longhorns have an opportunity to jump into the Top 5 ranking if they are able to get a win against defending Champion Michigan this week.
1. Georgia (1 – 0) AP Ranking – # 1
Georgia had the most impressive win over the weekend by making one of the top teams in the ACC (Clemson) look like a mediocre team in the Dawgs 34 – 3 win! They will look to continue their NCAA high regular season winning streak this week against Tennessee Tech.
Last Week SEC Ranking: # 1
Week 1 Opponent: vs Tennessee Tech at 2:00 PM EDT Saturday 9/7/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
2. Ole Miss (1 – 0) AP Ranking – # 6
Ole Miss came out and showed they are embracing the expectations for the season with a huge 76 – 0 win over Furman. This is the most points scored by Ole Miss under Coach Lane Kiffin and with stay QB Jaxson Dart leading the way, the Rebels look to continue to make some noise verse MTSU this week.
Last Week SEC Ranking: # 2
Week 1 Opponent: vs Middle Tennessee State at 4:15 PM EDT Saturday 9/7/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
3. Alabama (1 – 0) AP Ranking – # 4
The Kalen DeBoer era started out much like most of the Nick Saban era: with a dominant win. Alabama manhandled Western Kentucky in the 63 – 0 win and the Tide will look to add another win this week against USF who they barely beat last season.
Last Week SEC Ranking: # 3
Week 1 Opponent: vs USF at 7:00 PM EDT Saturday 9/7/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
4. Tennessee (1 – 0) AP Ranking – # 14
The Nico Iamaleava era started off with a bang! The Volunteers absolutely dominated the University of Tennessee Chattanooga to the tune of a 69 – 3 win! This week they take on a much tougher opponent when they go on the road to play #24 NC State!
Last Week SEC Ranking: # 4
Week 1 Opponent: @ #24 NC State at 7:30 PM EDT Saturday 9/7/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
5. Missouri (1 – 0) AP Ranking – # 9
Although teams are looking to jump into the SEC Top 5, Mizzou did nothing to take themselves out of the Top 5 with their impressive 51 – 0 win over Murray State last week. They will look to continue to fine tune all parts of their team this week against Buffalo.
Last Week SEC Ranking: # 5
Week 1 Opponent: vs Buffalo at 7:00 PM EDT Saturday 9/7/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
Dropped from SEC Top 5 Rankings:
N/A
Big Ten TOP FIVE
You don’t want to overreact to one week, but two of the top three teams in the B1G started off slower than expected and had closer games than most people anticipated. With that being said I won’t make too many adjustments, but you may see one team move up a spot and one team move back a spot.
Another note is that USC is absolutely knocking on the door of the Big Ten Top 5! With their statement win over LSU they could move up quickly if they keep winning.
1. Oregon (1 – 0) AP Ranking – # 7
The Ducks started out the season a little sloppy in their 24 – 14 win over Idaho. The Ducks had been over a 40 point favorite for the game and with the game going down to the 4th quarter people are wondering what is going on.
The AP dropped the Ducks from #3 to #7, but I am not going to overreact to one week. I think we will get a better reading after this week when Oregon takes on a tough Boise State team.
Last Week B1G Ranking: # 1
Week 1 Opponent: vs Boise State at 10:00 PM EDT Saturday 9/7/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
2. Ohio State (1 – 0) AP Ranking – # 2
Combined with a dominant win over Akron and a sloppy showing by Michigan, OSU deservedly moves up a spot in the B1G rankings. OSU steps up a little in competition level this week against Western Michigan, but the Buckeyes should still win with ease.
Last Week B1G Ranking: # 3
Week 1 Opponent: vs Western Michigan at 7:30 PM EDT Saturday 9/7/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
3. Michigan (1 – 0) AP Ranking – # 10
The defending champs looked like a shell of themselves last year in the opening 30 – 10 win over Fresno State. The game was much closer than the score indicated. Although the D looked very good, the offense left a lot of questions.
I am going out on a limb and saying that Michigan will beat Texas in a nailbiter at home this week, but Texas could also prove that Michigan will not be the team that we have come to expect over the last several years.
Last Week B1G Ranking: # 2
Week 1 Opponent: vs #4 Texas at 12:00 PM EDT Saturday 9/7/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
4. Iowa (1 – 0) AP Ranking – # 21
The Hawkeyes started slow, but new OC Tim Lester’s offense seemed to kick in the second half and the Hawkeyes pulled away with an impressive 40 – 0 win over Illinois State. The Hawkeyes look like they will play great defense like usual and if their offense can make even small improvements on the last couple of years, the wins will pile up.
This week they have an early season rivalry game against Iowa State where we will get a better idea on just where Iowa stands.
Last Week B1G Ranking: # 4
Week 1 Opponent: vs Iowa State at 3:30 PM EDT Saturday 9/7/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
5.Penn State (1 – 0) AP Ranking – # 8
Penn State started off strong with a rivalry game win over a decent West Virginia team. The most impressive part of the win is the fact that QB Drew Allar got the ball downfield a few times and the Nittany Lions really struggled with that last year.
This week they will face a team that they should handle easily in Bowling Green State.
Last Week B1G Ranking: # 5
Week 1 Opponent: vs Bowling Green State at 12:00 PM EDT Saturday 9/7/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
Dropped from Big 10 Top 5 Rankings:
N/A
BIG-12 TOP FIVE
All 5 of the Big 12 Top 5 teams took care of business this week and some had very impressive showings. This should be a fun conference all year with multiple teams vying for the Conference title!
1. Utah (1 – 0) AP Ranking – # 11
The Utes took care of Southern Utah to the tune of a 49 – 0 win! Star QB Cam Rising had not started a game for over a year, but he looked like he was back to his old self in throwing for 5 touchdowns. This week will be a much tougher test against fellow Big 12 foe Baylor.
Last Week BIG-12 Ranking: # 1
Week 1 Opponent: vs Baylor at 3:30 PM EDT Saturday 9/7/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
2. Oklahoma State (1 – 0) AP Ranking – # 16
The Cowboys have a tough game this week against an SEC foe in the Arkansas Razorbacks. Arkansas is a tough team, but if Oklahoma State wants to prove that they are for real, they will have to defeat the Razorbacks.
Last Week BIG-12 Ranking: # 2
Week 1 Opponent: vs Arkansas at 12:00 PM EDT Saturday 9/7/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
3. Kansas State (1 – 0) AP Ranking – # 17
The Wildcats dominated UT Martin last week, but will have a much tougher game against Tulane this week. Tulane might not have star QB Michael Pratt any longer, but they are still a good Group of 5 team. Kansas State will look to prove they are a contender in the Big 12 with a big win over Tulane.
Last Week BIG-12 Ranking: # 3
Week 1 Opponent: @ Tulane at 12:00 PM EDT Saturday 9/7/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
4. Kansas (1 – 0) AP Ranking – # 19
Kansas started the season with a dominant 48 – 3 win over Lindenwood last week and will look to build on that win with another win this week against tough B1G foe Illinois. A win will show that the Jayhawks are serious contenders in the Big 12, while a loss would most likely drop them out of the AP top 25.
Last Week BIG-12 Ranking: # 4
Week 1 Opponent: @ Illinois at 7:00 PM EDT Saturday 9/7/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
5. Arizona (1 – 0) AP Ranking – # 20
Arizona showed that as expected, they are a high scoring team in their 61 – 39 win over New Mexico. With star QB Nah Fifita and star WR Tetairoa McMillan leading the way the Wildcats will be hard to stop. The question is, can Arizona’s defense stop their opponents? Arizona has a very winnable game this week against Northern Arizona, but the defense will need to show improvement to keep winning.
Last Week BIG-12 Ranking: # 5
Week 1 Opponent: vs Northern Arizona at 10:00 PM EDT Saturday 9/7/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
Dropped from BIG-12 Top 5 Rankings:
N/A
ACC TOP FIVE
Although you never want to overreact from one week of college football, based on the results after Week 1 the ACC has the biggest shakeup of their Top 5 in all of the Power 4 Conferences.
1. Miami (1 – 0) AP Ranking – # 12
Miami put a whooping on in-state rival Florida last week to the tune of a 41-17 win. The Hurricanes new QB Cam Ward looked every bit as good as advertised and may be able to lead Miami to new heights. This week they will look to continue stacking up wins with a game against Florida A&M.
Last Week ACC Ranking: # 4
Week 1 Opponent: vs Florida A&M at 6:00 PM EDT Saturday 9/7/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
2. Clemson (0 – 1) AP Ranking – # 25
Clemson had a tough task in Week 1 with a game against number 1 Georgia, but the results were worse than Clemson expected. I still think this is a good team that can challenge for the ACC championship, but the 34 – 3 loss to Georgia will require a lot of soul searching for the Tigers. They can’t dwell on the past though as they need to get in the win column this week against Appalachian State.
Last Week ACC Ranking: #1
Week 1 Opponent: vs Appalachian State at 8:00 PM EDT Saturday 9/7/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
3. NC State (1 – 0) AP Ranking – # 24
NC State beat Western Carolina by the score of 38 – 21 in Week 1. The Wolfpack got a win, but game up more points than expected, so they will look to shore up the D and continue having the offense grow this week against a very tough Tennessee team.
Last Week ACC Ranking: # 3
Week 1 Opponent: vs Tennessee at 7:30 PM EDT Saturday 9/7/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Loss
4. Louisville (1 – 0) AP Ranking – # 22
With Louisville’s dominant 62 – 0 win over Austin Peay and NC’s lackluster showing against Minnesota, the Cardinals jump into the ACC Top 5. The Cardinals will look to solidify their spot in the Top 5 by stringing together some more wins. This week they should dominate again when they take on Jacksonville State.
Last Week ACC Ranking: # Unranked
Week 1 Opponent: vs Jacksonville State at 3:30 PM EDT Saturday 9/7/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
5. Georgia Tech (2 – 0) AP Ranking – # 23
After two straight wins to start the season, against FSU in Week 0 and against Georgia State in Week 1, the Yellowjackets have entered the ACC Top 5! They will look to cement their position in the Top 5 with a win this week against an underrated Syracuse team.
Last Week ACC Ranking: # Unranked
Week 1 Opponent: @ Syracuse at 12:00 PM EDT Saturday 9/7/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
Dropped from ACC Top 5 Rankings:
North Carolina (1 – 0) AP Ranking – # Unranked
Even though the Tar Heels won, they lost their starting QB and did not look very strong against Minnesota, who only lost the game on a missed FG. The Tar Heels will have more chances to get back into the Top 5 with some more wins, but for now they will be moved out of the Top 5.
Last Week ACC Ranking: # 5
Week 1 Opponent: vs Charlotte at 3:30 PM EDT Saturday 9/7/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
Florida State (0 – 1) AP Ranking – # 10
FSU has the unenviable label as already the most disappointing team of 2024. They could show fight and end up as an ACC Top 5 team, but for now they are dropped out of the ACC Top 5 after two straight losses to start the season.
Last Week ACC Ranking: # 2
Week 1 Opponent: vs Boston College at 7:30 PM EDT Monday 9/2/24
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
NOTABLE Week 1 GAMES
Take a look at some of the highest ranked or most intriguing games of the week listed below.
- # 4 Texas @ # 9 Michigan – Texas looked great in Week 1, while the defending champs struggled to look cohesive on offense. This game will help to define the rest of the season for both teams as they both face a tough schedule.
- #15 Tennessee @ #24 NC State – Two strong teams that want to prove they are true contenders to win their respective conferences.
- Arkansas @ #17 Oklahoma State – This is an important game in between conferences. The Big 12 will need one of their top teams to be able to handle a good, but lower rated SEC team.
- Iowa State @ #25 Iowa – Two bitter in-state rivals compete early in the year with state bragging rights on the line.
Rivalry Sports Lock Pick of the Week – #6 Ole Miss over MTSU 48 – 10
Rivalry Sports Underdog Pick of the Week – #9 Michigan over #4 Texas
Check back in for updated Top 5 Rankings next week!
Week 2 Game Picks
| Game (Home Team listed 2nd) | Rivalry Sports Pick – Dustin Kirby | Guest Picker – Stephanie Kirby |
| Tennessee Tech @ Georgia | Georgia | Georgia |
| MTSU @ Ole Miss | Ole Miss | Ole Miss |
| USF @ Alabama | Alabama | Alabama |
| Tennessee @ NC State | Tennessee | Tennessee |
| Buffalo @ Missouri | Missouri | Missouri |
| Boise State @ Oregon | Oregon | Oregon |
| Western Michigan @ Ohio State | Ohio State | Ohio State |
| Texas @ Michigan | Michigan | Texas |
| Iowa State @ Iowa | Iowa | Iowa |
| BGSU @ Penn State | Penn State | Penn State |
| Baylor @ Utah | Utah | Utah |
| Arkansas @ Oklahoma State | Oklahoma State | Oklahoma State |
| Kansas State @ Tulane | Kansas State | Kansas State |
| Kansas @ Illinois | Kansas | Kansas |
| Northern Arizona @ Arizona | Arizona | Arizona |
| Florida A&M @ Miami | Miami | Miami |
| Appalachian State @ Clemson | Clemson | Clemson |
| Jacksonville State @ Louisville | Louisville | Louisville |
| Georgia Tech @ Syracuse | Georgia Tech | Syracuse |
| Total |
WEEK 1 PICKS REVIEWED
| Week 1 Pick Results by Conference | Record |
| SEC | 5 – 0 |
| B1G (Big Ten) | 5 – 0 |
| Big – 12 | 5 – 0 |
| ACC | 3 – 2 |
| Total | 18 – 2 |
Week 1 GAME PICK RESULTS
| Game (Home team listed 2nd) | Rivalry Sports Pick – Dustin Kirby | Guest Picker – Stephanie Kirby | WINNER |
| Clemson @ Georgia | Georgia | Clemson | Georgia |
| Furman @ Ole Miss | Ole Miss | Ole Miss | Ole Miss |
| Western Kentucky @ Alabama | Alabama | Alabama | Alabama |
| Tennessee Chattanooga @ Tennessee | Tennessee | Tennessee | Tennessee |
| Murray State @ Missouri | Missouri | Missouri | Missouri |
| Idaho @ Oregon | Oregon | Oregon | Oregon |
| Fresno State @ Michigan | Michigan | Michigan | Michigan |
| Akron @ Ohio State | Ohio State | Ohio State | Ohio State |
| Illinois State @ Iowa | Iowa | Iowa | Iowa |
| Penn State @ West Virginia | Penn State | Penn State | Penn State |
| Southern Utah @ Utah | Utah | Utah | Utah |
| South Dakota St @ Oklahoma State | Oklahoma State | Oklahoma State | Oklahoma State |
| UT Martin @ Kansas State | Kansas State | Kansas State | Kansas State |
| Lindenwood @ Kansas | Kansas | Kansas | Kansas |
| New Mexico @ Arizona | Arizona | Arizona | Arizona |
| Boston College @ Florida State | FSU | FSU | Boston College |
| Western Carolina @ NC State | NC State | NC State | NC State |
| Florida @ Miami | Florida | Miami | Miami |
| North Carolina @ Minnesota | North Carolina | Minnesota | North Carolina |
| WINS PER PICKER | 17 | 16 | 19 |
