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Week 1 of the 2026 college football season commences on Thursday night, kicking off a five-day slate where at least one game is played across the sport.
FOX Sports’ Lead College Football Analyst, Joel Klatt, shared his picks for the biggest games of the week on the latest episode of “The Joel Klatt Podcast.”
Klatt’s Thoughts: “This [LSU] defense really should be able to shut down Clemson in this matchup. You’ve got [defensive coordinator] Blake Baker back. Princewill Umanmielen transfers with Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss. This guy’s an excellent defensive end. They’re talented out there. You got [linebacker] Whit Weeks. This is a good team. You got Sam Leavitt, an experienced quarterback. … Lane always has a good offense. This team should be good. They should be ready to go, and it comes down to execution. How quickly can they learn this system and execute?
“Baker has been there before, so it shouldn’t take that long for these guys to really get acquainted with this defense, and that’s where I think that they dominate this game.”
Klatt’s Pick: “In that environment, with that type of energy, I like LSU, 31-14.”
Ole Miss 30, Louisville 21
Klatt’s Thoughts: “It could look sloppy, at times, and we’ll see if Louisville can take advantage. Louisville has been a team that has constantly defeated really good opponents like Miami and JMU. When [head coach] Jeff Brohm was at Purdue, he was really the “Spoilermaker.” They know how to do this, but I do think Ole Miss, in the end, is going to have too much because I think Trinidad Chambliss is the most unique quarterback in the country in that he’s the most threatening both outside of the pocket and inside the pocket.
“That’s going to be very difficult for Louisville and its new defensive coordinator [Mark Ivey and Steve Ellis are co-coordinators] to deal with. He’s [Chambliss] so dynamic.”
Klatt’s Pick: “I think Ole Miss wins the game, 30-21.”
Oregon 42, Boise State 13
Klatt’s Thoughts: “I think Oregon is further along in its build under Dan Lanning than Boise State. They’ve got more purpose and more urgency with these guys coming back. They’ve got an experienced quarterback in Dante Moore. I believe they can be explosive on offense, and I think they’re going to be absolutely suffocating on defense. The one question I have for Oregon is at offensive coordinator. Drew Mehringer comes in as a promotion from within to replace Will Stein [at offensive coordinator]. We’ll see how he does. I want to see the offense and how it works, very similarly to Ole Miss.
“Boise State had a great pass defense a year ago, but it lost four of its five defensive backs from a year ago. Oregon should really control this game. If they can’t control the game with their offense, they should be able to control the game with their defense, and, more specifically, its defensive line. … think about purpose, think about urgency, think about what this team is actually there to do, and it’s not just go out there and struggle against Boise State.”
Klatt’s Pick: “I like Oregon in this one, 42-13.”
