The 2025 College Football season rolls on with a loaded Week 1 slate of games! Welcome to our CFB Best Bets as we break down CFB picks for Saturday’s action. Let’s focus on two games for our top CFB predictions. Stay tuned for more college football bets below.  

The Week 1 college football slate continues all day on Saturday with games throughout the afternoon and night. We have plenty of ways to go for our CFB picks. Note that all bets below are for one unit unless otherwise noted. Without further ado, let’s dive into our CFB Best Bets. 

CFB Picks, Predictions & Best Bets: Saturday, 8/30

Let’s kick off our Week 1 CFB Best Bets with a marquee matchup between No. 1 Texas and No. 3 Ohio State. This is the most-anticipated game of the weekend as the Longhorns and Buckeyes are both among the top national title contenders. Plus, we make CFB predictions for South Dakota vs. No. 22 Iowa State. Be sure to check out more CFB picks for other games below. Let’s get to it. 

 

 


 

Texas vs. Ohio State Prediction: Saturday, August 30th

Our college football Saturday starts with a bang as No. 3 Ohio State takes on No. 1 Texas in a must-see matchup. The Buckeyes are slight home favorites with a 46.5 over/under at the time of writing. Let’s get some action on this showdown as the defending champs host Arch Manning and the Longhorns. 

These teams are both replacing a ton of talent from last year. Ohio State and Texas both had double-digit players taken in this past NFL Draft. How well each side can retool and reload for the 2025 season becomes a major factor. 

Texas should have the slight edge in that area with a bit more roster retention. If you haven’t heard, Arch Manning is now at quarterback for the Longhorns. He’s one of the most-hyped prospects in recent memory and should be a top Heisman candidate. Manning saw limited game action last year as a backup, but his familiarity with the offense and his pure talent ceiling can give us confidence. 

Texas has to replace its top three pass-catchers from last year. Yet, the Longhorns’ current WR room is still loaded with Ryan Wingo, DeAndre Moore Jr., and Parker Livingstone, all being playmakers. Plus, tight end transfer Jack Endries presents a mismatch. The offense brings back top RB Quintrevion Wisner, while CJ Baxter also returns from injury after missing all of last year. Manning also provides a dual-threat rushing ability that will keep defenses off-balance. 

This Texas offense will test an Ohio State defense that lacks proven playmakers outside of safety Caleb Downs. Speaking of Downs, it remains a mystery as to how he’ll be used with Matt Patricia now at defensive coordinator. Downs is at his best when he’s a roaming ballhawk, but he may play a traditional safety role in Patricia’s scheme. Plus, the offseason DC change to Patricia from Jim Knowles is a downgrade. 

On the other side of the ball, Ohio State has a ton of question marks on offense. The Buckeyes have a new quarterback in Julian Sayin, who has potential, but we’ve yet to see it on the field. The backfield is also completely new with Quinshon Judkins and Treveyon Henderson now in the NFL. Both were impact players and an elite tandem, so their losses cannot be overlooked. 

Stud WR Jeremiah Smith is still here, and he’s a legit star as arguably the best wideout in the country. Losing Emeka Egbuka to the NFL is a tad worrisome, though, as it will force Sayin to be on point when Smith isn’t tearing up secondaries. On that note, Texas held Smith to only one catch during last year’s Semifinal. If the ‘Horns make it a point to limit Smith again, then it could be a long day for the Buckeyes’ passing attack. 

Ohio State is also working with a new offensive coordinator this year. Brian Hartline replaces Chip Kelly as the OC, which is a downgrade on paper. Hartline has never run an offense before, and Kelly was an offensive guru. A new OC combined with a fresh QB and many new faces on offense could create growing pains in this opener for the Buckeyes, especially against a top-tier Texas defense. 

Let’s take Texas to win this game. The line has moved in the Longhorns’ direction this week for a reason. They are the better overall team right now with the more trustworthy offense. Yes, playing on the road should be considered, but Steve Sarkisian will have his guys ready for the moment with revenge on their minds after losing in the Semifinal to Ohio State last season. This will be a statement win for Texas. 

 

 


 

South Dakota vs. Iowa State Prediction: Saturday, August 30th

Iowa State kicked off the 2025 college football season last Saturday with a huge win over No. 17 Kansas State in Dublin, Ireland. The hard-fought 24-21 victory put the No. 22 Cyclones in the driver’s seat of a wide-open Big 12 Conference. As impressive as that result was, we’re fading them this weekend. 

Simply put, this is a tough situational spot for Iowa State on Saturday. After a big conference victory in a top-25 matchup, the Cyclones could be in for a letdown as they face an FCS program in South Dakota. The motivation and focus won’t be anywhere near the same level. Plus, Iowa State will face in-state rival Iowa next week at home. That creates lookahead potential as well. 

We also have to factor in Iowa State’s less-than-ideal travel situation. The Cyclones just played in Ireland a week ago and won’t have a bye week in between games. That’s a tough ask for college kids, especially when they have a rivalry matchup on deck next weekend. 

As for this game specifically, South Dakota is a sneaky opponent and no cakewalk. The Coyotes are a top FCS contender this season after going 11-3 with a semifinal appearance in 2024. They have a veteran quarterback (Aidan Bouman) and one of the best running backs in the FCS (Charles Pierre Jr.). They also had one of the top FCS defenses last year. Plus, South Dakota brings in 15 transfers from Division I programs, including 11 from power-conference schools. 

South Dakota will make Iowa State earn it this week. It’s worth noting that the Coyotes have covered as double-digit road underdogs against power conference teams in two straight seasons now. It was against Wisconsin a year ago and vs. Missouri in 2023. They can do it a third straight time with the Cyclones in a classic sandwich/letdown/lookahead spot. 

Plus, check out this trend. Iowa State is just 1-5 against the spread in its past 6 home openers. That includes failing to cover as 30-point home favorites in Week 1 of last season, right before facing Iowa the next week. It’s the same situation as this one, but even worse with the travel back from Ireland. Take South Dakota to cover and keep it close enough. 

 

 


 

Best CFB Prop Bets & Other Picks: Saturday, 8/30

 

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