Week 1 is just around the corner.

College football got off to a bang last week, as Georgia Tech defeated No. 10 Florida State in a big ACC matchup and SMU survived an upset attempt by Nevada. All the other ACC teams will be celebrating this weekend, and we’ll see how each team starts.

While there are a number of oddball matchups this weekend, there are also some important games happening, not just in the ACC but across the country. Clemson has a neutral site game against No. 1 Georgia, Miami heads to Gainesville to face Florida, and North Carolina travels to Minnesota. This is a big opportunity for the ACC to earn a lot of respect this weekend.

So who wins these games this weekend? (Note that I will have a full analysis and preview on Georgia State later this week).

Odds displayed are courtesy of Fanduel Sportsbook.

1. Western Carolina at NC State (-32.5), 7:00 p.m. ACC Network

This game won’t be close, but it will be interesting to see how NC State looks right out of the gate, especially on offense. The Wolfpack have a big game next week against Tennessee in Charlotte, so I doubt they’ll want to show too much, but this game will never be in question.

Final score: NC State 38, Western Carolina 10

2. NC A&T at Wake Forest (-34.5), 7 p.m., ESPN+ or ACC Network Extra

Another Thursday night game that shouldn’t be close. Wake Forest is coming off a disappointing season but hopes to turn things around in 2024. It starts on Thursday with a matchup against NC A&T. Keep an eye on the quarterback position for Wake Forest.

Final score: Wake Forest 44, NC A&T 13

3. North Carolina (-1.5) at Minnesota, 8:00 p.m. FOX

This game is difficult to predict. North Carolina has question marks on the quarterback and defense side, but Minnesota also has question marks on the defense and passing side. The Golden Gophers do have home field advantage, but I think North Carolina will have the advantage because they have the best player on the field in running back Omarion Hampton. UNC wins a close game by a few points.

Final score: North Carolina 24, Minnesota 20

4. Elon at Duke (-23.5), 7:30 p.m. ACC Network

Duke head coach Manny Diaz will make his debut with the Blue Devils and Texas native Maalik Murphy will take over the center position. Duke is replacing a lot of players from last year’s team and there are some question marks, but I believe they win this game.

Final result: Duke 35, Elon 14

5. TCU (-9.5) at Stanford, 10:30 p.m. ESPN

Stanford will play its first game as a member of the ACC against a TCU team hoping to compete in the Big 12. A year after reaching the national championship game, TCU fell to 5-7 and had all kinds of problems, but they should be better this year. Troy Taylor is still trying to make Stanford a winning program again, and while I believe he will eventually get there, year two will likely be a struggle again. TCU wins, but don’t be surprised if it’s closer than you think.

Final score: TCU 34, Stanford 24

6. No. 14 Clemson vs. No. 1 Georgia (-13.5)

This will be one of the most important games of the weekend. After FSU lost to Georgia Tech on Saturday, the Tigers are now the favorite to win the ACC. Clemson won five straight games last year and finished the season 9-4, but this was not the type of dominant team we had become accustomed to over the past decade. Georgia, on the other hand, is repositioning for another shot at the national championship and will hold a grudge after failing to do so last season. I think there are too many advantages that are heavily in Georgia’s favor (UGA DBs vs. Clemson WRs, for example) and I don’t think Clemson can score enough points to keep this game close.

Final score: Georgia 38, Clemson 21

7. Virginia Tech (-13.5) at Vanderbilt, 12:00 ESPN

The Hokies are one of the most experienced teams in the country and are expected to be a contender in the ACC. I trust they are not too rusty as they know each other well and their running game should be strong. The Hokies will win hands down in Nashville.

Final score: Virginia Tech 31, Vanderbilt 10

8. Austin Peay at Louisville (-36.5), 12 p.m. ACC Network

In games like this, you just want to come out healthy. Louisville has Austin Peay and Jacksonville State before their first challenging game of the year against Georgia Tech. The Cardinals should just want to stay healthy when they leave the field on Saturday, and the game won’t be close.

Final score: Louisville 45, Austin Peay 7

9. Kent State at Pitt (-24.5), 12:00 ESPNU

Pitt hopes to move past last year’s 3-9 record, and that starts with a home game against Kent State. The Panthers’ offense will be the most interesting part of this game, and I’m interested to see if they turn things around here. I think Pitt wins, but wouldn’t be surprised if Kent State is victorious.

Final score: Pitt 41, Kent State 17

10. Miami (-2.5) in Florida, 3:30 p.m. ABC

I have no idea who will win this game. This is a game that both head coaches really need, and the coach who loses this game will be under considerable pressure. Gainesville is a tough road game, and while Miami should have a big roster advantage, this group hasn’t played together yet, and their first game is on the road at the Swamp. I wouldn’t be surprised if Florida wins this game, but I think Miami has a big enough advantage at the lines of scrimmage, and that will make the difference.

Final score: Miami 24, Florida 17

11. Ohio at Syracuse (-17.5), 3:30 p.m. ACC Network

This will be Fran Brown’s debut with Syracuse and they will be one of the most interesting teams in the ACC. They rebuilt their roster in the transfer portal, notably bringing in quarterback Kyle McCord from Ohio State to improve the passing attack and Syracuse really has talent on offense. Ohio will probably be one of the worst teams in the MAC and I don’t think they have what it takes to win a road game against Syracuse.

Final score: Syracuse 31, Ohio 10

12. UC Davis at Cal (-20.5), 5:00 p.m. ESPN+

Another ACC game that shouldn’t be close. Cal should just want to stay healthy in its ACC debut.

Final score: Cal 38, UC Davis 12

13. Richmond at Virginia (19.5), 6:00 p.m. ESPN+

Virginia underperformed in its first two years under Tony Elliott and could really use a win here. The Cavaliers had some moments last year, namely when they beat North Carolina and forced Miami into overtime. They should win that game, but they have a tough road ahead of them this season.

Final score: Virginia 28, Richmond 13

14. Houston Christian at SMU (-44.5), 8:00 p.m. ESPN+

SMU survived a loss to Nevada that would have otherwise been devastating and is the clear favorite heading into Saturday’s game against Houston Christian. As I said, SMU should just want to come out of this game healthy, but they also want to play cleaner on offense.

Final score: SMU 52, Houston Christian 0

15. Boston College at Florida State (-15.5) 7:30 p.m. ESPN

This will be an exciting game. How will Florida State look after their loss to Georgia Tech? Can they bounce back quickly or was last Saturday just a taste of what’s to come? Boston College has some players (QB Thomas Castellanos) that can make life difficult for the Seminoles, but I don’t think Boston College has the Yellow Jackets’ offensive line. I think FSU will bounce back and win.

Final score: Florida State 35, Boston College 17