College football picks, schedule: Predictions, best bets for Nebraska-Cincinnati, more Week 1 games Thursday

After whetting our appetite with a Week 0 amuse bouche of sorts, college football is back in full force with Week 1 action kicking off on Thursday night. 

There are five straight nights of games over this Labor Day weekend, but we aren't here to pace ourselves after a long, hard eight months without college football. No, we're diving in full force for Week 1, and that starts with the busiest Thursday night of games we will get all season. 

The headliners for Week 1's opening night are Nebraska taking a trip to Cincinnati and No. 25 Boise State visiting South Florida, but there's plenty of games beyond those two national TV clashes. While college football has largely ceded Thursday's to the NFL, they take advantage of the pros being off with 16 games involving FBS teams this Thursday. 

For those who love to bet on college football, that presents quite the opportunity to seek out some action. While it's always wise to tread lightly and use the opening week for gathering information and sorting out what camp buzz was legitimate, there are a number of intriguing plays available in Week 1. 

Not to steal the bit of my good friend and CBS Sports colleague Tom Fornelli, but I've got a six pack of games, I've got plays on just for Thursday night as we are going to start the season by spraying the board in celebration of the return of college football. 

Nebraska at Cincinnati (9:00 p.m., ESPN)

Week 1 is all about learning what's real and what's not, and this is a chance for Nebraska to prove that they're real. I'm going to ride with the Huskers, because if they're as good as they say they are, they should win this game by more than a touchdown.

I trust the Nebraska defense to hold up its end of the bargain; they were stout last year and return a good bit of talent. The offense is the question mark, although there's real talent there. Consistency is the concern, particularly from quarterback Dylan Raiola. The flashes of brilliance pop, but I'm more interested to see if he can go on the road and put together a full game of solid play. I don't think he has to even be spectacular for Nebraska to cover here, but he does have to avoid mistakes that would breathe life into Cincinnati. 

No. 25 Boise State at South Florida (5:30 p.m., ESPN)

There will be plenty of intrigue as we get our first look at Boise State this season, and I like two plays in this game. We'll start with the first half under. Both of these teams are replacing key performers on offense, and I think it could take a little time for the offenses to hit their stride — especially USF. Boise State is going to adjust to life without Ashton Jeanty, and losing the star back takes away some of their big play ability. 

I also like Boise for the full game. I think this line has dipped too low at 5.5 for a team that's still incredibly talented even without Jeanty and should have a roster advantage on both sides of the ball. While the early going might see the Broncos feeling it out without Jeanty, I think Maddux Madsen and Co. eventually get it rolling and lead the Broncos to a fairly comfortable win. 

Ohio at Rutgers (6:00 p.m., Big Ten Network)

Ohio's defense was excellent in the MAC last year, but any time they ventured outside the conference, they gave up some points. Rutgers, on the other hand, played in a ton of shootouts as they didn't have the usual Schiano defensive form. I do have some concerns about the Rutgers' offense without Kyle Monongai, but those are mostly for Big Ten play. This is also the rare Week 1 game that features two returning veteran QBs, which I think bodes well for points being scored. 

East Carolina at NC State (7:00 p.m., ACC Network)

Everyone in the great state of North Carolina is buzzing about Thursday night's rematch of the 2024 Military Bowl. There is palpable excitement to watch the Wolfpack try to exact some revenge after losing to the Pirates to end last season. The Wolfpack were a disaster defensively in 2024, and ECU wasn't a whole lot better. They did keep it fairly low scoring (26-21) in that bowl game, but I expect a shootout in Raleigh in what's supposed to be ideal football weather (mid-70s and light wind at kickoff). 

Jacksonville State at UCF (7:00 p.m., ESPN+)

Jacksonville State lost their top QB, RB, WR and TE on offense. They lost their top seven tacklers and top three corners on defense. They're basically starting from scratch post-Rich Rod, and I have a feeling Scott Frost will want to get off to a flying start to get people buzzing in the Bounce House again in his return to UCF, and things might get ugly quickly for the Gamecocks. I wouldn't begrudge anyone that just wants to stack UCF across the board -- 1Q, 1H, full game -- but I like the first half number best if you nab it under 10. 

Buffalo at Minnesota (8:00 p.m., FS1)

Minnesota's defense was downright nasty last year, and they shutout their two non-Power Four opponents. I have a feeling it's going to be tough sledding for the Bulls on Thursday night, and I'll hop on their team total under. Pick: Buffalo Team Total Under 13.5