What To Watch For In Week 1 Of The 2022 College Football Season

A top-five matchup in Columbus headlines a weekend with just three games between ranked teams.

At long last, the first full weekend of the 2022 college football season is upon us – and we get two extra days of games thanks to Labor Day.

There are 83 games on the schedule, but only three of those are between ranked teams, including No. 2 Ohio State hosting No. 5 Notre Dame, No. 3 Georgia taking on No. 11 Oregon in Atlanta and No. 23 Cincinnati traveling to No. 19 Arkansas.

There are two other games we are keeping our eyes on this weekend, as No. 7 Utah heads to Gainesville to take on Florida, while Florida State and LSU meet in New Orleans on Sunday night.

With that said, here’s what to watch for in Week 1 of the 2022 college football season: 

No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 11 Oregon - 3:30 p.m. on ABC

The Bulldogs begin their national title defense in Atlanta against former defensive coordinator Dan Landing, who is set to make his head-coaching debut for the Ducks.

Georgia will also see a familiar face under center for Oregon in quarterback Bo Nix, who notably went 0-3 as a starter against the Bulldogs as a starter Auburn (578 yards with two touchdowns and one interception).

Even though they lost several key players from the nation’s best defense, Georgia brings in a top-rated recruiting class each year. Will the Ducks be able to take advantage of those new pieces to keep it close?

No. 23 Cincinnati at No. 19 Arkansas - 3:30 p.m. on ESPN

After a season in which Cincinnati became the first Group of Five team to reach the College Football Playoff, expectations remain high for Luke Fickell’s group.

Key parts of that team are gone, though, with quarterback Desmond Ridder, running back Jerome Ford, wide receiver Alec Pierce, cornerbacks Ahmad “Sauce” Garner and Coby Bryant now playing on Sundays.

Whoever steps into those roles will have face a tall task in the opener, as Arkansas returns quarterback K.J Jefferson and the SEC’s top rushing offense. Now, can they repeat last year’s surprising win at Notre Dame?

No. 7 Utah at Florida - 7 p.m. on ESPN

Utah returns most of last year's team, which won the Pac-12 and played in its first Rose Bowl after a 1-2 start. The Utes have their sights set on something bigger this fall, though, which would be a trip to the College Football Playoff.

Florida, meanwhile, will be playing its first game under former Louisiana coach Billy Napier, who inherited a team that finished 6-7 last season but has quarterback Anthony Richardson back for another season.

Utah would gain some national respect for walking out of The Swamp with a victory, but a loss to the unranked Gators would effectively end their playoff hopes in Week 1.

No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 2 Ohio State - 7:30 p.m. on ABC

Notre Dame head coach and former Ohio State linebacker Marcus Freeman head to Columbus for a matchup between two of the most storied programs in college football.

Fighting Irish quarterback Tyler Buchner will make his first career start against a revamped defense, which features new coordinator Jim Knowles, who the Buckeyes pulled away from Oklahoma State this offseason.

Ohio State’s high-powered offense will put up points behind quarterback C.J. Stroud, running back TreVeyon Henderson and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Can Notre Dame keep up?

Florida State vs. LSU - Sunday, 7:30 p.m. on ABC

After 12 seasons at Notre Dame, LSU head coach Brian Kelly now leads a program that won the national championship just three seasons ago and remains chock full of talent despite last year’s 6-7 record.

They face a Florida State team that already has a game under its belt, a 47-7 victory over FCS Duquesne, but also hasn’t finished a season with a winning record since 2017.

Third-year coach Mike Novell has the Seminoles on the right track, having won six of their last nine games. Getting a win in the Superdome, which should be viewed as the Tigers’ second home, would be proof of that progress.

-----

Be sure to check out our new message boards, Buckeye Forums. We'd love to have you part of the conversation during the season.

-----

You may also like:

Game Preview: Ohio State Aims To Write History Against Notre Dame

Ohio State To Host More Than 60 Top Recruits For Notre Dame Game

Philadelphia Eagles Claim Former Ohio State RB Trey Sermon

Ohio State's Ryan Day Shares Final Thoughts On Notre Dame During Radio Show

Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud Gifts Game Day Suits To Teammates

New Ohio Stadium Turf “Way Better” Than Previous Surface

-----

Be sure to stay locked into BuckeyesNow all the time!

Join the BuckeyesNow community!
Subscribe to the BuckeyesNow YouTube channel
Follow Andrew on Twitter: @AndrewMLind
Follow BuckeyesNow on Twitter: @BuckeyesNowSI

Like and follow BuckeyesNow on Facebook!