Big Week 1 College Football Games, Which Player Cards to Chase?

Week 1 of the college football season is upon us, and there are a lot of exciting games on the docket. The months of practice and finetuning schemes will be tested this weekend, and fans around the country couldn’t be any happier.

There are three nonconference games featuring top 10 teams that will set the pace for the Heisman Trophy and seedings for end of the year playoffs.

There are established collegiate stars and rising talents that will get to showcase their abilities on Saturday and Sunday… let’s get a jumpstart on your collection tracking these top players down before they breakout this season.

Week 1 Marquee Games

No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 10 Miami: Sunday, Aug. 31, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC

A matchup that at one time earned the moniker “Catholics vs. Convicts,” the slants may no longer be there, but the fiery competition will be on Sunday.

Notre Dame is coming off a somewhat surprising run to the national championship game in 2024. All attention will be on Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love. Love rushed for 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns as a sophomore. Opening holes for Love, sophomore lineman Anthonie Knapp.

On defense, the big names for the Irish are defensive backs Leonard Moore (sophomore) and Christian Gray (junior).

Miami is coming off their best season since 2017, posting matching 10-3 records. Fans expected Mario Cristobal to be in a national championship game in Year 1, but reality is the program was being rebuilt in glory day imagery. The Hurricanes’ offensive line is big, strong and nasty led by tackle Francis Mauigoa, who could very well end up being a first-round pick.

The QB for the Canes, former UGA gunslinger Carson Beck. If Beck returns to his 3,485-passing yard, 28-TD, form, with OC Shannon Dawson guiding him, this Miami team will be extremely dangerous. RB Mark Fletcher is a big back that can wear down defenses.

On the defensive side of the ball, watch out for junior end Rueben Bain Jr. Bain is just one of those players who has the knack for making big plays.

No. 9 LSU vs. No. 4 Clemson: Saturday, Aug. 30, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC

The LSU program feels a long way from the Les Miles era of being in the hunt for a national championship every year. In the cycle of CFB, the Tigers national championship win in 2019 under Ed Orgeron is not that long ago. Brian Kelly has been solid in three turns around the solar system winning 29 games but has not taken LSU back to the SEC Championship since the 2022 season, and he lost that game to Georgia… not what they want in Baton Rouge.

If Kelly can change the fortunes of the program around, and keep himself off the hot seat, junior QB Garrett Nussmeier is his best bet. Nussmeier was fifth in the nation last fall passing for 4,052 yards with 29 TDs. The bad, he gave the ball away 12 times in 13 games. Aaron Anderson is Nussmeier’s top target. Anderson hauled in 61 for 884 yards with five scores in 2024.

Defensively, linebackers Harold Perkins Jr. and Whit Weeks are all over the field for LSU… when healthy.

What’s true for Kelly in Baton Rogue is the same for Dabo Swinney in Clemson. Swinney’s reign over the ACC has slipped with five seasons behind him since his last national championship appearance. But the titles in 2016 and 2018 still hold water.

Swinney may have the most balanced team since the ’18 and ’19 seasons. The key to the Tigers’ success in 2025 is quarterback Cade Klubnik. Klubnik threw for 3,639 yards with 36 TDs as a junior. Klubnik ran more last year, 784 yards, 13 TDs; expect him to move the chains with his legs against the Tigers when possible. Bryant Wesco is Klubnik’s go-to receiver (41/708/5). The other big play threat is Antonio Williams.

When the field is flipped, Clemson has great playmakers up front in Peter Woods and T.J. Parker. Woods is that tweener with great quickness and strength able to create chaos up and down the line.

No. 1 Texas vs. No. 3 Ohio State, Saturday, Aug. 30, 12:00 p.m. ET, FOX

With college football schedules being made years in advance, fans rarely get such a high-profile matchup in Week 1. As is, there is a lot of hype, deservedly so, for the Texas vs. Ohio State showdown.

Both squads have unproven quarterbacks with all the ability in the world leading the charge. For the Longhorns, Arch Manning, and for the Buckeyes, Julian Sayin.

Manning redshirted in 2023 and picked up two starts in 2024 behind Quinn Ewers. Sayin started his career with Alabama but transferred to Ohio State upon the retirement of Nick Saban. Sayin appeared in four games in 2024 with the Buckeyes without a start. First game jitters and “freshman” mistakes are to be expected. Whoever shakes off the rust and emotion first will have the upper hand.

Sayin has a lot of weapons around him to help carry the offense. None of those weapons are as important as Jeremiah Smith. Smith was a second team All-American as a true freshman, deserving of first team honors are securing 76 passes for 1,315 yards with 16 touchdowns. The “Robin” to “Batman,” Carnell Tate was a chain mover with 52 receptions for 733 yards scoring the pigskin four times. Not to be overlooked, there is tight end Max Klare as a checkdown option.

Texas’ defense has the talent to be explosive. The secondary has Michael Taaffe and cornerback Malik Muhammad. In the box, Colin Simmons off the edge creates problems for quarterbacks and linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. has the closing speed to end plays in the opponent’s backfield.

The player Manning will rely upon the most is running back Quintrevion Wisner. The junior crossed over the 1,000-yard mark in 2024 with five scores. He’s also a weapon out of the backfield catching 44 for 311 as a sophomore.

Pictured:

2025 Bowman Chrome University NSCC #FB-CB Carson Beck AU /25

2025 Panini National Convention VIP #RP5 Jeremiah Smith Rated Prospect Stripe Prizm

2024 Panini Prizm Draft Picks Prizms Red Finite #193 Julian Sayin