Dawg Post's Weekend Picks for UGA Football and the Rest of College Football Are In
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ATHENS - Kirby Smart and the UGA football team are a little over one week away from their 2025 season opener. Here is what will happen this weekend to kick off week zero of the upcoming season according to the Dawg Post crew.
No. 22 Iowa State (+3) vs. No. 17 Kansas State | ESPN |12:00 PM | Saturday
Matt’s Pick: The season kicks off with a top-25 matchup between Iowa State and Kansas State. I’m taking Avery Johnson and the Wildcats to get the big win in Dublin. Kansas State has a promising quarterback in Johnson and a rushing attack that could be one of the best in the Big 12 this season. The Cyclones have a strong team, but Kansas State is bigger and should take a step forward in 2025. Give me Kansas State (-3).
Ryan’s Pick: I am not big on games being played out of the country to be honest. It doesn’t sit right with me. Especially for college programs that are potentially giving up a home game.
I have been waiting for Avery Johnson to make a big impression on the college football world, but that just has not happened the way that many thought. Iowa State (+3) starts the season strong with a win. They need it after the Big 12 Championship disaster.
Dean’s Pick: This is a great game to start the season. FSU-Tech last year was pretty good as well, but these are two teams that actually have a chance to win their league this fall. Florida State ended the season 2-10; the Jackets collapsed Between the Hedges before capping the season off with Vandy doing them in Birmingham.
Ever been to Birmingham? Don’t bother.
With the exception of Penn State, LSU and FSU (good FSU, not what we’ve seen lately) - we don’t need anyone with the word “State” in their name taking up CFP spots… yeah - I’m talking to the rest of you… you know who you are NC State, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Arizona State and Cal State system schools.
Should the Big Ten get its way this could be an opening-round CFP game by the end of the decade. Lord, make it stop.
That said - these two so-called State schools have done a very good job of playing football that matters. I’ve got Kansas State (-3) to cover this line. I think this is a toss-up game. Look, playing these conference games to open the season is awesome. Playing them in Ireland. I think that is strange. There is no real atmosphere - its like playing a 5:15 game at Lakewood (if you know you know).
I get this being a TV production, but you can tell the crowd doesn’t care.
Fresno (is not a) State (-13) at Kansas | FOX |6:30 PM
Matt’s Pick: While the Wildcats are playing across the pond, the Jayhawks are staying home and hosting Fresno State to open the season. I think the Kansas offense could have a big year, but they’ve got several question marks on defense. In the end, I think Kansas gets a late cover at home. They have too good of an offense for this to be a tight game. Even with a questionable defense, look for the Jayhawks to come out firing. I’m taking Kansas (-13).
Ryan’s Pick: Normally, I would not be a fan of taking Kansas to cover a double-digit line. It just doesn’t look right to me. Talent is going to win out on this one, and I like the Jayhawks (-13) on the back of Jalon Daniels.
Dean’s Pick: We were led to believe Kansas was going to be good a season ago. We were lied to. This is a common occurrence in college football. A program has an exceptional player, in this case Kansas QB Jalon Daniels, who has a season that’s not what is expected. That’s how things go from folks talking about a 9-4 Kansas team making the jump to the next level in a newly-formed Big 12 to them turding the bed and going 5-7.
That said, Kansas did beat No. 16 Kansas State, No. 6 BYU and No. 16 Colorado because Big 12. But Big 12 can hurt you or help you any given week. Because Big 12, for those unfamiliar, is the ACC Wheel of Destiny we used to be treated to before Clemson decided to wake up from a three-decade slumber in 2014.
Fresno was pretty competitive in all but one game a season ago (the 59-14 beating at UNLV). I will take Fresno (+13) grabbing nearly two touchdowns in Lawrence. Ever been to Kansas? Don’t bother.
Stanford (-7) at Hawai'i | CBS |7:30 PM
Matt’s Pick: The Stanford Cardinal are heading out to Hawaii to take on the Rainbow Warriors. This will be a tough test for a Stanford program down in the dumps, but they’re the bigger, more physical team. Their secondary was awful last season and their defense appeared to play worse and worse as the season went on. However, if they can limit Hawaii’s passing attack even a little bit, they should be alright. Run the football, work the clock, and play half-way decent defense. Their size and overall talent should be enough to secure the victory. Stanford (-7).
Ryan’s Pick: I don’t know where these guys got their betting line. I am taking Hawaii (-2.5) since that has been the line for at least the last 24 hours. The Rainbow Warriors are getting after it to open the season.
Dean’s Pick: I'm pretty excited for this one if I’m being honest. I love poor west coast football, and we are getting that in spades with this one. The Trees are flying halfway across the Pacific to take on a Hawai’i program that’s biggest moment in program history was getting the life stomped out of them by Mark Richt’s Dawgs at the end of the 2007 season.
Hawai’i has four winning seasons since Marcus Howard thumped Colt Brennan over and over.
These two programs are in search of something, and CBS (poor CBS) is going to show us this thing in primetime. You know its gotten bad when your primetime games used to be Notre Dame-UGA, Bama-Georgia or LSU-Bama; and now you are showing Stanford.
Stanford.
John Elway did not die for this. I’m old enough to remember when Stanford was good in football. David Shaw was showered with appropriate praise early in his time - that coincided with Andrew Luck playing quarterback - but fizzled after that. His final four seasons on the Farm didn’t see the Trees win more than four games.
In fact, Stanford hasn’t won more than four games in six seasons.
These two are losers. It is what it is - I’ll be watching. Give me the Trees (-7) to cover that touchdown.