Group of 5 college football power rankings, Week 1: Utah State concerned?

All eyes will be on quarterback Seth Hennigan and whether or not his true freshman season was a one-off outlier or the beginning of something very special. He has a chance to prove that right off the bat when the Memphis Tigers take on Mississippi State.

Even if Hennigan does his part, will the Tigers’ defense be able to slow the famed air raid offense? Bulldogs quarterback Will Rogers is one of the best passers in college football. He torched this Tigers’ defense for a season-high 419 passing yards in last season’s31-29 loss.

Memphis heads south to Starkville to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Week 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

Miami face a really difficult first test on the road at No. 20 Kentucky, a team many have picked to be a dark horse contender in the SEC East this season.

The Redhawks are 4-1-8 all-time vs the Wildcats and have lost their last three meetings. You have to go all the way back to 1979 to find a time when Miami (OH) defeated Kentucky in Lexington. Can Miami end a 43-year-old losing streak in Week 1?

The Redhawks take on the Kentucky Wildcats in Week 1 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

Marshall has a chance to tune things up in their season open before they travel to South Bend, Ind., to take on the mighty Notre Dame in Week 2.

Will Marshall be disciplined and focused in this Week 1 game vs Norfolk State or will they be looking ahead to Notre Dame? That depends on how well running back Rasheen Ali can get things going on the ground for the Herd. He’s the motor for this team and Marshall will need him to establish things early in the game.

Marshall hosts Norfolk State at 3:30 p.m. ET in Week 1 on ESPN3.