The 2025 college football season is finally here, and the SEC is once again in the national spotlight. Week 1 is stacked with marquee matchups that pit the league’s heavyweights against big-name opponents from across the Power Four. With so much on the line right out of the gate, opening weekend could shape the playoff picture before September even begins.
Here are three bold predictions for SEC teams looking to make an early statement.
Auburn Over Baylor
As head coach Hugh Freeze enters a pivotal third season at Auburn, the Tigers open the 2025 campaign on the road in Waco, Texas, against the Baylor Bears.
According to BetMGM, Auburn enters as a slight favorite at -2.5. That line reflects the Tigers’ rough 5–7 finish last season compared to Baylor’s respectable 8–5 mark.
But Baylor’s bowl game performance against LSU showed their limitations — the Bayou Bengals torched them for 44 points in the Texas Bowl. Auburn, meanwhile, has retooled with major offensive upgrades. Quarterback Jackson Arnold, a former five-star from Oklahoma, takes over under center, joined by wideout Eric Singleton Jr. from Georgia Tech and running back Durrell Robinson from UConn. Add those newcomers to Cam Coleman, Damari Alston, and Jeremiah Cobb, and the Tigers have one of the SEC’s most improved attacks.
Auburn’s firepower should be too much for Baylor, even on the road. I’m picking the Tigers to win their opener and give the SEC its first victory of 2025 over a fellow Power Four program.
Watch: Baylor vs. Auburn | Friday, August 29 | 8:00 PM | FOX
Texas Stuns Ohio State
Saturday’s slate brings the crown jewel of Week 1: defending national champion Ohio State hosting Texas in FOX’s Big Noon Saturday. It’s No. 1 vs. No. 2 — a season-opening matchup that’s never happened before.
Despite losing 14 players to the 2025 NFL Draft — including four first-round picks — Ohio State still enters as a slight home favorite (-1.5 via BetMGM).
The Longhorns, however, have the country’s biggest storyline: Arch Manning taking over as the full-time starter. Few players in college football history have shouldered more hype, and he’ll be backed by an offense loaded with playmakers. If Texas’s retooled offensive line can protect Manning and open running lanes for Quintrevion Wisner, CJ Baxter, and Jerrick Gibson, Steve Sarkisian’s squad has the balance to match anyone.
Twenty years after Vince Young stunned the Buckeyes in Columbus, Texas feels poised for another defining moment in the Horseshoe. I’m calling for the Longhorns to go into Columbus and win outright.
Watch: Ohio State vs. Texas | Saturday, August 30 | 12:00 PM | FOX
Clemson Outlasts LSU
Saturday night shifts the spotlight to Death Valley — the Clemson version — as LSU and Clemson square off in a Top 10 showdown. Storylines abound: Tigers vs. Tigers, Death Valley vs. Death Valley, Brian Kelly vs. Dabo Swinney, Garrett Nussmeier vs. Cade Klubnik, SEC vs. ACC, and perhaps most importantly, can Kelly finally win a season opener at LSU?
BetMGM lists Clemson as a 4-point favorite, which reflects both home-field advantage and LSU’s recent struggles under Kelly in marquee games. Since arriving in Baton Rouge, Kelly has consistently stumbled against elite opponents, particularly those ranked in the Top 10.
This one will be competitive, but under the lights in Clemson, I see Swinney’s team edging LSU late. The Bayou Bengals will show promise, but until Kelly proves otherwise, the biggest stage continues to be his stumbling block.
Clemson takes it.
Watch: Clemson vs. LSU | Saturday, August 30 | 7:30 PM | ABC
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