B&S Week 1 game-by-game previews 2023
Woah buddy! At long last, Week 1 is here. We’ve got the Vols in Nashville, the Tigers in Orlando, and the Gators in Salt Lake City. LET’S RIDE.
By: Bossman Slim, Hammer, Waco Kid
Week 1 is upon us and we cannot wait to see what this season has in store. The slate is clean, the cup of hope runneth over, and storylines abound. Can Tennessee keep up the momentum? How does the middle of the East and the West shake out? Can Georgia three-peat? The list goes on and on.
As we’ve done each season since our founding in 2020, we’ll go game-by-game each week (except cupcakes), making our picks straight up and against the spread, and we’ll catalog our records each with a standings chart as you see below, crowing “King Biscuit” at the end of the season.
This week, we’re going to skip the cupcakes and focus on the games that matter. I’m sorry, but we all know Alabama is going to trounce Middle Tennessee.
Let’s make some picks.
8:00 pm ET on ESPN (Utah -6.5)
Bossman Slim: While I’m excited for this one, it could be a sloppy Week 1 affair for a few reasons. First, Utah star QB Cam Rising is not expected to play as he is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered in the Rose Bowl. That means junior walk-on Bryson Barnes is likely to get the start, meaning the Utes will rely on the run game led by RB Ja’Quinden Jackson, a former Texas QB. Top tight end Brant Kuithe is also questionable. On the other sideline, Florida is breaking in new QB Graham Mertz and a bunch of new blood on the defense. I expect this one to be a lower-scoring, pound-the-rock affair in Salt Lake City. Without Rising, the Gators can chomp the Utes for the second year in a row.
Florida 24
#14 Utah 21
Hammer: The biggest news heading into this one is that Utah is starting their third-string QB. Cam Rising is still sidelined while he recovers from a torn ACL suffered at the end of last year, and the backup got hurt in camp. The Utah staff has likely been aware of this reality for weeks, so their game plan should be sound but rolling a third-string QB out in week one against the Florida Gators is not ideal. I expect this to be a defensive battle where both teams try to lean on the run game and fight for every yard. The Utes are perennially a great defensive team, and we saw last year that Florida has the players to compete with Utah, regardless of what their Vegas win total says. This has all the makings of a four-quarter, knuckle-dragging football game that comes down to who makes a play late in the game, just like last year. I like Florida to cover and even win outright, although Utah winning close wouldn’t surprise me at all. Should be a fantastic game.
Florida 23
#14 Utah 20
Waco Kid: This would be a much more interesting game if the news hadn’t broken that Utah quarterback Cam Rising was out. Rising is their returning play caller and much of Utah’s success over the past few years has come from his play. Now they will have to host a Florida team with something to prove and a transfer QB in Graham Mertz with the talent to push them into a bowl game and propel the Gators to new heights. They already have the backs in place and if we see the emergence of some receivers in the passing game, we could be looking at a dangerous UF team. Billy Napier has something to prove and a win in Utah would put his program on the map and back in high regard in the SEC East. The Gators cover and win.
Florida 31
#14 Utah 17
12:00 pm ET on ABC (Tenn -28)
Bossman Slim: Joe Milton enters the Heisman race with a big showing in Nashville. I grew up around this UVA program, and they are sadly a far cry from the consistent top-15 teams of the Al Groh era. Bronco Mendenhall had them on the right trajectory and then quit just when things were getting good. Virginia’s defense was top 50 last season, giving up only 24 points per game, but they lost their top cornerback to the portal. The Hoos return a lot of production along the front four, but they’re going up against one of the more talented and experienced offensive lines in the SEC. They also lost Brennan Armstrong to the portal, he ended up at NC State. I think Tennessee will be able to score almost at will, and after the back-and-forth between Danny White and Tony Elliot, I don’t think the Vols will show any mercy. I bet this one is well in hand sooner than later and we get to see Nico Iamaleava for a few series in the fourth quarter as the Vols roll.
#12 Tennessee 45
Virginia 20
Hammer: I still remain skeptical that Joe Milton will simply pick up right where Hendon Hooker left off last year. That won’t matter in this game though. Virginia is not a good football team and Tennessee should handle business with ease in this one. The Hoos will be emotional as this is their first game since several players were shot and killed last November, so I expect them to come out with their hair on fire. They just don't have the guys to hang with Tennessee for four quarters and I think the Vols roll here.
#12 Tennessee 45
Virginia 13
Waco Kid: Tennessee all day. This should be one that the Vols run away with early in the first half. If quarterback Joe Milton shows up and shows out this could get ugly fast. UT has everything in place to make a run this year. Backs, receivers, line, and even their defensive unit doesn’t look half bad. They are also coming off a huge Orange Bowl win against Clemson and that momentum alone should be enough to push them past the Cavs. I'm not sure they can cover the 28-point spread due to their defense and what I would assume will be their second team in the fourth quarter, but this game should be an outright win for Tennessee.
#12 Tennessee 45
Virginia 21
7:30 pm ET on ABC (UNC -2.5)
Bossman Slim: Drake who? I’m joking, but I think North Carolina is getting overhyped. I’m not really sure how they’re starting out the year in the top 25 after a wildly disappointing showing in 2022. Their defense was porous, finishing last in the ACC and nullifying powerful offense. I don’t think the Tar Heels have done anything in recruiting or the portal to give me much confidence in defensive improvement, and they lost multiple defensive backs to the portal. For South Carolina, they’re breaking in new OC Dowell Loggains. We’ll see how that works out with Spencer Rattler, but I like the weapons the Gamecocks have around him, especially with Juice Wells cleared to play. USC also boasts one of the best secondaries in the SEC. I like this matchup for the Gamecocks, even with Drake Maye on the other sideline. Gimme the ‘Cocks to steal one in Charlotte.
South Carolina 33
#21 UNC 31
Hammer: I love this matchup. Spencer Rattler and South Carolina seem poised to take a step forward on one hand, but they also lost a lot to the transfer portal oddly enough. The Gamecock offense should look different under new OC Dowell Loggains and maybe they can utilize Rattler’s strengths, unlike the last OC. The key here is the Gamecock defense because anyone can score on North Carolina, but can you stop Drake Maye? If UNC is going to pull this win out, Maye will need to play an incredible game which he is more than capable of. In these early-season matchups, I tend to favor SEC teams because they typically win. I’m doing the same here. Outside of Drake Maye, the Tar Heels have so many questions. I expect them to score but Rattler and the Gamecocks will outscore them.
South Carolina 38
#21 UNC 34
Waco Kid: I refuse to pick South Carolina until Spencer Rattler can prove he will not turn the ball over. I think he will get there this season but I do not think it will be in game one. We can expect at least two picks and a fumble by that little snake and against a team like North Carolina that will just not be acceptable. UNC has stud quarterback Drake Maye who is a first-round talent and will lead the Tar Heels to a top-25 finish and a winning season. I think the offensive firepower coming out of Chapel Hill will be too much for the Gamecocks to compete with. For that reason, I’m taking UNC to cover and win in this one by two scores.
#21 UNC 38
South Carolina 28
7:30 pm ET on ABC (Sunday) (LSU -2.5)
Jayden Daniels and the Tigers will have their hands full when the travel to Orlando to take on the #8 Seminoles (Photo: Melina Myers, USA TODAY Sports)
Bossman Slim: I freakin’ love games like this. Let’s open the season with a bang, shall we? LSU and FSU played a messy classic last year to open the season, with LSU losing on a missed extra point to force OT. Had they won, the Tigers might have been in the playoff conversation at year's end even with two losses. FSU is a trendy playoff pick, and LSU is getting hype to win the SEC West yet again. I don’t like that Maason Smith will be out for this one, but LSU’s defense was pretty darn good last year even without him. I don’t expect much drop-off from the unit in his absence. However, Florida State is loaded. They’ve got a ton of returning talent and added top wideout Keon Coleman (Michigan State) in the transfer portal. This is going to be a fantastic game and I expect points to be scored from both teams. Give me FSU by a hair in another classic.
#8 Florida State 35
#5 LSU 31
Hammer: Whoa nelly! This is the matchup everyone has circled. It was highly entertaining a year ago, although incredibly sloppy. I don’t expect the sloppiness this time around and the stakes could not be higher with both of these teams considered to be serious CFP contenders. The suspension of Maason Smith is unfortunate and stupid, but LSU should still be able to create issues with their front seven even with his absence. This game comes down to who can stop the run. I expect both QBs to be able to make throws downfield and hit on some big plays, but who can get the tough yards? Who can convert more often on 3rd down and 4th and short? With the overall matchup being so even, whoever has the edge on the ground should come out on top. The X factor in this game for me is Harold Perkins. One of the best linebackers in the country and a player who can wreck a game (see LSU vs. Arkansas in 2022) but he wasn’t the most consistent player as a true freshman, which is understandable. Can he get after Jordan Travis, limit his running ability, and create havoc in the backfield? I think he can and I see him making a big-time play that flips momentum and turns the game.
#5 LSU 30
#8 Florida State 27
Waco Kid: Am I the only one who thinks Florida State is getting a little too much credit going into the year? I mean sure they won 9 games last year and beat some pretty tough opponents but they also lost to NC State and Wake Forest. Two teams in the ACC you really don’t want as losses on your schedule. On the opposing side is a revitalized LSU team. One that made it to the SEC Championship and beat Alabama and Tennessee. Oh, and did I mention they are returning their star quarterback Jayden Daniels? Well, they are and they’re hungry for not just a shot to play in Atlanta but an SEC title to go along with it. LSU will be too much for FSU in this one. Plus, even though it will be played in New Orleans that may as well be a home-field advantage for the Tigers. LSU covers and wins by 14.
#5 LSU 38
#8 Florida State 24