The first week of the 2022 college football season starts on Thursday and carries through the weekend. There are two games to start the week that are worth betting on, with a pair of games between big-name programs.
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College Football predictions and picks for Thursday
PITTSBURGH (-7.5) over West Virginia (7 p.m., ESPN)
It has been 11 years since the Backyard Brawl was last played. It has been three years since Kedon Slovis and JT Daniels competed for the starting job at USC. Slovis won the battle — before departing for Pittsburgh this winter — and should come out on top again against an underwhelming secondary, while Daniels’ stock continues to sink against an aggressive Panthers front.Â
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PURDUE (+3.5) over Penn State (8 p.m., Fox)
The Boilermakers are coming off their best season in nearly two decades — featuring two upsets of top-five teams — and could light up the Big Ten West again, with sixth-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell back to lead last year’s fifth-ranked passing attack. The inconsistency of Sean Clifford and a weak offensive line could spell trouble for Penn State away from home, where it went 2-4 last season.