Welcome to Week 1!

The Bluegrass State's two biggest brands start their college football seasons Saturday. Louisville will host Eastern Kentucky, and Kentucky will host Toledo. The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers return to action against the Northern Alabama Lions after winning Week 0 (which almost everyone on The Courier Journal's sports staff predicted ... looking at you, Alexis Cubit).

Outside the commonwealth, some of college football's top programs will open their seasons with blockbuster matchups. Texas and Ohio State — the No. 1 and No. 2 teams, respectively — will tussle in Columbus at noon. Then No. 6 Clemson and No. 9 LSU will fight over which owns the real Death Valley on Saturday night.

Here's a look at this week's picks. As is our custom, predictions are straight-up wi

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