The 2025 college football season begins for real this weekend, with a five-day buffet of games beginning Thursday night and continuing right through Monday.

AL.com’s college football staff picks are also back for another round. Scroll along below to find out how various AL.com sports staffers see this week’s big games playing out, along with predicted scores for the Alabama and Auburn games.

A reminder that these picks are AGAINST THE SPREAD . That means that each person’s selection doesn’t necessarily mean he or she thinks that team will win outright, just that it will cover the point spread.

(If you’re wondering where UAB, South Alabama and Troy are, they open the season with FCS opponents, so they’re not included this week. They will be part of the picks beginning with Week 2.)

See Full Page