Welcome to Glass Slipper! Maybe make sure the field isn’t a Slip ‘N Slide before forcing professional athletes to compete on it; please enjoy the show.

- Jacob Rhee

Every Saturday morning of the college football regular season, I will be predicting the outcome of the six best games of the weekend. Every time I pick the wrong team to win, it costs me $15. At the end of the year, I will use the total pot of money to buy gifts for random Glass Slipper subscribers. That’s right; you literally benefit from my failures. Let’s go.

Game 1: No. 3 Texas vs No. 10 Michigan

The pick: Texas wins, 31-16.

Davis Warren has an awesome story, but he didn’t do anything in Week 1 to convince me that he’s ready for a moment like this. Texas should have friendly field position all night, and Michigan’s ever-stingy defense will start to wear down in the second half. This will be within a possession at the break, but I ultimately expect the Longhorns to pull away in the Big House. The Wolverines lose for the first time since that infamous TCU game.

Game 2: No. 17 Kansas State vs Tulane

The pick: Kansas State wins, 34-28.

If Tulane can either win this afternoon or steal one in Norman next week, a playoff berth is firmly in play; nine straight unranked squads would be left on the schedule before the AAC Championship Game. Run the table, and the Green Wave are probably headed to the CFP as the automatic Group of Five representative.

Unfortunately, I have Kansas State escaping today. Chris Klieman is a top-10 coach in America, and he’ll find a way to duck the upset.

Game 3: Iowa State vs No. 21 Iowa

The pick: Iowa wins, 19-10.

This rivalry separates the real football fans from the fake ones. True lovers of the sport flock to the TV when the Cy-Hawk Trophy is up for grabs; the contest is always ugly, physical, and full of pathetic-looking three-and-outs. Iowa’s defense is absolutely nasty this year, and it will deliver a victory in a good old-fashioned in-state rock fight.

Game 4: No. 14 Tennessee vs No. 24 NC State

The pick: Tennessee wins, 38-20.

Do you have the guts to pick against Nico Iamaleava right now? I sure don’t. This kid is unbelievable, and I won’t stop gushing about him until he looks mortal.

NC State should have a nice season, but I didn’t like that Week 1 performance at all. You can’t go into the fourth quarter trailing at home to Western Carolina, and expect me to feel great about you a week later. I have the Vols earning a convincing non-conference ranked win.

Game 5: Appalachian State vs No. 25 Clemson

The pick: Clemson wins, 27-24.

Careful, Tigers. This is an Appalachian State team that - just like Tulane - possesses playoff aspirations. I think we’re going to learn a lot about Dabo Swinney, and his control of the locker room. If Clemson comes out flat in its home opener, it’ll serve as more evidence that Swinney’s players don’t fully believe in him anymore.

The Tigers are stocked with talent, and they have plenty of continuity. But these guys essentially gave up when Georgia started clicking last Saturday. I’ll cut them a little slack; it was the best team in the nation on the other sideline, and no one wants to kick off the campaign with a loss. If the lackluster effort spills into this game, we now have legitimate problems. We’ll see, Dabo.

Game 6: Boise State vs No. 7 Oregon

The pick: Oregon wins, 51-31.

It won’t be a barn burner, but I would encourage you to flick this contest on if you’re not doing anything important late tonight. Oregon somehow let Idaho stick around in Week 1, and slid down four spots in the rankings because of it. The offense that I declared would break the NCAA single-season scoring record mustered just 24 points; I think we get an explosion this time.

On the other side, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty has become must-see TV. Imagine starting your campaign with 20 carries for 267 yards and six touchdowns. I have Jeanty rumbling for 150 and a couple more scores, right through a good Ducks defense. Running backs don’t win the Heisman anymore, and dudes from Group of Five programs rarely get an invitation to the ceremony. Ashton lands in both categories, yet he might post numbers so ridiculous that the national media has no choice but to include him in the race.

• Week 1 Results: 5-1

• Overall Season Picks Record: 5-1

• Current CFB Prize Pot: $15

Pressroom

Spin It

“Fine By Me” by Andy Grammer. Is it cheesy? Absolutely. Do I care? Absolutely not.