The most expensive roster in the Big 12 Conference rolled into Corvallis on Saturday. The Texas Tech football operation pulled up to Reser Stadium like an 18-wheeler, with a long-haul $2 million left tackle, wideout bookends raking in $1 million each, a $1.8 million starting QB, and four defensive linemen who average $1.3 million in salary.

Estimated 2026 payroll: ~$35 million.

It was Texas Tech 35, Oregon State 24, on Saturday. The Beavers played hard, made plays, summoned some magic, and led 24-21 early in the fourth quarter. As the potential upset evaporated over the final eight minutes, a well-known national college football writer reached out with a question.

“What’s your best estimate on Oregon State’s roster budget?” the fellow texted. “It can’t be close to their current opponent.”

What exactly were we watching on Saturday?

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Oklahoma State shocked No. 6-ranked Oregon, 39-31, on Saturday in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

The Ducks have some glaring issues. I have thoughts on what’s currently wrong in Eugene, what went sideways on the field in Week 2, and how it might get fixed.

Oh, and the Cowboys played “Shout!” in the postgame celebration as fans stormed the field.

My takeaways…

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I’m ready for Week 2 of college football.

Bet you are, too.

The Saturday Special will be posted throughout the college football season, giving readers tips, insight, takeaways, opinions, and tidbits to add to the experience.

Oregon is playing Oklahoma State (and a game vs. its body clock). Oregon State is opening the season at home against a ranked Big 12 opponent. There are several high-importance Pac-12 games, but none bigger than the one on blue turf in Boise.

Big national implications? A sneaky-good Texas rivalry? The opening of a speakeasy at the ‘Grandaddy’ stadium in Pasadena?

Where are my eyes and ears on Saturday?

Away we go…

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Fans of the University of Texas at San Antonio sometimes like to claim that Texas State is like their little brother.

The rival schools play each other in a college football game on Saturday with big political and regional ramifications. I bounced this whole ‘younger sibling’ thing off Kelly Damphousse, the president of Texas State, this week.

Damphousse told me: “We have to beat them.”

Texas State has been around a lot longer than UTSA. It has a former president, Lyndon B. Johnson, as a graduate. George Straight, too. But as you know, perception rules. Football is everything in Texas, and Saturday’s outcome will provide significant framework for this debate.

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I handicapped 16 college football games against the spread this week. That’s the most I’ve ever done. But I’m red hot, saw a bunch of games I liked, and want to lean hard into momentum.

I went 11-2 picking the Week 1 games straight up last weekend.

I posted a 10-3 record against the spread.

As Isaac Newton once said: “A body at rest will remain at rest, and a body in motion will remain in motion…” and I’m trying to stay in a straight line here and keep it going.

2026 record picking college football games, straight up: 14-3 (.824)

My 2026 record vs. the spread: 11-6 (.647)

My Week 2 picks (against the spread and straight up)…

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Just when you think you’ve got the work-life balance figured out, you bump into Brandon Huffman on a Wednesday morning.

College football recruiting is important. Big stuff. Tens of millions of dollars are at stake. I asked Huffman, who covers the college recruiting beat for a living for Rivals, what the going rate is for a blue-chip high school quarterback, or a left tackle, or an edge rusher.

He told me.

I’ve already forgotten.

Because right after that, we started talking about his little girl, Avery. She was in kindergarten when she was diagnosed with a rare and inoperable brain tumor. She died in the first grade. And while I’d have to go back and listen again to what Huffman said about the going rate for a defensive tackle, I’ll never forget that Avery’s former classmates started their first day of senior year of high school on Wednesday.

Also, her best friend from first grade told Avery’s parents she wore a “Frozen” backpack from Disney to class in honor of their daughter.

Hits like a bag of bricks, doesn’t it?

I’m not here to diminish the impact of high-level college football recruiting. It’s big business. Important stuff. Huffman covers it well from his home in the suburbs in Arizona. We did a 1-on-1 interview all about it on Wednesday.

A few years ago, Huffman told me that the subject of NIL payments came up very early — maybe within the first three or four questions — when high-level recruits talked with college coaches.

What’s the very first question now?

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The Mid-American Conference wants justice.

The league has submitted formal appeals to the College Football Playoff and the NCAA Oversight Committee as it pertains to the circus conclusion of Saturday’s Western Michigan vs. Michigan football game.

The MAC Commissioner, Jon Steinbrecher, says he’s reviewed protocols and believes rules were misapplied to allow the Wolverines a second ‘last-second’ play. I won’t be surprised if the argument over Michigan’s ‘Bail Mary’ victory eventually lands in a courtroom in front of a judge.

Figure skating?

WWE?

Has college football jumped the shark?

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I got asked some questions about Michigan’s last-second (literally) victory over Western Michigan. I also got asked about the Pac-12’s Week 1 performance, the biggest concern I have about Oregon football, an MLB umpire, Oregon State’s bowl hopes, Nike’s trajectory, ESPN’s decision to bail in the fourth quarter of the Houston-OSU game, and more.

Will Pac-12 Enterprises produce some Mountain West football games this season? What grade would I give for Week 1? What do you make of the mixed emotions? And am I going to quit my job and move to Las Vegas after going 10-3 against the spread with my Week 1 picks?

Thanks to all who submitted questions.

I appreciate those who read this independent publication and subscribe. They don’t miss a thing. If you’d like to gift someone who would appreciate a paid subscription, please do. A sincere ‘thank you’ to those who donate paid subscriptions to seniors on a fixed budget.

Now, about those questions…

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EUGENE — One of the first things that Naji Saker told me after his arrival at Autzen Stadium on Saturday was how many NFL scouts were on the field during warm-ups.

“Bunch of NFL scouts out today,” my photographer texted.

Oregon beat Boise State, 34-27, on Saturday in front of those scouts. I wrote a column from the stadium about the game — was it a College Football Playoff preview? Something else? Saker captured the action and emotion of a confusing season-opening game through his camera lens.

The Ducks (1-0) won. They weren’t all that happy. The Broncos (0-1) lost. They also weren’t thrilled. Fans on both sides endured a mixture of emotions.

Saker’s photo gallery is worth your time. On Sunday, I reached back out to my photographer to ask what else he noted on the sideline. After all, he’s down on the field for three hours, virtually shoulder-to-shoulder with the teams.

“The energy from Boise State stood out to me,” he said, “especially after the first touchdown. That celebration was huge, and then there was the punt fumble recovery, and the coach went crazy… their coach was yelling, jumping up and down, hugging players.”

Enjoy:

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EUGENE — It’s a new era. The kids get paid. What do I know? But if I’m the University of Oregon, the return on investment didn’t pencil out on Saturday at Autzen Stadium.

No. 2-ranked team in America?

24.5-point favorites?

It ended up Oregon 34, Boise State 27 in the season opener. A victory. 1-0 for UO. And let’s remember the Broncos are one of the few programs that show up on Labor Day weekend looking polished, disciplined, and well-coached.

Like it’s Week 5 or something.

But what in the world was this?

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Houston beat Oregon State, 33-20, in the debut of Beavers’ coach JaMarcus Shephard.

The pretty?

The ugly?

My takeaways…

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I’m ready for Week 1.

You?

The Saturday Special will be posted throughout the college football season, giving readers tips, insight, takeaways, and tidbits to add to the experience.

What did I make of the Friday night games?

Mario Cristobal won big. USC looked mad. Boise State is already having trouble in Eugene. I spoke with Oregon State coach JaMarcus Shephard before he got on the plane to Houston for his first game. I have some facts, opinions, news, and takeaways on the Apple Cup, Clemson-LSU, USA Sports, tailgates, and more.

Where are my eyes and ears on Saturday?

Enjoy…

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It’s here. It’s finnnnnaally here. Week 1 has arrived. My picks and predictions are in. What happens in Saturday’s Boise State vs. Oregon game? How about Oregon State’s season opener at Houston? And the Apple Cup… on a Sunday?

Who wins?

And by how much?

I was so excited about the start of the college football regular season that I picked 13 different college football games. I’d love for readers to give me their picks in the comment section below.

My Week 1 picks (against the spread and straight up)…

2026 record picking college football games, straight up: 3-1 (.750)

My 2026 record vs. the spread: 1-3 (.250)

San Jose State at Eastern Michigan (Friday • 3:30p • ESPN+)

The Spartans (0-1) moved the ball and put some points on the scoreboard against USC in Week 0. I’m not just leaning a little into that encouraging performance; I’m going all the way. I’m picking San Jose State to travel on a short week and win this game outright. Eastern Michigan (1-0) beat Sacramento State at home last week and looked good, but I like the Spartans.

The spread: Eastern Michigan is favored by 4.5 points

The pick: San Jose State 31, Eastern Michigan 28

(👍 Final: San Jose State 27, Eastern Michigan 21)

Fresno State at USC (Friday • 6p • Fox)

The first “Pac-12 After Dark” game of the season comes on a week when USC (1-0) was incessantly ridiculed. Will SoCal show up for this one? There will be a lot of curious onlookers nationally.

The Bulldogs (0-0) love to play in games like this. They’re capable of giving the Trojans a scare if they don’t show up to play. Fresno State will arrive with a chip on the shoulder and play closer than the spread.

The spread: USC is favored by 23.5 points.

The pick: USC 38, Fresno State 23

(👎Final: USC 39, Fresno State 0)

Miami at Stanford (Friday • 6p • ESPN)

Mario Cristobal and his team will be locked in, but man, he’s had some trouble as the visiting coach at Stanford Stadium. I like what Tavita Pritchard is doing in his first season, and the Cardinal have the advantage of having played a game in Week 0, but this is Miami’s year. The Hurricanes are too good to stumble.

The spread: Miami is favored by 23.5 points.

The pick: Miami 45, Stanford 10

(👍 Final: Miami 45, Stanford 6)

Oregon State at Houston (Saturday • 9a • ESPN)

JaMarcus Shephard’s first game as the Beavers’ head coach comes on the road against a Big 12 opponent with an early kickoff time. Keep an eye on the body-clock factor for the visiting team. Lots of unknowns in this one. I’m eager to see QB Braden Atkinson play. Weird things happen in Week 1, but barring three turnovers… Houston wins this game.

The spread: Houston is favored by 21 points.

The pick: Houston 30, Oregon State 20

(👍 Final: Houston 33, Oregon State 20)

Texas State at Texas (Saturday • 12:30p • ESPN)

The Longhorns have more talent, a bigger budget, and the home field. It’s too much for the first-year Pac-12 visitor to overcome. I’ll watch, though. I’m curious about the trajectory of the Bobcats over the next two seasons.

The spread: Texas is favored by 29.5 points.

The pick: Texas 48, Texas State 13

(👍 Final: Texas 59, Texas State 7)

Boise State at Oregon (Saturday • 12:30p • CBS )

Two years ago, Boise State used a narrow defeat at Autzen Stadium as a key data point for its College Football Playoff resume. The Broncos (0-0) don’t have Ashton Jeanty this time, and they’re running into an Oregon (0-0) team that is highly evolved as a playoff contender. The Ducks will win comfortably, but the point spread is a little fat.

The spread: Oregon is favored by 24.5 points.

The pick: Oregon 38, Boise State 17

(👍 Final: Oregon 34, Boise State 27)

Wyoming at Colorado State (Saturday • 3p • USA Sports)

The first game of the Jim Mora era is a Border War against a school rival. Mora is preaching process and growth. It’s a slow-and-steady message, but this game is going to have some electricity around it. Colorado State is unveiling new uniforms. The Rams are at home. They’ll win and cover in their first Pac-12 game.

The spread: Colorado State is favored by 3 points.

The pick: Colorado State 28, Wyoming 17

(👍Final: Colorado State 35, Wyoming 13)

Idaho State at Utah State (Saturday • 4p • CBS Sports Network)

The Aggies are at Maverik Stadium, where they piledrove Idaho State three years ago in a 78-28 victory. It won’t be quite that lopsided this time, but Utah State’s Pac-12 roster is more than good enough to cover the spread.

The spread: Utah State is favored by 13.5 points.

The pick: Utah State 35, Idaho State 17

(👎 Final: Idaho State 29, Utah State 17)

Clemson at LSU (Saturday • 4:30p • ABC)

Lane Kiffin has spent the last year playing the role of Joker in the Batman series. He’s easy to root against, but he walks off a winner in this one. Dabo Swinney would love a season-opening win, and a lot of America will be rooting for him, but I don’t see it. The Tigers win and cover the spread.

The spread: LSU is favored by 10 points.

The pick: LSU 24, Clemson 13

(👍 Final: LSU 51, Clemson 10)

Portland State at San Diego State (Saturday • 6:30p • USA Sports)

Aztecs’ coach Sean Lewis will be mic’d up on the sideline for this one on USA Sports. Lewis’ team is at home, playing against the Vikings (0-1). PSU suffered a heartbreaking defeat in Week 1. Portland State led UC Davis 21-0 at halftime, and then lost. The Vikings have no shot to win this game, but they showed me enough last week that the point spread looks inviting.

The spread: San Diego State is favored by 40.5 points.

The pick: San Diego State 42, Portland State 7

( 👍 Final: San Diego State 53, Portland State 20)

UNLV at Hawaii (Saturday • 7p • The CW)

I’m curious how UNLV will respond after the season-opening loss against Memphis. The Rebels (0-1) could have won that game, and now they have to go on the road to play Hawaii (0-1). That’s a big mental lift and a lot of ocean. For that reason, I won’t blame anyone who picks UH to win this game, but I’m taking the Rebels.

The spread: UNLV is favored by 3 points.

The pick: UNLV 28, Hawaii 21

(👍 Final: UNLV 21, Hawaii 6)

UCLA at Cal (Saturday • 7:30p • ESPN)

The “Calimony” bowl is going to be a well-attended and interesting game. There are some lingering bad feelings between the old Pac-12 “friends,” new energy, and two new head coaches. This game comes with high intrigue and could be a wild watch. I like Cal’s QB. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is the difference in this one

The spread: UCLA is favored by 1.5 points.

The pick: Cal 31, UCLA 30

(👎 Final: UCLA 45, Cal 24)

Washington State at Washington (Sunday • 1p • NBC)

The Apple Cup lands in Week 1 on a national TV stage. It’s a great exposure opportunity for both programs. I don’t really know what to expect from Kirby Moore, as a first-time, first-year head coach. The Cougars have a brutal schedule in the first month. But when I asked Moore about the schedule, he called it “an opportunity.”

Defensive coordinator Trent Bray was such a terrific hire by Moore. But I wonder if Bray makes a difference right away or has to wait until the roster gets deeper and better. Rivalry game with a lot of big feelings? UW wins the game comfortably, but doesn’t cover the spread.

The spread: Washington is favored by 22.5 points.

The pick: Washington 35, Washington State 17

(👍 Final: Washington 24, Washington State 14)

**Record, straight-up: 11-2

**Record, against the spread: 10-3

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Matt Hong sat down with me for a 1-on-1 interview this week. The president of USA Sports is a Harvard Law School graduate who was co-valedictorian of his college class at North Carolina State.

Before you ask if he puts his trousers on one leg at a time, Hong also said, “I was a horrible student in high school.”

He’s a self-proclaimed academic late-bloomer who had an abominable transcript before he got serious about his studies.

I’ve been curious about how the Pac-12 and USA Sports met and decided to marry. They’re now in a five-year agreement that gives the TV network 22 football games this season — the largest chunk of inventory. USA Sports will carry another 50 men’s basketball games, and as many as 10 women’s games.

Hong talked about an in-person meeting in New York at Octagon’s offices. Teresa Gould, the Pac-12 Commissioner, was there. So was Michael Molinari, head of Pac-12 Enterprises. William Mao, of Octagon, was there, too, along with a handful of others.

Gould stood in front of the room and laid out her vision for the new Pac-12.

Said Hong: “It felt like she could have been reading cards for the vision of Versant and the yet-unnamed USA Sports.”

USA Sports was spinning out of the NBCUniversal family. Versant? USA Sports? It didn’t even have a name when that first meeting went down in New York. The entity went by the nickname: “SpinCo.”

Hong said his team knew that it wanted to be nimble, innovative, ambitious, visionary, and that it needed to take some risks and be a bigger player in the live-sports programming space.

“We left that meeting from Octagon’s offices and said, ‘the ethos of what that team is trying to do matches us,” Hong said.

USA Sports has sports rights deals in professional soccer, the WNBA Finals, NASCAR, the WWE, Atlantic 10 basketball, and the Pac-12, among other entities. I asked Hong where the sports-programming world is all headed. Media consultants expect the NFL’s media rights and the new NBA TV package will have a trickle-down impact on the market.

“There’s only so much money in the entire sports-rights ecosystem,” Hong told me. “As money is spent toward, say, a new NFL deal or the current new NBA deal, there’s a bit of impact in the ecosystem. That’s afforded us opportunities.”

Some highlights of our conversation (with my takeaways in parentheses):

On how potential Pac-12 expansion might work within the framework of the existing deal:

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I don’t usually give the words of blowhard lawmakers too much weight, but Congressman Michael Baumgartner said some heavy things in the wake of the firing of UCLA Athletic Director Martin Jarmond on Monday.

“Good,” wrote Baumgartner on social media. “Any individual (who) participated in the creation of transcontinental athletic conferences that repeatedly send student-athletes flying coast to coast to play sports like volleyball on a weeknight is a moron who should be driven out of college athletics and nowhere near decision-making at taxpayer-owned public universities.”

Baumgartner is a Washington State honk, who co-taught a college course on insurgent warfare with the late Mike Leach. I got thinking about his rant about UCLA’s AD, and the wave of hostility this week directed at USC for the lack of attendance in Week 0 and it’s obvious the world wants blood.

The LA schools killed the Pac-12, didn’t they?

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When I heard Martin Jarmond was pushed out as the athletic director at UCLA on Monday, I thought about the downfall of the Pac-12 Conference.

Also, a little about Bill Walton.

Also, definitely about the window table in the executive lounge on the 18th floor of the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown. I found Jarmond sitting by himself there on the morning of football coach DeShaun Foster’s awkward Big Ten media-day freeze in the summer of 2024.

Remember that fiasco?

The AD waved me over to his table when I walked in that morning. We sat and talked for a while. About the unraveling of the Pac-12. About Chip Kelly basically firing himself. About the scramble to hire Foster. And about how Jarmond would have likely hired Jonathan Smith, had he not left Oregon State for Michigan State in such a hurry.

It wasn’t long before our conversation zeroed in on the donor unrest in Westwood, because Jarmond was adrift in the open water and the sharks were circling even back then.

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The Monday Mailbag includes questions about the Pac-12’s football hopes, USC’s attendance meltdown (and the subsequent PR misfire), the Oregon Ducks, Chris Farley, the name of the Columbia River, and more.

Is Oregon really worthy of being ranked the No. 2 team?

Will the Ducks ever get a jersey-patch sponsor?

What makes SEC football fans different than fans in the West?

Most intriguing College Football Playoff title game?

What’s with the low prices of Oregon State football tickets?

What is your “unpopular opinion”?

Thanks to all who submitted questions.

I appreciate those who read this publication and subscribe. They don’t miss a thing. If you’d like to gift someone who would appreciate a paid subscription, please do. A sincere ‘thank you’ to those who donate paid subscriptions to seniors on a fixed budget.

Onto this week’s questions…

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Portland State’s first game of the Chris Fisk era started with a bang — but landed with a thud.

The Vikings were outstanding in a dominant and shocking first half against a nationally ranked team. PSU led UC Davis, 21-0, at halftime, but lost the game, 31-24.

“We’ve got a lot of growing to do as a program where we have to learn how to handle the pressure and win those games,” Fisk said. “That’s a playoff team [UC Davis] that’s been in this situation before, and we haven’t. We'll go back and learn from that situation and hope to get better."

Bob Dunning worked as the sports columnist and writer at the Davis Enterprise for 54 years. He’s still covering UC Davis and made the trip to Hillsboro to cover Saturday’s game for his own publication.

Dunning provided JohnCanzano.com with his analysis and assessment of the Big Sky Conference game:

Dunning’s son, Mick, was at the game, working as a photographer.

His photo gallery is worth your time:

Please consider a paid subscription for yourself. Or a gift subscription for a friend or family member, or the donation of a paid subscription to a senior on a fixed budget:

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USC football doesn’t speak for the West Coast. The Trojans haven’t mattered in a while. And Stanford has never been a consistent draw. What I’m saying is that those two programs are not the prism through which college football passion in the West should be viewed.

That said, man, their crowds on Saturday looked pathetic.

51,144 announced at the Los Angeles Coliseum?

They sure about that?

When Lincoln Riley locked arms with a couple of his players and walked onto the field, I wondered if he’d got the game time wrong. I know. Noon kickoff. Warm day. San Jose State wasn’t a sexy opponent. SoCal decided to stay home and wash its hair. But that broadcast on NBC was a three-hour indictment.

Not of USC’s defense.

Of us.

Stanford’s home crowd wasn’t much better. 23,222 was the announced crowd for its victory over Hawaii. That figure was generous, too. It was a sobering look. The whole thing left me thinking about the significance of the Boise State-Oregon football game next Saturday in Eugene.

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I spoke with both Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning and Washington State coach Kirby Moore this week. I have some takeaways on that front. I’m also looking carefully at Week 0 of the season and excited to see football played.

The Saturday Special will be posted throughout the college football season, giving readers some tips, takeaways, and tidbits to add to the experience.

How many teams have a realistic shot at winning the College Football Playoff national title game? Who are the interesting long-shot propositions? Which coaches are under fire as the season begins? What was said this week that caught my ear? What do I expect happens?

Enjoy…

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