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The first weekend’s premier matchup will be taking place deep in the heart of Texas.
The Auburn Tigers and Oregon Ducks are set to face off at the extravagant venue known to many as ‘JerryWorld.’ The AP Top 25 has both these teams nestled in, as the Ducks rank 11th while the Tigers sit at 16th. This is the only Top 25 matchup of the weekend, and it should have your attention.
The Ducks carry a lot of hype on their wings as they soar into 2019. Back is all-world quarterback Justin Herbert, who passed up the opportunity to go to the NFL to come back to Eugene. Herbert is joined by a stout offense that’s led by a fantastic offensive line and the likes of CJ Verdell behind him in the backfield.
He’s absent some receiver talent from last year, but the collective of Juwan Johnson, Johnny Johnson III, Jaylon Redd and some high-caliber freshmen should be enough for Herbert to play with. The Ducks’ defense meanwhile is strong-armed by Troy Dye, Kayvon Thibodeaux, who is considered the best 2019 recruit in the nation, and a well-seasoned secondary led by Thomas Graham Jr. and Deommodore Lenoir.
Auburn, meanwhile, will be coming in with a freshman standout at QB. Bo Nix, the top-rated dual-threat quarterback in the nation, has the starting nod for Week 1. Nix has an assembly of talent behind him in the backfield, a group headed by Kam Martin . Eli Stove and Will Hastings are back from injury and should provide some quality safety nets for him. The defense for Auburn is strong yet again, led by the likes of Big Kat Bryant, Derrick Brown and five-star freshman Owen Pappoe.
HOW TO WATCH
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT
TV: ABC
Watch Online: WatchESPN
ODDS
Spread: Auburn (-4)
Total: 55/55.5