Sunday marked the beginning of August which means we can say one thing: College football season is starting this month.

While fans anxiously await the start of what should be an interesting 2021 campaign, the need for projections and predictions is growing by the minute. One way to scratch that itch is by checking out ESPN’s FPI and its predictions for the upcoming season. The site recently updated its odds for the teams’ first games of the season. Looking at the odds and matchups, there is plenty to be intrigued by.

There is one Big Ten matchup taking place during Week 0 which will happen on Aug. 28:

  • Nebraska def. Illinois: 64.8%

This will be a game that will likely set the tone for both squads this season. For the Huskers, this has to be a win if things are going to start looking up for Scott Frost. As for the Illini this would be a solid start to the season and could prove to some people that Bret Bielema has something cooking in Champaign.

A week later, it’s a full slate of games as the college football season goes into full gear. Here’s what the FPI had to say about these Week 1 matchups.

  • Ohio State def. Minnesota: 87.7%
  • Rutgers def. Temple: 81.0%
  • Northwestern def. Michigan State: 65.4%
  • Michigan def. Western Michigan: 83.5%
  • Wisconsin def. Penn State: 54.4%
  • Nebraska def. Fordham: 99.3%
  • Iowa def. Indiana: 61.1%
  • West Virginia def. Maryland: 57.8%
  • Purdue def. Oregon State: 80.3%
  • Illinois def. UTSA: 58.0%

The Buckeyes and Gophers will meet in Minneapolis in a Thursday night primetime game in Week One. As the odds point out, it’s certainly a long shot for Minnesota to pull off what would be a monumental upset.

The other two Big Ten matchups — Northwestern vs. Michigan State and Wisconsin vs. Penn State — certainly are games that will catch the eyes of many. Mel Tucker is certainly still building the Spartans, so seeing them as pretty significant underdogs is not super surprising.

As for the Badgers-Nittany Lions game, this one should be the top one of the weekend. Neither team ended 2020 satisfied with how things went. This game will certainly set the tone for both squads, win or lose. As of now it looks like the Badgers have a slight edge, which makes sense given how disastrous things were for Penn State a year ago.

To continue scratching that prediction itch, there’s more FPI information here.