College football picks: Marathon kickoff weekend includes marquee matchups and lots of mismatches

The opening weekend of college football — the full opener, not the Week 0 appetizer — is a five-day immersive course to get you prepared for an intense and unpredictable 14-week class.

The final is due on Jan. 8. Everybody gets an A just for showing up.

This season feels like the end of an era in college football, but when the games kick off all the off-the-field messiness drifts away.

Week 1 is light on marquee matchups and heavy on potential mismatches. Twelve ranked teams are favored by at least 20 points against FBS opponents.

Only…