Park on the couch because it’s Week 1 of the college football season, and that means your entire day is booked. The top teams will be in action, including #1 Ohio State taking on Ball State and #4 Notre Dame battling Wisconsin, with each team beginning its goal for the national championship.
Players will be looking to help their team by finding the end zone. Let's look at some players with favorable Week 1 matchups to open the 2026 college football season.
Below, we'll highlight our best college football TD scorer picks for PrizePicks, as these three players could find paydirt in Week 1.
Make your College Football TD scorer picks on PrizePicks now!
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Best College Football TD Scorer Picks for PrizePicks
This weekend offers plenty of players who could find the end zone, with over 40 games on the college football schedule. But three stand out among the rest for Week 1's action.
Player TDs on PrizePicks include rushing, receiving, recoveries, and returns. PrizePicks often list player TDs as Demons and Goblins, meaning users can only select "More." For standard projections, users can select “More” or “Less.”
Demons are tougher to win but are the only way to get higher payouts. Meanwhile, Goblins are lower than a standard projection, but they are easier to win, so there is a lower payout
Ball State vs. #1 Ohio State TD Scorer Prediction – Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET
Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith: 0.5 Player TDs (Goblin)
As a national champion and two-time Big Ten Receiver of the Year, Smith already has a stellar collegiate career. It’s highly likely that his name will be called early in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Ohio State will start the 2026 season against Ball State. The Cardinals were brutal last year, finishing 4-8. In their two games against Power Four opponents, they were outscored 73-3.
Last season, Ball State ranked in the 21st percentile for passing TDs allowed (23). In the first game of the year, Ohio State QB Julian Sayin and Smith will look to spark their connection from a season ago. That could put one of college football's best in line for a touchdown on Saturday.
Add Jeremiah Smith to your PrizePicks lineup now.
Baylor vs. Auburn TD Scorer Prediction – Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET
Auburn QB Byrum Brown: 0.5 Player TDs (Goblin)
It’s been a long time since former Auburn QB Cam Newton won the national championship with the Tigers in 2010. Since then, Auburn reached 10 or more wins in just two seasons and hasn’t posted a winning record since 2020.
The Tigers are also on their fourth head coach since 2020, with former South Florida HC Alex Golesh now at the helm. Auburn QB Byrum Brown was Golesh’s quarterback at USF, where he was among the country’s best dual-threat quarterbacks. He was the only quarterback in the FBS to throw for more than 3,000 yards and rush for more than 1,000.
You might be thinking, “But the Bulls didn’t face the gauntlet of the SEC.” South Florida had a challenging first three weeks in 2025, facing #25 Boise State, #13 Florida, and #5 Miami, going 2-1. Brown had 2 passing TDs and 2 rushing TDs in that time.
Baylor could be a favorable opponent, ranked 126th nationally in rushing TDs allowed (30) last year. Brown may find the end zone in his Auburn debut.
Add Byrum Brown to your PrizePicks lineup now.
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Wisconsin vs. #4 Notre Dame TD Scorer Prediction – Sunday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Notre Dame RB Aneyas Williams: 1.5 Player TDs (Demon)
If you think about it, Notre Dame is probably under more pressure than in any other year under head coach Marcus Freeman. That’s likely because the Fighting Irish have an advantage in their path to the national championship.
Despite finishing the season ranked #10, they did not receive a playoff spot in 2025. As a result, the College Football Playoff committee promised that as long as Notre Dame finishes in the top 12, they are guaranteed a playoff spot.
That may not be a problem, as college football expert Phil Steele notes that Notre Dame’s strength of schedule ranks 67th.
The backfield is likely the biggest question for the Fighting Irish’s offense heading into the 2026 season. Former Notre Dame RBs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price took most of the carries last season, and both are now in the NFL. This means a new group of running backs will take over.
For the Irish's first game of the season against Wisconsin, RB Aneyas Williams is listed as the lead back, with RBs Nolan James Jr., Kedren Young, Jonaz Walton, and Javian Osborne listed as the RB2s.
Last year, he ranked third on the team in carries (24). When he had the ball, Williams was dynamic, averaging 9.3 yards per carry and scoring 5 TDs. He runs smoothly, accelerates into the secondary with a burst of speed when he finds his gap, and has excellent ball security.
Notre Dame takes on Wisconsin, and its 4-8 record last year was its worst since 1990. Wisconsin's terrible season was largely due to the offense, which scored the second-fewest points in the country (12.8).
The Badgers have retooled the offense, signing former Old Dominion QB Colton Joseph and former Iowa State RB Amu Sama III. With many new pieces on offense, it may take some time to build chemistry, especially without any live game reps.
Notre Dame could easily control this game, and the game script leans toward the run, giving Williams plenty of chances to punch it in the end zone.
Add Aneyas Williams to your PrizePicks lineup now.
Make College Football Picks for Week 1 on PrizePicks
Who will get the college football season started with a bang in Week 1? Jeremiah Smith and Byrum Brown are two players who could help their teams start the 2026 season on the right note.
Pick More or Less on player stats on PrizePicks to earn real money if you're right, or predict College Football Playoff qualifiers, win totals, and more on PrizePicks Team Picks — available in 36 states!
Keep it here with the Playbook for continued CFB picks, predictions, futures, and more as we jump into the 2026 season
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