College football is officially back with a full schedule of action across the Week 1 slate. Before a loaded day of games takes place on Saturday, there are a few standalone matchups of note taking place in the days leading up to the big one. On Friday night, kicking off at 10:30 p.m. ET, the San Jose State Spartans host the Central Michigan Chippewas. Neither of these teams participated in the Week 0 action, so this will be a first look at their 2025 rosters.
Looking at the odds for this week, San Jose State enters as 13.5-point favorites with -520 odds on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. Central Michigan holds +390 odds of getting the outright victory with the game total set at 50.5.
This article will look at a brief preview for both teams and a pick for the Week 1 matchup.
Central Michigan vs. San Jose State Preview
Central Michigan
This season will mark a new era of Chippewas football as Matt Drinkall steps in for his first season as head coach. Drinkall last served as the head coach of Kansas Wesleyan from 2014-2018, but most recently served as the Army offensive coordinator. He looks to uplift a Central Michigan team that is coming off a 4-8 record and has won just 13 total games across their last three seasons. Their wins came over Central Connecticut State, Ball State, San Diego State and Western Michigan. The Chippewas lost six of their final seven games to close last season and 54% of the returning production from is back on the roster, which is the 69th-best rate in the country.
Joe Labas is expected to be the starting quarterback after he suffered a season-ending injury last year. Across his six starts, he threw for 1,114 passing yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. His five-interception performance against Florida International bogged down his statistical outlook, but he will need to improve this year nonetheless. Drinkall also brought along Sean Cronin from Army with him to serve as the defensive coordinator. Central Michigan ranked 11th in the country in stuff rate and 13th in sack rate, but was also extremely vulnerable to giving up big plays.
Drinkall managed to take a Kansas Wesleyan program from 2-9 to 13-1 over his five years at the helm. But this is a stiffer competition level and just as much work to be done with Central Michigan. This has the makings of a full-scale rebuild with some significant stylistic shifts within the program. With a new head coach, some quarterback concerns, and a bit of an underwhelming transfer class, the work is just getting started for here.
San Jose State
Ken Niumatalolo walked into a nearly impossible situation in his first year as San Jose State’s head coach and managed to lead the team to a 7-6 record. The Spartans ranked 129th in the country in returning production, and there was some loud criticism of Niumatalolo’s past dependence on the triple-option for success. San Jose State leaned on a more traditional approach with a quick passing offense and a bend-but-don’t-break defense. They returned 54% of last year’s production, highlighted by leading passer Walker Eget, leading rusher Floyd Chalk IV, several key offensive line contributors, and 14 of the 22 defensive players who logged a start last year.
The wide receiver room got stronger, bringing in four key transfers who will make an impact. California’s Mason Starling and Purdue’s Leland Smith particularly have high expectations, and there are two notable JUCO additions as well. Washington’s Caleb Presley and USC’s Maliki Crawford were brought in to further strengthen the secondary. This unit was opportunistic in forcing turnovers last year, but lost four of its top five players. The Spartans defeated Sacramento State, Air Force, Kennesaw State, Nevada, Wyoming, Oregon State, and Stanford. They also fell in a thriller to South Florida by a score of 41-39 in the Hawaii Bowl. Niumatalolo exceeded fair expectations last season, and it has not been as hectic an offseason with San Jose State as he heads into his second year.
Central Michigan vs. San Jose State Pick
There is hope surrounding the Central Michigan program, but a lot needs to happen for significant on-field improvement to be evident. Drinkall may prove to be the right guy in the long haul, but he is attempting to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. In contrast, San Jose State has a solid baseline of expectations and some continuity.
Joe Labas has proven capable of melting down and will be asked to be up to speed on an entirely new system. He is not a threat to run, and there should not be much expectation of an Army-style offense being implemented for the Chippewas. San Jose State may have performed slightly above their head with 28 turnovers forced last year, but could still prove a problem with Labas under center.
Expect there to be a far more concrete baseline for what San Jose State will look like as a football team entering this matchup. Central Michigan still has plenty to sort through, and this could be a situation where the matchup reveals how far off they still are. The Chippewas are 1-8-1 against the spread across their past 10 road games, and they have lost all 10 of their past road games against non-AP-ranked teams.
Count on some continued progression from Walker Eget and the rest of San Jose State’s key standouts as they look to take a step forward in Niumatalolo’s second season. The praise has not been loud enough for the job he did last year, and this could be the season this changes. Look for the Spartans to take full control of this matchup, look better on both sides of the ball, and comfortably produce a victory by more than two touchdowns.
