After a long offseason filled with lawsuits and nonsense, Week 1 offered an oasis of football. And of course, the highest game of the evening centered on the most famous coach in college football: Lane Kiffin at LSU.
But while LSU came away with a massive 51-10 victory, they were far from the only storyline of the weekend. A new generation of underclassmen signal-callers established themselves, and the wide receivers might be even better. Hot conditions around the country made for some hilarious visuals, especially with inflated scores.
On the field, UMass provided one of the biggest upsets of the past few seasons, picking up the program's first win over a Power Four opponent. The stars were out and about, putting up big numbers and swinging games.
Here are the biggest winners and losers of Week 1 heading into primetime.
Coming off a disappointing season and heading into a hornet's nest, expectations were unbelievably low. Really, all Clemson had to do was remain competitive and look like they belonged on the field. They were 10-point underdogs, but LSU had a brand new roster to work through.
Instead, it went just about as unbelievably bad as it could possibly go. Lane Kiffin absolutely obliterated Dabo Swinney in a 51-10 final. Clemson's only first-half points came after a tipped ball interception on the first drive of the game. Nine of the next 10 drives ended in punts; the other was an interception. The Tigers had fewer than 100 yards entering the fourth quarter.
If Swinney's seat wasn't already blazing, now it is. On Oct. 3, Clemson plays against No. 7 Miami. If the team can't look more capable by then, the Tigers may seriously have to consider moving on from Swinney.
Look, there's a chance that the officials had a different view, a different clock, something. But to the rest of us out here, the final second added back in Michigan's stunning Hail Mary win against Western Michigan was absolutely inexplicable. Screenshots of the clock seem to confirm that time had run out on the clock, which cost WMU one of the biggest upset bids of the 21st Century. The Broncos will still be plenty competitive in the MAC, and they showed the upside of contending for the Group of Six's playoff spot. But a win over Michigan would have been a heck of a silver bullet.
A number of underclassman quarterbacks got on the field for the first time in Week 1, and there were some encouraging signs. Alabama's Keelon Russell showed off impressive arm and legs with 342 total yards and a touchdown in a 48-10 win over East Carolina. Tennessee got an explosive 294 total yards and five touchdowns from Faizon Brandon, the top recruit in the 2026 recruiting class.
Florida's Aaron Philo also had a great debut in a 66-21 win over FAU. In his first game as the full-time starter, Texas Tech's Will Hammond completed his first 14 passes and threw for 298 yards in a win over Abilene Christian. There will be plenty of greater tests ahead, but the next generation of signal-callers is off to a good start.
Like many mascots, Kansas State's Willie Wildcat does pushups after every score. Following a 71-3 win over Nicholls, Willie was understandably exhausted. Their pushup form may have suffered a little. Star quarterback Avery Johnson scored four touchdowns in the win in a perfect tuneup spot.
Willie seems to be a bit taxed. 71 pushups in this set, we’re up to 394 on the evening. pic.twitter.com/YI4CuWyuWY
Not to be outdone, LSU's cheer team was also seen struggling on the sideline while doing their push-ups after the Tigers took a 51-3 lead in the fourth quarter. It adds up!
Could this be the year of the wide receiver in college football? If Week 1 is any indication, we're in for a special run. Miami sophomore Malachi Toney got things started on Friday night with a school record 229 yards to go with 11 catches and three touchdowns in a 42-6 win over Stanford. Not to be outdone, consensus WR1 Jeremiah Smith was otherworldly, posting eight catches for 151 yards and two touchdowns — all in the first half — against Ball State.
In his Texas debut, wide receiver Cam Coleman had two touchdowns with teammate Ryan Wingo adding 121 yards. USC freshman Trent Mosley also added his name to the list of great national receivers with his second straight 100-yard game to start his career. That doesn't even count Rutgers' KJ Duff (9 catches, 196 yards, 3 TDs), Oregon's Jeremiah McClellan
Source: Read the original article on www.cbssports.com
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