Week 1 delivered the kind of wake-up call three big-name programs wanted to avoid.
Michigan, Oregon and Clemson all came into the opener with expectations hanging over them, and all three left with more questions than answers after uneven, stressful or downright ugly starts.
Michigan nearly got buried by an upset nobody saw coming. No.
16 Michigan needed a controversial second chance on a Hail Mary just to slip past Western Michigan 13-12, a team that came in as a 27.5-point underdog in Kyle Whittingham's debut as head coach. Bryce Underwood’s night was a mess for long stretches: he threw an interception, lost a fumble at his own 31-yard line with under two minutes left and almost tossed two more picks before officials added one second back to the clock after his first Hail Mary try appeared to touch a WMU defender who was out-of-bounds as time expired.
That extra snap gave Michigan life, and Underwood made the most of it by finding JJ Buchanan for a 47-yard touchdown that kept the Wolverines from suffering one of the biggest upsets in program history. Western Michigan held the ball for more than 15 minutes longer and finished with 221 total yards to Michigan’s 276, a shaky opening for a team many expected to be in the Big Ten title mix.
Oregon escaped with a win, but not with the kind of authority that comes with a No. 2 ranking. The Ducks beat Boise State 34-27 at Autzen Staduim, yet they were 18.5-point favorites and had to wait until under eight minutes remained before Dante Moore hit Dakorien Moore on a 62-yard touchdown pass that finally created some breathing room.
Oregon spent plenty of the night on the back foot, trailing 17-7 in the second quarter and later sitting tied at 24-24 late in the third. The Ducks also piled up 10 penalties and gave Boise State a touchdown after a muffed punt, even though they outgained the Broncos by a wide margin.
For a team picked by many to win the national championship, this was far too close for comfort - though Boise State may have been better than expected.
Clemson’s opener was a full-scale disaster. The Tigers, unranked in the AP poll for the first time in 15 years, had Dabo Swinney talking about an undefeated season before kickoff.
What followed was a 51-10 loss to No. 11 LSU, one of the roughest outings of Swinney’s coaching career.
Christopher Vizzina threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown and was replaced by freshman Tait Reynolds late in the second quarter. By the third quarter, LSU had already built a 44-3 lead, and Clemson’s only touchdown came on an 11-yard run by David Eziomume in the fourth quarter, long after the game had been decided.
It was Clemson’s worst loss in nearly 30 years, and a brutal start for a team trying to reassert itself as an ACC and playoff threat.
There’s still a long season ahead, and Week 1 doesn’t lock anyone into a final judgment. Teams can recover, stack wins and build a CFP case over time. Notre Dame did exactly that two years ago after losing to NIU before going on to play in the national title game.
In Other News...
Boise States Brutal Travel Day Raises A Bigger Concern Before Kickoff
Boise States trip to Eugene turned into a long day of delays before the Broncos even got to think about kickoff, with weather and runway conditions at Eugene Airport forcing the charter to abort its landing attempts. The flight was diverted to Portland instead, and the team had to regroup there before continuing on by bus to Eugene, a detour that pushed arrival back nearly seven hours from what had been planned.
The travel hiccup added an unwelcome layer to a game week that already carried enough moving parts on its own. Between the aborted landing, the bus ride and the extra time spent huddled in meetings at the Portland airport, Boise State lost more than just hours on the clock, and the bigger concern now is how much a disrupted arrival can affect everything that follows once the Broncos finally settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Hijacked Oregons Tradition And Ducks Players Clearly Felt It
During Boise States game against Oregon, the Broncos added an extra layer of edge to a matchup already full of emotion by making a point of dancing to the Ducks longtime fourth-quarter song, Shout. Oregon has used the tune as a tradition since 2010, so seeing a visiting team turn it into its own sideline celebration was bound to get attention, especially in a game where the atmosphere already had a little bite.
Oregon players reacted in different ways, with some clearly taking it as disrespect and others viewing it as the kind of move a team uses to spark itself late in a game. Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said the idea had been planned during fall camp as a way to keep the group joyful and focused in the fourth quarter, which only adds another layer to a moment that clearly landed with both teams. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Helped Spark A New Oregon Secondary Debate
Davon Benjamins college debut came with a little more spotlight than most freshmen get. The Oregon cornerback got his first taste of game action against Boise State in the Ducks season opener and, even without a gaudy stat line, managed to make his presence felt on defense while playing a limited role.
Afterward, Dan Lanning pointed to Benjamins instincts, versatility and work ethic, all the kinds of traits that can quickly turn a young defensive back from promising newcomer into a real part of the conversation. A four-star recruit who drew attention during fall camp, Benjamin has already put enough on tape to make Oregons secondary look like a spot worth monitoring closely in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]