Week 0 gave college football fans just enough to start arguing, and now Week 1 arrives loaded with actual inventory. North Carolina’s upset of TCU in Dublin gave Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels an opening jolt, North Dakota State reminded everyone how much FCS muscle it still brings in its FBS opener against Jacksonville State, and Florida State needed until deep in the third quarter to finally shake loose of New Mexico State. That last one won’t exactly calm the noise around Tallahassee or Mike Norvell, especially with a two year-plus slide hanging over the program since the CFP snub in 2023.
But the real feast starts now. Week 1 stretches from Thursday night through Monday, and the board is packed with new coaches, major tests, and a few games that are going to draw a crowd for all the wrong reasons.
Thursday and Friday are about first impressions and early warning signs. Utah, ranked No. 21, is one of the teams I’m watching closely after losing coach Kyle Wittingham to Michigan, while No.
7 Miami has to show how it looks after losing so many contributors to the NFL. Toledo at Michigan State stands out, too, with Pat Fitzgerald making his East Lansing debut and Mike Jacob taking over the Rockets.
Colorado at Georgia Tech has the feel of a pressure game for Prime’s Buffaloes, and the Yellow Jackets have a fresh wrinkle of their own with Justice Haynes arriving from Michigan after the departure of do-it-all QB Haynes King.
Saturday is where the schedule really starts to flex. Southeast Missouri State at Iowa State kicks off the Jimmy Rodgers era in Ames, where expectations are low after Matt Campbell and roughly 99.89% of the roster headed to Penn State late last year. Campbell’s new team opens its own chapter when Marshall comes to Happy Valley Saturday afternoon, and it’s hard not to wonder how both sides will look with the CyHawk game looming and the pressure dial turned way up.
There’s plenty of high-end matchup juice, too. Boise State at No.
2 Oregon is an early barometer for a Broncos team hoping to contend in its new Pac-12 home, while the Ducks are chasing a title behind quarterback Dante Moore. Northern Illinois at No.
23 Iowa belongs on the watch list for the usual Iowa reasons, and for anyone outside the diehards, there’s still real curiosity about when the Hawkeyes will find an answer at quarterback.
The night slate gets even louder. Clemson at No.
11 LSU will put Lane Kiffin’s first LSU game front and center after his messy split from Ole Miss during the Rebels’ playoff run last year. Plenty of viewers will be hoping for an opening-night stumble from LSU, because Kiffin has become a villain to a lot of people.
Abilene Christian at No. 12 Texas Tech is another game that will draw attention for reasons beyond the scoreboard; after the Brendan Sorsby fiasco this summer, the Red Raiders have basically invited the country to root against them, and everyone will be waiting for the slip-up even if Tech is expected to cruise.
Then there’s UCLA at Cal, a new-coach matchup that keeps the old Pac-12 After Dark energy alive. Bob Chesney’s Bruins and Tosh Lupoi’s Golden Bears should give Saturday night a competitive finish.
The week closes with a strong Sunday-Monday run and no NFL in the way. Washington State at No.
17 Washington renews the Apple Cup, and the Huskies enter as a dark horse CFP contender, even if rivalry games always come with risk. The Cougars would love nothing more than to wreck that dream in Seattle, and yes, they’re also breaking in a new head coach.
Sunday night brings No. 24 Louisville at No.
9 Ole Miss in Nashville, with Trinidad Chambliss set to lead the Rebels while Louisville works through a defense that ranked 38th in total defense last season and now has seven new starters. Before that, Wisconsin and No.
4 Notre Dame meet at Lambeau Field, which makes the Badgers the home team in name only. Expect a heavy Irish presence anyway as Notre Dame opens its CFP payback push, unless their fans decide the bus parking situation is enough reason to turn around.
Finally, Monday night gives us No. 18 SMU at Florida State.
The Seminoles did win in Week 0, but it wasn’t the kind of statement that quiets anybody in Tallahassee. Now they face an ACC opponent with championship ambitions, and with FSU staring at a brutal conference schedule, an early 0-1 start could get Mike Norvell into real trouble fast.
In Other News...
Iowa Small-School Football Has Another Week 2 Problem
Another pair of Week 2 matchups has fallen off the Iowa high school football schedule, adding to an already uneasy start for several small-school programs across the state. West Central Community Schools and Don Bosco both announced on their official Facebook accounts that their game would not be played, and an eight-player matchup between Meskwaki Settlement and Gladbrook-Reinbeck was also canceled.
For Iowa football fans, the bigger concern is the pattern behind the cancellations, not just the empty slot on this weeks slate. Several programs around the state have chosen not to field varsity teams this season, a reminder of how fragile the small-school landscape can be and how quickly a normal Friday night can turn into another unexpected open date. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Freshman Marcello Vitti Just Forced His Way Onto The Radar
Iowas first depth chart of the season offered an early glimpse at which newcomers have already earned the staffs trust, and true freshman defensive back Marcello Vitti stood out immediately. He was the only freshman listed on either side of the ball, landing as the backup strong safety while also being penciled in for special teams work.
For a program that tends to ease younger players into the mix, that is a meaningful nod before the opener even arrives. Kirk Ferentz and Phil Parker have both spoken positively about Vittis progress in practice and the way he fits into the defensive scheme, which suggests his role could grow quickly if he keeps pushing the right buttons. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Already Has An Opener Problem It Didn't Want
Iowas first official depth chart for 2026 arrived with a little less clarity than the Hawkeyes would have liked, and it already has the look of an opener week headache. The release showed two important transfer additions, safety Tyler Brown and offensive lineman Trent Wilson, listed out for the game against Northern Illinois because of injuries, forcing the staff to make an early-round shuffle before the season even gets rolling.
Zach Lutmer and Anthony Hawkins are now lined up to handle the safety spots, while Kade Pieper and Leighton Jones move into the starting offensive line mix. For a program that usually values stability as much as anything, the timing is less than ideal, especially with the opener providing the first real test of how quickly the new pieces can settle in. [Read more 🡒]