Week 1 always brings a little chaos, and this season’s opening slate has plenty of spots where an upset can sneak up and bite somebody. Most of the schedule looks lopsided on paper, but a few games have the kind of ingredients that can flip fast once the ball is kicked off. With roster turnover, coaching changes and a lot of teams still figuring themselves out, there’s room for surprises.
The cleanest upset watch on Friday night is Toledo at Michigan State. The Spartans are opening the Pat Fitzgerald era against a MAC team that may have lost longtime head coach Jason Candle to UConn, but still looks dangerous after landing the conference’s top-ranked transfer portal class.
Toledo also brought in former Mercer coach Mike Jacobs, who owns a 94-23 record at the Division II and FCS levels, and he brought several Mercer players with him. That group includes defensive end Andrew Zock, last season’s Buck Buchanan Award winner after piling up 11.5 sacks, 20 TFLs and 23 QB hurries.
Michigan State has had trouble early against smaller programs in recent years, and this one has the feel of a game that could stay uncomfortable deep into the night.
The most high-profile chance for a shocker comes when Clemson meets No. 11 LSU in Tiger Stadium.
It’s a night game in Baton Rouge, and Death Valley figures to be loud for Lane Kiffin’s first game there. LSU is loaded with talent, but the roster is also packed with new faces, so the question is how quickly all of that comes together.
Clemson, meanwhile, is coming off its worst season under Dabo Swinney and has flown a little under the radar entering the year. Swinney leaned on the transfer portal more than usual to patch holes on defense, but this is still mostly a homegrown roster.
Clemson has not officially named a starting quarterback, though the expectation is senior Christopher Vizzina, who has just one college start. LSU is the favorite, but this has the look of a game where Clemson’s underdog position could make things interesting.
The only top-25 matchup of the weekend lands Sunday night in Nashville, where No. 24 Louisville faces No.
9 Ole Miss. It’s also a sharp coaching contrast, with the Rebels’ defensive-minded Pete Golding going against Jeff Brohm, who lives on the offensive side of the ball.
Louisville has real ACC contender potential, but its ceiling will depend heavily on Ohio State transfer quarterback Lincoln Kienholz. Ole Miss, on the other hand, brings back one of the better QB-RB pairings around in Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy.
Still, there’s always the possibility of a team easing off a bit after a big season, and Ole Miss could fall into that trap. Brohm has built a reputation for knocking off highly ranked opponents, and this is a chance to do it again while giving Louisville a strong launch point for a schedule that opens up after Week 1.
In Other News...
Kirk Cousins Just Gave Michigan State Fans Another Reason To Brag
Kirk Cousins is back in the spotlight, and this time it comes with another line for Michigan State fans to point to. The Las Vegas Raiders officially named the former Spartans quarterback their starter for the 2026 NFL season, handing the job to a veteran who has spent the past two years with the Atlanta Falcons and is heading into his 15th NFL season.
The decision means Cousins gets the nod over Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall draft pick, while also taking on a role in helping develop the rookie. For Michigan State, it is the kind of NFL reminder that keeps Cousins in the programs long-running bragging rights conversation, with 167 career starts and four Pro Bowl selections still backing up his rsum. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Opener Will Reveal If This Rebuild Is Ready
The first real snapshot of Michigan States new era arrives fast, and it comes with a useful measuring stick in Toledo. Both programs are being shaped by first-year head coaches leaning on transfers and fresh staff hires, but the paths they took to get here could not look much different. Toledos coach is making the jump from FCS to FBS and brought a familiar wave of players with him, while Michigan States side is being guided by a coach with plenty of FBS experience who still had to piece together an entirely new roster.
So when the Spartans line up for the opener, the question is not just whether they can win a game. It is whether the new talent has been blended together quickly enough to look like a real team, and whether the staff has had enough time to turn a rebuilt roster into something that can handle a live opponent. Early-season games always reveal a little more than coaches would like, and for Michigan State, this one may say plenty about how far along the rebuild already is. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Is Making A Sideline Change Fans Will Notice Fast
Michigan States coaching setup will look different this fall, and fans should notice it quickly once the season gets rolling. Offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan and defensive coordinator Joe Rossi will be stationed on the field during games rather than working from the press box, a shift from last seasons arrangement and one that changes how the Spartans handle game-day communication in real time.
Rossi already spent part of last season on the sideline after starting upstairs, and now the move is set for both coordinators from the opening whistle. The NCAAs recent decision to remove the rule limiting the number of coaches also gives Michigan State more flexibility, with additional staff in the press box available to help relay information down to the field as the Spartans manage play-calling from a different vantage point. [Read more 🡒]