College football’s opening weekend wasted no time handing out the full range of emotions, from runaway blowouts to a couple of games that had people staring at the screen in disbelief. The ranked teams mostly took care of business, but a few results cut against the script and made Week 1 feel like a true reset.
At the top of the board, No. 1 Ohio State looked every bit like a team built to set the tone early, blasting Ball State 56-3 behind a showcase from quarterback Julian Sayin and receiver Jeremiah Smith.
No. 3 Georgia also put on a clinic, rolling past Tennessee State 63-3.
No. 5 Texas joined the rout with a 59-7 win over Texas State, while No.
8 Texas A&M shut out Missouri State 50-0 and No. 10 Oklahoma did the same to UTEP in a 51-0 win.
The biggest early scare came from No. 2 Oregon, which had to survive Boise State 34-27.
No. 23 Houston also had to work for it, finishing off Oregon State 33-20.
And then there was the kind of result that will keep getting replayed: No. 16 Michigan squeezed past Western Michigan 13-12.
Elsewhere, No. 11 LSU opened with a 51-10 win over Clemson, while No.
7 Miami (FL) handled Stanford 45-6. No.
6 Indiana beat North Texas 52-16, No. 12 Texas Tech topped Abilene Christian 33-10, and No.
13 Alabama beat East Carolina 48-10. No.
14 USC shut out Fresno State 39-0, and BYU, also listed at No. 14, beat Utah Tech 63-7.
Penn State blanked Marshall 45-0, Tennessee beat Furman 56-9, Utah rolled past Idaho 66-14, and Missouri took care of Arkansas-Pine Bluff 54-14.
The rest of the day brought even more headline-grabbing moments. UMass, a 29.5-point underdog, upset Rutgers on Thursday night to end a 16-game losing streak.
Michigan’s win over Western Michigan drew plenty of debate after its Hail Mary finish. And there was also the LSU debut for Kiffin, plus the other major storylines that made Week 1 feel packed before the calendar even really turned.
In Other News...
Oregon Faces An Early WR Twist Fans Didn't Expect
Oregons season opener against Boise State brought an early shakeup to the receiver room, with Iverson Hooks not dressed for warmups and set to miss the game. That is a notable development for a transfer who arrived from UAB as one of the Ducks more interesting offseason additions and even landed on the Preseason Biletnikoff Award watchlist, raising expectations for what he might add to the offense right away.
Freshman Jalen Lott was also not dressed, which opens the door for other Oregon wideouts to pick up snaps and prove their place in the rotation. For a team trying to establish rhythm early in the year, the absence of two receivers changes the look of the depth chart before the first kickoff is even in the books. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Opens With An Early Jalen Lott Concern Fans Will Watch
Oregons build toward its 2026 season opener against Boise State at Autzen Stadium got a little more complicated before kickoff when freshman wide receiver Jalen Lott and transfer Iverson Hooks were not spotted in pregame warmups. Lotts absence stood out most, given the attention he brought into camp and the fact that he was reportedly dealing with injuries suffered during the preseason stretch.
Because this is a non-conference game, the Ducks do not have to put out an official injury report, so the full picture remains unclear for now. What is clear is that Oregon may need to lean on some of its younger receivers sooner than planned, which adds another layer of intrigue to a first game that was already supposed to offer an early look at the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Just Got A Title Nod That Raises The Pressure Fast
Before the season even gets into its full grind, Oregon has already found itself in the kind of spotlight that can make a good year feel bigger. During a CBS Sports pregame show, the studio anchor and three college football analysts all said they believe the Ducks are the team to beat for the 2026 national championship, a prediction built around Dante Moore returning at quarterback and Dan Lanning still steering the program.
For Oregon, the attention is flattering, but it also comes with the familiar weight of expectation. The Ducks have been to the national title game before, in 2010 and 2014, and the next step is the one that has eluded them. Being talked about as a future champion is one thing, but living up to a forecast like this starts long before January. [Read more 🡒]