The first full weekend of the college football season is in the books, and though it wasn’t the most loaded Week 1 slate in recent memory, fans were still treated to all the craziness they could have asked for.
To sum things up: Florida stunned No. 7 Utah in the Swamp to kick off the Billy Napier era, a Georgia team filled with new faces absolutely crushed Oregon and a second-half comeback allowed a shorthanded Ohio State to survive at the Horseshoe in a top-five matchup against Notre Dame and new coach Marcus Freeman.
Oh, and to top it all off, we had whatever transpired between LSU and Florida State in the Superdome on Sunday night.
Some teams are riding high after the first game while others are licking their wounds following a rough opener. We’ll cover the whole range of emotions as we look at the winners and losers from Week 1.
Winner: The new era of Florida football
One game down, one top-10 win. Debuts can’t get much better than Napier’s as his Gators pulled off a 29-26 upset as home underdogs against the defending Pac-12 champions. It was far from a perfect performance, but a pair of goal-line stops and a fantastic game from one of the most dynamic players in the country in Anthony Richardson — who is drawing not entirely unwarranted comparisons to Cam Newton — gave UF the win in a thriller. The Gators have another big test next week as Kentucky comes to the Swamp.
Loser: The Pac-12
Shortly before the season, I wrote about the importance of the Pac-12 having at least one team in the playoff race entering the back half of the season.
About that…
After Utah’s heartbreaking loss and an entirely lifeless performance from Oregon, the league is playing from behind already after Week 1. Unless USC — who easily dispatched Rice 66-14 — can do something pretty special in Year 1 under Lincoln Riley, the league may already be virtually eliminated from playoff contention.
Winner: Reloaded Georgia
If you thought the defending champions were poised to take a step back after a record 15 players were drafted in 2022, you were sorely mistaken. UGA absolutely worked Oregon in Atlanta on Saturday, with Stetson Bennett IV tossing for a career-high 368 yards in a 49-3 beatdown. The defense smothered quarterback Bo Nix, who looked like the same player that ultimately lost his job at Auburn after three lackluster seasons. We know this team is loaded with talent. If Bennett has taken a step forward as a passer, Georgia could be undefeated when it likely returns to Atlanta in December.
Loser: Brian Kelly and his new fah-muh-lee
Kelly’s debut in Baton Rouge was highly anticipated, but the Tigers ultimately fell flat on Sunday night. Quarterback Jayden Daniels made some plays on the ground, but poor offensive line play severely limited the passing game and LSU’s deep receiving corps until the fourth quarter. The defense, meanwhile, was a massive disappointment. The Tigers were the only SEC team to lose in Week 1, and right now, they look like the worst team in the West. Kelly can turn things around, but it was a surprisingly unpolished first game for a guy who has made it clear he expects to win a national championship at LSU.
Winner: Florida State coach Mike Norvell
Norvell’s seat isn’t the hottest in the country, but you could make an argument that no one needed a win like this more than he did. Norvell’s tenure has been notoriously devoid of big moments, but this was a huge one — even if it may have come against a team that’s worse than we thought it would be. Quarterback Jordan Travis had arguably the best game of his career, and FSU’s defensive line absolutely bullied the Tigers up front. Sure, Florida State almost blew it and needed a blocked extra point with no time on the clock to avoid overtime, but we can look past that.
Loser: You
That is, if you watched even a single second of what could be one of the worst college football games ever played. Iowa narrowly avoided an upset against South Dakota State with a 7-3 victory. The Hawkeyes got those seven points via a field goal and two safeties. It was the first time a team has scored seven points exactly without a touchdown since at least 2000, and the teams combined for more punts (21) than first downs (16). The Jackrabbits are one of the best teams in the FCS, but that doesn’t even begin to justify such a dreadful performance from the team many see as the Big Ten West favorite.
Winner: Ohio State and winning 'ugly'
The Buckeyes entered this game as heavy favorites despite Notre Dame’s top-five ranking, but they found themselves trailing by three at the half. With superstar receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba exiting the game in the first quarter, a shorthanded Ohio State had to fight back to earn a 21-10 win. Coach Ryan Day said it was good for the team to learn how to win ugly, and he may have a point. Honorable mention here goes to Notre Dame’s defense, which played exceptionally well despite the loss against the preseason Heisman frontrunner.
Loser: Louisville coach Scott Satterfield
When I said earlier that Norvell’s seat isn’t among the hottest in the country, it’s mostly because coaches like Satterfield exist. He was already in trouble entering the season, and a 31-7 loss to what probably isn’t a very good Syracuse team cranks his seat up from very warm to flaming. Satterfield has a nice 2023 recruiting class so far, which could save him if keeping him around ends up being a toss-up. A few more losses like this, and it won’t be.
Winner: The revived Backyard Brawl
One of college football’s best rivalries made its return in prime time on Thursday night as Pittsburgh and West Virginia faced off on the gridiron for the first time since 2011. This used to be an annual rivalry in the Big East, and the prolonged hiatus finally came to an end. The Panthers won 38-31 in what was as wild a game as we could have hoped for, and Acrisure Stadium was a madhouse despite running out of beer. The two teams are scheduled to face in each of the next three seasons and again from 2029-32, and I, for one, am very happy about it.
Loser: The scoreboard operator in Boone
If you bemoan the overemphasis on offense in modern college football, the noon game between North Carolina and Appalachian State was not for you. Coach Mack Brown’s team survived its road trip to the mountains in a 63-61 win that featured more than 1,200 combined yards of offense. The Mountaineers fell short on a failed two-point conversion with nine seconds left, but we have an early contender for the most thrilling game of the year.
Quick Hitters
- Winner: Arkansas. The Razorbacks took down a team that made the College Football Playoff last year. Congrats, Hogs! It’s a shame you still have non-conference games against BYU and Liberty in addition to matchups against the entire SEC West. Brutal.
- Loser: Virginia Tech. Hokies, just stop scheduling road games in Norfolk. They lost at Old Dominion in 2018 and again on Friday night in coach Brent Pry’s debut. VT was the only Power Five team to lose to a Group of Five opponent in Week 1.
- Winner: James Madison. Sticking with G5 teams from Virginia, credit to the Dukes for winning their first game in FBS play in blowout fashion against Middle Tennessee State, 44-7. JMU was one of the best teams in the FCS, and it could quickly become a preeminent program in the Group of Five.
- Winner: Houston. We’ve been wondering who will be this year’s Cincinnati, and the Cougars think it could be them. It took triple overtime, but coach Dana Holgorsen’s team scored a 37-35 win on the road against a very good UTSA team to keep that dream alive
