3 Week One Winners
1. LSU
Bias aside, I think the Bayou Bengals made quite the statement in Death Valley on Saturday night. All the drama off the field, Lane's first game, a lightning delay and Dabo playing as an underdog couldn't stop LSU from dominating Clemson. The world can't stand Lane Kiffin, and he knows it. He used all the outside noise to galvanize the boys and they answered in a big way. Minus a Sam Leavitt interception on the second play of the game, this one was over before it started. The new villains of college football were week one winners, but now the spotlight is even more on them, so we'll see how they handle it moving forward.
2. Miami
Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney looked unstoppable Friday night against Stanford and essentially hard launched a double Heisman campaign. Mensah completed 27 of 30 passes with 5 TDs while Toney himself had 234 yards and 3 TDs as well. I know Stanford may not be the most formidable opponent in the grand scheme of things but securing a conference win that way with a new QB is about as good of a start you can have to the season. I'm curious to see how the Canes keep it rolling as their schedule is one that sets them up for success.
3. Ole Miss
A win against another ranked opponent in week one is deserving of praise. The Ole Miss defense may not have looked as good as they expected, but with Trinidad Chambliss at the helm, they found a way to secure a victory. Him being their QB gives them a chance in every game. This could have easily been a game they let slip away and get off to a slow start that they definitely don't need with who they play in weeks 3 and 4 (LSU and Florida). While maybe not as pretty as they had hoped, it was a big win to start off the year.
3 Week One Losers
1. Oklahoma State
Eric Morris took over the Cowboys this offseason and brought over almost his entire UNT team with him in the process. Their offense at North Texas last year was electric and had you confident in them hitting the over in every game they played. I know it's a brand-new team and it can take time to mesh with all those fresh faces...but you have to score more than 10 points against Tulsa. Just an ugly performance in game one of the Eric Morris OK State era and it only gets harder. Before the season, I had expectations that you may see a crazy efficient offense in Stillwater, just like at UNT but if this first game is any indication, it could be a long year. Oregon comes to town week two after a hard-fought win against Boise and I'm worried about what the Ducks may do to the Cowboys.
2. Michigan
A hidden extra second added to the game clock paired with a Hail Mary is the difference between Michigan being 1-0 or 0-1. They seemingly got dominated by Western Michigan and were able to steal a win thanks to some luck and friendly clock operator work. On top of that...they stormed the field. That's a bad look for a program that won a National Championship only three years ago. We can't be storming the field over a win that is not only expected but barely secured. Bryce Underwood had a confident, mean-mug demeanor after completing his Hail Mary pass to win but I'd change that tone quick if I were him. OU and Brent Venable's defense comes to town next week and I can tell you...that unit doesn't mess around.
3. Georgia Tech
Brent Key is a popular name in the coaching world and has done a good job with Georgia Tech. He brought in Alberto Mendoza (Fernando's brother) this offseason to replace Haynes King, and the debut was somewhat underwhelming. You open the season in primetime, against Deion and Colorado as touchdown favorites, and are stifled the whole game by Colorado's defense. That isn't the unit most people look to for success under Prime as normally it comes from a flashy offense. Georgia Tech simply got beat on their home field and now have to get back to the drawing board for the rest of the way. While not a conference loss, it's not an ideal start for a program hoping to compete in the ACC.