The first week of the college football season had everything. There was a heavyweight matchup between No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 20 Texas A&M that came down to the final minutes and national championship contenders showed weaknesses ahead of big Week 2 showdowns.
But perhaps the biggest winners and losers are the teams whose fortunes changed in an instant. Florida dug itself a hole against No. 19 Miami that it may be unable to escape. The Fighting Irish may have set up a runway to the College Football Playoff. Clemson could already be heading back to the drawing board for this season. And even better? In Week 2, we’ll decide all over again.
Here are some of the biggest winners and losers of college football’s Week 1, including the debuts of a few high-profile prospects that could change the sport.
Winner: Class of 2024
When Nebraska landed Dylan Raiola, he became one of the most high-profile quarterback recruits in school history. It didn’t take long for him to make his presence known. Raiola found receiver Isaiah Neyor for a nearly 60-yard touchdown, one of his two scores in a massive win against UTEP to give Cornhuskers fans their most hope in years.
Raiola was only one of several high-profile Class of 2024 recruits to make themselves heard in Week 1. Running backs Taylor Tatum (Oklahoma), Nate Frazier (Georgia) and Jerrick Gibson (Texas) all found the end zone. Defensive end Dylan Stewart (South Carolina) forced a key fumble to survive Old Dominion.
The biggest winners of the week might have been the incredible wide receiver class. Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith dropped his first pass and then went on to have 92 yards and two scores. Alabama’s Ryan Williams only had two catches against Western Kentucky, but both were touchdowns and one was for 84 yards. Auburn’s Cam Coleman had 62 yards and a score. This could be an all-time wide receiver class.
Loser: Oregon
The Ducks entered 2024 alongside Georgia and Ohio State as the chief national title picks and among the most hyped programs in the sport. It took exactly one game for things to come crashing down. The Ducks escaped Idaho with a 24-14 victory, but the Vandals exposed major holes.
Chiefly, the Ducks have major structural issues on the offensive line. After giving up only five total sacks in each of the past two seasons, FCS Idaho sacked Dillon Gabriel three times. Even when adjusting for sacks, the Ducks mustered only 3.8 yards per carry, which was actually worse than the Vandals. Oregon failed on two fourth-down conversions and needed an Idaho offsides penalty to avoid a third turnover on downs and set up a game-deciding touchdown.
Right now, Oregon does not look the part of a conference championship contender, much less national title contender. The Ducks have serious issues, and next week Boise State very well could expose some of them.
Winner: Iowa offense
The first half looked like the same old disaster of the previous years. But when the second half rolled around, Iowa football showed serious promise. In a 40-0 win over Illinois State, the Hawkeyes reached 30 points in a half for the first time since 2021. They threw for three touchdowns in a game for the first time since 2021. They posted their biggest shutout win since 2018 and posted their best yardage since 2019.
But perhaps most special, the youth stood out. Freshman Reece Vander Zee became the first Iowa receiver to record two touchdowns since 2022 — not in a game, but in an entire season. Freshman back Kamari Moulton was second on the team with 65 yards rushing. Combine those with tight end Luke Lachey and a rebounding Cade McNamara and the offense might have some intrigue.
It was against FCS Illinois State, but the Hawkeyes haven’t dominated lesser talent by any means. Granted, it was against FCS power South Dakota State, but Iowa scored just seven points against its last FCS opponent. The score combined with the youth leaves serious reasons for optimism.
Loser: ACC
Last week, ACC favorite Florida State lost earlier in the calendar year than any ranked team since 1997. This week, the damage only got worse. NC State needed a late push just to survive FCS Western Carolina. Virginia Tech lost a thriller with Vanderbilt. Stanford blew a halftime lead against TCU. Clemson got flattened by Georgia and looks nowhere close to competing for anything of substance.
Across the conference, the only teams to overperform their station so far are Miami and Georgia Tech. While the expanded College Football Playoff means a conference team is guaranteed a slot in the party, at-large cases can be won or lost in September.
With such a poor showing against the other conferences, the ACC’s at-large hopes are already on life support. With NC State vs. Tennessee, California at Auburn and BYU at SMU on the schedule next week, the conference desperately needs some good news.
Winner: Penn State WRs
The Nittany Lions were surprisingly quiet in the transfer portal at wide receiver and even lost top target KeAndre Lambert-Smith to Auburn. It very quickly became clear why Penn State was so content to lean on returning talent.
Harrison Wallace III is the breakout star of Penn State’s receiver unit after catching five passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-12 win over West Virginia. Fellow fourth-year Tyler Warren caught another Drew Allar touchdown pass while third-year Omari Evans added another 55 yards.
The new offensive scheme certainly helped create opportunities for Penn State’s skill talent, but the receiving room looks ready for its close up. If the Nittany Lions have playmakers to surround Allar, suddenly, the upside for this team is much higher.
Loser: Florida
Florida hired Billy Napier the same year that Miami hired Mario Cristobal. Both programs have recruited hard and hoped that Year 3 could be a breakout moment. Ultimately, that’s what makes the complete home embarrassment at the hands of the ‘Canes so demoralizing. Florida lost 41-17 and proved it didn’t belong on the same field as an ACC opponent.
There is nearly nothing that Florida for hang its hat on. Miami posted 529 yards. They averaged 7.7 yards per play and had three receivers with at least 70 yards. Gators running back Montrell Johnson broke off a 71-yard touchdown run. Outside of that play, Florida averaged a pathetic 3.6 yards per play.
Making matters worse, Miami was the seventh-higest ranked team on Florida’s schedule this season. It’s almost impossible to see how Florida can right the ship. It’s a curse that the Gators have 11 games left to play.
Winner: Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava
It was against Chattanooga, so there’s no need to overreact. That said, throwing for 314 yards and three touchdowns in your first home start – all in the first half – is nothing to scoff at. The Volunteers obliterated their FCS foe to the tune of 718 yards and Nico was at the center of it. He averaged 11.2 yards per pass attempt and found receivers downfield for some unbelievable connections. Watching Iamaleava and this offense cook will be thrilling.
Loser: Houston
The Cougars knew they were entering a rebuilding cycle after hiring Willie Fritz, but the floor is even lower than expected. Houston lost against UNLV 27-7 in a total beatdown. Quarterback Donovan Smith, who hoped to get on NFL Draft radars, threw two interceptions and the Coogs averaged a cool 1.5 yards per carry. Houston is the worst team in the Big 12 by a significant margin, and will make a case as the worst in the power conferences before the season ends. A 1-11 finish is possible.
Winner: Notre Dame
Perhaps the biggest reason that Notre Dame is a winner is because its College Football Playoff case suddenly got much wider. The Fighting Irish only had three teams in the preseason AP Top 25 on the schedule, and one was No. 10 Florida State. After picking up a win over the Aggies, Notre Dame’s runway to reach 10 wins and a trip to the CFP is wide open. Just as important, quarterback Riley Leonard showed a dual-threat ability that should give them a playmaking dynamic they lacked one year ago.
MORE: Clemson’s lopsided loss to Georgia the latest indictment on Dabo Swinney’s failures
