The opening weekend in college football wasted no time putting on a show. It was a mix of close games, last second winners, and some colossal blowouts. With that being said, some programs showed they still belong on top whereas others displayed early signs of struggle — and if anyone asks you, yes, every second in the game matters!
The teams at the top showed why they belong with schools such as Ohio State, LSU, Miami and Notre Dame dismantling their week one contender.
Ohio State entered the season ranked first in the nation and got right back to business, destroying Ball State 56-3. The celebration was one-and-done as they jump back into practices preparing for next week’s potential game of the year when they travel to Austin to take on the Texas Longhorns. The Longhorns also thrived in week one, defeating Texas State 59-7.
LSU faced Clemson in Head Coach Lane Kiffin’s debut with the new program routing the orange Tigers 51-10. Kiffin joined LSU near the end of last season after leaving Ole Miss. His return to Mississippi emerges in week three in a top 10 matchup between the SEC programs.
Miami also continued its winning ways as they look to repeat a National Championship appearance starting their campaign off with a 45-6 triumph over Stanford. Junior quarterback Darian Mensah put on a clinic, throwing for 400 yards and five touchdowns. A frightening offense could leave the Hurricanes destroying any defense in their path.
In response to every second being crucial in these games, the comment comes following No. 16 Michigan and Western Michigan’s matchup over the weekend where controversy took over the internet. The Broncos were threatening Michigan with its biggest upset since Appalachian State in 2007. This game opened with the Wolverines as a 27.5-point favorite but would find themselves behind late in the fourth quarter 12-7. It came down to a final heave when quarterback Bryce Underwood launched a Hail Mary into the end zone but was caught by the opposing team, and the game was over — or so they thought.
After official review and Western Michigan already celebrating the enormous upset, the officials called it back and added one second to the game. This resulted in yet another last-ditch effort for a final throw which was converted, and Michigan won the game. The controversy rose to the top conversation of the weekend and if some teams are given these advantages because of their brand name or if the referees got it wrong originally. Either way, it counts as a win for Michigan, and they continue a tough road ahead of them.
With these games now behind it is important to note what lies ahead going into week two.
Michigan gets a chance to prove their week one controversy was a fluke when they take on No. 11 Oklahoma. Ohio State and Texas will be the other top 25 matchup to note with those two battling for the early season upper hand.
Other notable programs on display include Oregon, which is looking to redeem itself after a narrow Week 1 win over Boise State and now faces Oklahoma State. Looking further down the road for the Ducks, they challenge Ohio State followed by Michigan. A back-to-back weekend against the top of the Big Ten could give Oregon some separation ahead of the field.
Week 1 set the perfect stage for the college football calendar, but now the real contenders come out and only one can win. The hunt for the perfect season stays on these teams’ minds as they head into Week 2 with key matchups already taking flight in the top 10.
The hype is here; contenders are emerging, and Week 2 could be the weekend where the true talent separates themselves from the rest. College football is back, and the race for perfection has officially begun.