The season is off and running and your support makes it possible for us to continue our independent college football operation. By signing up to support the show, you’ll unlock exclusive perks built for the most loyal fans, including ad-free episodes, bonus content, access to our Discord chat and more.

Plus, we run weekly pick’em games with fabulous prizes, conduct our own polls, and are actively building out cool new features to make our community even more interactive.

Join as a Certified or Premium Verballer by clicking below!

LSU and coach Lane Kiffin spent the offseason pushing the boundaries of the sport.

They spent $40 million-plus on a transfer-heavy, star-laden roster. They tried to do it again by attempting to reintegrate NFL players into the college game. Between the injunctions and Vanity Fair profiles, there was enough noise around this program to silence 100,000 screaming fans.

But when a nasty storm cleared on Saturday night, the Tigers took the field and looked every bit the part of a national title-caliber football team in a 51-10 beatdown of Dabo Swinney’s Clemson.

LSU star Sam Leavitt dazzled in his debut. Blake Baker’s defense ate Clemson quarterbacks Christopher Vizzina and Tate Reynolds alive. The Tigers blew the doors off Clemson from the onset, making for a wildly uncompetitive game. 

Saturday was only a one-game sample size, but hot damn, Kiffin’s fingerprints are already all over this team. LSU ran for 309 yards and four touchdowns. It would’ve taken them four games to reach that tally a season ago. Leavitt overcame an opening-drive interception to finish with 230 passing yards, another 113 yards on the ground, and three total touchdowns. The defense looked predictably ferocious. Amazingly, Blake Baker isn’t a head coach by now. 

Clemson looked unprepared and was miles off the pace from the very beginning. Swinney raised eyebrows this offseason by turning to old OC Chad Morris for a second stint calling plays. That doesn’t appear to be a wise decision.

If LSU plays like that the rest of the way, they’ll be a College Football Playoff team and then some. If Clemson doesn’t make a whole host of changes in a hurry, it’s going to be a long, long season for Tiger fans.

All would be forgiven if you were nursing a football hangover by the time Louisville-Ole Miss rolled around Sunday night. Four straight days of college football (with one more game on Labor Day) is not for the faint of heart. 

Fortunately for us, Louisville-Ole Miss was the shot of adrenaline we desperately needed. In the only ranked-on-ranked matchup of Week 1, the two teams combined for 63 second-half points, featured one haymaker after another, and ended with a 48-yard walk-off field goal courtesy of Ole Miss kicker Lucas Carneiro that sealed a dramatic 41-38 win for the ninth-ranked Rebels. 

Where do I even begin? 

Ole Miss and quarterback Trinidad Chambliss shook off a slow start. Louisville quarterback Lincoln Kienholz worked through the first-start jitters. Both defenses were excellent, right up until the levee broke in the second half. 

It was fitting that this game took place in Nashville. Chambliss and Kienholz were two dueling banjos over the last thirty minutes, sparking chunk pass plays and elusive runs one after the other. 

We expected this from Chambliss, who was one of the clutchest quarterbacks in college football last season. Kienholz, on the other hand, dazzled in his first start since high school. The pair combined for over 600 passing yards, another 130 yards on the ground, and seven total touchdowns. Chambliss got the last laugh after he marched the Rebels 40 yards down the field to set up Carneiro’s thunderbolt of a game-winning field goal.

Both teams have plenty to fix on the defensive side of the ball. That’s for next week, though. 

This was the Game of the Weekend, and it wasn’t particularly close. 

Look, I wouldn’t blame you if you felt like the end of the Western Michigan-Michigan game reeked of FIFA-level corruption. 

ICYMI, Western Michigan all but wrapped up a 12-7 upset over the 16th-ranked Wolverines. The clock read 00:00. Broncos players jumped in jubilation. Michigan fans had their heads in their hands. The internet was ablaze with jokes at Michigan’s expense. 

Then, inexplicably, the referees reviewed what we thought was the final play and added one second to the play clock. Upon further review from smart people on the internet, the Western Michigan player who touched the ball jumped from out of bounds, but the clock struck double zeros before the ball touched him. 

With one more bite at the apple. Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood heaved a 47-yard bomb into the warm nighttime air, and Utah transfer wideout JJ Buchanan hauled it in for an improbable game-winning touchdown, lifting the Wolverines to a 13-12 win. 

Anyone associated with Western Michigan or the football program should feel extremely hard done by that refereeing decision and outcome. Perhaps a Kalamazoo judge can file an injunction and get the result reversed. 

That ending overshadowed what was otherwise an outstanding performance from the Broncos. Western Michigan held the Wolverines to seven points for 59:59 of game time, forced Underwood to look painfully below-average, and made new Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham squirm on his debut. Questions about Underwood’s QB1 status are growing louder.

Nothing that I or anyone writes will make this one feel any better. Sorry, Western Michigan, that’s a really tough one to swallow.

Through the first half of football, this one had an all-too-familiar, ominous feel for Notre Dame fans. 

The fourth-ranked Irish maintained a slim halftime lead. The offense wasn’t quite up to snuff. If things broke incorrectly, you could envision a world where Marcus Freeman’s bunch ends up as the punchline after another baffling early-season loss.

But great teams find ways to win tough games. That’s exactly what Notre Dame did in its 41-13 season-opening victory over Wisconsin at Lambeau Field. 

After a sluggish start, Notre Dame poured it on in the second half. Running back Aneyas Williams scored two touchdowns, capping a 20-carry, 90-yard display. Transfer corner DJ McKinney then put the game out of reach after he returned an errant Colton Joseph pass for a 55-yard pick-six.

This wasn’t 60 minutes of clinical football for the Fighting Irish, but it didn’t have to be. In the end, handling their business was all that was required. 

Wisconsin was frisky in the first half and can take away some positives despite the loss. The Badgers aren’t fully back, but they showed enough improvement to build optimism about a better run in 2026. For Fickell’s sake, it needs to be.

As if we didn’t need another reminder that Florida State football is in a dark place, a stadium transformer blew before kickoff, delaying the game an hour and forty minutes. A portion of the game was played with no scoreboard, helmet comms, or replay. You cannot make this stuff up.

No. 19 SMU did everything it could to lose this game, according to head coach Rhett Lashlee during a late-game interview. He told no lies. 

But the Mustangs thoroughly outplayed Florida State and came out on top 27-24 after a chip-shot field goal put the game away with less than a minute remaining.

SMU turned the ball over four times. Two came via interceptions from Kevin Jennings. Two others came on crucial fumbles. At one point, things got so weird that an SMU punt returner coughed up a fumble on a misjudged tornado punt. Again, you can’t make this stuff up. 

Florida State fans experienced the full gamut of emotions. They booed when the lights went out pre-game. They cheered when the Seminoles were the beneficiary of so many ill-timed Mustang turnovers. They booed Mike Norvell on multiple occasions. It’s complicated, OK? 

SMU desperately needs to clean up the mistakes. Meanwhile, Florida State might be on a path to nowhere. It’s going to be a tumultuous season in Tallahassee.

Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. 

For much of the afternoon, Boise State went word-for-word, bar-for-bar, with the No. 2 team in college football. The Broncos started fast and responded fast at every turn. In the end, Oregon simply had too many capital-D dudes and pulled away for a 34-27 win. 

The Broncos deserve a ton of credit for how much they met the moment. 

Boise State held Oregon scoreless through the first quarter, held a 17-14 lead at halftime, and limited a nasty Ducks’ offense to 4-of-12 on third down and 0-for-3 on fourth-down attempts. At different points in this game, it felt like a very real possibility that Boise State could pull off the upset. There’s something to be said about that. 

After a queasy start and some suspect first-half playcalling from new offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer, the Ducks put their foot on the gas and simply made more plays down the stretch. Quarterback Dante Moore finished with 378 yards and three touchdowns. The Ducks’ wide receiving corps looked every bit like one of the best units in the country. And in the end, Oregon got enough stops on defense to win the football game. 

The Ducks didn’t play to the best of their abilities, and certainly have a lot to clean up across the board. But perhaps a tough early test was just what Oregon needed to kickstart a new season. 

After that valiant effort, Boise State might be the best Group of 6 team in college football. Oregon didn’t look like a national title contender in Week 1, but there’s plenty of time to get to that level.  

In a game billed for its exciting quarterback matchup, the UCLA run game put the game away late for a 45-24 win in coach Bob Chesney’s debut. 

UCLA quarterback Nicol Iamaleava chipped in 184 passing yards and one score on the ground. Cal’s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele battled an ankle injury and some turnover problems to finish with 271 passing yards, two touchdowns, and three turnovers. 

This one was back-and-forth for much of the night. Both teams traded punches, and it could’ve gone either way. But down the stretch, UCLA’s run game put the game away late. Bruin running backs Anthony Woods and Wayne Knight finished with a combined 189 yards and five touchdowns. Talk about making a statement.

I have a feeling Chesney is going to prove to be one heck of a hire for UCLA. 

Sagapolutele’s talent is undeniable, but the Golden Bears relied way too much on him to bail them out in situations behind the sticks. Questions about the offensive line and defense remain.

We made it one game into Week 1 and quite possibly have the shocker of the season. 

ICYMI, UMass, losers of 16 in a row, stomped Rutgers 37-20 in East Piscataway, New Jersey on Thursday night. The Minutemen earned a cool $1.5 million for their efforts. 

Local hero William “Pop” Watson III shredded the Scarlet Knights’ defense for 197 yards and three touchdowns on 19-of-22 attempts. UMass shockingly ran for 200 yards to Rutgers’ 30. The Scarlet Knights scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns with the game already out of reach. The final score was not an accurate reflection of the magnitude of this beatdown. 

To put the upset into perspective: 

A season ago, UMass head coach Joe Harasymiak oversaw a difficult 0-12 debut season. Now, the former Rutgers defensive coordinator got one over on his old employer. 

Hats off to you, Coach Harasymiak. What a way to get your first win! 

This was a disastrous season opener for Rutgers and head coach Greg Schiano. Schiano likely landed himself at the top of the First Coach Fired list.

Alabama unsurprisingly steamrolled East Carolina 48-10. New starting quarterback Keelon Russell had some nice moments, especially with his legs. The Crimson Tide ran for 227 yards and five touchdowns. Despite some sloppiness and a few drops from Ryan Coleman-Williams, this was a straightforward win for Alabama.

The Crimson Tide’s defense was predictably strong, allowing just two rushing yards on 22 carries. Outside of an early busted coverage, the Pirates didn’t do much through the air, either.

Entering the game, the story centered on how Russell would play and whether the Crimson Tide could run the ball effectively for the first time in 12 months. Albeit against a Group of 6 opponent, Russell played well, and Alabama pummeled East Carolina on the ground. 

Next up for Alabama is a new-look Kentucky team.

The premise of a primetime Baylor-Auburn game always felt gas station sushi levels of suspicious. As it turns out, it was much worse than that. 

This game was a beautiful disaster. Baylor quarterback DJ Lagway committed the first of two turnovers when he uncharacteristically tried to hurdle an Auburn defender in the first half. Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown threw three interceptions, with a few of them giving serious arm punt-y vibes. The game ended in the dumbest way imaginable: Baylor going for two and the win, running a route short of the goal line, and getting stood up on the one-yard line, icing an Auburn win 17-16.

Brown and Lagway combined for five turnovers, 592 passing yards, and enough moments of bad decision-making to make your skin crawl. But in fairness, both players came up clutch when their teams needed them. 

Brown, who played his first game in a Power 4 uniform, marched his team on a 10-play, 75-yard drive, capped by an 11-yard touchdown run to give the Tigers a seven-point lead with 3:21 left in the fourth quarter. Lagway followed suit, taking the Bears 75 yards on 14 plays and connecting with Gavin Freeman on a touchdown with seconds remaining, before that game-defining goal-line stop. 

It wasn’t pretty, but Auburn head coach Alex Golesh got the win in his debut. His team has a lot of things to fix before SEC play.

For Baylor coach Dave Aranda, this felt like another one that got away. Lagway always felt like a gamble worth taking, but a risky one that could lead to the end of his tenure in Waco. Another bad loss, another shaky quarterback performance, another one that got away for Aranda.

Oklahoma State coach Eric Morris spent the offseason conducting the sport’s greatest experiment. 

One offseason, 92 (!!) new players. All in the hopes of resetting a culture and bringing a proud program out of the depths of obscurity.

After an offseason of optimism, the Cowboys started this season the same way they ended the last campaign: with a demoralizing loss. Tulsa squashed Oklahoma State 24-10 in a game that was probably more lopsided than the final score depicts. 

A season ago, Morris’ North Texas was one of the darlings of the Group of 6, riding a prolific offense to an 11-1 regular-season record. Led by Drew Mestemaker and running mates Caleb Hawkins and Wyatt Young, the Mean Green were damn near unstoppable. Today, that trio was rendered ineffective in their first game on a Power 4 team. 

Mestemaker, the face of last year’s offense, was particularly poor, finishing with 4.9 yards per completion and two interceptions. Hawkins and Young were OK, but failed to find the end zone. The offensive line and defense were the two big questions about this team. Those units did not impress.

Credit to Tulsa coach Tre Lamb. His coaches schemed things up, and his players executed the game plan to perfection.

Good things take time. Particularly so with so many new faces. Morris needs to find answers fast with No. 2 Oregon on the docket next week. 

We were treated to a few lopsided games on Friday night. Here are a few rapid-fire thoughts about the notable moments and players. 

It was a night to forget for Colorado quarterback JuJu Lewis, right up until the moment it wasn’t.

The Atlanta native struggled with accuracy. He dropped numerous snaps. Brennan Marion’s Go-Go offense turtle-shelled down the stretch, with the Buffaloes passing only when it was necessary. Then it became necessary — and Lewis answered the bell and then some. 

Down 13-7 with fewer than two minutes remaining, Lewis led Colorado on the biggest drive of the night. In need of seven points, the Buffaloes marched down the field on an eight-play, 75-yard drive that culminated with Lewis finding tight end Charlie Williams on a 20-yard touchdown to go up 14-13.

Georgia Tech had what appeared to be a tidy response. Quarterback Alberto Mendoza laced a 42-yard pass on a busted coverage to push the Yellow Jackets into field goal range. Soon after, Aidan Birr, one of the nation’s top kickers, stepped up for a 45-yard game-winner. 

Coach Prime’s defense had other plans. Tennessee transfer defensive back Boo Carter flew off the edge and blocked the game-winning attempt as time expired to cap off a chaotic and clutch 14-13 win in the season opener. 

To be clear, this game was a total slog. Colorado pieced together some decent drives, but failed to finish the job. Georgia Tech looked like a far cry from the team we saw a season ago. It was 60 minutes of field position and possession football, the type of game Colorado rarely wins.

For Sanders, Friday night’s finish provides a glimmer of hope. It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t polished. But in the end, it didn’t have to be. 

Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key has to be kicking himself. His team struggled to stop the run. Couldn’t run the ball effectively. And, for parts of the night, got overpowered on the lines of scrimmage. The Yellow Jackets have a lot to work on before they take on Tennessee next Saturday night.

With most of Week 1 in the books, we go back through the games that deserved a longer look after Saturday night’s live reaction show. LSU’s demolition of Clemson is at the center of the conversation. How much of the result was about LSU looking immediately dangerous under Lane Kiffin, and how much should Clemson fans worry about a team that was physically overwhelmed?

We also dig deeper into the fireworks between Ole Miss and Louisville, one of the most entertaining games of the weekend, and spend time on Notre Dame’s 41-13 win over Wisconsin at Lambeau Field. What should we make of the Irish offense after a sluggish start, how much can we learn from Wisconsin’s first half?

From there, we go rapid-fire through some of the other Week 1 performances that caught our attention, including Washington’s Apple Cup win and encouraging starts from Indiana, Florida, UCLA and Mississippi State. We also start looking ahead to a loaded Week 2, with Michigan-Oklahoma, Ohio State-Texas and several other matchups that should tell us much more about what these teams actually are in 2026.

▶️ Listen/Watch