Three preseason top-10 teams fell in just one weekend, and the 2025 college football season has officially begun with Texas, Alabama and Clemson all falling unexpectedly, leaving the polls questioning who should be the new number one.
The defending National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes are still on top, beating highly anticipated five-star recruit Arch Manning and number one Texas in their season opener game.
Number nine LSU took down number four Clemson in the Death Valley battle, leaving critics questioning if Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik should be a Heisman favorite. Penn State, Michigan, Oregon and Tennessee all showed up to play in their games, winning by a combined 117 points. Besides Boise State losing to South Florida, the top 25 stood strong and showed the college football world why they should be ranked among the best; however, it’s the top 10 that is going to be looking completely different come the following week.
Michigan’s freshman five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood threw for a program-record 251 yards in his debut while the Tennessee Volunteers’ defense made timely stops to prevent any chance of a comeback.
Number two Penn State wideouts Kyron Hudson and Trebor Peña carved up the Wolf Pack’s secondary, while defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton forced huge turnovers. Penn State won handily against the Nevada Wolf Pack 46-11. Penn State is going to need all this firepower come Sept. 27, when they face Oregon for their annual whiteout game.
With everything going on throughout week one, there is already early playoff implications with Alabama losing a shocker to Florida State and Clemson losing a close on to LSU, teams that had playoff aspirations are now having to climb back up to the top while Ohio State, Penn State and Tennessee are looking to start right where they left off last year, at the top of the college football world. Florida State dominated Alabama, snapping the Tide’s 23-game win streak.
Florida State head coach Mike Norvell talked to the press after the game “It wasn’t about Alabama tonight, it was about us. It was about this team, the players that I get to coach, the work they poured into it. This game, it was a highly anticipated game”
The early Heisman watchlist has already been changing along with the team rankings after the week one matchups, according to Fox Sports, as of Aug. 31, 2025. LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, with +800 odds to win the Heisman, dropped to fourth after the loss, with Clemson quarterback now at +1400 odds. Following Nussmeier, the odds are South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers and Carson Beck of Miami.
The last game of week one was one of hope and excitement. The idea of the greatest NFL coach taking charge of a new-look UNC squad immediately polarized expectations. However, the 48-14 loss was a wake-up call for the entire college football world. Bill Belichick is human, and coaches want to exploit his weaknesses.
Week one has shown fans that this will be an exciting year of college football with new stars, disappointing starts and possibly, Alabama has fallen from its throne of college football greats.
“This Alabama team is soft in a way I can’t ever remember seeing under Saban. Just a pitiful performance after all the offseason hype billowing out of Tuscaloosa”
- John Talty, CBS Sports Reporter
University of Virginia football player during
game, photo courtsey of Nikolozi Khutsishvili
