Week 1 Recap

September 8

The biggest upset of the season is the one that left everyone watching the game upset.

You’ve all seen the play by now. Western Michigan stopped a Hail Mary attempt by Michigan as time expired to pull off a 12-7 upset of the Wolverines. There was much rejoicing – until there wasn’t. Every replay showed the ball still comfortably in the air as the clock hit 0:00 except the clock in the Big Ten replay booth, which somehow lost a second during the play and gave Michigan another chance.

One play later, Michigan fans stormed the field. This is likely the first and last time a Big Ten team’s fans storm the field after beating a MAC team.

Part of why this is so hard to believe is that before the snap of the first Hail Mary play, the ref reset the game clock to nine seconds. So, the replay clock and the clock everyone in the stadium saw should have been in sync, yet the replay clock still somehow misplaced a second.

Poll voters apparently agreed with the stadium clock. The Wolverines fell in the poll as if they had lost. They were 16th ranked in each poll going into the game They dropped entirely out of the AP top 25, while the coaches kept them 24th.

Western Michigan never complained once after the game. Disappointed, yes, but no anger, at least not outwardly.

My favorite memes:

Wisconsin lost to Notre Dame but had the best - and strangest - punt we may see all season.

Of the 93 teams that played at home on Saturday, only five lost and three of them lost to FCS teams.

The bowl projections have been updated, but there were so few unexpected results this weekend that the changes are few.

Picks coming later this week.

Week 1 Preview

September 2

The college football season is getting off to something of a lackluster beginning in terms of big games. Week 0, in its final season, had one compelling matchup. Memphis won at UNLV 27-21 in a game between two teams with College Football Playoff aspirations, even if neither is favored to get there. On September 12th, the Tigers will play at Boise St, my choice for the Group of Six spot in the CFP. They also have to play at American conference favorite Navy in November. If Memphis can win the American Conference with no more than one loss, the Tigers would figure to be in the CFP discussion.

One FBS debut program that will be part of that discussion sooner rather than later is North Dakota St. The Bison join FBS after a legendary run in FCS. They won ten FCS national championships in twelve seasons from 2011-2021 and won again in 2024. The Bison beat Jacksonville St 33-7 in their FBS debut. The Gamecocks won or tied for the regular season Conference USA title in three of their first four seasons in FBS, so they’re no slouch.

The other FBS rookie, Sacramento St, lost its first game and first conference game at Eastern Michigan 28-17. With Northern Illinois’ departure from the MAC, every league road trip for the Hornets will send them three time zones east. Of course, their home opponents also have three time zone trips.

Week 1 is short on compelling matchups as well. There is only one game between ranked teams. 9 Ole Miss faces 24 Louisville in Nashville on Sunday. Also on Sunday, 4 Notre Dame plays Wisconsin at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

The only other games between two major conference teams in which one of them is ranked is 7 Miami at Stanford on Friday in the ACC opener for each team and Clemson at 11 LSU on Saturday.

It should be an interesting season for the Bayou Bengals as they try to suit up some NFL rejects. A friendly court sided with them (everyone has a friendly court) in their litigation against the NCAA and the SEC. However, the conference and fellow members are still considering their options, including some extreme measures like refusing to play the Tigers or expelling them from the conference entirely. It’s not just football. It’s any sport in which LSU signs former pros.

Finally, this season figures to be a important one for Colorado head coach Deion Sanders. Sanders received a five year, $54M contract extension after going 9-4 and a finishing in a four-way tie for first in the Big 12 in 2024. However, with Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter off to the NFL, the Buffaloes reverted to the form of Sanders’ first season and finished 3-9, a game worse than that first season.

Colorado has only two wins over teams ranked at the time the Buffaloes played them since Sanders took over. Neither of those teams were still in the rankings when the season ended. Oddly, neither of those wins came in Colorado’s successful 2024 season.

Sanders' buyout after this season is $10M, but there is still $34M left on it for the remaining three seasons. If the Buffaloes are bad again this season, will Sanders get another chance to show improvement?

The Buffaloes (+7.5) start the season at Georgia Tech on Thursday.