The first full Saturday of college football is in the books, and some fan bases are filled with optimism while others are already writing off their squad’s playoff chances.
Young prospects blossomed before our eyes and journeymen found success with new teams. Some ranked teams faltered, while others cemented their place at the top of the college football landscape.
We couldn’t choose them all, but here are some of the week’s biggest winners and losers:
Winners
Notre Dame (Def. No. 20 Texas A&M 23-13)
The seventh-ranked Fighting Irish earned a signature road win over a quality Texas A&M team. The grueling defensive battle was put to rest by running back Jeremiyah Love, who broke off a 21-yard touchdown run with two minutes remaining to take the lead.
Despite not accounting for a touchdown, transfer quarterback Riley Leonard’s poise and leadership were on full display. Leonard’s first game at Notre Dame was a matchup with Mike Elko, his former coach at Duke. Additionally, he missed much of last season due to a foot injury. Yet he was unflappable in one of college football’s most raucous environments, leading his team down the field in crunch time and utilizing both his arm and legs to pick up key first downs.
The Notre Dame defense also showed out, picking off Texas A&M quarterback Conner Weigman twice and holding him to just 100 passing yards on 30 attempts.
The Irish will look to improve to 2-0 as they host Northern Illinois next Saturday in their home opener.
Ohio State (Def. Akron 52-6)
The Buckeyes’ blowout victory over Arkon was expected, but it didn’t look like a blowout for much of the game. The Zips jumped out to a 3-0 lead and remained competitive for the rest of the first half, and they entered the locker room trailing just 17-3 against the nation’s second-ranked team. Ohio State ultimately slammed the door on Akron with a 35-point second half that included a pair of defensive scores.
But the story of the game was the connection between senior transfer quarterback Will Howard and freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. The duo accounted for Ohio State’s first two touchdowns, plus a deep ball that kick-started the Buckeyes’ second half onslaught.
Smith finished the game with six receptions for 92 yards and two touchdowns, while Howard threw for 228 yards and three scores.
Ohio State will be back at the Horseshoe next week to face another MAC opponent, Western Michigan.
Vanderbilt (Def. Virginia Tech 34-27)
Who would’ve thought Vanderbilt would appear in the “winners” section?
The Commodores entered their home contest against Virginia Tech as +13.5 underdogs, and they hadn’t won a non-conference game against a Power Four (formerly Power Five) opponent since 2017. Even though the Hokies were unranked, they were a popular preseason choice to win the ACC and make the 12-team College Football Playoff.
Vanderbilt had other ideas, as they quickly built a 17-0 lead in the first half. Their offense sputtered, though, and Virginia Tech went on a 27-3 run to take a 27-20 lead with four minutes left.
After struggling to move the ball for the entire second half, the Commodores, led by quarterback Diego Paiva, drove 70 yards to knot the game at 27 with just under two minutes remaining in regulation.
The game would go to overtime, where Pavia’s 4-yard rushing touchdown gave Vandy the lead. They then held Virginia Tech out of the end zone to secure the upset.
Vanderbilt will look to maintain their momentum next week as they host Alcorn State.
Losers
Clemson (Lost to No. 1 Georgia 34-3)
Beginning the season with the nation’s top team is no easy task, but the Tigers failed miserably, as the game was never competitive.
Their defense played well in the first half, limiting Georgia to two field goals. But by the way the Tigers’ offense performed, six points seemed like an insurmountable deficit.
After Georgia’s Carson Beck connected with Colbie Young for a 7-yard score that gave the Bulldogs a 13-0 lead, Clemson had its best drive of the day and had the opportunity to cut the lead to six. However, the offense stalled inside Georgia’s 10-yard line and had to settle for a field goal. From that point, the Tigers surrendered three touchdowns and lost 34-3.
Clemson only mustered a pathetic 47 rushing yards, and quarterback Cade Klubnik threw for just 142 yards and a game-sealing interception.
Clemson still has the opportunity to win the ACC and make the College Football Playoff, but they will need to fix their offensive woes if they have any desire to compete for a championship.
The Tigers will take on Appalachian State at home next Saturday as they look to get in the win column.
Florida (Lost to No. 19 Miami 41-17)
Miami scored 41 points; the most Florida has ever given up in a season opener, and the Canes’ win snapped the Gators’ 34 game winning streak in home openers.
Aside from Montrell Johnson’s 71-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, Florida was inept on offense. Graham Mertz threw for just 91 yards and an interception while Cam Ward, Miami’s quarterback, effortlessly put up 385 yards and three scores.
A blowout loss at home to your in-state rival might seem like rock bottom, but this is likely just the tip of the iceberg for Florida. The Gators have the most difficult schedule in the nation, and their final five games come against (1) Georgia, (4) Texas, (13) LSU, (6) Ole Miss, and (10) Florida State.
It’s obvious that head coach Billy Napier is on the hot seat, but with their brutal schedule, a coaching change at this juncture might not be the best decision. A clean slate next season seems like the way to go for the Gators’ new hire, assuming that is the direction they choose to go.
Florida welcomes Samford to the Swamp next week in what is their only “easy” game on the schedule.
West Virginia (Lost to No. 8 Penn State 34-12)
The Mountaineers were among the biggest disappointments of the week. They opened as 14-point underdogs, but the spread was down to 7.5 by kickoff. West Virginia finished last season with a 9-4 record after being predicted to finish last in the Big 12, and many thought they could give the Nittany Lions a tough test on the road. Instead, the biggest challenge for Penn State was a thunderstorm that delayed the game for more than two hours.
After neither team scored in the first quarter, Penn State’s Drew Allar threw three touchdown passes in the second, and the Lions took a 20-6 lead into the locker room. The game was never competitive after the weather delay. West Virginia’s rushing attack was neutralized, and Garrett Greene was unable to push the ball downfield.
The Mountaineers will look to find their form next week against Alcorn State.
In the Shadows Sports 
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