B/R's 2025 College Football Winners and Losers from Week 0
College football season, officially, is back.
Week 0 returned this glorious sport to our Saturdays, beginning with Iowa State toppling Kansas State during the Big 12 showdown in Dublin, Ireland.
If you're looking for dramatic hot takes, well, you're in the wrong place. You're not going to find those here on the unofficial opening week of the 2025 campaign, despite how excited we are to welcome the start of the season.
Still, with league matchups happening in both the Big 12 and Conference USA, it was absolutely a meaningful day to kick off the fall.
This is the first edition of Bleacher Report's winners and losers, a staple of highlighting the biggest stories of the weekend.
Winner: Iowa State's Defense
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The first game of the season offered a simple reminder: You don't need to be perfect, but you must be timely.
And that's how Iowa State left Dublin with a victory.
During the Cyclones' 24-21 win, the defense forced three turnovers on downs and recovered a fumble. In particular, a key 4th-and-1 stop preceded a clutch touchdown from ISU's offense.
Are we surprised? Based on recent history, we shouldn't be! Iowa State has been a thorn for a decade under defensive coordinator Jon Heacock.
This victory has ensured the Cyclones will be featured in the conference race when the calendar turns to October.
Loser: Kansas State's Big 12 Title Path
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The bell is not tolling for Kansas State on August 23.
Nevertheless, the reality of a 16-team Big 12 is there's a reduced margin for error. Any conference loss is a problem.
Is my ego feeling this personally? Perhaps! I thought K-State would finish atop the league this season. That's the nature of the earliest month, where initial expectations can be shattered in a hurry.
It certainly didn't help that running back Dylan Edwards exited the game with an undisclosed injury. He is, on paper, a dynamic piece of this roster.
But when conference play resumes in late September, the Wildcats will not be working from a place of strength.
Winner: Dan Mullen
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Barely, to be sure.
When history looks back on this matchup, though, the only important thing is seeing UNLV staved off Idaho State.
Sure, it took a fourth-quarter comeback. The lower-division team held a touchdown lead on the Rebels, who scored the last 14 points in a 38-31 win. Michigan transfer Alex Orji rushed in UNLV's decisive 11-yard score.
Mullen inherited a program that won 20 games combined in the last two years under Barry Odom. However, an offseason full of transfers—both in and out—have set up an intriguing fall for Mullen.
It wasn't pretty. But it was a win. And that's ultimately what matters most.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Winner: Western Kentucky's Transfers
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Did you have a busy offseason? Well, I think Western Kentucky has you beat. Tyson Helton and his staff were relentless in the transfer portal.
So far, so good.
Helton hired Rick Bowie from Abilene Christian, and quarterback Maverick McIvor followed him to WKU. He threw for 401 yards and accounted for four touchdowns in his Hilltoppers' debut, connecting with Western Illinois transfer Matthew Henry for seven catches, 148 yards and a score.
Thanks to them—along with fellow transfers like running back La'Vell Wright (Austin Peay), wideout Moussa Barry (Middle Tennessee) and defensive end Jayden Gray (Louisiana Tech)—WKU cruised to a 41-24 win over Sam Houston.
No, it's not ideal to bring in more than 40 transfers in a single offseason. But if that leads to a Conference USA title, the Toppers won't be complaining.
Loser: Stanford
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Context matters. Stanford has been reeling for a few years, and a March dismissal of head coach Troy Taylor did not help the situation.
But there's just no excuse for this.
In a season-opening trip to Hawaii, the Cardinal fell 23-20 on a last-second field goal. They mustered just 286 yards of offense on the day.
Unfortunately for Stanford, it probably doesn't get any easier from here. The team is idle in Week 1 before traveling to BYU and moving into ACC play. SMU, Miami and Notre Dame are among the others looming on the 2025 schedule.
Stanford has finished exactly 3-9 in each of the last four seasons, and it's tough to envision the Cardinal doing any better in 2025.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
