Alabama's Concerning Start and Other CFB Week 1 Takeaways
Fueled by a trio of Top 10 showdowns, the opening week of the 2025 college football season did not disappoint.
Unfortunately for Alabama, it cannot say the same.
The shocking loss to Florida State has sent a shockwave of worry into Tuscaloosa at a level not felt in two decades.
Meanwhile, the vibes undoubtedly are high at Ohio State, LSU and Miami following their marquee wins. But as much as Texas is disappointed in its loss to OSU, one unit's performance should be awfully reassuring.
We'll fly around the country to highlight those programs and more in the first set of takeaways for the 2025 campaign.
Boise State Loss Breaks Open G5 Race
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Last year, Boise State represented the Group of Five leagues in the College Football Playoff. As the only G5 team ranked in the preseason AP Top 25, the Broncos essentially opened the campaign as the favorite, too.
It took but 60 minutes to destroy that sentiment.
South Florida put a smackdown on Boise State, which squandered five trips inside the 40-yard line due to fumbles or turnovers on downs. Boise fell 34-7 in a shockingly poor showing at USF.
So, hey, we need a new G5 front-runner! Is that Memphis? How about Tulane after hammering Northwestern? Where does USF fit? UNLV has jumped out to a 2-0 start behind first-year coach Dan Mullen, and the list goes on.
As long as the CFP includes an automatic berth for non-power conferences, this storyline will be among my favorites to track.
And in 2025, we're already off to an adventurous start.
Ohio State, Texas Defenses Are Elite
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The headlines, unsurprisingly, have largely been about Arch Manning's subpar performance in the loss at Ohio State.
As OSU coach Ryan Day told reporters, though, the story of the game was a stellar effort from the defense.
Ohio State made a ton of timely stops, holding Texas to a 1-of-5 mark on fourth-down attempts. Two of those defensive stands happened in the red zone, and a third sealed the 14-7 OSU win.
That didn't exclusively apply to the Buckeyes, either.
Not so quietly, the Longhorns also had a tremendous showing from a stingy unit. They yielded only 203 yards with a combined 4-of-14 mark on third and fourth downs. The unit forced a clutch three-and-out in the fourth quarter to give Manning a final chance at heroics, too.
Ohio State deserves all of the praise it has received, and the criticisms of both Manning's and Texas' overall performances are generally fair.
Yet we also saw a pair of championship-caliber defenses, and those units are a rock-solid foundation for these national hopefuls.
Alabama, We're Not in the Saban Era Anymore
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Let's be real: Just about anyone who followed the legendary Nick Saban wouldn't have been remotely able to sustain what he accomplished at Alabama. To suggest otherwise would diminish his incredible legacy.
But also, I have an uncomfortable opinion: Alabama looked really soft.
I figure that statement pierces the souls of Crimson Tide faithful, and I don't say it flippantly. Florida State, a program that trudged to a 2-10 record last year, controlled the matchup with its physicality.
Alabama surrendered seven tackles for loss and mustered only three. Excluding sacks, FSU rushed for 238 yards compared to Bama's 112.
The defense struggled with dual-threat QBs in 2024 and didn't fare any better on Saturday. Throw in a few false starts and crushing penalties on defense, and the Tide repeatedly hurt themselves in the loss, too.
Kalen DeBoer embraced the impossible task of replacing an icon, but following a four-loss season with an embarrassing Week 1 upset is highly concerning.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
LSU Finally Shakes the Opener Bug
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After a strong 12 years at Notre Dame, Brian Kelly headed to LSU in 2022 with the hopes of returning the Tigers to national prominence.
On paper, he's done reasonably well. LSU has finished 10-4, 10-3 and 9-4 in his three seasons. While that's not a national championship level of good, of course, the program has most certainly been competitive.
Inside those records was a maddening trend, though: LSU kept losing the opener, falling to Florida State twice and USC last season.
Finally, the Kelly-led Tigers are off to a 1-0 start.
Garrett Nussmeier did enough to nudge them beyond Clemson, which mustered just 261 yards against a stout LSU defense. Caden Durham was elusive and picked up 74 hard-earned rushing yards in the 17-10 win, as well.
The schedule is going to challenge the Tigers, who host rival Florida and travel to Ole Miss in September alone.
Again, though: Finally, they're not already in chase mode before the SEC part of their season kicks off.
Utah's Overhauled Offense Puts on a Show
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Utah had a fascinating outlook for 2025.
The good news—great news, really—is the entire offensive line returned this season. The challenge, however, was that the Utes brought back essentially zero skill-position production on offense.
So, naturally, Utah jumped into the portal to rebuild. The prized addition was Devon Dampier, a dual-threat quarterback from New Mexico.
And, whew, did he look the part in Week 1.
Dampier completed 21-of-25 throws for 206 yards and two scores, scampering for 87 yards and a third touchdown in a 43-10 obliteration of UCLA. Along with the rock-solid blocking unit, he spearheaded the Utes' 286-yard effort on the ground. Wayshawn Parker and NaQuari Rogers both had 60-plus rushing yards.
Because of the heavy transition this offseason, expectations for Utah varied more than usual. That, nevertheless, was an outstanding first effort.
Carson Beck, Miami Make a Statement
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Last season, the 'Canes fell one victory shy of making the College Football Playoff. It was a wasted opportunity for Miami, which has struggled to complete the arduous final leap back to national contention.
But here comes the hype again.
Miami outplayed Notre Dame in a dramatic 27-24 win, opening the campaign with the marquee win it lacked in 2024. Carson Beck had a solid performance in his program debut, hitting 20-of-31 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns. The offensive line flexed its muscle on the game-winning drive, too.
Plus, the revamped defense held ND star Jeremiyah Love in check with 33 yards on 10 carries. Overall, the 'Canes yielded a modest 315 yards—helped by two sacks from Akheem Mesidor and Rueben Bain Jr. in the closing seconds.
Throw in a clutch 47-yard field goal by Carter Davis, and Miami put together a complete game against a strong opponent.
It's a long season, but Miami gained a lot of respect in Week 1.
Bill Belichick Isn't a Miracle Worker
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This marriage always felt strange. It's never made sense to me.
Perhaps in a year or two, hindsight will be laughing at that opinion. Bill Belichick fits the classic trope of "he'll forget more football than I'll ever know." I would not dare to suggest I am anything close to smarter than him.
But, man, we've watched this sport for a long time. Even the highest-regarded, experienced coaches can fail miserably.
"Chapel Bill" will not dominate in Year 1, as evidenced by a 48-14 obliteration at the hands of visiting TCU on Monday night.
And, frankly, I'm not confident he ever will.
Maybe that's a silly overreaction. I'm not too proud to acknowledge the possibility of being dramatically wrong.
There is, nevertheless, an understated level of arrogance in UNC thinking Belichick would be prepared for a completely new type of position. The college game is a different animal, and TCU could not have made it any clearer.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
