Winners and Losers from Week 1 of College Football
The 2016 college football season arrived in style, and the loaded slate of Week 1 games looked even better on the field than on paper.
The madness started early, with a Top 10 team in the Associated Press poll nearly losing to a Sun Belt team on Thursday.
On Friday, a team from last year's College Football Playoff had issues putting away an FCS middleweight.
And on Saturday, before the late games even kicked off, a pair of preseason Top Five teams had already suffered losses.
With so much going on in such a small amount of time, there were bound to be winners and losers. Here's a look at whose stocks were most affected by their first games of the season.
Winner: Houston
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Houston beat the doors off Oklahoma, winning 33-23 in a game that wasn't as close as the final score indicates.
By doing so, they issued a resounding statement:
We're here, and we're for real.
That statement will reverberate behind the doors of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee. It has to. Even though they hail from a "Group of Five" conference, the Cougars' last two games have been decisive wins over Florida State and Oklahoma. If any other team in the country did that, we'd call it a playoff contender. Why should Houston be any different?
The offense has a superstar in quarterback Greg Ward Jr., who combines with running back Donald Catalon and wide receiver Steven Dunbar to form a dangerous offensive triplet. The defense was already solid last year, returned two stars in linebacker Steven Taylor and cornerback Brandon Wilson and added 5-star defensive tackle Ed Oliver, the No. 6 overall recruit on 247Sports' composite rankings, who lived up to the billing with seven tackles and two sacks in his first career game.
It's likely this team will be favored in all of its remaining games—including a home date with Louisville, the truest threat left on the schedule. If the Cougars hold form and finish 13-0, there's a real chance they make the playoff.
At this point, who could argue?
Loser: Oklahoma
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On the flip side of Houston, Oklahoma had a miserable day.
The defense couldn't get off the field on third downs, committing costly, undisciplined penalties and looking generally disorganized throughout. The offense started strong but fizzled when Houston's defense made adjustments, and the special teams allowed a "Kick Six."
In addition to crippling (but not killing) OU's playoff chances, this game set the stage for a potentially disastrous start. The Sooners' next three games include Ohio State at home and TCU on the road, both of which are eminently losable. The No. 3 team in the preseason AP rankings might start the season 1-3.
That would be a pretty bad look.
Winner: Texas A&M's Defense
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Texas A&M's annual weakness, defense, has morphed into a strength. It took a year of learning under defensive coordinator John Chavis, but this current group has a chance to be great.
On Saturday, it did the Aggies' heavy lifting, holding UCLA without a touchdown for the first 55 minutes of the game. It slipped up and allowed the Bruins to come back in a flash, but after Trevor Knight scored a touchdown in the first half of the first overtime session, it stopped the Bruins on 4th-and-goal and sealed a huge win for the program.
The heart of the defense, the line, lived up to its lofty pedigree, controlling the line of scrimmage and sacking Bruins QB Josh Rosen five times. On the back end, Nick Harvey and Armani Watts stood out for a group that looked much improved.
There's a lot to clean up—UCLA's comeback can't just be ignored—but the vital signs for this defense look healthy. If it smooths out some of the rough spots, this will be a fun year in Aggieland.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Loser: LSU's Offense
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LSU's annual weakness, offense, has not morphed into a strength.
Not even close.
In the first half against Wisconsin, the Tigers gained only 64 total yards, converted just five first downs and failed to score a point against a non-SEC opponent for the first time since 2004, per ESPN Stats & Info. It broke the seal with a defensive touchdown in the second half, then followed that with a turnover and quick offensive touchdown, but it wasn't enough to make up for lost time, and Wisconsin pulled the upset, 16-14.
Quarterback Brandon Harris did nothing to stretch the defense, completing 12 of 21 passes for 131 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. A receiver group with two big-time NFL draft prospects, Malachi Dupre and Travin Dural, failed, as it had so many times in 2015, to gain separation and pose a consistent threat.
Running back Leonard Fournette had a decent showing, but even he can't salvage this group on his own. LSU entered Saturday with national title hopes, but unless the offense makes huge strides in a short amount of time, those likely went up in flames at Lambeau Field.
Winner: Washington Hype
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Statheads and diehards understand the appeal of Washington—the offseason's biggest darling—but casual fans might be confused to see the Huskies at No. 14 in the AP rankings, ahead of name-brand rivals like UCLA and USC.
In Week 1, they justified their spot.
Chris Petersen's team made Rutgers, a Big Ten opponent, look more like an FCS cupcake, rolling to a 48-3 lead after three quarters. True sophomore quarterback Jake Browning and a defense loaded with playmakers lived up to their reputations, making up for a quiet performance from star running back Myles Gaskin.
The most important development might have been how good receiver John Ross looked. The speedy outside threat missed last season with a knee injury but returned in style with 90 receiving yards, two receiving touchdowns and a 92-yard kick-return touchdown.
The only hole to pick on this roster is the lack of a bona fide receiving threat. If Ross stays this healthy and develops into a viable No. 1, the Huskies will be serious Pac-12 contenders.
Loser: Tennessee Hype
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Tennessee almost got Michiganed by Appalachian State.
The Vols trailed 13-3 at halftime, 13-6 in the fourth quarter, and only forced overtime thanks to the Mountaineers missing an extra point in the first half and botching late-game clock management. They won after scoring a touchdown on a fumble by quarterback Joshua Dobbs, surviving by way of luck in a game they probably deserved to lose.
The good news is that Tennessee escaped—especially given the nature of the finish. Under head coach Butch Jones, the Vols have struggled, to put it lightly, to win close games. In some ways, this could be viewed as a positive.
But in most ways, it was a setback for a team that entered the season with high expectations. Even Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee, who picked Tennessee as a dark horse to make the playoff, said "the hype train has been derailed."
The talent on this team is legitimate, but the sum of the parts is still much greater than the whole. The Vols can right the ship by playing well against Virginia Tech next week, but for now it's best to temper expectations.
Expect a sizable drop from No. 9 in the Associated Press rankings.
Winner: Ohio State and Michigan Offenses
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Ohio State and Michigan, the Big Ten's two favorites, passed Week 1 tests against Bowling Green and Hawaii, respectively.
Both offenses entered with questions—Michigan at quarterback, Ohio State at everywhere but quarterback—but left with reasons for optimism as they move toward tougher opponents. Combined, the teams scored 140 Week 1 points.
For the Wolverines, redshirt sophomore Wilton Speight overcame an interception on his first pass of the season, bouncing back to throw three touchdowns before leaving with a 49-0 lead in the third quarter. He won't put up huge numbers or contend for a Heisman Trophy, but can he be the next Jake Rudock? Sure looks like it.
For the Buckeyes, J.T. Barrett spread the ball among a deep cast of targets, looking sharp en route to 349 passing yards and six touchdowns. Running back Mike Weber and slasher Curtis Samuel both delivered after a hype-filled offseason, while Noah Brown, Dontre Wilson and K.J. Hill all looked like capable supporting actors.
It was only one game against inferior competition, but as we'll see with the team on the following slide, not every Big Ten contender with a rebuilt offense left the weekend feeling confident.
Ohio State's and Michigan's did.
Loser: Michigan State
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Michigan State looked like a team poised for regression, lending credence to its doubters in a 28-13 win over FCS Furman.
With 13 minutes left in the game, Furman pulled within one possession. Two minutes later, after Byron Johnson intercepted Tyler O’Connor on a badly telegraphed pass, Furman sat within one possession and had the ball. It never pulled closer than that, but still…not great for Sparty.
Things will have to improve—and a lot—before MSU’s next game at Notre Dame in Week 3. The Irish went 10-3 last season, with all three losses against teams that won New Year’s Six bowls (Clemson, Stanford and Ohio State). Furman went 4-7 with losses to Western Carolina and Mercer. That's a big step up in level of competition.
Michigan State has made a habit of starting slowly in Week 1s, but the offense under O'Connor looked a lot like the 2012 offense led by Andrew Maxwell. As great as LJ Scott is in the backfield, he's not Le'Veon Bell. The defense didn't look so hot, either.
This whole team has a long way to go.
Winner: Lamar Jackson
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Lamar Jackson is for real.
The true sophomore quarterback posted 405 total yards and eight total touchdowns in the first half against Charlotte, looking better than even Louisville fans could have hoped. His opponent was soft, but some of the tape he posted had nothing to do with the defense. When he's on, he can look unstoppable.
This didn't come out of nowhere, though. Jackson entered the year as a trendy breakout candidate, thanks in large part to his showing in the Music City Bowl, when he rushed for 226 yards against Texas A&M. His legs are undeniably awesome, but the keys to his progression are his field awareness and arm.
On those fronts, head coach Bobby Petrino was impressed.
"I liked what I saw in the second quarter,” Petrino told reporters after the game. "I like the timing, the understanding of what the coverage was, and keeping our vision downfield and delivering the ball on time.
"Even the one crossing route to Jamari [Staples], he looked deep first, they doubled him, he checked to him, got hit as he threw the ball. All that's good stuff."
With Florida State and Clemson in the division and Houston on the schedule in late November, Jackson won't lack chances to perform in front of national audiences. That and the Cardinals' loaded (and underappreciated) receiver group make him as good of a dark-horse Heisman bet as any.
Loser: Mississippi State
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Less than two years after reaching No. 1 in the AP poll, Mississippi State lost its season opener to South Alabama.
Life comes at you fast.
The Bulldogs lost, officially, when Westin Graves shanked a 28-yard field goal as time expired. But the result was not decided by one play. South Alabama gained 379 yards to Mississippi State's 382 and held possession for more than 36 minutes, racking up highlights and taking the action to a big, bad SEC opponent.
That's no way for the Bulldogs to start the post-Dak Prescott era. Combine this with what we saw in the NFL preseason, and it's starting to look like Prescott made Mississippi State great, not vice versa.
This season might get bleak in Starkville.
Winner: Nick Chubb
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Nick Chubb's first game back from knee surgery followed the same script as most games from before his knee surgery.
He started strong, stayed strong and ended strong, staking Georgia to an early lead, helping it stay close through the middle quarters, then icing the win with a 55-yard touchdown run late.
He ended the night with 32 carries for 222 yards and two touchdowns—his third career 200-yard rushing performance and the most yards he's ever recorded in a regular-season game.
Granted, North Carolina is the same group Baylor gashed for 645 rushing yards in last year's Russell Athletic Bowl, but this was still a fantastic return for the Bulldogs' star runner. The number of carries alone speaks volumes about his health.
Between Chubb's form and true freshman quarterback Jacob Eason's flashes, there's a lot for Georgia to build around on offense. It wasn't always pretty, but this game went as well as first-time head coach Kirby Smart could have hoped.
Loser: The SEC Myth
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Week 1 had some bright spots for the Southeastern Conference.
By and large, however, it struggled.
Mississippi State's loss to South Alabama, LSU's loss to Wisconsin and Tennessee's near-loss to Appalachian State have all been mentioned, and alone those make a pretty compelling argument. But on top of that, West Virginia drilled Missouri, Southern Miss upset Kentucky, and Arkansas needed a late 4th-and-goal conversion to squeak by Louisiana Tech.
The myth of the SEC is that its worst teams could beat other leagues' average teams, and its average teams could beat other leagues' best teams. In some years, early results have supported that case.
This year, they definitively do not.
The other four power conferences are catching up.
Winner: Lane Kiffin
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On Saturday, Lane Kiffin enjoyed a very specific type of schadenfreude—the type where one takes pleasure in inflicting pain.
The victim in this scenario was USC, where Kiffin served as head coach from January 2010 to September 2013. Former athletic director Pat Haden, who fired Kiffin on the Los Angeles International Airport tarmac after the team returned from an ugly loss at Arizona State, is no longer with the Trojans, but that won't make Kiffin's revenge any less sweet.
After punting four times and losing a fumble on its first five drives, Kiffin's offense turned a corner and led Alabama to a stunning 52-6 rout. He subbed in a true freshman quarterback, adjusted to what he saw wasn't working and turned a close defensive struggle into a blowout:
- Alabama's First Five Drives: Punt, Punt, Fumble, Punt, Punt
- Alabama's Next Nine Drives: TD, FG, End of Half, TD, TD, INT, TD, TD, TD
Despite the slow start, Alabama finished with 465 yards of offense—remarkable considering the silence of star receiver Calvin Ridley (two catches, nine yards). Kiffin performed a masterclass in offensive coaching, and did so on a night where Trojans head coach Clay Helton, his former assistant, performed the opposite.
Bonus points for tossing candy to USC fans before the game.
Loser: Clay Helton and Tee Martin
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USC's offensive braintrust entered Week 1 with something to prove.
Head coach Clay Helton and offensive coordinator Tee Martin are both in their first full-time seasons, and both are considered by cynical minds to be under-qualified. Helton was promoted because the players liked him and because USC needed stability after Steve Sarkisian. Martin was promoted because the Trojans couldn't risk losing his recruiting prowess.
Or at least that's what cynical minds think.
Unfortunately for optimists, Week 1 didn't go as planned for USC's offense. It finished with fewer than 200 yards, failed to get the ball to JuJu Smith-Schuster (one catch, nine yards) and scored more touchdowns for the Crimson Tide (one) than the Trojans (zero).
Alabama's defense is dominant, but an offense with this much talent has no business posting such a dramatic stinker.
When it does, the blame lies mostly with the coaches.
Winner: Central Florida
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UCF won its first game since 2014, beating South Carolina State 38-0.
And no, it doesn't matter that SCSU is an FCS school. The Golden Knights had one of those (Furman) on last year's schedule, and they still finished 0-12.
The winless year took a toll on what is typically a competent program, a team just two years removed from finishing 12-1 and beating Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl. It needed something positive to start this season, and a 38-0 shutout fits the description.
Now go out and party like it's 2013.
Loser: Washington State
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For the second straight year, Washington State opened with an FCS team.
For the second straight year, it went poorly.
This time, the opponent was Eastern Washington, which of course no longer boasts Vernon Adams but still has one of his former favorite targets, Cooper Kupp. The now-upperclassman receiver made Wazzu's secondary look like Swiss cheese, catching 12 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns in the 45-42 win.
This loss is not a death knell for the Cougars. They bounced back from last year's Week 1 loss to Portland State, just like Oregon State bounced back from a Week 1 loss to Eastern Washington in 2013. But despite that, this was still a discouraging sign.
Boise State could easily knock them to 0-2 next week.
Winner: James Conner
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James Conner made his triumphant return to college football, gaining 69 total yards and scoring a pair of touchdowns in Pittsburgh's comfortable win over Villanova.
It was Conner's first game in 364 days, dating back to last year's knee injury against Youngstown State. In November, toward the start of his recovery, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, at which point playing football again became secondary.
But after months of grueling treatment and recovery, Conner is cancer-free and back with the program. As a sophomore in 2014, he finished No. 7 in the country with 1,765 rushing yards, and on Saturday he looked like essentially the same player.
"It's not my first game," Conner said afterward, per Matt Fortuna of ESPN.com. "I know it's a comeback game, but it's felt like a regular-season football camp, really. My battle was already won. Beating cancer, everything else was a reward."
There wasn't a bigger winner in Week 1.
Loser: Men Acting Like Boys
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There was so much to like on the field this week—besides the mere existence of football games.
But there was also stuff we'd all like to forget.
Specifically, two players on teams that underperformed, LSU and USC, behaved liked children in the face of adversity.
For the Tigers, it was offensive guard Josh Boutte, who leveled Wisconsin safety D'Cota Dixon as he celebrated the game-clinching interception. For the Trojans, it was defensive end Jabari Ruffin, who stomped on the…um…"groin" of Alabama cornerback Marlon Humphrey.
Needless to say, there is no place in the game for either of those. There might also be no place for either of the players. Boutte in particular did something vicious, and it wouldn't be a shock if he receives a significant suspension.
If he does, to be honest: good riddance.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
