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Did Lane Kiffin ruin college football — or simply redefine it?
Like it or not, No. 11 LSU looked the part of a national championship contender in a 51-10 demolition of Clemson at Tiger Stadium on Saturday. This came two days after Tony Clayton, the attorney for Louisiana's 18th Judicial District, proclaimed that justice was served to the SEC like "a cold cup of gumbo."
Kiffin offered seconds to Clemson in a game delayed by weather that most fans likely turned off. It's OK. This game was over when Kiffin pumped his fist after Dillon Jones' 1-yard TD run with 3:36 left in the first quarter. LSU dismantled Clemson. The "Portal King" used his army of transfers to a blowout. Arizona State transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt exited after passing for 230 yards, rushing for 113 yards and totaling three TDs in a performance that pushed him into the Heisman Trophy conversation.
LSU didn't need Dae'Quan Wright or Zxavian Harris, transfers who were granted a temporary injunction to transfer and be rostered despite being signed by NFL teams. Kiffin has turned college football into a cold gumbo all right, one that makes college football feel like a cross between a John Grisham novel and "WWE SmackDown!"
Kiffin plays the role of villain well. Who else walks into a stadium flanked by Livvy Dunne and Theo Von? Kiffin is coaching at a personal all-time high, too, and one thing became undeniable on Saturday. LSU looks like Indiana last year — with all the moving pieces necessary to win a national championship whether you like it or not.
That is one of our overreactions after Week 1. What else moved the college football world outside of Baton Rouge?
BENDER: With a second chance, Michigan stuns Western Michigan
Week 1 college football overreactions
Dabo Swinney will be fired by Clemson!
No. Swinney will leave Clemson on his own terms, but this latest flop on the national stage comes off the heels of a 7-6 season in which the Tigers were anything but an ACC or College Football Playoff contender.
This was supposed to be a stand-your-ground moment for Little Ole' Clemson, and the Tigers were outclassed on all sides. If LSU is who we think they are, then maybe this loss won't look as bad at the end of the regular season. The Tigers are 47-21 since the start of the NIL era, and Swinney is continuously panned for his usage of the transfer portal. Meanwhile, Tony Elliott – his former offensive coordinator at Clemson – has an ACC and CFP contender working at Virginia. The Tigers can't afford to go 7-6 again.
Reminder: Dabo Swinney lost two regular season games in five years from 2015-19. The losses were by 1 point and 3 points.
— Bill Trocchi (@billtrocchi) September 6, 2026Western Michigan was robbed by Michigan!
Yes. There should not have been any time left at the end of a potential upset against No. 16 Michigan. The Broncos – the preseason Mid-American Conference favorites – appeared to have a legendary upset at the Big House.
Yet officials left one second on the clock – and Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood launched a 47-yard Hail Mary to JJ Buchanan for an improbable 13-12 victory that saved Kyle Whittingham’s debut with the Wolverines from being a total disaster.
— On3 (@On3) September 6, 2026Michigan was bad. Western Michigan deserved to win. But college football happened, and this was the defining moment on a Week 1 full of complete blowouts. This is a modern-day version of a "Fifth Down," but it also provided a chaotic, controversial moment that also saved Whittingham and Underwood from a week-long crucible ahead of the showdown against No. 10 Oklahoma. If you're honest, then that Big Noon Kickoff matchup with the Sooners at Michigan Stadium is better now because the Wolverines got away with it.
Plus, if Michigan plays like that, then he losses are going to come more naturally.
Texas-Ohio State will be the Game of the Year!
Yes. Last year, Ohio State beat Texas 14-7 in a No. 1-vs.-No. 2 showdown where Julian Sayin and Arch Manning were first-time starters. Next week, it could be a track meet in a game that will feature more than 25 picks in the 2027 NFL Draft.
No. 1 Ohio State is on the top of the polls this time. Sayin hit 21 of 25 passes for 320 yards and three TDs in a 56-3 blowout against Ball State. Jeremiah Smith had eight catches for 151 yards and two TDs. Manning hit 20 of 27 passes for 305 yards and four TDs in a 59-7 victory against Texas State. Cam Coleman – an Auburn transfer – had three catches for 70 yards and two TDs in his Longhorns' debut.
There are more offensive playmakers in this year's showdown – and it has the feel of that 45-38 shootout between No. 6 LSU and No. 9 Texas on Sept. 7, 2019. We expect Sayin and Manning to put on a show next Saturday in at minimum the best non-conference game of the year.
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Oregon is a Big Ten fraud!
No. It is true that No. 2 Oregon got a scare from Boise State at Autzen Stadium. The Ducks won 34-27 after trailing by double-digits in the first half.
Part of the reason why Oregon's first-half struggles were so magnified was it was a close game in an afternoon of one-sided blowouts. Evan Stewart fumbled a punt, and the Ducks missed on a pair of two-point conversions in the first half. Yet quarterback Dante Moore settled in during the second half. Moore was 28 of 36 for 388 yards and three TDs – including 10 of 13 for 225 yards and two TDs in the second half. That efficiency made the difference in the second half.
Oregon might drop a spot or two in the polls – perhaps behind Georgia – but this will look more like a solid resume-building win if the Broncos win the Pac-12 and get to the College Football Playoff – which seems like a more-plausible scenario than the Ducks falling off in the Big Ten.
Penn State is a playoff team with Matt Campbell!
Yes. A 10-win team would be close. Campbell, the do-more-with-less-coach at Iowa State who made the move to the Big Ten, brought a new energy to Penn State. The Nittany Lions pounced on Marshall with 17 first-quarter points in a 45-0 shutout in Campbell's debut. Campbell's persona on the sideline fits the Penn State "We are!" mantra to a tee, and it shows.
Quarterback Rocco Becht, who followed Campbell from Iowa State, hit 13 of 18 passes for 271 yards and four TDs. Wide receiver Koby Howard had six catches for 161 yards and a TD, and linebackers Tony Rojas and Caleb Bacon combined for 13 tackles, two sacks and five tackles for loss.
Will this be much different than the James Franklin era?
It already is. No. 18 Penn State should be taken seriously as a playoff contender – and it's not about the well-documented schedule that does not feature Ohio State, Oregon or No. 6 Indiana. Penn State still has to play No. 14 USC, No. 16 Michigan and No. 18 Washington – and that is enough meat to squeeze in with a 10-win season.
Keelon Russell is the best QB in the SEC!
No. Russell – a five-star recruit in the class of 2025 – flashed for No. 13 Alabama under third-year coach Kalen DeBoer. Russell led the Crimson Tide to scoring drives in the first five possessions to build a huge lead in a 48-10 blowout victory against East Carolina.
He finished 18 of 30 for 256 yards in the passing game and established a connection with junior receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams – who had five catches for 130 yards. Coleman-Williams averaged 26 yards per catch – and Russell's ability to extend plays stood out. That is a combination Alabama lacked last season.
Russell is also a threat in the running game. He led Alabama with 13 carries for 86 yards – including a 3-yard TD run before halftime. The Crimson Tide averaged five yards per carry in the first half – and had 227 rushing yards on 4.6 yards per carry against the Pirates. That's the true identity of Alabama – and Russell will continue to improve heading into his SEC debut at Week 2 against Kentucky. That development could turn the Crimson Tide into the national championship wild card.
Keep an eye on Tennessee five-star freshman Faizon Brandon, too. He hit 13 of passes for 226 yards and three TDs and added 68 rushing yards and two TDs in a 56-9 blowout against Furman. Too early to circle that Oct. 17 matchup against the Crimson Tide?
Malachi Toney for Heisman Trophy!
Maybe. Toney set a school-record 233 receiving yards and three TDs in a 45-6 victory against Stanford and struck the Heisman pose. Quarterback Darian Mensah – the Duke transfer who finished 27 of 30 for 401 yards and five TDs – is the new odds-on Heisman favorite. No. 7 Miami does have two legitimate Heisman candidates at work here, and Toney – a sophomore receiver – has high upside in the race.
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) September 5, 2026That connection was almost unstoppable for the Hurricanes – who looked the part of the ACC favorites. Toney had 12 receptions on 13 targets and was targeted on 43.3% of Mensah's pass attempts.
Look at the last three receivers who won the award. Michigan's Desmond Howard never had a 200-yard game in 1991. Alabama's DeVonta Smith had a 231-yard, three-TD performance against LSU in 2020, and Colorado's Travis Hunter had a 153-yard, two-TD game against Cincinnati in 2024. It's a fantastic opening statement for Toney, and the Biletnikoff Award battle with Jeremiah Smith is yet another subplot.
Quick hits
– Pitt's Mason Heintschel completed 31 of 41 passes for 453 yards and seven TDs in a 59-14 blowout against Miami (Ohio). The Panthers play Miami (Fla.) on Oct. 24. He tied a school record set by Pete Gonzalez against Rutgers on Oct. 25, 1997.
- Army rushed for 569 yards on 59 attempts in a 59-3 victory against Bryant. A total of 14 different Black Knights had a run of 10 yards or more in the victory.
- Baylor went for two in the final seconds against Auburn – but Tigers safety Eric Winter tackled Bears tight end Matthew Klopfenstein for the game-saving tackle in a 17-16 victory.
That was a fitting finish in first-year coach Alex Golesh's debut.
AUBURN GETS THE GOAL LINE STOP TO DEFEAT BAYLOR🤯pic.twitter.com/FebbBsboav
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 5, 2026
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