College football is baaaaack!

With all due respect to Ron Burgundy, we're all probably so excited, we want to shout it from a mountain. Well, that is, unless your team laid a gargantuan egg on opening weekend.

Last week gave us a handful of yawner games to go along with Georgia Tech's giant upset of Florida State, but this week featured a full slate. Yes, the week was top-heavy with some juicy matchups, but there wasn't a ton of depth to it.

That doesn't matter. Marquee matchups between Georgia-Clemson, Miami-Florida and Penn State-West Virginia started the day. Texas A&M-Notre Dame lived up to its billing with the Irish coming out on top, and Fresno State proved a tall task for Michigan.

Meanwhile, Oregon had to dodge several bullets in what must be Duck season in Idaho.

The Dawgs reasserted dominance, and a few teams (and players) announced their presence in a big way for Week 1.

Take a look at the winners and losers from a jam-packed slate of football fun as we get cranking on everybody's favorite sport to open the season.

Winner: Hurricanes Storm Gainesville to Turn Up Heat on Napier

For those in the state of Florida, Saturday's big-time showdown between the Miami Hurricanes and Florida Gators was a big deal with plenty of subplots.

With the Florida State Seminoles already suffering an early-season loss, a quality showing and a big win could have asserted bragging rights to start the 2024 campaign. But there were also undertones of a "Hot Seat Bowl" with Billy Napier and Mario Cristobal in prove-it mode this year.

The Hurricanes' offseason weaponry acquired showed up in a massive way as Cristobal's third-year program went into the Swamp and drained it with a 41-17 win over the Gators.

All the talk about Napier's program being improved despite facing a treacherous schedule full of potholes looks premature after opening weekend. The Gators hardly mounted any threat whatsoever on either side of the ball.

Graham Mertz looked like nothing more than a game manager at quarterback with star recruit DJ Lagway watching from the sideline. Meanwhile, big-ticket transfer Cam Ward flashed his special ability for the Hurricanes.

Ward threw balls from every arm angle, and the Gators couldn't respond to him. After keeping it close for much of the first half, Florida fell apart after the break, and Miami turned up the heat.

This was the first time they met on the gridiron since 2019, and it looked like it was a battle between two teams heading in different directions. Napier continues to be one of the three college coaches with the hottest seats, along with Arkansas' Sam Pittman and Baylor's Dave Aranda.

Loser: Clemson's Opportunity to Re-Assert Itself Nationally

When Dabo Swinney went on ESPN's GameDay before Saturday's game against Georgia, he made the comment that "it wasn't about the scoreboard," but how the Tigers play the game.

It sounded like a coach who knew what was coming, and the dragging that materialized shortly after made the comment sound even worse. The top-ranked Bulldogs shrugged off a sluggish start and dominated an ACC favorite, 34-3 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Even if overcoming a double-digit underdog situation was too tall of a task, the Tigers needed to at least prove they were competitive, which they did for a half. After the break, though, it all unraveled.

UGA settled in offensively, as Carson Beck finished 23-of-33 for 278 yards and a pair of touchdowns, the Dawgs averaged 6.3 yards per carry, even while Trevor Etienne served a one-game suspension, and nine different players caught passes in a balanced attack.

Clemson desperately needed to show it had grown in Year 2 of offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, but Cade Klubnik was mediocre again, much the way he's been throughout his collegiate career.

The pedestrian offense gained just 188 total yards, went 4-for-13 in third-down conversions and endured a Klubnik interception.

Even if the Tigers wind up being the best in the ACC, getting hammered against UGA proves they aren't ready to play with the powers. Also, yeah, Georgia is really good, so those were Saturday's two takeaways.

Winner: Notre Dame in a Hostile Environment

Notre Dame entered Saturday night's game against Texas A&M ranked seventh, yet the Fighting Irish found themselves underdogs heading to College Station's Kyle Field.

That had to cause a bit of a chip on their shoulder.

In a gritty defensive struggle between two former Fighting Irish defensive coordinators who are now head coaches, Marcus Freeman's team prevailed 23-13 on the road to spoil Mike Elko's first game at A&M.

There wasn't anything beautiful about the win, but winning anywhere in the SEC—especially against a ranked opponent—is glorious. This Notre Dame team has a tough schedule, but the Irish are going to be battle-tested with games like this.

Transfer signal-caller Riley Leonard once helped Elko get his name on the national map with some big wins at Duke back in 2021, but now under center for the Irish, he was the enemy. Leonard was far from spectacular returning from last year's season-ending injury, but he managed the game well and finished with 158 passing yards and 63 rushing.

A season ago, Jeremiyah Love was a gimmick back with sprinter speed for Notre Dame, but he added 15 pounds of muscle this offseason and was a more all-around back on Saturday. He was the guy who scored the go-ahead touchdown.

On the other side, Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman returned from his season-ending injury a year ago and was ineffective, tossing a pair of interceptions and just 100 yards while finishing far below 50 percent.

It was ugly on offense for A&M, and with a daunting schedule ahead of them, this season could spiral in a hurry for the Aggies, which are looking for playmakers all over the offense. This was a big deal for the Irish, but A&M has a lot of concerns moving forward, too.

Loser: Oregon's 'What-the-Heck' Opener

Besides Georgia, the Oregon Ducks have probably gotten as much national attention as being a title contender as any other team other than maybe Ohio State. Even though they're moving to the Big Ten, Dan Lanning's Ducks looked loaded.

If Saturday night is any indication, Oregon may be wishing they did play games on paper.

The Ducks opened up in Eugene against Idaho, and the Vandals took them to the brink, trimming the lead to three points in the fourth quarter before a sputtering Oregon offense finally scored again to win 24-14. The Ducks were nearly 50-point favorites.

Somebody forgot to tell the Ducks just because they're moving to the rugged Big Ten doesn't mean they didn't have to show up for the other games. Dillon Gabriel transferred from Oklahoma and had been a popular preseason Heisman Trophy candidate, and they needed every bit of his 380 passing yards in a stalling offense.

The Ducks disappointed in a shocking score. Did they lose? No, but their national perception took a major hit. And while they still have everything in front of them if they take care of business, Saturday showed some major pulls in the fabric.

Idaho was once a Division I-A program back when it was still called Division I-A. But the Vandals weren't ever really that consistently competitive, which is one of the reasons they decided to move down a level.

They certainly threw a scare into a perceived national power on Saturday.

Winner: Michigan in the Midst of a Rebrand

If you're already in the boat of believing that the Michigan Wolverines are a whole lot worse than they were a season ago when they won the national championship, you're in the majority.

But, if you recall, Jim Harbaugh's bunch didn't always boat-race opponents during a phenomenal three-year run that culminated in last year's title.

In new coach Sherrone Moore's debut, the Wolverines hosted a tougher-than-you-think Fresno State team that was one of the Group of Five's best a season ago and returned quarterback Mikey Keene and a bunch of talent.

The Wolverines struggled at times in a game that was a one-score lead late, but they ultimately punched in a separation score, then star cornerback Will Johnson sealed it with an 86-yard pick-six as they put away the Bulldogs, 30-10.

Defensively, the Wolverines were exceptional at times against an offense that has proved difficult to defend.

On offense, Kalel Mullings was the brightest spot in the rushing attack, finishing with 92 yards on the ground, and Colston Loveland is a weapon in the passing game. But the Wolverine's two-quarterback system looks more like they're looking for one of Davis Warren and Alex Orji to seize the job rather than they're showing off two separate skill sets.

Michigan has a long way to go, but it played a quality opponent that fought and was up to the challenge on Saturday night. Was it ugly? Yes, it was, but the Wolverines gutted out a big, early win on their way to a repeat attempt.

Loser: Anybody Hoping Alabama Would Exit CFB's Stage

The Alabama Crimson Tide ushered in a new era in the history of college football's premiere program Saturday night as Nick Saban now spends his Saturdays in an ESPN booth.

For a week, at least, it was much of the same for the Tide: Good, ol' fashioned dominance.

Granted, it was only Western Kentucky, but the Hilltoppers haven't been a bad mid-major program in recent years under Tyson Helton. But in Kalen DeBoer's first game in Tuscaloosa, Alabama pretty much did what it wanted in a 63-0 rout.

Was it perfect? No. There were some offensive hiccups, a turnover and the defense allowed a 21-play WKU drive (that ended in zero points). But the talent level that Saban left in the cupboard and DeBoer contributed to was evident.

Much like up in Columbus with Jeremiah Smith electrifying audiences with his debut, Bama prize freshman receiver Ryan Williams—who is supposed to be a high school senior this year—touched the ball twice in the first half, and both went for long touchdowns.

Jalen Milroe may have a few growing pains adjusting to DeBoer's offense against better competition, but he was brilliant at times against the Hilltoppers with his arm and his feet. Though Alabama failed to consistently move the chains running the football, the Tide broke a couple of big ones.

Any negatives you point out is really just nitpicking. As far as debuts go, DeBoer's was pretty fantastic. Replicating Saban's national brilliance is expecting too much, but all DeBoer has ever done at every level he's coached is win.

That's what he did in impressive fashion Saturday night.

Winner: Vanderbilt, Thanks to Pavia Power

You may not know Diego Pavia's name just yet, but it's one you should learn. The Virginia Tech Hokies may hear it in their nightmares after Saturday.

The Commodores' transfer quarterback put on a show to lead the perennial SEC doormat to a shocking 34-27 overtime win over Virginia Tech in Nashville. The Hokies had been a sleeper pick to win the ACC, but they couldn't figure out how to defend Pavia.

This offseason, VU coach Clark Lea brought in New Mexico State head coach Jerry Kill to be his senior consultant to the head coach and senior offensive advisor. Kill then lured the Conference USA offensive player of the year (Pavia) to West End, too.

All Pavia did in his Vanderbilt debut is complete 12-of-16 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns, ran 26 times for 104 yards and another touchdown and led an option-based offense that confused Brent Pry's Hokies.

The Commodores had an opportunity to win it in regulation when Brock Taylor's 43-yard field goal sailed wide-right, but VU got the ball first in overtime and Pavia went to work, scoring from 4 yards out.

When Kyron Drones was banged-up in the extra session, backup Collin Schlee came in, and his fourth-down hurl into the end zone went high, causing a huge Commodores celebration.

This is a major win for a team that hasn't been given a second thought in the SEC, but it's an even more devastating loss for a once-proud Tech program that had major aspirations. Now, they travel back to Blacksburg with question marks abounding.

Loser: West Virginia in a One-Sided Game, in a One-Sided Rivalry

Here's a bit of trivia for you: Penn State and West Virginia has met 61 total times, which is the third-highest number of battles for any Nittany Lions opponent.

You probably didn't know that since the rivalry was renewed last year after laying dormant since 1992. A year ago, the Nittany Lions torched a good Mountaineers team by 23 points in Happy Valley.

Saturday wasn't much better for coach Neal Brown's team. Despite hosting the Lions in Morgantown coming off a nine-win season and tons of hope in a new-look Big 12, the Mountaineers weren't on Penn State's level.

The Lions had far too much talent, dominating in every facet of the game in what ultimately turned into a 34-12 rout. Weather delays ruled the day, but they couldn't dampen James Franklin's team.

While he wasn't perfect, quarterback Drew Allar looked much-improved from a season ago under first-year offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who moved over from Kansas. The Lions ran the ball effectively, too, but Allar's pushing the ball downfield was a huge difference.

Penn State finished with 457 yards, and the Lions had plays of 50, 40, 20, 19 and 18 yards. "We were more explosive in Game 1, which was great," Franklin told FOX after the game, "than really where we were for most of last year, which was great."

This "rivalry" renewed was really more of the same that it's been historically. Penn State is now 50-9-2 all-time against the Mountaineers. Morgantown may be a hostile environment, but it was pretty tame Saturday.

Winner: Iowa's (Vaunted) Offense

It's fine to celebrate, Hawkeyes fans.

OK, so it was just Illinois State, a Football Championship Subdivision team. And yes, Iowa had just six points at halftime. But the Hawkeyes unleashed an offensive...well, maybe not "explosion," but let's call it a "burst" in the second half to upend the Redbirds, 40-0.

Just how unexpected was this? Well, again, Iowa was drawing some social media ridicule with a 6-0 halftime lead when it was looking like Tim Lester was just a Windows reboot of Brian Ferentz. Then, all (Hawks) broke lose.

Actually, some late yardage was tacked on, and the Hawkeyes wound up with 492 offensive yards in the game. Though they only went 7-of-15 on third-down conversions, there were some passing plays downfield from Michigan transfer Cade McNamara, who spent much of last season injured.

The Hawkeyes averaged 8.1 yards per pass attempt, and the quarterback rode a big second half to finish 21-of-31 for 251 yards and a trio of touchdowns.

Head coach Kirk Ferentz didn't get away from his identity, either. The Hawkeyes ran for 241 yards behind a vaunted offensive line, and Kaleb Johnson had 119 of those and a pair of touchdowns.

The second-half drives were seven plays for 75 yards, five plays for 66 yards, four plays for 62 yards, four plays for 77 yards, and five plays for 34 yards. All went for touchdowns. This wasn't the Iowa offense we're used to. This program, by the way, reached 40 points just twice in the previous three years.

Now, will this translate once the competition gets better? Who knows. But this is very encouraging considering you know you're going to get a rugged, hard-nosed effort from the Hawkeyes defense each week. An offense with a pulse will make a difference.

Winner: Vaunted, Young Quarterbacks Taking Over

There are a few college upperclassman quarterbacks worth your attention in the national picture, but the new wave of talent at the position is here. And even though Week 1 provided some pretty tasty cupcakes, they're off to solid starts.

In Knoxville, Nico Iamaleava needed to show out to match the 5-star hype with which he came in, but all the redshirt freshman did in his first half of starting is set a school record for most passing yards in a half.

While Tennessee drilled FCS opponent Chattanooga 69-3, Iamaleava played a half and went 22-of-28 for 314 yards and three scores. He didn't throw an incompletion until his 11th pass and watched the annihilation for the entire second half.

Iamaleava wasn't alone.

True freshman Dylan Raiola is going to be the poster child of Matt Rhule's new-look program in the coach's second season at Nebraska, and the strong-armed, first-year player looked the part in an easy win over UTEP.

Raiola—whose father, Dominic, is a Cornhuskers legend and NFL veteran—threw for 238 yards with scoring strikes to Texas transfer Isaiah Neyor and Jahmal Banks.

Meanwhile, Jackson Arnold watched Saturday's action from home after leading Oklahoma to a 51-3 win over Temple on Friday night. The Sooners didn't need much from the redshirt freshman who sat behind Dillon Gabriel last year before a turnover-prone bowl game, but he threw for 141 yards and four touchdowns.

There were other talented underclassman QBs, too, but this trio looked strong. The competition is going to much tougher moving forward, but you couldn't watch college football on Saturday without hearing the buzz they generated.

Loser: Big Ten CBs Watching Dawn of Smith Era in Columbus

When you subtract a generational talent like Marvin Harrison Jr. from an Ohio State passing game after he left for the NFL following his junior year, you have to believe the Buckeyes will take an offensive step back.

There were some hiccups early against Akron on Saturday, but it wasn't because of the receiving corps.

Emeka Egbuka is back to be the veteran leader of Ohio State's receiving room, but leading the way against the Zips was a true freshman who looked (already) like one of the top playmakers in the nation.

Jeremiah Smith left the Sunshine State to head to Columbus and be a part of the Buckeyes' Wide Receiver Farm, and the former top-ranked recruit in the nation has done nothing but wow everybody who watched him through spring practice and fall drills.

When the action got real against Akron in the season opener, Smith simply showed out. He hauled in a pair of first-half touchdown strikes from transfer quarterback Will Howard and finished with six catches, 92 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Smith is a superstar-in-the-making, a 6'3", 215-pound phenom who already looks like an NFL rookie and plays like one, too. If you think that's hyperbole, watch him in action. You may think he surely can't live up to the hype, but he consistently does.

There aren't enough compliments you can pay a player like him.

Winner: Early Biletnikoff Favorites

The only reason why those FCS upsets didn't happen is because, when Power Four opponents play those pesky programs, the elite playmakers normally separate themselves when it matters most.

That's exactly what happened for North Carolina State and Colorado. Neither team would have won without a pass-catcher who should contend for the nation's top honor for the position, the Biletnikoff Award.

Kevin Concepcion and Travis Hunter are two of the top wide receivers in the nation, and they showed it by showing out Thursday night. The latter is a Heisman Trophy candidate without question, given the fact that he's a throwback, two-way player who rarely comes off the field and could be a first-round draft pick on offense or defense.

When the Buffaloes needed a play, Shedeur Sanders went to Hunter, who finished with seven catches for 132 yards and three touchdowns. None of those catches was bigger than a third-down, three-yard grab to put the Buffs ahead 31-20 with a North Dakota State defender draped all over him.

Concepcion also had three touchdowns, highlighting nine catches for 121 yards. As a true freshman a season ago, he had 10 scoring grabs, and he is well on his way to eclipsing that as Grayson McCall's top target.

Both receivers are special players who will make plays for their respective teams all year. They needed them in a big way in Week 1.

Loser: FCS Upset Hopefuls

For a while on the opening night of Week 1 on Thursday, it looked like a couple of upset-minded FCS teams were going to squeeze a kill-shot boulder into the slingshot against a couple of Goliaths.

Neither's aim was true, though.

Western Carolina was a middle-of-the-row Southern Conference team a season ago, but the Catamounts from Cullowhee went to Raleigh and led No. 24-ranked North Carolina State into the fourth quarter before the Wolfpack pulled away with 21 fourth-quarter points to win 38-21.

Prize transfer quarterback transfer Grayson McCall took a while to get going, and the rebuilt offensive line showed gaps throughout, until they finally woke up at home. Things get more difficult in Charlotte next week against Tennessee.

Much the same, Colorado came in with all the hubbub and pizzaz that a Deion Sanders hype machine can muster, but the Buffaloes still had to go out and beat FCS powerhouse North Dakota State.

That was far from easy, as the Bison were throwing toward the end zone in the waning seconds to win the game. Instead, CU survived with a 31-26 scare and is now 1-0 despite some horrendous clock management down the stretch.

The good news for the Buffs is the defense, which was porous in the first half but tightened up after the break and allowed Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter and the explosive offense to pull ahead enough to close things out.

Winner: A Tar-iffic Finish

Some great games kicked off the college football season, but an underrated one that went down in Minnesota on Thursday night won't get enough credit.

Two good teams searching for an identity met when the Golden Gophers took on a North Carolina team that has a long way to go to find out what it's going to look like in the post-Drake Maye era.

An injury that led to transfer starting quarterback Max Johnson being carted off the field and having to miss the season with a broken leg won't help matters, either.

Yet, somehow, the Tar Heels found a way to piece together a couple of big plays with backup quarterback Conner Harrell to get in position for cold-blooded kicker Noah Burnette to drill a 45-yard field goal with 1:44 left on the clock to give Carolina a 19-17 win.

The Gophers surged into position for a Dragan Kesich 47-yard game-winner at the end, but the kick sailed wide-right. It was his second miss of the night, while Harrell went 4-for-4 with a career-long 52-yarder. The kickers were the difference.

For UNC, though, the narrative now becomes what will this team look like? Of course, star running back Omarion Hampton will have to carry the load, much as he did Thursday with 30 carries for 129 yards.

But the game plan changes with electric athlete Harrell under center. Truthfully, a UNC team that was ranked in the top 20 nationally in passing and rushing offense a season ago couldn't muster much with either under center.

At least the Heels get to go searching for an identity with a 1-0 record, though.

Loser: Stanford, Again, At Home

For a while Friday night, it looked like TCU may have a repeat of what happened last season when a stunning, season-opening loss (to Colorado) started the campaign in a spiral.

But this was against Stanford, opening its first season in the ACC. This time, a (former) Pac-12 team didn't upend the Horned Frogs as they survived, 34-27. They had every opportunity to do so, though, and it's something both head coaches must look at moving forward.

For Sonny Dykes, his TCU team must clean up more than 100 yards of penalties, including an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that extended the Cardinal's fourth-quarter scoring drive that put them up by four points with 6:57 left.

For second-year Stanford coach Troy Taylor, however, the worry runs deeper. This team led by seven at halftime and held an advantage more than halfway through the final frame. But that's when TCU quarterback Josh Hoover took over, marching the Frogs to two touchdowns.

Stanford kicked a late field goal to set up an onside kick, but the Cardinal failed to recover and lost their 10th consecutive game at home. They are 0-7 in Palo Alto under Taylor now, and while there were some major offensive improvements evident, the defense was rough.

"We just didn't finish it," Taylor told the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "I thought we did a good job of being resilient. ... It just wasn't enough plays to come out with the win."

For the Cardinal to make marked improvement, they have to close better.

Winner: Ashton Jeanty and Boise's Playoff Hopes

Much of the offseason buzz when it came to Group of Five powerhouse Boise State centered around who was going to win the quarterback battle: Maddux Madsen or USC transfer Malachi Nelson.

Some may have forgotten about running back Ashton Jeanty.

He's the star of the show for the Broncos, and while Madsen won the battle, the offensive centerpiece is Jeanty, who needs to stay healthy this year. If he does, Boise is a major threat to the playoffs and has even been considered a favorite—along with Liberty—to represent the "little guys" at the end of the year.

That quest nearly took a major hit before it could get off the ground.

A cross-country trip to Statesboro, Georgia, to take on Clay Helton's Georgia Southern Eagles was a very sweaty one, and it wasn't just because of the humidity.

Georgia Southern led in the fourth quarter before Jeanty broke free for a 75-yard scoring scamper to put Boise ahead to stay, 42-37. The Broncos extended the lead with a pair of touchdowns and wound up pulling away to win by a 56-45 score.

Jeanty was the catalyst, running 20 times for 267 yards and an incredible six touchdowns. He averaged nearly 14 yards per carry, and while a lot of the national talk centers around Ollie Gordon II and Omarion Hampton, don't sleep on Jeanty for a first-team All-American and Doak Walker candidate.

He could continue to put up massive numbers.