College football’s winners, losers in Week 1: Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola shines, Florida falls to the bottom

The first week of the college football season had it all. No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 20 Texas A&M had a tight contest that went down to the final minutes and the national championship contenders showed weaknesses ahead of a big Week 2 matchup.

But perhaps the biggest winners and losers are the teams whose fortunes changed in an instant. Florida dug itself a hole against No. 19 Miami that it may not be able to climb out of. The Fighting Irish have carved out a runway to the College Football Playoff. Clemson may already be going back to the drawing board for this season. And even better? In Week 2, we’ll decide everything again.

Here are some of the biggest winners and losers from Week 1 of college football, including the debuts of some high-profile prospects who could change the game.

Winner: Class of 2024

When Nebraska added Dylan Raiola, he became one of the most high-profile quarterback recruits in school history. It didn’t take him long to make his presence felt. Raiola found receiver Isaiah Neuer for a nearly 60-yard touchdown, one of his two scores in a big win against UTEP that gave Cornhuskers fans the most hope they had in years.

Raiola was one of several high-profile players from the class of 2024 who made their voices heard in Week 1. Running backs Taylor Tatum (Oklahoma), Nate Frazier (Georgia) and Jerick Gibson (Texas) all found the end zone. Defensive end Dylan Stewart (South Carolina) forced a key fumble to save Old Dominion.

The biggest winner this week might be the incredible wide receiver class. Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith dropped his first pass and then went on to have 92 yards and two scores. Alabama’s Ryan Williams only had two catches against Western Kentucky, but both were touchdowns and one was for 84 yards. Auburn’s Cam Coleman went on to have 62 yards and a score. This might be an all-time wide receiver class.

Defeated: Oregon

The Ducks were a main national title contender in 2024 along with Georgia and Ohio State and were one of the most hyped programs in the sport. It took just one game for things to fall apart. The Ducks escaped Idaho with a 24-14 win, but the Vandals exposed major flaws.

Mainly, the Ducks have major structural issues on the offensive line. After giving up just five total sacks in each of the past two seasons, FCS Idaho sacked Dillon Gabriel three times. Even when adjusting for sacks, the Ducks averaged just 3.8 yards per carry, which was actually worse than the Vandals. Oregon failed on two fourth-down conversions and needed an Idaho offsides penalty to avoid a third turnover on downs and set up the game-deciding touchdown.

Right now, Oregon doesn’t look like a conference championship contender, let alone a national title contender. The Ducks have serious issues, and Boise State could expose some of them next week.

Winner: Iowa Offense

The first half looked the same as in years past. But when the second half started, Iowa football showed serious promise. In a 40-0 win over Illinois State, the Hawkeyes scored 30 points in a half for the first time since 2021. They threw three touchdowns in a game for the first time since 2021. They recorded their biggest shutout win since 2018 and their best yardage since 2019.

But perhaps most notably, the young players stood out. Freshman Reece Vander Zee became the first Iowa receiver since 2022 to record two touchdowns — not in a game, but in an entire season. Freshman back Kamari Moulton finished second on the team with 65 yards rushing. Combine them with tight end Luke Lachey and rebounding Cade McNamara and the offense could have something interesting.

It was against FCS Illinois State, but the Hawkeyes by no means dominated players with lesser talent. Granted, it was against FCS power South Dakota State, but Iowa scored just seven points against its last FCS opponent. That score, combined with the youth, gives serious reason for optimism.

Loser: ACC

Last week, ACC favorite Florida State lost earlier in the calendar year than any ranked team since 1997. This week, the losses piled up even more. NC State needed a late push to escape FCS Western Carolina. Virginia Tech lost a thrilling matchup with Vanderbilt. Stanford blew a halftime lead against TCU. Clemson got beaten by Georgia and now doesn’t look ready to compete at all.

Across the conference, so far Miami and Georgia Tech are the only teams that have outperformed their station. While the expanded College Football Playoff means a conference team is guaranteed a slot in the party, matters largely can be won or lost in September.

With such poor performances against other conferences, the ACC’s hopes are already on life support. With next week’s contests coming up with NC State vs. Tennessee, California at Auburn, and BYU at SMU, the conference is in desperate need of some good news.

Winners: Penn State WRs

The Nittany Lions were surprisingly silent on the transfer portal at wide receiver and even lost top target KeAndre Lambert-Smith to Auburn. It became clear pretty quickly why Penn State was willing to rely so much on the returning talent.

Harrison Wallace III is the breakout star of Penn State’s receiver unit, catching five passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-12 win over West Virginia. Fourth-year sophomore Tyler Warren caught another touchdown pass from Drew Eller, while third-year sophomore Omari Evans added another 55 yards.

The new offensive scheme certainly helped create opportunities for Penn State’s skill talent, but the receiving room looks ready for its close up. If the Nittany Lions have the playmakers to surround Eller, suddenly, the upside is much higher for this team.

Defeated: Florida

Florida hired Billy Napier the same year Miami hired Mario Cristobal. Both programs have worked hard and hoped Year 3 could be a breakout moment. Ultimately, that’s what makes the complete home embarrassment at the hands of the ‘Canes so discouraging. Florida lost 41-17 and proved it doesn’t belong on the same field as an ACC opponent.

There’s nothing for Florida to hang its hat on. Miami passed for 529 yards. They averaged 7.7 yards per play and had three receivers with at least 70 yards. Gators running back Montrell Johnson had a 71-yard touchdown run. Other than that play, Florida passed for an average of 3.6 yards per play.

Making matters worse, Miami was the seventh-highest ranked team on Florida’s schedule this season. It’s nearly impossible to see how Florida can right the ship. It’s a curse that the Gators have 11 games left to play.

Winner: Tennessee QB Niko Imaleeva

This was against Chattanooga, so there’s no need to overreact. That being said, throwing for 314 yards and three touchdowns in your first home start — all in the first half — is nothing to laugh about. The Volunteers outgained their FCS foe by 718 yards and Niko was at the center of it. He averaged 11.2 yards per pass attempt and found receivers downfield for some incredible connections. It will be thrilling to watch Iamalewa and this offense cook up.

Loser: Houston

The Cougars knew they were entering a rebuilding cycle after hiring Willie Fritz, but the floor is even worse than expected. Houston lost convincingly to UNLV, 27-7. Quarterback Donovan Smith, who was expected to get on the NFL draft radar, threw two interceptions and the Cougs averaged 1.5 yards per carry. Houston is the worst team in the Big 12 by a significant margin, and will claim the title of worst in the power conference before the season is over. A 1-11 finish is possible.

Winner: Notre Dame

Perhaps the biggest reason Notre Dame is a winner is that its College Football Playoff case has suddenly become much wider. The Fighting Irish had only three teams in the preseason AP Top 25, and one of them was No. 10 Florida State. After getting a win over the Aggies, the path is wide open for Notre Dame to reach 10 wins and a trip to the CFP. Just as important, quarterback Riley Leonard flashed a dual-threat ability that should give them a playmaking dynamic they lacked a year ago.