College football winners and losers in Week 1: Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola shines, Florida hits rock bottom

The first week of the college football season had it all. It featured a heavyweight matchup between No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 20 Texas A&M that remained tight until the final minute, and the national championship contenders showed signs of weakness before the big showdowns in Week 2.

But the biggest winners and losers may be the teams whose fortunes have changed in an instant. Florida dug itself a hole against No. 19 Miami that it may not be able to get out of. The Fighting Irish may have carved their way into the College Football Playoff. Clemson could already return to the drawing board for this seasonAnd even better? In week 2 we’ll decide again from the beginning.

Here are some of the biggest winners and losers of college football’s first week, including the debuts of some promising talents that could change the sport.

When Nebraska signed Dylan Raiola, he became one of the most significant quarterback recruits in school history. It didn’t take long for him to make a name for himself. Raiola found receiver Isaiah Neyor for a nearly 60-yard touchdown, one of his two scores in a huge win over UTEP that gave Cornhuskers fans their best hope in years.

Raiola was just one of several high-profile recruits from the Class of 2024 who made a name for themselves in Week 1. Running backs Taylor Tatum (Oklahoma), Nate Frazier (Georgia) and Jerrick Gibson (Texas) all found the end zone. Defensive end Dylan Stewart (South Carolina) forced a key fumble to help Old Dominion survive.

The biggest winners of the week may have been the incredible wide receivers. Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith dropped his first pass and then rushed for 92 yards and two touchdowns. Alabama’s Ryan Williams caught just two balls against Western Kentucky, but both were touchdowns, one of them for 84 yards. Auburn’s Cam Coleman rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown. This could be the best wide receiver class ever.

The Ducks entered 2024 as top favorites for the national title, alongside Georgia and Ohio State, and one of the most hyped programs in the sport. It took exactly one game for it all to fall apart. The Ducks escaped Idaho with a 24-14 win, but the Vandals exposed major holes.

Most notably, the Ducks have major structural problems on the offensive line. After allowing just five sacks in each of the last two seasons, FCS Idaho sacked Dillon Gabriel three times. Even taking sacks into account, the Ducks managed just 3.8 yards per carry, which was even worse than the Vandals. Oregon failed two fourth-down conversions and needed an offside penalty for Idaho to avoid a third turnover on one down and set up a game-winning touchdown.

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

Winner: Iowa Offense

The first half looked like the same old disaster of previous years. But when the second half rolled around, Iowa football showed serious potential. In a 40-0 win over Illinois State, the Hawkeyes reached 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 posted their biggest shutout win since 2018 and their best yardage since 2019.

But perhaps what stood out most was the youth. Freshman Reece Vander Zee became the first Iowa receiver since 2022 to score two touchdowns – not in a game, but in an entire season. Freshman Kamari Moulton was second on the team with 65 rushing yards. Combine those with tight end Luke Lachey and rebounder Cade McNamara, and the offense could get interesting.

It was against FCS Illinois State, but the Hawkeyes have by no means dominated lesser talent. Granted, it was against FCS power South Dakota State, but Iowa only scored seven points against its last FCS opponent. The result combined with the youth gives cause for serious optimism.

Loser: ACC

Last week, ACC favorite Florida State lost earlier in the calendar year than any other ranked team since 1997. This week, the damage only got worse. NC State needed a last-ditch effort to survive FCS Western Carolina. Virginia Tech lost a thriller to Vanderbilt. Stanford blew a halftime lead against TCU. Clemson was squashed by Georgia and doesn’t look anywhere close to being in contention for anything substantial.

Throughout the conference The only teams that have surpassed their station so far are Miami and Georgia Tech. While the expanded College Football Playoff means one conference team is guaranteed a spot in the bracket, the at-large cases can be won or lost in September.

With such a weak performance compared to the other conferences, The ACC’s hopes of a place in the overall rankings are already hanging by a threadWith NC State at Tennessee, California at Auburn and BYU at SMU next week, the conference is in desperate need of some good news.

The Nittany Lions were surprisingly quiet in the transfer portal for wide receivers and even lost top target KeAndre Lambert-Smith to Auburn. It quickly became clear why Penn State was so content to rely on returning talent.

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

The new offensive system has certainly helped create opportunities for Penn State’s talent, but the receiving room seems ready for its next challenge. If the Nittany Lions have playmakers surrounding Allar, the potential for this team is suddenly much greater.

Loser: Florida

Florida hired Billy Napier the same year Miami hired Mario Cristobal. Both programs have been courting hard for new players, hoping that the third year could be a breakthrough. Ultimately, what makes the entire homeland embarrassment at the hands the ‘Canes so demoralizing. Florida lost 41-17 and proved it doesn’t belong on the same field as an ACC opponent.

There is almost nothing Florida can be proud of. Miami rushed 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. Aside from that play, Florida averaged a pathetic 3.6 yards per play.

To make matters worse, Miami has been the seventh-best team on Florida’s schedule this season. It’s almost impossible to see Florida turning things around. It’s a curse that the Gators still have 11 games to play.

It was against Chattanooga, so there’s no need to overreact. However, throwing for 314 yards and three touchdowns in your first home game – all in the first half – is nothing to sneeze at. The Volunteers outgained their FCS opponent by 718 yards and Nico was the focus. He averaged 11.2 yards per pass attempt and found receivers further down the field for some incredible connections. Iamaleava and this offensive team will be exciting to watch.

The Cougars knew they were entering a rebuilding cycle after signing Willie Fritz, but the ceiling is even lower than expected. Houston lost to UNLV 27-7 in a total loss. Quarterback Donovan Smith, who had hoped to get on the NFL Draft radar, threw two interceptions and the Cougars averaged a cool 1.5 yards per carry. Houston is the worst team in the Big 12 by a wide margin and will prove to be the worst in the power conferences before the season is over. A 1-11 finish is possible.

Winner: Notre Dame

Perhaps the most important reason for Notre Dame’s win is that its chances of making the College Football Playoff are suddenly much better. The Fighting Irish had only three teams in the AP Top 25 on their schedule in the preseason, and one of those was No. 10 Florida State. After defeating the Aggies, Notre Dame’s path to 10 wins and a trip to the CFP is wide open. Just as important, quarterback Riley Leonard showed off his dual-threat ability, which should give them a game dynamic they lacked a year ago.

MORE: Clemson’s lopsided loss to Georgia is the latest indictment of Dabo Swinney’s failure