Winners
Arizona
Jedd Fisch goes into his second year with Arizona coming off a 1-11 record. With a young Wildcat team, it is expected that the team would start slow but grow as the season progresses. To the surprise of many Arizona controlled the game on the defensive side of the ball holding the Aztecs to 232 total yards of offense. Arizona played great complementary football and gives a big early boost to Fisch’s young squad.
Florida State
It hasn’t been easy for Florida State the last 5 years. Mike Norvell desperately needed this in the worst way. Jordan Travis played very well, and the Seminoles looked like they found their identity on defense. LSU came into the game with high hopes. The program wasn’t in that much of disarray after the departure of Orgeron, and Brian Kelly has proved before that he can win. This victory was huge and will do wonders for program morale. It almost came crashing down in the final minute, but a break finally went their way and the Seminole nation will take it.
Florida
Dan Mullen left Gainsville with a clear culture problem, and question marks everywhere. Enter Billy Napier, who comes from ULL and helped build one of the best Group of 5 programs in the country. The Napier era kicked off hosting playoff hopeful and reigning Pac-12 champion Utah. It was a rainy day in “The Swamp”, but Anthony Richardson had a great day accounting for 274 total yards and 3 touchdowns. The Gator defense held Cam Rising and the Utes from taking over, and secured a late redzone interception that had Utah’s offense going for the win themselves.
Losers
Pac-12
The Pac-12 didn’t have the best weekend, even though they went 9-3. Let me explain. Utah and Oregon were two of the programs that were supposed to be flying the PAC flag. Flag contending for a New Years Six bowl, and a potential playoff spot. Utah, loses a close game at “The Swamp” and their playoff hopes are already slim after week 1. Oregon embarrassed themselves and the rest of the conference. No one expected them to win the game, but keeping it competitive would’ve at least been respectable. After week 1 the Pac-12 looks weaker than originally perceived. The only hope for a potential playoff team is USC, but with their potential problems on the offensive and defensive line, that also doesn’t look promising.
Boston College
Jeff Hafley is going into his third season with Boston College, and there was some buzz surrounding the program. Not picked to win the conference or even the division, but a dark horse who may surprise people. They opened up with Big Ten doormat Rutgers at home. The Scarlet Knights stole one from the Golden Eagles 22-21, in a game where Rutgers had to punt on a first and goal. This week they play Virginia Tech, in a battle for teams that desperately need to win.
