How much can we learn from Week 1 in college football, really? Objectively, we learn a whole lot more from some performances than we do from others. There’s a ton of teams out there, like Texas, Oklahoma, and Georgia to name a few, who took care of business and did what they were expected to in Week 1.
Those teams are not what this column is about. This column is for the teams who improved or declined in perception based on this week’s performance. No matter who you played, your Week 1 performance can and will be held against you in this court.
MORE: Clemson should move on from Dabo Swinney
Riser: LSU
Sep 5, 2026; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney runs to greet LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin before a game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
The game may have been delayed due to weather, but the outcome was decided at a usual time. The Bayou Bengals, in their first game of the Lane Kiffin era, came out and thoroughly trounced Clemson in what was supposed to be the biggest game of the day.
One could argue that 2026 Clemson might not be a formidable opponent, but the simple fact of the matter is that LSU beat Clemson worse than a lot of teams beat G6 opponents. Lane Kiffin has built one of the most purely talented rosters in all of college football, and their true ceiling is a National Championship.
Faller: Michigan
The Wolverines may have won the game (thanks to either timing precision, a loophole, or straight-up cheating depending on your viewpoint), but they can’t erase what they showed for almost 60 minutes of football. The final result does not change the mediocrity of the performance.
They truly looked terrible at the lines of scrimmage and allowed Western Michigan to dictate the pace of the game with over 40 minutes of possession. The Wolverines only averaged 4.2 yards per carry on the ground, and only passed for 123 yards before Bryce Underwood’s Hail Mary. If that’s all the offense you can muster against Western Michigan, good luck against Oklahoma.
Riser: UCLA
Sep 5, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Bob Chesney (center) talks to UCLA Bruins linebacker Jalen Woods (left) before the game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Most of the East Coast was asleep for one of the better matchups of the weekend when UCLA took on Cal. While Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele looked awesome for Cal, it was the Bruins who came out on top in the first game of the Bob Chesney era thanks to 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.
Nico Iamaleava didn’t even have his best stuff, but the ground game was tremendous as UCLA’s top three backs combined for over 250 yards from scrimmage. Look for this team to upset somebody in the Rose Bowl this season.
MORE: College Football risers & fallers after Week 0
Faller: Oklahoma State
There was perhaps no team who fell shorter of the preseason expectations placed on them than the Oklahoma State Cowboys. After a disappointing 2-10 season that saw the firing of local legend Mike Gundy, Eric Morris was brought in from North Texas (with most of his team) to send the message to the fans that the last few years of the Gundy era weren’t good enough and a new standard needed to be set.
Drew Mestemaker threw two interceptions, Caleb Hawkins failed to find the end zone, and the Pokes lost 24-10 to in-state rival Tulsa. Not how you want to kick off the new era, as the on-field product looked awfully similar to the last few years.
Riser: Malachi Toney’s Heisman stock
Miami Hurricanes receiver Malachi Toney (10) catches a 36-yard touchdown against the Ole Miss Rebels during their Vrbo Fiesta Bowl matchup at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, on Jan. 8, 2026. Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
The best individual performance of the weekend belongs to Miami’s Malachi Toney. The sophomore receiver was simply unguardable in Palo Alto, totaling 12 catches for 234 yards and 3 TDs. My goodness. Miami was playing the game literally like someone who was playing the College Football 27 video game and trying to earn their WR a Heisman Trophy.
Every dropback felt like it was going to Toney. History has shown us that you have to be pretty exceptional to win the Award as a receiver, and Toney may just be able to get there.
Faller: Oregon
The Ducks still have some work to do. After getting run off the field in each of the last two CFPs, all we heard about all offseason was how good Oregon’s defensive line was going to be, and how good Dante Moore was going to be, and how the Ducks were ready to take the next step and win a National Championship. That is not what we saw as the Ducks barely scraped by Boise State 34-27.
Dante Moore was efficient, throwing for over 300 yards, but the improved defensive line was AWOL as the Boise run game got going and Maddux Madsen had all day to throw. Out of all of the top-10 teams, this was by far the least impressive any of them looked in a win this weekend.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —