The season-opening clash between Ohio State and Texas attracted 16.62 million viewers, the most ever to watch a Week 1 college football game, Fox Sports reported.

• Ohio State, then ranked No. 3, defeated then-top-ranked Texas 14-7 in the debut of Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning as the team's full-time starter.

  Fox said the game peaked at 18.6 million viewers from 3-3:15 p.m. ET, adding it was the third most-watched college game ever in the regular season on Fox.

  Even the pregame shows were a hit among viewers.

  Fox reported that its "Big Noon Kickoff" drew 3.8 million people beginning at 11 a.m. ET, making it the most-watched edition of the show when Ohio State and Michigan weren't following it.

  ESPN said earlier this week that its "College GameDay" show, which featured the final appearance of the retiring analyst Lee Corso. ESPN averaged 3.5 million viewers during the show on Saturday, preliminary Nielsen ratings show. It was broadcast from Columbus, Ohio.

  The ratings for the final 15 minutes of the show reached a record 5.1 million viewers, per ESPN. That's the section of the show during which Corso famously made his prediction -- who would win the game to be played in the city from which "College GameDay" was airing -- by putting on headgear representing his predicted victor. On Saturday, he correctly chose the Buckeyes.

  --Field Level Media

Kalen DeBoer would like the opportunity to focus on making No. 21 Alabama the best it can be.

• The Crimson Tide (0-1) lost at Florida State and dropped from a preseason ranking of No. 8, but DeBoer said he's reminding players the sky isn't falling in Tuscaloosa, even if boosters might be suggesting the contrary.

  In 14 games as Alabama coach, DeBoer has four losses to unranked opponents. That's the same number legendary coach Nick Saban had in 235 games with the Crimson Tide.

  Asked Wednesday what he'd like to say to the financial supporters of the program riled up over the two-touchdown defeat at Tallahassee, DeBoer said Alabama isn't done yet.

  "My message is that our team ... we've got a good football team that can do some big things still this year," DeBoer said. "We've got to prove it ... To this point, it's just been me being able to focus on football. I appreciate that."

  Wide receiver Ryan Williams might be critical to a Crimson Tide rebound. The second-team All-American in 2024 as a freshman was called out by DeBoer last week as one player he needs more from as the focal point of the offense.

  After catching five passes for 30 yards at FSU, Williams has been on the practice field but remains in concussion protocol, DeBoer said. He's officially considered day-to-day and no determination on his availability for Saturday's game against Louisiana-Monroe.

  --Field Level Media

Coming off a season-opening loss, Colorado will change things up at quarterback this week, adding a highly touted freshman to the mix.

• Julian "JuJu" Lewis will see action on Saturday against visiting Delaware, coach Deion Sanders announced on Tuesday.

  "He's playing this week for sure," Sanders said. "I know when I'm gonna see him. You just don't know when you're gonna see him. I know when we're gonna see him."

  When pressed further regarding whether Lewis would open the game instead of Kaidon Salter, Sanders replied, "Can we take one thing at a time? I just told you he was playing. Now, you saying he's starting. Come on, dawg. ... He's playing, all right? He's playing."

  Sanders added, "Sometimes you don't want to rush things. Sometimes you don't want to delay things. You want to make sure the timing is right. I don't think the time was appropriate last week. I really don't, the way the game was flowing, the rhythm of the game.

  "But this week, I made up my mind already. Now (Lewis) is going to play. So I don't give a darn about the flow of nothing. He's playing."

  Lewis, 17, reclassified his year in high school to join the Buffaloes this season. A five-star prospect out of Carrollton, Ga., Lewis backed off a commitment to Southern California prior to signing with Colorado.

  He racked up 11,010 passing yards and threw for 144 touchdowns while getting picked off only 21 times during his three years as Carrollton High's starter, posting a 39-4 record.

  Salter, a transfer from Liberty, went 17-for-28 for 159 yards and a touchdown in his Buffaloes debut, a 27-20 home loss to Georgia Tech on Friday. He also ran for 43 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.

  --Field Level Media

A close loss at home left Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney to study film of the Tigers' loss to LSU, and generate a metaphor winning coach Brian Kelly invited his counterpart to punt.

• LSU defeated Clemson 17-10, but Swinney likened the matchup of preseason top-10 teams to starting a class with a final exam.

  "It was a hell of a game," Swinney said Monday. "It's like getting a final exam, Day 1 of class. They made a 65. We made a 58. Neither one of us were great."

  Kelly won an opener at LSU for the first time and didn't take the grading curve suggestion lightly on Tuesday.

  "Well, I mean ... I thought we dominated them in the second half. So, he's either a really good grader for giving himself a 58, or he's a really hard grader on us," Kelly said. "Or he didn't see the second half, which that might be the case. He might not have wanted to see the second half."

  Kelly and LSU jumped to No. 3 in the AP Top 25 poll on Tuesday and Clemson dipped from No. 4 to No. 8. Kelly said the focus is no longer on the win, but building on it.

  "Look, this is all past. We're much more focused on Louisiana Tech, to be quite honest with you," Kelly said. "Clemson is a darn good football team. I mean, that's a really good, that's a top-notch team and they're going to be a team in the hunt for the playoff picture, and we hope we are too."

  --Field Level Media

Ohio State's season-opening victory over Texas sent the Buckeyes to No. 1 and the Longhorns plummeting in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, released Tuesday.

• Ranked No. 3 in the preseason poll, Ohio State received 55 of the 66 first-place votes. Texas, No. 1 last week, fell to No. 7.

  Losses by Clemson, Notre Dame and Alabama jostled the rest of the Top 10. Only Penn State held its spot at No. 2, earning seven first-place votes after its 46-11 defeat of Nevada.

  LSU climbed six spots to No. 3 after its 17-10 win over Clemson, which dropped four places to No. 8. Miami won 27-24 against Notre Dame to move from No. 10 to No. 5, while the Irish fell three rungs to No. 9.

  And Alabama, which entered its game against Florida State at No. 8, plunged to No. 21 after the Seminoles' convincing 31-17 upset win.

  Florida State, unranked last week, entered the poll at No. 14, and No. 25 Utah also joined. Dropping out were Kansas State and Boise State.

  The full top 10 consists of Ohio State, followed by Penn State, LSU, Georgia. Miami, Oregon, Texas, Clemson, Notre Dame and South Carolina, which rose three slots after defeating Virginia Tech 24-11.

  The remaining teams are:

  11. Illinois

  12. Arizona State

  13. Florida

  14. Florida State

  15. Michigan

  16. Iowa State

  17. SMU

  18. Oklahoma

  19. Texas A&M

  20. Ole Miss

  21. Alabama

  22. Tennessee

  23. Indiana

  24. Texas Tech

  25. Utah

  --Field Level Media

The father of Florida State freshman linebacker Ethan Pritchard is asking for prayers for his son, who was the victim of a shooting Sunday night in Havana, Fla.

• Earl Pritchard spoke with WFTV, the ABC affiliate in Orlando, and revealed his son had been shot in the head while driving a family member home from a gathering.

  The school announced Monday that Pritchard had been shot and was in critical but stable condition, but didn't provide any details. The elder Pritchard filled in some of the unknowns when he was interviewed by the station later in the day.

  "He was actually in the car taking my sister around the corner to her daughter's house to drop her off. They turned the corner, and as soon as they turned the corner, they heard gunshots," Earl said.

  One of the bullets struck Ethan in the back of the head, his father said, adding Ethan was heavily sedated at the hospital.

  "We just ask the community and everybody for their prayers," Earl said.

  A neighbor told WFTV that Ethan's car crashed into a shed.

  The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is in charge of the investigation.

  Havana is about 16 miles northwest of the Florida State campus in Tallahassee.

  Head coach Mike Norvell told reporters on Monday that he spent time with Pritchard's family at the hospital.

  "This is obviously an extremely tragic event for the young man," Norvell said.

  "Our football team, coaches, family, we're all here to support them. We're praying for all parts of him and the journey that's ahead. Definitely appreciate the support from everybody in the community that we feel and just continue to be with him."

  The 247Sports composite rankings listed Pritchard as a three-star recruit in the 2025 class. He played at Seminole High School in Sanford, Fla.

  He did not play in Florida State's season-opening upset over No. 8 Alabama.

  --Field Level Media

Lee Corso's farewell to "College GameDay" was the most-watched episode of the ESPN Saturday morning staple in its nearly 40-year history.

• ESPN averaged 3.5 million viewers during the show on Saturday, preliminary Nielsen ratings show. It was broadcast from Columbus, Ohio, before the season opener between No. 1 Texas and No. 3 Ohio State. The Buckeyes won 14-7.

  The show also aired on ESPNU.

  ESPN reported that the ratings for the final 15 minutes of the show reached a record 5.1 million viewers. That's the section of the show during which Corso famously made his prediction -- who would win the game to be played in the city from which "GameDay" was airing -- by putting on headgear representing his predicted victor.

  His final headgear choice was the first as the same one when the tradition began in 1996: the Buckeyes. For the record, it was the 46th time he put on the Ohio State mascot head, and the Buckeyes were 32-14.

  Corso, 90, spent 15 seasons as a college head coach at Louisville, Indiana and Northern Illinois before joining "College GameDay" in its first season in 1987.

  The show heads to Norman, Okla., ahead of the game between Michigan and Oklahoma, on Saturday for its first episode without Corso as a member of the team.

  --Field Level Media

Oregon coach Dan Lanning shot back at Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy's insinuation the Ducks are buying their way into contention with an excessive roster budget.

• "Like I said, I've got a ton of respect for coach Gundy," Lanning said as the Ducks prepare for their nonconference meeting with Oklahoma State. "Ultimately, how blessed are we being at a place that's invested in winning? If you want to be a top-10 team in college football, you better be invested in winning and we spend to win. Some people save to have an excuse for why they don't."

  Gundy lit the fuse with comments on his radio show suggesting the Cowboys' budget for football was pennies on the dollar compared to what Oregon spent last year alone.

  "We spent around $7 million over the last three years, and I think Oregon spent close to $40 (million) last year alone," Gundy said. "That was just one year. Now, I might be off a few million. What I'm saying is they're spending a lot of money. There's some schools that are doing that."

  Oklahoma State kicked off the season with a win over Tennessee-Martin last week and Oregon defeated Montana State.

  Also on his show, Gundy opined college football non-conference schedules should evolve to match the times, pairing opponents based strictly on their annual football budget.

  "Oregon is paying a lot, a lot of money for their team. So from a non-conference standpoint, there are coaches saying they should play teams that are spending the same amount of money," he said.

  Lanning was an outside linebackers coach at Georgia in 2018 when these two programs signed to play a home-and-home series. But he doesn't necessarily buy that Oklahoma State wants to check receipts to confirm a level playing field.

  "I can't speak on their situation, I have no idea what they got in their pockets over there," Lanning said. "I'm sure UT Martin maybe didn't have as much as them last week and they played, so we'll let it play out."

  --Field Level Media

Quarterback TJ Finley is on his sixth college in six years.

• It was announced Monday that Finley has enrolled at Georgia State, with coach Dell McGee revealing that he has spent the past few months with the team.

  Finley, 23, has suited up for LSU, Auburn, Texas State and Western Kentucky in his college career and transferred to Tulane after the 2024 season. Tulane suspended Finley after he was arrested in connection with a stolen truck; his attorney said he was the victim of a scam and did not know the vehicle he purchased from an online marketplace had been stolen.

  He entered the portal again once the Green Wave brought in more quarterback transfers.

  As it turns out, Finley found another home much sooner than anyone knew.

  "He was with us in May. He's been a part of our program," McGee told reporters. "He was just awaiting some legal matters and then the NCAA appeal that he had to go through."

  McGee said Finley attended team meetings and practiced over the summer. Once the Panthers got to fall camp, he didn't give Finley reps in practice as they did not know if he'd be cleared to play and they needed the other quarterbacks ready.

  No. 21 Ole Miss flattened Georgia State 63-7 in the season opener Saturday. Earlier in the week, McGee found out that Finley, in fact, had been cleared.

  "We got the news on Tuesday of the Ole Miss week that he won his appeal," McGee said, "and he started back his acclimation period with an afternoon practice with our strength and medical staff, and he was the scout team quarterback on Wednesday. He worked out Saturday and Sunday and he'll be part of the evaluation process moving forward.

  "This is nothing new. Our quarterbacks on our current roster knew he was here, and they all knew he was awaiting his appeal. We just felt like bringing in guys from a competitive standpoint at every position was the goal in the offseason, and adding him in May was part of that process."

  Christian Veilleux and Cameran Brown split the snaps at Ole Miss. Veilleux completed 4 of 11 passes for 52 yards, the team's only touchdown and an interception. Brown went 8-of-14 passing for 17 yards.

  Finley figures to be in the mix for reps as Georgia State moves forward to Saturday's home opener against Memphis.

  Finley took over as LSU's quarterback midway through the 2020 season following an injury to starter Myles Brennan. Auburn (2021-22) was the only school where he spent more than one season. Finley enjoyed arguably his greatest success with Texas State in 2023, when he played 13 games and threw for 3,439 yards, 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions. That campaign ended with a First Responder Bowl win against Rice.

  Georgia State went 3-9 (1-7 Sun Belt) last season, McGee's first year on the job.

  --Field Level Media

Army safety Larry Pickett Jr. and his father are being heralded for saving a man after a car accident right before the vehicle burst into flames near the U.S. Military Academy on Sunday.

• Video taken by the player's sister Lauren showed the father and son pulling the injured man out of the driver's seat and carrying him across the street to safety in New York's Orange County.

  "Just after Midnight, I watched in awe as my son, Larry Pickett Jr., ran toward a burning vehicle, ignoring the downed power lines crackling around it," Pickett Sr. wrote in a Facebook post. "With immense courage, he pulled a man to safety, saving him from a fiery fate."

  "I was just thinking I'm grateful that we got him out, honestly," Pickett Jr. said on a video credited to his father. "Because I really don't think that anybody else... because when we pulled up, there was already somebody standing there. But they saw the electric wire and I don't think they wanted to go get him."

  The U.S. Military Academy account on X, as well as Army head coach Jeff Monken and athletic director Tom Theodorakis, confirmed the younger Pickett's involvement and praised him for jumping into action.

  "Larry's heroic actions embody everything we strive to instill in our cadet-athletes -- courage, selflessness, and a willingness to put others before themselves," Monken wrote. "In that critical moment, he didn't think of himself, only of helping another person in need. We are incredibly proud of Larry for the way he represented his family, our Army Football brotherhood, and the values of West Point."

  A sophomore, Pickett played in his first game for Army on Friday against FCS Tarleton State and his family was in town to see his debut. He made one tackle in the 30-27 double-overtime loss.

  --Field Level Media

Alabama standout receiver Ryan Williams is day-to-day as he deals with a concussion, Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer said Monday.

• Williams' status for Saturday's game against visiting Louisiana-Monroe will be firmed up later in the week.

  "He will go through concussion protocol throughout the week," DeBoer told reporters.

  Williams exited Alabama's season-opening 31-17 loss Saturday at Florida State in the fourth quarter due to the concussion.

  Williams took a blow to the head after dropping a pass with 6:07 left in the contest. Two Seminoles were in the area and Earl Little Jr. was called for targeting before the ruling was reviewed and subsequently overturned.

  Williams finished with five receptions for just 30 yards with a long gain of 11.

  "He never really got going in the game, before getting hurt," DeBoer said. "We'll continue to have to make sure we're moving him around."

  Williams excelled last season by catching 48 passes for a team-high 865 yards and eight touchdowns. He also rushed for two scores and averaged 10.0 yards returning punts for the Crimson Tide.

  --Field Level Media

Florida State's season-opening upset of No. 8 Alabama came with at least one downside.

• FSU head coach Mike Norvell said Monday that starting running back Roydell Williams will miss "a period of time" with an injury he suffered during Saturday's 31-17 win over the Crimson Tide. He didn't specify what injury Williams was dealing with, or a definitive period of time he'll miss beyond saying he won't play this week vs. East Texas A&M and that it isn't expected to end his season.

  Williams, a second-year FSU transfer, rushed for 14 yards on six carries against his former team on Saturday. That included a key fourth-and-1 conversion in FSU territory with the Seminoles clinging to a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter.

  He previously spent the 2020 through 2023 seasons at Alabama, rushing for 1,165 yards and 11 touchdowns over his tenure in Tuscaloosa. Williams missed eight games in his first season at FSU last fall, managing just 53 rushing yards and two touchdowns before suffering a season-ending injury.

  "I absolutely hate it for the young man ...," Norvell said. "I hate for him to miss anything. He was a great factor in the game the other day. The fourth-down run there on our own end of the field, he showed power and he showed toughness. He was definitely a great contributor in that win."

  --Field Level Media

Michigan linebacker Jaishawn Barham's targeting penalty from the second half of its season opener was upheld by the Big Ten, and he'll be forced to miss the first half of Saturday's top-25 matchup at Oklahoma, head coach Sherrone Moore said Monday.

• Barham was assessed the penalty on a hit of New Mexico quarterback Jack Layne in the third quarter of the 18th-ranked Wolverines' 34-17 victory. It was originally ruled a scoop-and-score fumble return by Barham for a touchdown, but overturned to a sack and then became a first down for the Lobos and an ejection of Barham after an instant-replay review.

  Per NCAA rules, players ejected for targeting in the second half of a game are ineligible for the first half of the team's next game.

  "(The ruling) was upheld, and we don't agree with it ...," Moore said. "It's a rule we have to get changed, and we have to look at in college football just for the general toughness of the game, and how you want to teach tackling, and how you want to teach guys that are 6-3, tackling a guy that's 5-8."

  Barham, a senior from District Heights, Md., was second on the Michigan defense with 66 tackles in his first season with the program in 2024, adding 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack, two pass breakups and five quarterback hurries. He began his career at Maryland.

  The ruling being upheld after appeal will make things tougher for the first half of Michigan's road game against the 14th-ranked Sooners and their revamped offense led by Washington State transfer quarterback John Mateer. He led the way to a 35-3 win in the team's season opener against Illinois State on Saturday.

  --Field Level Media

Florida State freshman linebacker Ethan Pritchard was hospitalized in critical but stable condition after suffering a gunshot wound, the school announced Monday.

• He was in the intensive care unit at an unidentified hospital.

  The incident occurred Sunday night in Havana, Fla., where he was visiting family, according to the school statement.

  "The Pritchard family is thankful for the support from so many people, as well as the care from first responders and medical professionals, and asks that their privacy be respected at this time," the statement read. "Further updates will be provided as they are available."

  The Gadsen County Sheriff's Office said the shooting occurred around 10 p.m. near the Havana Heights Apartments. Pritchard was found shot inside a vehicle.

  Havana is about 16 miles northwest of the Florida State campus in Tallahassee.

  Head coach Mike Norvell told reporters that he spent time with Pritchard's family at the hospital but did not provide details of the linebacker's condition.

  "This is obviously an extremely just tragic event for the young man," Norvell said.

  "Our football team, coaches, family, we're all here to support them. We're praying for all parts of him and the journey that's ahead. ... Definitely appreciate the support from everybody in the community that we feel and just continue to be with him."

  The 247Sports composite listed Pritchard as three-star recruit in the 2025 class. He played at Seminole High School in Sanford, Fla.

  He did not play in Florida State's season-opening upset over No. 8 Alabama.

  --Field Level Media

Jonah Winston is following big brother Jameis Winston to Florida State.

• The younger Winston is ranked as a three-star wide receiver in the Class of 2026 by the 247Sports composite. He had offers from about two dozen schools, primarily in the South, including seven in the Southeastern Conference.

  He announced his commitment Saturday night, shortly after Seminoles upset No. 8 Alabama 31-17 in the opener for both teams. Florida State finished 2-10 last season.

  "The real question is, ‘Why not FSU,'" Jonah Winston told Warchant.com, a Florida State-centered website. "I love this program, and it's been that way for a long time! FSU treats me like family, and that's really what we are. ... It's really cool, man. Been at FSU it feels like my whole life. And to have the chance to join this amazing program and bring it back to where it used to be is a blessing."

  Listed at 5-foot-9 and 155 pounds by 247Sports, he plays at Hoover High School in Birmingham, Ala. He scored 11 touchdowns in 2023, according to 247Sports.

  Jameis Winston played quarterback at Florida State from 2013-14 and won the Heisman Trophy and a national title following the 2013 season. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, he now is a backup quarterback for the New York Giants.

  Florida State's 2026 class now contains 23 recruits and is headlined by five-star cornerback Chauncey Kennon from Sarasota, Fla.

  --Field Level Media

Ohio State's defense held Texas quarterback Arch Manning in check, and the No. 3 Buckeyes pulled off a 14-7 victory over the top-ranked Longhorns at Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday in the season opener for both teams.

• CJ Donaldson Jr. scored on a 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, and the Buckeyes took advantage of a Manning interception to go ahead 14-0 with 13:08 left in the game when quarterback Julian Sayin connected with Carnell Tate on a 40-yard touchdown pass.

  Manning finally got untracked and threw a 32-yard TD pass to Parker Livingstone with 3:28 remaining. With a chance to pull off a late rally, Manning took the Longhorns to the 47 in the final two minutes, but they turned the ball over on downs with 1:27 remaining to end the threat.

  Manning, the nephew of Super Bowl-winning QBs Peyton and Eli Manning, made his third career start, while the Buckeyes' Sayin made his first. Manning finished 17 of 30 for 170 yards and a TD, with one interception, and Sayin was 13 of 20 for 126 yards and a TD.

  No. 2 Penn State 46, Nevada 11

  Nicholas Singleton rushed for two touchdowns and Dani Dennis-Sutton was a terror on defense as the No. 2 Nittany Lions rolled to an easy victory over the Wolf Pack at University Park, Pa.

  Drew Allar completed 22 of 26 passes for 217 yards and one touchdown as the Nittany Lions controlled the contest. Sutton forced two fumbles and had 2.5 stops for losses, including one sack.

  Penn State outgained the Wolf Pack 438-203 and had a 25-13 edge in first downs. Chubba Purdy was 7-of-15 passing for 97 yards, with one interception, for Nevada. The brother of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy accumulated a team-leading 55 yards on the ground.

  No. 9 LSU 17, No. 4 Clemson 10

  Garrett Nussmeier threw a tiebreaking touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and LSU rode a stifling defense to a victory over host Clemson in the season opener for both teams.

  Nussmeier completed 28 of 38 passes for 230 yards and LSU outgained Clemson 354-261 to snap a five-year losing streak in openers. On the fifth play of the fourth quarter, Nussmeier threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Trey'Dez Green to give LSU the lead for the first time, 17-10, with 12:18 to play.

  Clemson drove from its 43 to the LSU 15 on its final possession, but Cade Klubnik's pass on fourth-and-4 was incomplete. Klubnik completed 19 of 38 for 230 yards with one interception.

  No. 5 Georgia 45, Marshall 7

  Gunner Stockton threw for 190 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 73 yards and two more scores to pace the Bulldogs to the season-opening win over the Thundering Herd in Athens, Ga.

  Dwight Phillips Jr. added 60 rushing yards and a touchdown on just five carries for Georgia, which produced 488 yards and 27 first downs to Marshall's 207 yards and seven first downs.

  After Georgia built a 45-0 lead early in the fourth quarter, Jo'Shon Barbie rushed 1 yard for Marshall's touchdown. Zion Turner came off the bench to hit 6 of 7 passes for 100 yards and Xayvion Turner-Bradshaw made three catches for 58 yards.

  No. 7 Oregon 59, Montana State 13

  Dante Moore showed the college football world what it had been missing in his first start in nearly two years, throwing for 213 yards and three touchdowns as the Ducks trounced the Bobcats in Oregon.

  Moore also set a career high with a 78 percent completion rate, going 6-for-6 on his lone drive in the second half. He helped Oregon outgain Montana State 506-244 in overall yards Saturday.

  Moore's counterpart, Justin Lamson, struggled for the Bobcats, completing 23-of-31 passes for 198 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Running back Adam Jones scored Montana State's only touchdown on the day.

  Florida State 31, No. 8 Alabama 17

  The Seminoles ran for 230 yards and four touchdowns, beginning their 2025 season with a shocking upset of the Crimson Tide in Tallahassee, Fla.

  The Seminoles, 2-10 a season ago after a 13-1 campaign in 2023, looked the part of a new-look team with two new coordinators and a new roster. FSU quarterback Tommy Castellanos, who said this offseason that he didn't believe Bama would be able to stop him, backed up the talk in a major way. He led the Seminoles with 78 rushing yards and scored their first touchdown of the season on a 9-yard first-quarter run. He also completed 9 of 14 passes for 152 yards.

  The Crimson Tide suffered their first season-opening loss since 2001 under second-year head coach Kalen DeBoer. Alabama starting quarterback Ty Simpson, making his first career start in a hostile atmosphere, completed 23 of 43 passes for 254 yards and threw a pair of touchdowns. However, three fourth-down incompletions in FSU territory loomed large during the TIde's comeback attempt.

  No. 11 Arizona State 38, Northern Arizona 19

  Sam Leavitt rushed for two touchdowns and passed for two touchdowns, both to Jordyn Tyson, as the Sun Devils overcame sometimes sloppy play to pull away from the Lumberjacks in Tempe.

  The Sun Devils (1-0) were penalized 12 times for 93 yards and converted on just 2-of-10 third-down opportunities. Leavitt closed his night with 257 yards on 25-of-39 passing and his 73 rushing yards matched Kyson Brown for a game-high. Tyson caught 12 passes for 141 yards.

  Ty Pennington went 22-of-35 for 204 yards for Northern Arizona (0-1). Backup Lathan Boone, who came on for Pennington in the fourth quarter, went 4 of 7 for 38 yards. Kenveon Stone, who rushed for a team-high 35 yards, scored a touchdown in the final minute.

  No. 14 Michigan 34, New Mexico 17

  Justice Haynes had 16 carries for 159 yards and three touchdowns, and the Wolverines held firm for a win over the Lobos in Ann Arbor, Mich.

  Highly touted true freshman Bryce Underwood completed 21 of 31 passes for 251 yards and one touchdown in his collegiate debut for the Wolverines (1-0). Marlin Klein finished with six catches for 93 yards and a touchdown. Michigan outgained New Mexico 452-267 in total offense.

  Dorian Thomas had 10 catches for 71 yards and two touchdowns for the Lobos (0-1). Jack Layne completed 31 of 47 passes for 208 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.

  No. 15 Florida 55, Long Island 0

  Quarterback DJ Lagway fired three touchdowns in the Gators' 38-point first half as they opened the season by pummeling the Sharks in Gainesville, Fla.

  The sophomore signal-caller from Texas finished his season debut by going 15 of 18 for 120 yards. Backup Tramell Jones Jr. was 12 of 18 for 131 yards with two TDs while Jadan Baugh rushed for 104 yards and a score on nine carries. Defensive back Bryce Thornton scored on one of his two fumble recoveries.

  Division I FCS Long Island (0-1) mustered only two first downs to Florida's 28 and was outgained 451-86 in total offense. Sharks quarterbacks Luca Stanzani, Ethan Greenwood and Chris Howell combined to go 4 of 11 for 49 yards.

  No. 16 SMU 42, East Texas A&M 13

  Kevin Jennings threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for another to lead the Mustangs to a season-opening victory over the visiting Lions in Dallas.

  Jennings completed 22 of 30 passes for 260 yards and one interception in addition to his two scoring tosses to lead the SMU to its seventh consecutive season-opening win. Romello Brinson caught seven passes for 121 yards, including a 63-yard touchdown. Alexander Kilgore and Ahmaad Moses returned interceptions for touchdowns.

  East Texas A&M, which is coming off a 3-9 season and is now eligible to compete for the FCS playoff berth, got two field goals from Ozlo Rigby. Eric Rodriguez entered at quarterback in the second quarter in relief of Will Madonna and completed 14 of 30 passes for 191 yards and an interception. Rodriguez scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 2:55 left in the game for the Lions' only touchdown.

  No. 17 Kansas State 38, North Dakota 35

  Avery Johnson's 6-yard touchdown pass to Joe Jackson with 42 seconds left helped the Wildcats avoid an embarrassing loss to the Fighting Hawks of the FCS.

  The Fighting Hawks (0-1) were looking for the biggest upset in program history and their first victory over an FBS opponent since 2015.

  Johnson finished 28 of 43 for 318 yards and three touchdowns, and Jayce Brown caught 12 passes for 109 yards and one score for the Wildcats (1-1). Jerry Kaminski was 23 of 38 for 231 yards and a touchdown for North Dakota. He also scored two touchdowns on the ground.

  No. 18 Oklahoma 35, Illinois State 3

  John Mateer threw for 392 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another as the Sooners opened the season with a rout of the Redbirds in Norman, Okla.

  Mateer's passing yardage was the most by an Oklahoma quarterback in an opener, topping Baker Mayfield's 388-yard performance to open the 2015 season against Akron. Mateer finished 30 of 37 through the air as the Sooners outgained the Redbirds 495-151.

  Illinois State quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse (6 of 13, 22 yards) left the game early in the third after taking a hard hit from defensive end Taylor Wein. The FCS Redbirds finished with just 34 passing yards. Wenkers Wright rushed for 50 yards on seven carries to lead Illinois State.

  No. 19 Texas A&M 42, UTSA 24

  Marcel Reed passed for four touchdowns and KC Concepcion had an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown and a 31-yard TD catch as the Aggies were too much for the Roadrunners in the season opener for both teams in College Station, Texas.

  Reed was 22 of 34 for 289 yards through the air in the win while Mario Craver, a transfer from Mississippi State, had eight catches for 122 yards and two TDs for the Aggies. Reed also finished as Texas A&M's top rusher with 39 yards on eight carries.

  The Roadrunners stayed close in the first half and were within four points early in the third quarter thanks mostly to the rushing of Robert Henry Jr., who racked up 177 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. UTSA quarterback Owen McCown (19 of 32) had just 121 passing yards.

  No. 20 Indiana 27, Old Dominion 14

  New quarterback Fernando Mendoza rushed for a touchdown, new running back Roman Hemby added 110 yards on the ground, and the Hoosiers shrugged off a sluggish start for a win over the Monarchs in Bloomington, Ind.

  Indiana's 309 rushing yards were on brand with last year's 11-2 team, and the Hoosiers controlled the ball for 41:28 but managed only one second-half touchdown. Mendoza, who started for California last season, threw for 193 yards on 18-of-31 accuracy and rushed 5 yards for a score.

  Old Dominion quarterback Colton Joseph accounted for most of his team's offense with touchdown runs of 75 and 78 yards. He rushed for 179 yards on 10 carries and completed 11 of 22 passes for 96 yards but was intercepted three times.

  No. 21 Ole Miss 63, Georgia State 7

  Austin Simmons completed 20 of 31 passes for 341 yards and three touchdowns, helping the Rebels rout the Panthers in Oxford, Miss.

  Simmons also threw two interceptions in his first career start, while Kewan Lacy ran for 108 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries. Logan Diggs rushed for 91 yards and a score for the Rebels, who outgained Georgia State 695-260 in total offense in both team's season opener. Harrison Wallace III made five catches for 130 yards and a touchdown.

  Christian Veilleux was 4-of-11 passing for 52 yards, a touchdown and an interception for outmatched Georgia State. Rashad Amos led the Panthers with 68 rushing yards.

  No. 22 Iowa State 55, South Dakota 7

  Rocco Becht completed 19 of 20 passes for 278 yards and three touchdowns, and the Cyclones cruised past the FCS Coyotes in Ames, Iowa.

  Becht set a school record by completing 95 percent of his passes and established another school mark with a TD pass in 20 consecutive games. Benjamin Brahmer caught seven passes for 47 yards and two TDs for Iowa State (2-0), which won its home opener one week after starting the season in Ireland. Kyle Konrardy added two field goals, including a 63-yarder that set a school record.

  Aidan Bouman completed 15 of 29 passes for 126 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for South Dakota (0-1). Bouman was making his return to Ames, where he was a reserve signal-caller for Iowa State before transferring in 2022 to South Dakota to become a starter.

  No. 23 Texas Tech 67, Arkansas Pine-Bluff 7

  Behren Morton threw four touchdown passes before departing in the second quarter with an injury as the Red Raiders routed the Golden Lions in each team's season opener in Lubbock, Texas.

  Morton, who completed 16 of 18 attempts for 201 yards, left the game after linebacker Tayvon Hardwick hit him on the lower right leg and was called for roughing the passer. Morton stayed in for one more play and went to the locker room for treatment. That and a weather delay were the only things to slow down the Red Raiders. The teams agreed to play eight-minute quarters in the second half, but Texas Tech still wound up with 608 total yards and 34 first downs.

  The Golden Lions, an FCS program that plays in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, avoided a shutout with Christian Peters' 7-yard touchdown pass to Ellis Stewart with 6:16 left in the game.

  No. 24 Tennessee 45, Syracuse 26

  Joey Aguilar threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns as the Volunteers topped the Orange at Atlanta in the season opener for both teams.

  Playing his first game for Tennessee, Aguilar was a somewhat erratic 16-of-28 passing but benefited from a dominant rushing attack. The Volunteers averaged 6.2 yards per carry, including a strong performance from Star Thomas, who had 12 carries for 92 yards.

  Yasin Willis had three rushing touchdowns for Syracuse and finished with 91 yards on 23 carries.

  --Field Level Media

Star receiver Ryan Williams exited Alabama's season-opening 31-17 loss Saturday at Florida State in the fourth quarter due to a concussion, according to head coach Kalen DeBoer.

• Williams took a blow to the head after dropping a pass with 6:07 left in the contest. Two Seminoles were in the area and Earl Little Jr. was called for targeting before the ruling was reviewed and subsequently overturned.

  Williams made his way off the field and didn't return to the contest for No. 8 Alabama. DeBoer said the 6-foot sophomore will be evaluated leading up to next week's home game against UL Monroe.

  Williams finished with five receptions for just 30 yards in the shocking loss to a Florida State team coming off a 2-10 campaign. His long gain was 11 yards.

  Williams excelled last season by catching 48 passes for a team-high 865 yards and eight touchdowns. He also rushed for two scores and returned punts for the Crimson Tide.

  --Field Level Media

Arch Manning pointed the finger at himself as his coach criticized outside expectations as No. 1 Texas opened the season with a 14-7 loss at Ohio State on Saturday.

• Manning completed 17 of 30 passes for 170 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

  "Ultimately not good enough," Manning said of his performance, sipping on an orange Gatorade in his postgame news conference. "Obviously, you don't want to start off the season 0-1, and they're a good team, but I thought we beat ourselves a lot and that starts with me. I've got to play better for us to win. I think I beat myself today."

  Manning was shaky from the start and had only 26 passing yards at halftime. He was stuffed at the goal line trying to score in the third quarter.

  "We've gotta have those," Manning said. "And I've gotta make more of a push because that was a big swing in the game."

  All in all, he came up short in his debut as the full-time starter for the Longhorns, but didn't want to talk about injured receivers or excessive turnover on the offensive line from the 2024 College Football Playoff version of Texas.

  As Manning said he hoped he would be able to look back at Saturday's loss as his worst performance of the season, head coach Steve Sarkisian was quick to remind Manning and Texas not to put too much stock in the first chapter of what the Longhorns expect to be a memorable season.

  "For Arch, the expectations were out of control on the outside," he said. "But I'd say let's finish the book before we judge it. This is one chapter, and we've got a long season to go play."

  --Field Level Media

Da'Realyst Clark returned a kickoff 100 yards for a go-ahead touchdown with 5:28 left in the game as Kent State notched a 21-17 home victory over FCS Merrimack to end the nation's longest losing streak at 21 games.

• Clark's return came immediately after Merrimack's Carlton Thai booted a 45-yard field goal to give the Warriors a three-point lead. Thai kicked three field goals.

  The victory was the first for the Golden Flashes since defeating Central Connecticut State 38-10 on Sept. 16, 2023. Kent State lost its final nine games that season and went 0-12 in 2024.

  Dru DeShields and CJ Montes each threw a touchdown pass for Kent State. Cade Wolford had two catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns, including a 79-yard scoring pass from DeShields.

  Ayden Pereira had one scoring throw for Merrimack.

  --Field Level Media

Transfer quarterback Jake Retzlaff will start for Tulane against Northwestern on Saturday, ESPN reported.

• Retzlaff started at BYU last season and was 11-2 but transferred mid-summer rather than face a lengthy suspension for violating the school's honor code.

  He passed for 2,947 yards, throwing 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound quarterback is a redshirt senior.

  Brendan Sullivan, who previously was with both Iowa and Northwestern, will dress, ESPN reported. He had been limited in practice by a foot and ankle injury.

  Retzlaff and Sullivan are two of four transfer quarterbacks on the roster for head coach Jon Sumrall, who is starting his second season with Tulane.

  The Green Wave went 9-5 last season (7-1 American) but lost to Florida 33-8 in the Gasparilla Bowl.

  Northwestern finished the 2024 season with a 4-8 (2-7 Big Ten) record.

  --Field Level Media

Missouri quarterback Sam Horn is sidelined indefinitely and underwent an MRI exam on Friday, one day after sustaining a serious right leg injury during a season-opening victory over Central Arkansas.

• Horn was injured on a quarterback keeper in the first quarter on his first snap of the game. He was later seen sporting crutches and a full-length brace on his leg.

  Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz said Friday that he is waiting to receive more information.

  "It's still a little bit of a wait-and-see game," Drinkwitz told SEC This Morning. "We have an MRI this morning, and then we'll know more on what the diagnosis is and the next step toward recovery. He'll be out an extended period of time."

  The plan was for Horn and Penn State transfer Beau Pribula to share the workload in the 61-6 win over Central Arkansas.

  Drinkwitz said recently he wanted game tape of both players in the opener to dissect before he would name a starting quarterback.

  With Horn hurt, Pribula will move forward as the starter after completing 23 of 28 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns against Central Arkansas. He also rushed for 65 yards and two scores.

  The injury is a blow to Horn, who missed all of last football season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. A right-handed pitcher, he also missed the Missouri baseball season but was chosen in the 2025 draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 17th round.

  Horn subsequently signed with the Dodgers for just less than $500,000 with the club agreeing he would play football this season and then join the Dodgers following the season.

  Missouri's next game is Sept. 6 against visiting Kansas.

  --Field Level Media

Oklahoma State starting quarterback Hauss Hejny broke a bone in his left foot during the Cowboys' season-opening victory over UT Martin and will miss multiple weeks, the university said Friday.

• A redshirt freshman transfer from TCU making his debut for the Cowboys in their 27-7 victory in Stillwater, Hejny had surgery on Friday, multiple media outlets reported.

  "We're proud of the way Hauss played last night and wish him a full and speedy recovery," coach Mike Gundy said in a statement Friday. "I'm thankful for our medical staff and their ability to provide prompt, top-tier care for our team."

  Hejny played the first three offensive series. He was 5-for-10 passing for 96 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown to Gavin Freeman. Hejny also rushed four times for 27 yards, including a 6-yard TD.

  His running ability helped earn him the starting nod for the opener over Zane Flores, who replaced him on Thursday night. Flores went 13 of 20 for 136 yards and rushed three times for a net of eight yards.

  Flores is a redshirt freshman in his third year at Oklahoma State. He did not see action in the 2023 season, then received a medical hardship waiver in 2024 due to a foot injury.

  Oklahoma State visits No. 7 Oregon on Sept. 6.

  --Field Level Media

Wide receiver Emmett Mosley V, who is dealing with an ongoing leg injury, is expected to be available to play but in a limited capacity when the No. 1 Texas Longhorns kick off the season Saturday against No. 3 Ohio State, according to multiple reports Friday.

• Mosley, a sophomore transfer Stanford, is not expected to start or play a significant number of snaps in Saturday's game against the host Buckeyes, ESPN reported Friday.

  Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian told reporters on Wednesday that Mosley has been dealing with the lower leg injury since he arrived in Texas after transferring in April from Stanford, where he caught 48 passes for 525 yards and six touchdowns in his freshman season.

  "We've just tried to be cautious with it. Quite frankly, even going back into July, I didn't want this to linger all season long," Sarkisian said. "So we've been cautious with him. I feel like he's in a really good place right now, which is a positive for us."

  Redshirt freshman Parker Livingstone and true freshman Jaime Ffrench Jr. should see more playing time given Mosley's injury. The former has been taking first-team reps in Mosley's absence, per CBS.

  --Field Level Media

Miami Hurricanes linebacker Adarius Hayes is facing three counts of vehicular homicide from a May crash in Florida that killed a 78-year-old woman and two children.

• Hayes turned himself in to police on Friday in his hometown of Largo, Fla., and was booked into the Pinellas County Jail, according to officials.

  The school said the sophomore has been indefinitely suspended from all athletic-related activities.

  On May 10, police said Hayes was driving a Dodge Durango nearly 80 mph in a 40-mph zone when the SUV collided with a Kia Soul at an intersection.

  Three people in the Kia died from injuries suffered in the collision, including two boys ages four and 10. The children's father, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, also sustained serious injuries.

  According to police, the Kia was making a legal left-hand turn when Hayes' vehicle "made a rapid and dangerous maneuver" and crashed into the car.

  Hayes played in 12 games as a freshman in the 2024 season, primarily on special teams. He had four tackles and one interception. Coming out of Largo High School, he was a four-star prospect in the Class of 2024.

  --Field Level Media

Wisconsin starting quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. is expected to be recovered from a leg injury in 1-2 weeks, a timeline that indicates he will be available to play against Alabama.

• According to multiple reports on Friday, Edwards avoided a major leg injury when he was forced out of his debut Thursday night in a game the Badgers went on to win 17-0 over Miami (Ohio) in Madison, Wis.

  Edwards, who passed for 2,881 yards and 15 touchdowns last season as the starter at Maryland, completed 6 of 13 passes for 68 yards before the injury.

  Multiple trainers tended to Edwards while he was seated on the turf in the second quarter. He eventually walked to the locker room under his own power but didn't return to the game.

  Sophomore Danny O'Neil, a transfer from San Diego State, replaced Edwards. He completed 12 of 19 passes with one touchdown and an interception. He was sacked three times but rushed for 13 yards and a touchdown.

  Wisconsin hosts Middle Tennessee on Sept. 6, then visits No. 8 Alabama on Sept. 13 in a marquee nonconference game before facing Edwards' former team Sept. 20 in Madison.

  --Field Level Media