The first week of the 2025 college football season concluded on Monday, Sep. 1, and it did not disappoint. 

The week opened with a shocking statement by the University of South Florida (USF) Bulls in their 34-7 blowout victory over the AP top-25 ranked Boise State University Broncos on Aug. 28. That same night, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Cornhuskers outlasted the University of Cincinnati Bearcats, led by former Louisville head coach Scott Satterfield, with a 20-17 win.

Friday, Aug. 29, continued the spectacular start to the season. The Auburn University Tigers and their transfer quarterback Jackson Arnold took down the Baylor University Bears 38-24. At the same time in Boulder, CO, the Georgia Institute of Technology Yellow Jackets secured a 27-20 win over coach Deion “Primetime” Sanders and the University of Colorado Boulder Buffaloes. Colorado is coming off a 9-4 2024 season led by coach Sanders’ son, Shedeur Sanders, and Heisman Trophy winner, Travis Hunter.

On Saturday, Aug. 30, College Football Gameday legend and former head coach Lee Corso made his final selection as a Gameday host. In his last famed headgear selection, Corso put on the mascot head of the team he expected to win the game that the Gameday crew attended. He chose his beloved Ohio State University Buckeyes. With Corso’s blessing, the #3 ranked Buckeyes took down the Arch Manning led University of Texas at Austin Longhorns, winning 14-7. Manning, Texas quarterback and football’s youngest Manning, threw for 170 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Many Longhorn fans were left disappointed with Manning’s performance.

As Ohio State triumphed over Texas in the noon window, the #24 ranked University of Tennessee Volunteers had a dominant 45-26 victory over the Syracuse University Orange. The Northwestern University Wildcats capitulated to the Tulane University Green Wave 23-3. The afternoon (3 p.m. EST) slate of games was headlined by the Florida State University Seminoles’ stunning upset over the University of Alabama Crimson Tide. In their 31-17 win, the Seminoles, who had gone 2-10 in the 2024 season, ran the football for 236 yards, with quarterback Thomas Castellanos making up 78 of them. In the evening (7 p.m. EST) set of games, the Clemson University Tigers were unable to claw down the Louisiana State University (LSU) Tigers, losing 17-10.

Both of Louisville’s local teams were able to come out victorious in their season openers on Saturday, Aug. 30. The University of Kentucky Wildcats defeated the University of Toledo Rockets in shaky fashion as the Wildcats’ transfer quarterback Zach Calzada completed 10/23 passes for 85 yards and an interception. The University of Louisville Cardinals demolished the Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) Colonels in a 51-17 victory. Louisville’s Heisman-hopeful runningback, Isaac Brown, carried the ball six times for 126 yards and two touchdowns.

Sunday, Aug. 31, featured two games, with the University of South Carolina Gamecocks defeating the Virginia Polytechnic Institutue Hokies in a 24-11 win and the #10 ranked University of Miami Hurricanes taking down the #6 ranked University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish to win 27-24.

The second week will feature many must see games, including Iowa’s matchup against Iowa State, University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) traveling to Lexington to play Kentucky and the #14 ranked University of Michigan Wolverines going head-to-head with the #18 ranked University of Oklahoma Sooners.