Beneath, we dissect the winners and losers from an action-packed Week 1.
Winner: LSU Tigers protection | Related Press No. 9 LSU lastly has a protection.
The maligned unit, which allowed 24.3 factors per recreation final season, together with 33.5 per recreation in 4 losses, was sensational in opposition to No. 4 Clemson, holding the reigning ACC champions to 261 yards. LSU, which allowed 140.1 dashing yards per recreation in 2024, held Clemson to 31 yards on 20 carries (1.6 yards per try).
Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik accomplished simply 50 p.c of his go makes an attempt for 230 yards (6.1 yards per try) and an interception whereas being sacked twice.
LSU’s offense has by no means been the issue underneath head coach Brian Kelly, in his fourth season main this system. The protection has. However on Saturday, the unit delivered a efficiency that launched LSU into the nationwide title dialog.
Loser: Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning hype | Farewell, Manning’s Heisman marketing campaign. We hardly knew thee.
Manning entered the season with unreasonable hype for somebody with two profession begins, however his first begin ought to flip that roiling boil right into a modest simmer. The preseason Heisman favourite was 9-of-15 for 38 yards by means of three quarters in opposition to No. 3 Ohio State and completed the sport with 170 yards, one landing and one interception within the 14-7 loss.
It wasn’t the efficiency one would anticipate from a Heisman frontrunner, however completely in line for a quarterback making his first highway begin in opposition to the defending nationwide champions. Regulate expectations accordingly.
Winner: Ohio State Buckeyes defensive coordinator Matt Patricia | Saturday provided some redemption for Patricia, broadly derided by soccer followers for his terrible tenure as head coach Detroit Lions, when he went 13-29-1. And his ill-fated 2022 flip as New England Patriots offensive play caller. And when he was outsmarted as New England Patriots defensive coordinator by former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles and head coach Doug Pederson in Tremendous Bowl LII.
The purpose is, Patricia’s given us a number of materials over time.
However he bought revenge with the Buckeyes’ protection’s phenomenal efficiency, holding Texas to the fewest factors by an AP No. 1-ranked workforce in a regular-season recreation since 1996. (h/t Stathead)
Loser: Northwestern Wildcats sportsmanship (and offense) | It appeared like a wonderfully affordable ask.
Following Northwestern’s 23-3 loss to the Tulane Inexperienced Wave, Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall revealed earlier than the sport, he had requested the Northwestern Wildcats to permit his workforce to put on its conventional highway white jerseys, which Tulane wore in its first recreation following Hurricane Katrina, to mark the twentieth anniversary of the devastating Class 5 storm.
Nevertheless, Northwestern declined the request.
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