After the college football world got to see every program in action this past weekend, here are the early lessons learned from each debut.

The first week of the college football season is complete and while most programs within the top 25 rankings showed why it should be taken seriously this year, others displayed some early concerns despite weak opponents. 

Teams such as Oregon, Michigan, Clemson and LSU all dropped in the rankings after disappointing efforts to kickoff the 2024-2025 season. With a relatively easy slate awaiting each program during the first half of the year, however, room for improvement still remains. 

Oregon’s struggles left many confused especially if one were to see quarterback Dillon Gabriel’s final statline. The Oklahoma transfer finished with 380 yards passing and two touchdowns, but the Ducks only won by a score of 24-14 against the University of Idaho. 

Coming into the season as the third-ranked team in the Nation, Oregon is now ranked seventh by the Associated Press after a rough first week. Heading into the fourth quarter, Idaho only trailed by a score of 14-7 as well and even trimmed the lead down to 17-14 with less than 10 minutes remaining. 

The Ducks’ defense maintained a strong presence throughout the game, intercepting two passes and holding Idaho to only 217 total yards through the air and on the ground. The Vandals were also 2-12 on third down and averaged 2.5 yards per carry, so perhaps Oregon can use that as a motivating factor after a shaky debut to the year. 

Both sides of the ball will have to fire on all cylinders, though, if the Ducks hope to compete in its new conference this season. After some realignment done by the NCAA in the Spring, Oregon has joined the Big Ten conference with the likes of Ohio State, Penn State, fellow new entrant USC and the fore-mentioned Michigan Wolverines. 

Michigan began its year against Fresno State, opening as heavy favorites and coming off a National Title-winning 2023-2024 season. The Wolverines suffered numerous departures in the offseason, watching as head coach Jim Harbaugh, quarterback JJ McCarthy and other key members of the championship squad left for the NFL. 

Harbaugh joined the Los Angeles Chargers and left behind Sherrone Moore to run the program. Moore won a game against Penn State last season after Harbaugh was suspended by the NCAA for recruiting violations. 

The 30-10 final score would reflect that Michigan handled Fresno State with ease, but spectators noticed the deficiencies that stemmed from such vital losses suffered in the time since claiming the National Championship. Michigan is now ranked 10th in the country, a drop of only one spot from where it began the year. 

Quarterbacks Davis Warren and Alex Orji both failed to look impressive as Orji was used primarily as a runner and Warren went 15/25 for 118 yards passing with one touchdown and interception apiece. The Wolverines held a lead of only 16-10 in the fourth quarter, but following Warren’s lone touchdown pass and an 86-yard pick six by star cornerback Will Johnson, Fresno State found itself down 30-10 in less than two minutes.

In a Big Ten conference that is loaded with talented programs this season, both Michigan and Oregon will have to figure out solutions to the early bumps it was forced to play through during week one. Currently on William Hill sportsbook, Oregon is +210 to win the conference while Michigan is fourth at +800. 

Penn State stands at +400 after a strong performance against West Virginia, while Ohio State is the favorite at +145 after using the transfer portal to its advantage this offseason. Michigan will be tested in week two against Texas, the number three program in the Nation, while Oregon is a 19-point favorite against Boise State for next weekend. 

Clemson faced possibly the toughest test of any team listed here, as the Tigers faced off with the number one ranked Georgia Bulldogs in a neutral site game that happened to take place in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Clemson kept the game close for much of the first half, heading into halftime only down 6-0. In the second half, however, the Tigers were outscored 28-3 and ultimately lost 34-3 in its opening game. Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik was only 18/29 for 142 yards passing and an interception with the Bulldogs also holding Clemson to just 46 yards on the ground. 

Georgia is seen as one of the best programs in the country, though, and are the current favorites to win the National Championship on William Hill at +250. The ACC conference also got off to a rough start outside of Miami, which handled Florida 41-17 in week one, so the Tigers could still bounce back and claim the conference championship by the end of the season. Clemson began the year at 14 in the AP rankings, but are now situated at 25th and needing a victory to remain in the top 25. 

It will have the chance for a “get right” game as the team plays Appalachian State on September 7 at home. With an offense that looked stale and a defense that collapsed once Georgia made halftime adjustments, head coach Dabo Swinney has much to figure out prior to this weekend’s matchup. 

LSU played a close game against USC in the Las Vegas Kickoff Classic, losing 27-20 but only from a final touchdown scored with eight seconds remaining by the Trojans. The Tigers managed to tie the game after a field goal with just under two minutes remaining in the contest, but ultimately left too much time on the clock for USC quarterback Miller Moss and head coach Lincoln Riley. 

While LSU shouldn’t feel overly negative following the close loss, the AP did drop them in the rankings from 13th down to 18th ahead of week two. The program has a string of easier games following its primetime matchup to begin the year, with Nicholls, South Carolina and UCLA next up in the coming weeks.

To stay relevant in the Goliath that is the SEC conference, though, head coach Brian Kelly and the rest of the LSU team will have to figure out what buttons to press sooner rather than later if it desires to keep its title hopes alive for the 2024-2025 season.