College Football Begins, Upsets Galore

With the return of college football on Friday, fans around the country were excited for their respective teams as they competed against one another for the first time since the national championship game back in January, 2021. Fans also had a new sense of rejuvenation after COVID-19 restrictions had been lifted considerably, allowing fully vaccinated fans a chance to enjoy the game without the uncomfortableness of a face mask. In an action-packed week 1 of FBS games, the hype did not disappoint.

In the first week of games, six FCS teams upset FBS teams, including Montana’s shocking win over 20th ranked Washington. The FCS is a subdivision lower than the traditional FBS, so it’s rather surprising that quite a few teams of “lower” caliber have managed to defeat some of the top football programs in the country. Other upsets from the FCS included UC Davis sneaking by Tulsa 19-17, and East Tennessee State’s demolition of Vanderbilt, 23-3.

Other teams came inches away from major victories that would have made national headlines. Inspired by efforts to alleviate the damage of Hurricane Ida to New Orleans, unranked university Tulane managed to challenge the #2 ranked college football program in the country, the Oklahoma Sooners. Down 40-22 at the end of the 3rd quarter, the “Green Wave” managed to spark a comeback that was stopped just in time by the Oklahoma defense. A 40-35 nerve-wracking win, OU must play considerably better, including their #1 QB Spencer Rattler, in order to have any chance of making the College Football Playoffs.

Around the nation, Oklahoma State managed to beat FCS team Missouri State 23-16, after some controversial decisions late in the game made by head coach Mike Gundy. All other ranked teams were able to win their games against unranked opponents, except for a few exceptions. #10 ranked UNC, where they were upset by Virginia Tech 17-10. #16 LSU continued their disappointing run after losing to UCLA, 38-27. Teams such as the Florida Gators, Cincinnati, and USC showed strong performances to open up their respective seasons.

#1 team Alabama easily swept by #14 ranked Miami, 44-13. #19 Penn State managed to beat #12 Wisconsin 16-10. Finally, in the biggest matchup of the week, #5 SEC powerhouse Georgia took on last year’s College Football Playoff semi-finalist, #3 Clemson. In an old-school, defensive game, both teams were shut down again and again. It wasn’t until Georgia’s pick-6 (returning an interception for a touchdown) that the game was settled in favor of Georgia. Clemson would lose the game 10-3, in which their playoff hopes were dashed quite expertly by the swarming defense of Georgia. Their win puts them squarely in the heat of a tightly-packed SEC conference, with Alabama and Florida still looming with menace.