Week 1 is wrapping up and we’ve seen plenty of surprise performances — and some room for growth. Texas quarterback Arch Manning showed against Ohio State that there’s room to improve when it comes to his decision-making, accuracy and timing. Meanwhile, Utah‘s new-look offense — with a new offensive coordinator and starting quarterback — showed that it might be the team to beat in a wide-open Big 12 title race.
Can Manning shake off the debut jitters and show that he can shine in the spotlight? Can Utah continue to show out on both sides of the ball?
Our college football experts break down key takeaways from Week 1 performances.
How the CFP committee will evaluate Week 1 performances
The College Football Playoff selection committee is going to continue to use schedule strength to evaluate teams, but that will be balanced with what happens on the field — and that could be a problem for AlabamaTexas and Clemson if they don’t get better in specific areas.
Alabama and Texas lost nonconference games to quality opponents on the road — Alabama at Florida State and Texas at Ohio State — and the committee isn’t going to penalize them for scheduling those blockbuster matchups. The bigger concern is how those teams struggled in the losses. The Tide was beaten physically up front, while Texas sputtered and stuttered in the red zone and was unable to get its downfield passing game going under Arch Manning. LSU‘s defense had its way with Clemson, which was expecting more from a veteran passing game led by Cade Clubnik. These head-to-head results will last and could mean the difference in a first-round home game, a first-round bye or an at-large bid. — Heather Dinich
What happened to Arch Manning?
On his first snap, Manning rolled right and had DeAndre Moore Jr. running wide open on a corner route. Yet in a harbinger of what was to come, he threw the pass straight into the turf.
In one of the most anticipated debuts in recent college football history, Manning completely floundered at the Horseshoe. He was indecisive, inaccurate and looked plain rattled.
According to ESPN Research, Manning was 0-for-5 on passes 5 or more yards downfield over the first three quarters. He also finished with an off-target rate of 37% — the worst game in that department by any Texas quarterback over the past decade. Manning telegraphed one downfield interception with a long windup, and nearly telegraphed another, but officials overturned the tipped pick.
Maybe it was first-game nerves. Maybe it was the hostile environment. Maybe it was just a really bad day.
The rest of the Longhorns, meanwhile, looked championship caliber. The offensive line gave Manning plenty of time to throw. The running backs ran hard between the tackles. The defense kept a conservative Ohio State offense mostly in check.
But Manning must be a whole lot better. Otherwise, Texas’ national championship aspirations will quickly be dashed. — Jake Trotter
Colorado’s philosophical change will take time
I asked Deion Sanders how he felt about coaching his first game for Colorado after bladder replacement/reconstruction surgery this spring, and he didn’t spend much time on his health.
“Felt good,” he said. “I don’t feel good right now, but I felt darn good during the game.”
Sanders was more interested in discussing a season-opening loss that Colorado led early, should have led by more, missed chances to hit on big plays and ultimately couldn’t stop the type of offense in Georgia Tech that the Buffaloes are trying to become. Colorado talked all summer about winning the line of scrimmage and being more physical after the departures of Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunterrecord-setting quarterback Shedeur Sanders and several productive wide receivers.
The Buffs were better in certain areas, namely their run game, which had been the worst in the FBS during Sanders’ tenure. Colorado had 31 attempts for 146 yards and a touchdown, the third-highest total in the Sanders era and the most since having 148 yards last October in a dominant win against Arizona. Sanders is committed to the shift, saying Colorado should have run even more, beginning with new quarterback Kaidon Salter.
“He’s a dual threat, and we want him to be a dual threat,” Sanders said.
Sanders repelled the notion that Colorado’s offense will need time to settle in with its new approach, saying the group had all spring and summer. But it’s clear that without Shedeur Sanders at quarterback, Hunter, LaJohntay Wester and others at receiver, that the shift won’t happen overnight.
Still, it’s good to see Sanders committed to the approach. He also came down hard on a defense that kept Georgia Tech out of the end zone for more than 25 minutes but couldn’t stem long Georgia Tech drives or curtail Haynes King and other ball carriers.
“We got to clean up all that,” Sanders said. “We just got gashed. The quarterback’s looking like a Heisman candidate right now. We made that happen.”
Sanders is seemingly past his health issues. His focus now is figuring out how Colorado can win differently, which might take longer than he wants. — Adam Rittenberg
Cal upgraded at quarterback
When Fernando Mendoza left Cal for Indianait was viewed as a blow for a Cal team that struggled with inconsistency this past season. But in watching the Golden Bears’ opener against Oregon State on Saturday, it didn’t take long to conclude that the Bears have upgraded with true freshman Jaron-Keawei’s fast — and maybe by a significant margin. The highly touted prospect from Hawai’i didn’t finish with an incredible stat line — 20-of-30, 234 yards, 3 touchdowns — but there was something so effortless about his play that made it clear right away he is the real deal.
In his first college snaps, Sagapolutele played with the poise of a veteran, leaving the kind of impression that hasn’t been made by a quarterback making his debut for the Bears since Jared Goff in 2013. When Goff made his debut, it was clear he was special (even in a loss). For Sagapolutele, the vibe is similar.
Sagapolutele’s path to Cal was unorthodox. He committed to Cal in July 2024 before flipping to Oregonenrolling in school and spending about a month with the program before jumping in the portal to head back to Cal. What he proved Saturday was that he was ready to play immediately, an opportunity that wouldn’t have been there in Eugene. And as a result, Cal is a lot more interesting. — Kyle Bonagura
Experience still matters at QB
Quinn Ewers played through an oblique injury and a high ankle sprain this past season at Texas. Steve Sarkisian played Ewers over Arch Manning even in times when Ewers was nowhere close to 100 percent healthy. Why?
Because experience still matters at quarterback.
Watching Manning and Alabama quarterback TY SIMPSON struggle with decision-making in their first road starts clearly drove that point home. Both first-year starters have plenty of arm talent. They’re supported by excellent playcallers and strong supporting casts. There were simply too many moments Saturday when they didn’t know where to throw.
Their decision-making, timing and accuracy on critical downs needed to be better. Simpson completed just one of 10 passes against pressure, per ESPN Research. Manning couldn’t get anything going until the fourth quarter. That’s in no way an indictment of their long-term futures. It’s just the short-term reality check from a valuable stress test.
There’s no better way to sum it up than how Archie Manning put it to ESPN’s Dave Wilson: “He ain’t even pissed a drop yet.”
Ewers was the best bet for a loaded Texas team this past season because he had seen it all over 36 starts and more than 2,200 snaps. He started 19 games against top-25 teams. You can’t fake that kind of veteran experience. Power 4 teams were eager to pay $1.5-2 million this offseason for QBs who had only one season of starting experience because they want to skip past these growing pains and win now.
Simpson and Manning spent a long time watching and learning. Now it’s time to learn all this stuff the hard way, and that’s going to require a little patience. But for these promising young QBs chasing championships, the best way out is always through. — Max Olson
Utah already looks like the team to beat in the Big 12
Maybe this is an overreaction after just one game against a UCLA team that looked lost most of the night, but there was something about the way the Utes stifled the Bruins that felt reminiscent of the Kyle Whittingham teams that won back-to-back Pac-12 championships not so long ago.
With the Cam Rising era behind them and Whittingham embracing the portal a bit more, the Utes seem to have found a potential star in the making in New Mexico transfer quarterback Devon Dampierwho arrived from Albuquerque alongside new offensive coordinator, Jason Beck. The duo’s familiarity with each other immediately paid dividends, as the new-look offense converted 14 of 16 third downs and marched down the field with ease.
Dampier, in particular, was electric at the Rose Bowl, completing 21 of 25 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns while running for 87 yards and another score. Every time he touched the ball, the junior from Phoenix was a must-watch, igniting the Utes’ offense with a kind of zest it has lacked in recent years while Rising was sidelined with injuries.
“He’s a highlight film waiting to happen,” Whittingham said of Dampier.
The typically stout Utah defense under Whittingham and defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley also played its part, holding the Bruins to just 10 points while boasting players such as cornerback Smith Snowden and linebacker Lander Bartonboth of whom moonlighted on offense and scored a touchdown. The Big 12 appears to be, on paper, one of the most wide-open conferences this year. But if the Utes continue to play like this, they might quickly find themselves to be the favorites. — Pairs uggs
