College football’s first major Saturday of the 2026 season delivered everything from last-second drama to overwhelming victories by some of the highest-ranked teams in the country.
The most competitive games came in Eugene and Ann Arbor, where Oregon and Michigan were pushed deep into the fourth quarter. LSU, meanwhile, turned what looked like one of Saturday’s marquee matchups into a rout against Clemson.
Oregon Survives Boise State, 34-27
No. 2 Oregon received an early warning that the 2026 season may not always come easily.
Boise State jumped ahead at Autzen Stadium and led 17-7 during the second quarter before Oregon gradually took control. The Ducks eventually pulled away for a 34-27 victory, but Boise State stayed within striking distance until the closing minutes.
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore completed 28 of 37 passes for 378 yards and three touchdowns without throwing an interception. Jeremiah McClellan caught six passes for 150 yards and a touchdown, while Dakorien Moore added six receptions for 93 yards and scored the decisive touchdown on a 62-yard reception in the fourth quarter.
Running back Jordon Davison supplied another 90 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.
Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen threw three touchdown passes and no interceptions, helping the Broncos stay tied at 24 late in the third quarter.
After Boise State kicked a field goal to make it 27-27 with 8:49 remaining, Oregon needed only 48 seconds to answer. Moore connected with Dakorien Moore for the 62-yard score that gave the Ducks the lead for good.
Oregon finished with 497 yards of offense compared with Boise State’s 274. The Ducks overcame 10 penalties and a turnover to start the season 1-0.
LSU Crushes Clemson, 51-10
One of the most anticipated games of the opening weekend turned into one of its biggest surprises.
No. 11 LSU overwhelmed Clemson 51-10 at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge in Lane Kiffin’s debut as LSU’s head coach.
The game was delayed for nearly two hours because of lightning, but once play began LSU quickly took control.
The Tigers led 17-3 after the first quarter and 31-3 by halftime. Clemson never seriously threatened after that.
LSU piled up 644 yards of total offense while limiting Clemson to only 145.
Quarterback Sam Leavitt threw for 230 yards and a touchdown while also becoming a major part of LSU’s rushing attack. He ran for 113 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries.
Dilin Jones matched Leavitt’s rushing total with 113 yards and scored twice. Winston Watkins Jr. led LSU’s receivers with seven catches for 110 yards and a touchdown.
LSU’s defense also contributed directly to the scoring. Clemson quarterback Christopher Vizzina threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown in the first quarter, helping LSU turn an early 3-3 game into a rout.
The result gave Kiffin an emphatic opening victory at LSU after an offseason filled with attention and controversy surrounding the program.
Michigan Escapes Western Michigan, 13-12
The wildest finish of the day belonged to No. 16 Michigan.
Western Michigan appeared to have pulled off a stunning upset at Michigan Stadium after taking a 12-7 lead with 38 seconds remaining.
Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood drove the Wolverines down the field and attempted a Hail Mary as time appeared to expire. The pass fell incomplete and the scoreboard showed zeroes.
But officials reviewed the play and determined that one second should remain on the clock.
Michigan received one more chance.
Underwood launched another pass downfield, and JJ Buchanan caught it for a 47-yard touchdown with one second showing, giving Michigan an improbable 13-12 victory.
The finish immediately became controversial because Western Michigan believed the game should already have been over.
Michigan had struggled throughout the night. The Wolverines committed three turnovers and possessed the football for less than 20 minutes. Western Michigan controlled it for more than 40 minutes.
Underwood finished 12 of 22 for 170 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Buchanan accounted for 126 of those yards on six catches.
The victory gave former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham a win in his first game leading Michigan, but it was hardly the comfortable beginning the Wolverines expected against a Mid-American Conference opponent.
Ohio State Cruises Past Ball State, 56-3
No. 1 Ohio State had considerably less trouble.
The Buckeyes dismantled Ball State 56-3 at Ohio Stadium after a brief slow start.
Quarterback Julian Sayin completed 21 of 25 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns before leaving during the third quarter.
Jeremiah Smith immediately reminded the rest of college football why he is considered one of the nation’s best receivers. Smith caught eight passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns, all before halftime.
His first score came on a spectacular 48-yard reception that opened Ohio State’s scoring.
Ohio State eventually accumulated 671 total yards while holding Ball State to just 165. The Buckeyes scored eight touchdowns and did not allow Ball State into the end zone.
The victory was essentially a tune-up for a much larger assignment. Ohio State travels to face No. 5 Texas next Saturday in one of the biggest games on the early-season schedule.
Georgia Opens With 63-3 Rout
No. 3 Georgia wasted almost no time establishing control against Tennessee State.
Nate Frazier scored three rushing touchdowns as the Bulldogs rolled to a 63-3 victory at Sanford Stadium in Athens.
Frazier needed only four carries to accumulate 72 yards. His first touchdown came on a 48-yard run less than two minutes into the game.
Quarterback Gunner Stockton was nearly perfect, completing 15 of 16 passes for 202 yards and three touchdowns.
Georgia led 28-0 after the opening quarter and 35-3 at halftime before continuing to pull away.
The Bulldogs finished with 660 yards of offense while holding Tennessee State to only 109.
The victory extended Georgia’s streak to 13 consecutive season-opening wins.
Texas Rolls Behind Arch Manning
No. 5 Texas opened its season with a 59-7 victory over Texas State in Austin.
Arch Manning completed 20 of 27 passes for 305 yards and four touchdowns, although he also threw one interception.
Ryan Wingo emerged as his leading receiver with seven catches for 121 yards and a touchdown. Cam Coleman caught three passes for 70 yards and scored twice.
Texas led 28-7 at halftime before scoring another 21 unanswered points during the third quarter.
The Longhorns finished with 516 yards of offense and forced three Texas State turnovers.
The comfortable opener now gives Texas one week to prepare for a dramatically tougher opponent. The Longhorns host No. 1 Ohio State next Saturday, setting up an early-season showdown between two national championship contenders.
Alabama Starts Strong Against East Carolina
No. 13 Alabama opened its season with a 48-10 victory over East Carolina at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Quarterback Keelon Russell threw for 256 yards and also led Alabama in rushing with 86 yards and a touchdown.
Daniel Hill scored twice on the ground as Alabama demonstrated a much stronger rushing attack than the one that caused problems for the Crimson Tide last season.
Alabama ran for 227 yards and five touchdowns as a team.
The Crimson Tide led 38-7 at halftime and finished with nearly 500 yards of offense. East Carolina managed only 162 yards and five first downs.
The Pirates were also held to two net rushing yards on 22 attempts and failed on all nine of their third-down opportunities.
Alabama has now won 25 consecutive home openers and extended its home winning streak against nonconference opponents to 89 games.
Indiana Scores 52 in Opener
No. 6 Indiana also began the season with a convincing victory, defeating North Texas 52-16 in Bloomington.
New quarterback Josh Hoover made an immediate impression. He completed 13 of 16 passes for 231 yards and four touchdowns.
Charlie Becker caught two of those touchdown passes, while Turbo Richard scored twice on the ground.
Interestingly, North Texas actually finished with slightly more total yardage, 367-365, but Indiana produced far more explosive scoring plays and did not turn the ball over.
The Hoosiers scored 21 points during the fourth quarter to turn what had been a moderately competitive game into a blowout.
Other Ranked Teams Roll
Several other ranked programs encountered little resistance Saturday.
No. 8 Texas A&M defeated Missouri State 50-0, while No. 14 BYU crushed Utah Tech 63-7.
No. 18 Penn State shut out Marshall 45-0, and No. 20 Tennessee beat Furman 56-9.
No. 22 Iowa opened with a 40-0 victory over Northern Illinois, while No. 12 Texas Tech defeated Abilene Christian 33-10.
No. 23 Houston faced a tougher test but came away with a 33-20 victory over Oregon State.
What Stood Out Saturday
For most of the nation's highest-ranked programs, opening weekend went according to plan. Ohio State, Georgia, Texas, Indiana and Alabama all won comfortably and were able to give backups significant playing time.
Oregon had to work considerably harder.
The Ducks entered the season ranked No. 2 and eventually showed enough offensive firepower to get past Boise State, but the Broncos demonstrated that Oregon still has issues to clean up before Big Ten play begins.
Michigan has even bigger questions.
A one-point home victory over Western Michigan that required a disputed replay decision and a touchdown with one second remaining was hardly the start the Wolverines envisioned.
LSU may have produced the day's strongest statement. Beating Clemson would have been a good opening result under any circumstances. Winning 51-10 while outgaining Clemson 644-145 immediately puts attention on what Kiffin might be able to accomplish during his first season in Baton Rouge.
And next weekend already offers a major test at the very top of the rankings.
No. 1 Ohio State travels to Austin to face No. 5 Texas, providing the first major matchup of the season between teams with serious College Football Playoff and national championship ambitions.