The first Saturday of the 2018 college football season is in the books so let’s look back at the biggest takeaway from every Top 25 team to play so far.
Welcome back, college football. After much of August was dominated by one ugly headline after another, I was ready to watch a full slate of college games until Pac-12 after dark called it a night. The Week 1 schedule featured a few marquee games, especially Washington-Auburn in Atlanta and Notre Dame and Michigan rekindling their rivalry for the first time since 2014. It also gave fans an answer to one of the most frequently asked questions of the offseason: Who will start at quarterback for Alabama?
The Top 25 still has four teams to play with Miami and LSU meeting in AT&T Stadium on Sunday and Florida State hosting Virginia Tech on Labor Day.
But now that the first Saturday is in the books, let’s take a look at the biggest takeaway from every Top 25 team.
Week 1 takeaways for every Top 25 team
1. Alabama – Tua Tagovailoa started at quarterback, as expected, and accounted for 227 yards and a rushing and passing touchdown for the reigning national champions who barely broke a sweat in their 51-14 win over Louisville. Could be Nick Saban’s best offense ever.
2. Clemson – Trevor Lawrence came off the bench to toss three touchdowns on 9-15 passing vs. Furman. The Tigers travel to College Station next week to take on Jimbo Fisher’s Texas A&M Aggies. Kelly Bryant will start for Clemson but I’m most excited to see what Lawrence does against better competition in his second game.
3. Georgia – Last year’s runner-up had a soft opening vs. Austin Peay. They did what they were supposed to do, winning 45-0 but two newcomers had nice debuts. Cal transfer Demetris Robertson had a 72-yard rushing touchdown and freshman quarterback, Justin Fields was 7-of-8 passing with a touchdown and 33 yards on three carries. Like Lawrence at Clemson, look for Fields to be worked in during certain situations, beginning next week vs. South Carolina.
4. Wisconsin – Jonathan Taylor’s Heisman campaign is well underway with 145 yards and two touchdowns running behind an offensive line that could send four starters to the NFL.
5. Ohio State – Ryan Day filled in for the suspended Urban Meyer and oversaw the Buckeyes put up 77 points in the win vs. Oregon State. Dwayne Haskins looks like the next star quarterback in this offense, throwing a record five touchdowns, as he tries to fill the big shoes left behind by J.T. Barrett.