Arch Manning's backup and 2 more questions we never expected to ask after college football's Week 1

Week 1 doesn't always deliver the most competitive college football slate but the 2025 season delivered early. Marquee matchups littered the air waves, creating opportunities for players and teams to surprise us in the most unexpected ways.

Sure, you should always go into a college football weekend expecting the unexpected. That's why we love the sport. But some things are still bound to catch you off guard. Seriously, we didn't expect to be asking these questions this soon...

Who is Arch Manning's backup?

Saturday was supposed to be Arch Manning's coronation. Instead, he finished the day proverbially wearing no clothes. Manning was 17-of-30 for 170 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He engineered a late drive to pull Texas within seven points late. However, the Longhorns ultimately fell because their quarterback's misses were worse than his makes. A lot worse.

Manning's first attempt was in the dirt at his receiver's feet. It was a sign of things to come. Fittingly, one of his final attempts was behind a receiver with miles of green grass in front of him. Sometimes, QBs take too much of the blame for a team's loss. In this case, I'm content to lay most of it at Arch's feet.

It got so bad that I actually wondered out loud, "Who is Arch Manning's backup?"

It's an absurd question, I know. Manning isn't getting benched any time soon. Certainly not after losing his debut at The Horseshoe against the No. 3 team in the country (Soon to be No. 1). Still, I had to ask.

The answer pretty much delegitimizes the question on its own. Redshirt freshman Trey Owens, A former four-star recruit in the class of 2024 is Manning's backup. He was prolific in Texas high school football, but he's not a threat to push for the starting job. Having said that, Manning needs to throw the ball a whole lot better to avoid the question popping up again.

Was Nico Iamaleava the problem with Tennessee's offense?

During the offseason, if you asked most people who won the Nico Iamaleava-Joey Aguilar trade between Tennessee and UCLA, the answer would have been the Bruins. One was a former five-star recruit. The other was a JUCO product. The Volunteers couldn't possibly be better off without Iamaleava....could they?

The sample size is low, but Aguilar settled many nerves in Knoxville by leading Tennessee to a win over Syracuse. He finished with 247 yards and three touchdowns on 16-of-28 passing. A 73-yard deep bomb proved how he can stretch the field.

It's unfair to compare the two quarterbacks when Iamaleava hasn't had his chance to show what he can do for UCLA, but since when has college football been fair? Regardless of what the Bruin QB manages, Aguilar has made his statement: He's a capable quarterback who will keep Tennessee competitive in the SEC.

Now for the tough question: Was Iamaleava the problem? Tennessee struggled to generate explosive plays last season with Iamaleava. One thing Aguilar seems to have is a better feel for the long ball, even without an NFL-level cannon at his disposal. Sure, he had some rust to shake off, but he also showed good pocket composure and an understanding of Josh Heupel's offense that bodes well for the Vols. After all, he's only had a few months to pick it all up.

It's not that Aguilar is a better quarterback than Iamaleave, full stop. But he might be a better fit for this offense.

Is Florida State a College Football Playoff contender?

Maybe Saturday's result between Alabama and Florida State has more to do with the Crimson Tide's struggles post-Nick Saban, but the Seminoles looked different. Defensively, they dominate the trenches and flew around with swagger. Offensively, Tommy Castellanos backed up some of the boldest trash talk of all time in the offseason.

"They don't have Nick Saban to save them. I just don't see them stopping me," Castellanos said. And they couldn't.

Maybe it's not about missing Nick Saban. Maybe Mike Norvell has figured something out in Tallahassee.

Considering last year's 2-10 record, it's easy to forget that Norvell won 10+ games in 2022 and 2023. They were a Jordan Travis injury away from the College Football Playoff. What if 2024 truly was an aberration?

Florida State is one of 18 teams with a Blue Chip Ratio above 50 percent. That's the minimum threshold for teams who tend to go on to win national titles.

Talking championships is beyond premature here. Still, an FSU that can beat Alabama is one that could roll through their ACC schedule and punch a ticket to the College Football Playoff. They get Miami at home and don't face another tough game until going to Clemson in November. There is a world where the season finale against Florida is for a CFP spot. Who'da thunk it?