Hangover Helper: Debunking Kalen DeBoer, Arch Manning and 5 myths from Week 1 of CFB

Sunday morning comes quick after a college football Saturday. Whether you tailgated, sat at home or watched your favorite team from the local watering hole, odds are you did something you'll come to regret. For most sports fans, that'll come in the form of takes that belong on a literal wall of shame, rather than just your Twitter feed. Week 1 featured an Arch Manning failure of epic proportions, Alabama coming to a harsh post-Saban realization and our final week with Lee Corso on the College Gameday set. There was plenty to talk about, but also...it's Week 1. One loss means jack in the eyes of the College Football Playoff committee, just as the Heisman winner won't be chosen based off a single performance in late August. Some of us have to learn this lesson the hard way.

The Hangover Helper column is brand new this season, and it's meant to give college football fans a hand. We all deserve do-overs, especially when it comes to judging early-20's athletes early in the season. Just like a 21-year-old Manning will learn from his mistakes, it's time for you (yes, YOU!) to review the film. Trust me, it's not pretty.

The worst takes from Week 1 of college football

1. Florida State is the class of the ACC
2. College GameDay can't recover from losing Lee Corso
3. Avery Johnson is a Heisman contender and saved Kansas State's season
4. Arch Manning is overrated
5. Kalen DeBoer and Alabama are headed for divorce

Florida State is the class of the ACC

Credit where it's due: Thomas Castellanos called his shot long before the season started. Castellanos brought a swagger to Mike Norvell's team that it was missing last season, when the Noles went 2-10. Few pundits (minus Lee Corso, of course) though Florida State could pull off such a victory.

Months prior to their Week 1 matchup, Castellanos told the world that Alabama "don't have Nick Saban to save them. I just don't see them stopping me." It turns out, he might've been ahead of his time (more on that later).

Postgame, Castellanos didn't shy away from his victory lap. "It's one of the reasons why I came here, for moments like these, for days like these," Castellanos said after the game. "We got a long season ahead. Just take it one week at a time, keep grinding."

While Noles fans have a lot to brag about after just one week, they should not forget where they came from. Florida State was embarrassed last season, and it's given them plenty of motivation for the campaign to come, especially once they enter ACC play. However, to declare them a top-10 team after just one game is...a bit much. FSU and Norvell will have plenty of chances to prove their worth, including but not limited to matchups at Miami and at home against Clemson. Let's wait until then before we hand them an ACC title on a platter.

College GameDay can't recover from losing Lee Corso

Lee Corso's final appearance and headgear pick on College GameDay was one for the books. ESPN's broadcast was full of tributes to the godfather of GameDay, and one of the sole reasons college football has the entertainment value it does today. I'd be lying if I said I didn't tear up some.

As we look forward to GamedDay after Corso, a popular opinion among college football fans is a simple one: Where the hell does ESPN go from here? I've thought the same, and it doesn't have an easy answer. Corso was the embodiment of sicko college football fan culture for decades. There is no one-for-one replacement, nor should there be, for an all-time great.

That being said, if any media company can find a way to maintain GameDay's value in life after Corso, it is ESPN and Disney. In fact, they've had years to think about this very reality. I may not love Pat McAfee personally, but I cannot deny that he brings an entertainment value to appease college kids. Nick Saban is the greatest coach in college football history – he can certainly take over X's and O's and perhaps make GameDay a more well-versed product.

The Worldwide Leader will have to pivot without Corso, but GameDay will live on without him. If anything, that speaks volumes of the legacy he leaves behind.

Avery Johnson is a Heisman contender and saved Kansas State's season

Kansas State may have survived on Saturday, but they're in for a world of trouble if they continue playing like this. The Wildcats lost their Week 0 matchup against Iowa State, and very nearly backed that up with a Week 1 disaster against North Dakota. Perhaps the only reason K-State has survived these two weeks within College Football Playoff range is Avery Johnson.

Johnson had five total touchdowns against North Dakota and led a game-winning drive near the end of regulation. He had a fantastic game, and deserves the notoriety typically reserved for (no offense) players who don't play for Kansas State. Yet again, though, I must deliver a sobering reminder: It's Week 1, people! Relax!

As far as Kansas State's CFP chances, they have a long way to go. Johnson admitted that postgame when the Wildcats were forced to confess their football sins to the media.

“If we’re going to play like this every week, we’re not going to be the team that we want to be,” Johnson said afterward, per The Wichita Eagle. “I just went straight up to all the leaders on our offense and on our defense. We have to take accountability for the game we had tonight. It was way too close for comfort.”

From the mouth of the so-called Heisman contender himself, K-State as currently constructed isn't cutting it. Heisman candidacy and team performance don't always go hand-in-hand, but given the Wildcats don't play in the SEC or Big Ten, Johnson would have to lead them to the Playoff to make the most of his early-season award promise.

Arch Manning is overrated

Oh, buddy, where do we start with this one? Don't get me wrong, Manning had a brutal game against Ohio State in the Shoe. In his first real test in a tough environment, Manning was dreadful on throws beyond five yards and only led his team on one scoring drive. The Texas defense held serve and Manning – who is supposed to be an all-world prospect – fell flat on his face. He even admitted he had to be better postgame. No one is disputing that fact.

However, to claim Manning is overrated after one road game against a fellow College Football Playoff contender is ridiculous. Ohio State's defense is one of its strengths. Matt Patricia, while a head coach failure at the NFL level, is more than qualified to coach a college defense. Manning is just 21 years old and deserves more time to prove he's worth the hype.

Texas has a tough remaining schedule, though before they get to the meat of their SEC slate, they get to face easier opponents like UTEP, Sam Houston State and San Jose State. As of this writing, the Longhorns still have four games against ranked opponents remaining in Florida, Oklahoma, Georgia and Texas A&M. If Texas performs as expected, an SEC Championship Game and CFP is in their future as well.

Manning failed his first test, no doubt, but fans ought to treat this like the setback it is rather than an indictment on his potential.

Kalen DeBoer and Alabama are headed for divorce

This tweet has all the bad Week 1 takes, and I applaud them for it, but we're going to focus on Alabama and DeBoer. Following a legend is never easy, as the fear that a Nick Saban-led Crimson Tide team struck in opponents is gone. Saban didn't give a damn, and the few teams he was tested, he was easily able to switch the narrative and grab victory from the jaws of defeat. DeBoer doesn't have that trait just yet, and he certainly doesn't have the same reputation. That's the risk Alabama took when they hired the Washington offensive mastermind in the first place. Despite his success, he was a relative unknown compared to Saban. Frankly, anyone would've been.

Surprisingly enough, Seth Davis (a college basketball analyst) had the most reasonable take after Bama's loss to Florida State on Saturday.

"Kalen DeBoer’s challenges at (Alabama) illustrate yet again how difficult it is to follow a legend like Nick Saban. It also underscores how impressively Jon Scheyer has handled succeeding Coach K at Duke (so far). People who claim inertia is automatic ignore the lessons of history," Davis wrote on X.

Writing DeBoer off this soon is silly. Saban struggled during his first season at Alabama, going just 7-6. DeBoer has time to turn his Alabama career around, but he must do so fast. Saban wasn't replacing, say, Bear Bryant. He had time to install his system and expectations. DeBoer doesn't have that luxury, and Alabama fans are already willing to pay for his buyout.

Alabama's season is far from over. They have one loss against a Florida State program which is likely to be ranked in the next AP top-25. DeBoer must tread carefully, though, as there isn't much margin for error once the SEC season comes around.