College football has never been more unpredictable as the transfer portal and NIL deliver massively transformed rosters. And with that, Week 1 gave us one of the most electric weeks of college football that we've had in years. 

Right off the top, five AP Top 25 teams fell before the end of Week 1, including three in the top 10. Texas became the first preseason No. 1 team to lose its opener since Miami fell to BYU in 1990. 

But even down the board, there were major shakeups. Auburn looked the part of a complete team in a dominant win against Baylor. North Dakota gave Kansas State a tremendous scare. Tulane crushed Big Ten foe Northwestern by three touchdowns. Every game is a moment to be shocked. 

College football rankings: Ohio State, Florida State set for big moves as Texas, Alabama drop in top 25 polls

Chip Patterson

With that said, there were winners and losers across college football. LSU's win over Clemson will factor into the national championship race. Austin Peay's upset of Middle Tennessee is just a tremendous moment for the program. Big or small, here are the stories you need to know. 

Winner: LSU

At long last, Brian Kelly finally won an opener at No. 9 LSU. It couldn't have come at a better time. Under the lights of No. 4 Clemson's Death Valley, LSU stakes its claim. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier helped lead a critical touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to cap off a 14-0 run and win the game. 

LSU invested major money into its defense, especially on the defensive side of the ball. In the biggest moments, the unit showed up. Clemson completed only 50% of its passes and rushed for barely one yard per carry. The biggest moment came on the final play, when -- who else -- Harold Perkins Jr. was sent on a blitz that forced Cade Klubnik into an incompletion. 

After beating Clemson, LSU should seriously enter the AP top 5 and join the list of national championship favorites. If this is the defense we're getting, there's no reason the Tigers can't win it all. 

There was perhaps no way to truly live up to the impossible expectations of Arch Manning, but his first road start left much to be desired. Manning had only 38 yards passing and an interception through the first three quarters

Manning managed to turn things on in the fourth quarter, connecting with receiver Parker Livingstone for a 32-yard touchdown catch and finishing with 170 yards. Still, his performance was marred by baffling inaccuracy, poor decision making and a general lack of meeting the moment. 

During the game, Manning's Heisman odds shifted like they were a cryptocurrency, swinging from +500 to +1300 from throw to throw. Texas is a defensive-led team, but the performance by Manning cost them the game. He will have to quickly regroup and find his confidence before SEC play starts. 

The story of the offseason was the unexpected departure of No. 24 Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava. If Week 1 is any indication, Tennessee might have lucked into a massive improvement. App State transfer Joey Aguilar was sensational, throwing for 247 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-26 win over Syracuse. 

The moment where everything changed was early in the second quarter. Aguilar launched a bomb to Braylon Staley that traveled more than 50 yards through the air for a 73-yard touchdown. The throw was arguably the best that the program has seen since Hendon Hooker left for the NFL in 2022. Vols fans should feel excited. 

Loser: Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer

Replacing Nick Saban was always going to come with complications, but the beginning of Phase 2 DeBoer was a total disaster. The No. 8 Crimson Tide went on the road in Week 1 and laid one of the most shocking eggs of the weekend. Alabama lost 31-17 against the Seminoles, who were coming off of a 2-10 season. 

After the loss, DeBoer's Alabama has now lost four straight games where it was favored by double-digits, a staggering sum. What on paper is the most talented roster in the country was plagued by mental mistakes, softness and miscues. Alabama has quickly become unrecognizable under DeBoer. The question becomes, now what? 

Few players ran their mouths more over the offseason than Castellanos, the Boston College transfer who took over at Florida State. After shocking No. 8 Alabama in a 31-17 decision, Castellanos earned himself a heck of a victory lap. Castellanos was masterful in the win, passing for 152 yards and rushing for 78 yards with a touchdown. His runs were highly effective, with five of his 16 carries directly leading to first downs or touchdowns. Now, Florida State will certainly enter the national conversation and likely return to the AP Top 25 for the first time since the 0-2 start last year. 

Life without Ashton Jeanty was always going to be an adjustment, but the first game of the next era was a colossal dud. The Broncos walked into South Florida and looked completely overmatched in a 34-7 loss at Raymond James Stadium. Boise State struggled to tackle USF quarterback Byrum Brown and finished with only 122 yards rushing. 

But while the performance was disappointing, it was the lack of composure that stood apart. Boise State turned over the ball three times, went 6-of-17 on third down and committed more penalties. The Broncos even outgained USF -- and finished with 10 more first downs -- but mistakes doomed them. 

The one bright spot from this performance is that it was so bad that you can almost throw it out. But in one swoop, Boise State forfeited its place as the Group of Six's premier program. The next four months will be spent trying to climb back. 

Winner: The American

Boise State's rise put more attention on the Mountain West last season, but Week 1 proved that the American still has a case as America's best Group of Six league. South Florida picked up a massive win over Boise State, opening the door for the CFP bid wide open. Tulane obliterated Northwestern 23-3 for a big win. Rice looked resurgent under first-year coach Scott Abell, riding the option to a 14-12 win over Lamar. Even UTSA in a loss to Texas A&M showed real upside to reach the College Football Playoff. 

Army's title defense is on life support after losing to Tarleton State, but several teams proved themselves as contenders for the conference. Memphis, North Texas and Navy will have their shot to add to the list when they finally play quality opponents in the coming week. 

Loser: Bottom of the Big Ten

There's long been a gap between the haves and have-nots of the Big Ten, but the former Big Ten West schools were largely a disaster. Northwestern was the headliner, getting obliterated 23-3 against Tulane. However, Rutgers needed every second to pull off a 34-31 win over Ohio, which featured a first-year coach. As of publication, UCLA is getting walloped by Utah. Minnesota needed a late run to pull away from Buffalo. Nebraska got bailed out by a late interception against a Cincinnati team considered in the bottom tier of the Big 12. Wisconsin only had three points at halftime against Miami (Ohio). 

The Big Ten has been pushing for additional bids in the College Football Playoff. On nights like this, it's easy to see why. For every national championship contender in the conference, there are two schools that struggle against far less monied opponents. Building a quality strength of schedule will only get more difficult for the conference if the middle class continues to underperform. 

Consider this slot an honorary place after No. 22 Iowa State outlasted No. 17 Kansas State in the annual Week 0 Ireland game. However, on a day where many elite programs struggled with ranked FCS opponents, Iowa State's total demolition of FCS No. 5 South Dakota, a 55-7 decision, was very impressive. 

After the defense led the way to a hard-fought 24-21 victory over Kansas State in Week 0, quarterback Rocco Becht got to empty the clip against a solid South Dakota defense. Becht completed 19-of-20 passes for 278 yards and three touchdowns. Tight ends Gabe Burkle and Benjamin Brahmer were especially good, combining for 11 catches for 132 yards and three touchdowns. 

Iowa State coach Matt Campbell was optimistic that this team could actually be an improvement from the one that went 11-3 last year. The early returns are tremendous. 

Winner: FCS upsets

It's not unusual for FCS teams to upset FBS opponents, but the stories from this weekend were notable. 

Coming into the season, Austin Peay had not won a single game against FBS competition since 1987. On Saturday, they snapped that streak, demolishing Middle Tennessee to the tune of 34-14. The Governors held them to 153 total yards and 0-12 on third down. It was a historic win for second-year Govs coach Jeff Faris. 

However, that pales in comparison to Tarleton State. The Texans only moved up to Division I from their longtime homes in Division II during the 2020-21 school year. Coach Todd Whitten, in his 15th year with the program, quickly built them into an FCS power. However, their upset victory over Army -- the 2024 American champ -- is a pivotal moment in the history of the program. Running backs Caleb Lewis and Tre Page III combined for 196 yards and two touchdowns to deliver the incredible win in double-overtime. 

Georgia Tech didn't exactly get off to a masterful start during a 27-20 win over Colorado as the Yellow Jackets turned it over three straight times. However, the bowling ball King rose to the occasion as usual. King exploded for 156 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, including a breakaway 45-yard run with 1:07 remaining to pick up a massive road victory and start a highly anticipated season off with a win. 

King's dad, John, is a legendary high school coach in the state of Texas at Longview High School. Earlier this week, he was diagnosed with cancer, but planned to continue coaching. He wasn't able to be at Haynes' game as he led his state powerhouse to a 41-16 win over Lufkin, but it was a great moment for the family to see Georgia Tech start off strong.