Proof that Clemson’s offense has lastly turned a nook should wait not less than one other week.
Dealing with off towards No. 1 Georgia, the No. 14 Tigers cobbled collectively simply 188 yards on 3.6 yards per play in a 34-3 loss. After spending simply two snaps inside opposing territory within the first half — one led to a loss, the opposite in a penalty — Clemson’s solely factors got here on a 26-yard discipline about halfway by means of the third quarter, by which level the Bulldogs had constructed a 13-0 lead. Georgia would reply to the Tigers’ discipline purpose with a landing on the following possession to erase any sense of momentum.
After arising simply in need of the Faculty Soccer Playoff final season, Georgia appears to be like constructed to smother groups on the best way to a 3rd nationwide championship in 4 years. For the Tigers, even quick beneficial properties felt like accomplishments; any lengthy achieve felt like an absolute miracle.
Second-year beginning quarterback Cade Klubnik completed 18 of 29 for 142 yards, simply 4.9 yards per try, with an interception. His receiver corps struggled to get any separation towards the Bulldogs’ secondary whereas Clemson’s offensive entrance didn’t get any motion, leading to simply 46 speeding yards on 23 carries. Total, the efficiency could be surprising had we not seen it time and again these previous three seasons — a crippling run of unrealized manufacturing that has coincided with Clemson’s disappearance from the nationwide stage.
In fact, Georgia goes to do that to groups. The Bulldogs weren’t solely dominant defensively however unsurprisingly efficient on the offensive facet: Carson Beck was 23 of 33 for 278 yards and two scores, kickstarting his Heisman Trophy marketing campaign in type, whereas seven runners mixed for 163 yards and two touchdowns on 6.3 yards per carry.
Even when the Bulldogs are the No. 1 crew within the nation, that Clemson was completely dominated reveals how far the Tigers stand from true title rivalry. When these two groups met in 2021, a 10-3 Georgia win, you could possibly’ve made the case that Clemson was solely a step or two behind the eventual nationwide champs. A number of years later, that hole has widened to miles and miles of what appears to be insurmountable area.
That makes Georgia the most important winner and Clemson the most important loser from Week 1 of the 2024 season. Here is the remainder of the checklist:
Winners
Penn State
The No. 9 Nittany Lions’ new-look offense delivered 457 yards on 7.6 yards per play, led by quarterback Drew Allar’s 216 passing yards and three touchdowns on 13.1 yards per throw, in a 34-12 win at West Virginia. This a fast validation of James Franklin’s determination to rent coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who beforehand labored wonders in the identical place at Kansas. The turning level was a late landing drive to finish the primary half, a 73-yard haul in simply three performs to answer put Penn State in entrance 20-6 on the break. After an prolonged climate delay, the Nittany Lions tacked on a pair of touchdowns within the second half for a convincing street win towards Energy 4 opponent. After one week, the Nittany Lions seem like a really official Massive Ten risk and one of many high contenders for the playoff.
Dylan Raiola
The five-star true freshman kicked off his faculty profession at Nebraska with a bang: Raiola accomplished 19 of 28 throws for 238 yards and two scores with out an interception because the Cornhuskers received began with a breezy 40-7 win at house towards Texas-El Paso. One of many greatest additions of the offseason within the Massive Ten, Raiola is a transparent improve over what Nebraska labored with in Matt Rhule’s first season and one of some the reason why the Cornhuskers are a stylish choose for eight or extra wins.
Tennessee
It is solely Chattanooga, so let’s not get too excited. However the 69-3 win for the No. 15 Tennessee was highlighted by a beautiful 2024 debut for redshirt freshman Nico Iamaleava, a former five-star prospect who received his ft moist in 4 appearances final season. Iamaleava hit on 22 of 28 throws for 314 yards and three touchdowns, together with a 59-yard rating to Dont’e Thornton Jr., earlier than taking a seat for nearly the entire closing two quarters. All however one in every of his 314 yards got here within the first half to set a brand new program report for one half, breaking by one yard the earlier mark set by Tyler Bray towards Troy in 2012.
Ohio State and Texas
These two playoff favorites hit the bottom working. New Ohio State quarterback Will Howard had 246 yards of whole offense and a number of other freshmen made a direct impression because the No. 2 Buckeyes poured it on within the second half to beat Akron 52-6. One rookie, five-star receiver Jeremiah Smith, led Ohio State with six grabs for 92 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman working again James Peoples had 30 yards and a rating in six carries behind co-starters TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, who mixed for 120 yards on 21 touches. Texas rolled previous Colorado State 52-0 behind 545 yards of offense to arrange subsequent week’s big non-conference matchup towards No. 8 Michigan. The win included the primary profession landing move for redshirt freshman Arch Manning, who completed with 95 passing yards.
Ashton Jeanty
Boise State and Georgia Southern performed the wildest sport of Week 1, a back-and-forth shootout that noticed the 2 groups mix for 35 fourth-quarter factors within the Broncos’ 56-45 win. However the day belonged to Boise working again Ashton Jeanty, who was already a dark-horse Heisman contender after working for 1,347 yards with one other 569 yards as a receiver a yr in the past. Jeanty rewrote this system’s single-game report ebook with 267 speeding yards and 6 touchdowns, two off the Bowl Subdivision report of eight in a sport.
Alabama
There was by no means any doubt that No. 5 Alabama would romp over Western Kentucky, so there’s nothing eye-opening concerning the 63-0 closing in coach Kalen DeBoer’s debut. However that is nonetheless an awesome opener for the man tapped to exchange Nick Saban, with all of the strain and a focus that entails. Jalen Milroe and the offense seemed comfy within the Crimson Tide’s new scheme, dropping 42 factors within the first half with three touchdowns of 54 or extra yards. Two touring a mixed 139 yards went to true freshman receiver Ryan Williams, a 17-year-old phenom who reclassified from the 2025 recruiting class to hitch the Tide this season.
Notre Dame
The go-ahead landing drive within the fourth quarter of the 23-13 win at No. 20 Texas A&M was actually great things from No. 7 Notre Dame, which outdoors of that spurt was fairly uninspired on offense (however predictably robust on protection). Duke switch Riley Leonard had 221 yards of offense and was at his finest late, at all times signal. Can he take the bodily toll of the 12 carries on Saturday night time and keep wholesome? That query most likely defines how far the Combating Irish go in 2024. One other good query asks how good the Aggies actually are, and we can’t find out about that for a number of extra weeks. However you will not discover something however good vibes concerning the Irish after this form of win in possibly the hardest street setting within the nation. In different phrases, for those who had been considering 11-1 or so towards this yr’s schedule, this is not shaking your confidence.
Losers
Florida
The clock is ticking on Billy Napier after an unpleasant, hard-to-watch 41-17 loss at house to Miami confirmed simply how far this system has fallen in his third season. In a must-win sport towards a bitter rival, the Gators had been barely aggressive. The schedule was at all times going to be an issue: Florida is slated to play eight ranked groups, together with 5 ranked opponents in a row to shut the common season. Whereas the Hurricanes have clearly taken a step ahead due to additions comparable to new quarterback Cam Ward, who threw for 385 yards and three scores, that the Gators had been whipped within the Swamp is the strongest trace thus far that Napier’s time is numbered and that this yr’s crew may very well be simply the second since 1980 to lose eight or extra video games.
Virginia Tech
On the very least, an additional time loss at Vanderbilt evaporates the entire optimism across the Hokies after a really robust near final season and and instantly tosses the Hokies out of any consideration for the High 25. Down 17-3 at halftime, Tech scrambled again to take the a 27-20 lead earlier than the Commodores tied the sport with below two minutes left in regulation. Whereas not essential within the grander scheme of issues — any street to the playoff has to incorporate an ACC title — falling to the Commodores is the form of loss that may come to outline a season, if not lower a promising yr all the way down to measurement earlier than moving into September.
ACC
Miami may’ve seemed the half, however that consequence was an outlier amid a nasty first step for the ACC. Clemson was blasted by Georgia. Virginia Tech misplaced to Vanderbilt. No. 21 North Carolina State struggled to place away Western Carolina. Every week in the past, No. 10 Florida State received issues began for the ACC with a loss to Georgia Tech. It has been a reasonably terrible begin for the convention, which was already badly shedding a battle of public notion towards the Massive Ten and SEC. Down the road, dangerous losses in non-conference play and sloppy showings from the league’s better of the very best might maintain main sway with the playoff choice committee as they appear by means of a dozen or extra choices from the Energy 4 for the seven at-large bids.
Rice
The Owls have made clear progress below coach Mike Bloomgren, specifically in back-to-back bowl bids heading into this season. Rice continues to be residing on the sides of bowl eligibility. The 2022 crew went 5-7 within the common season however was chosen for the LendingTree Bowl by advantage of this system’s excessive rating within the Tutorial Progress Report. Final yr’s crew went 6-6 earlier than getting blown out by Texas State within the First Responder Bowl. So attending to the six-win cutoff means Rice has to win video games at house towards groups comparable to Sam Houston State, which as a substitute ran for 178 yards, pressured two turnovers and beat the Owls 34-14. The Bearkats went 3-9 final season as transitional FBS members and had been picked fifth within the Convention USA preseason ballot.