Week one is officially in the books, and it was a strong start here at the College Football Research Center. By our scheduling system, which counts this opening Saturday as week 1, we finished 6 and 2 on the card. In the ACC, North Carolina ground out a 15 to 10 win over TCU in Dublin. Virginia stunned NC State 34 to 8. Florida State handled New Mexico State 34 to 17, and Stanford outlasted Hawai'i 37 to 27. The American had just one game, but it delivered. Memphis went on the road and beat UNLV 27 to 21, very much in line with our tight game projection. In the Big Ten, USC handled San Jose State 42 to 26, behind a big day from Jayden Maiava and receiver Trent Mosley. In Conference USA, North Dakota State made a statement in its FBS debut, beating Jacksonville State 33 to 7. And in the MAC, Eastern Michigan pulled away in the second quarter to beat Sacramento State 28 to 17. All in all,6 and 2 to start the year. A long season ahead, but a strong opening weekend.

Richard Billingsley

Richard Billingsley

Published Aug 30, 2026