**Week 1 Upsets and Surprises** The opening week delivered several notable upsets, with Florida State stunning Alabama 31-17 in a major statement win for the Seminoles. Other significant results included Ohio State defeating Texas 14-7 in a defensive battle, Miami edging Notre Dame 27-24, and South Carolina handling Virginia Tech 24-11. Several ranked teams struggled against lower-division opponents, with Army nearly falling to an FCS school in a 30-27 squeaker, while Northern Illinois pulled off a shocking 19-17 victory over an FCS opponent in what appeared to be a much closer game than expected.
**Dominant Performances and Playoff Implications** Multiple teams made strong opening statements with blowout victories, including Ole Miss crushing Georgia State 63-7, USC demolishing Missouri State 73-13, and BYU shutting out their FCS opponent 69-0. With the expanded 12-team playoff format, early season results like these help establish the initial hierarchy among contenders. The week also saw solid wins from other playoff hopefuls including Georgia over Marshall (45-7), Oregon