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Week 1 of the highly anticipated 2024 college football season is in the books. After a thrilling opening weekend, some teams highly performed while others left fans wanting more.
The noon slate was dominated by Georgia’s impressive victory over Clemson and Penn State’s gritty road win over West Virginia in a game that was delayed due to weather. In the midday slate, Miami walked all over Florida while Big Ten newcomers Dylan Raiola and Will Howard impressed in their debuts.
All eyes were on Notre Dame in the night slate, as Marcus Freeman delivered a program-defining win over Texas A&M on the road. While most eyes were on the big one, Oregon barely escaped against an FCS opponent in Idaho. We are back with the Week 1 edition of the risers and fallers report, as we will tackle four risers and four fallers across the sport.
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Stock Up
Miami Hurricanes
Not only did Mario Cristobal’s new-look Hurricanes win on the road dominantly, but the rest of the perceived conference contenders sputtered in Week 1. Miami may not play a ranked opponent all season long, making it the clear-cut favorite to bring home an ACC title.
Transfer quarterback Cam Ward looked calm and collected, completing 26-of-35 passes for 385 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. He also scrambled for 33 yards on three carries.
Ward looks to be the most promising quarterback to wear the orange and green since Ken Dorsey. The defense looked much improved from a season ago as well. This team should be headed for a playoff berth.
Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
Tetairoa McMillan silenced any doubters as to whether he was the best receiver in college football or not on Saturday night in the 61-39 win over New Mexico. The 6-foot-5 phenom shattered school records in a 10-catch, 304-yard, four-touchdown performance and was truly impossible to guard. McMillan will likely be the first receiver off of the board in 2025 and could put up a historically great season.
MCMILLAN MANIA 🔥
A STATLINE FOR THE AGES FOR TETAIROA MCMILLAN 👏 pic.twitter.com/BoKfoADP4o
— ESPN (@espn) September 1, 2024
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
Another potential future first-round NFL selection, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty stuffed the box score on Saturday as well in a 56-45 win over Georgia Southern. Jeanty carried the ball 20 times for 267 yards and six touchdowns in the virtually unstoppable performance. He will be in the national spotlight next Saturday night as the Broncos travel to Eugene to play against Oregon.
Penn State Nittany Lions
There were many doubters of this year’s Penn State teams, with the Nittany Lions pegged as a team that could fall victim to an upset in Week 1. James Franklin’s team was dominant in Morgantown, coming away with a 34-12 victory.
The one thing that has held Franklin’s teams back from competing for a national title has always been quarterback play. Drew Allar was particularly impressive in the win and gives Nittany Lion fans plenty to be optimistic about in his second year under center. Allar completed 11-of-17 passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns in the win.
Stock Down
Billy Napier, Florida
Billy Napier had the hottest seat in college football entering Week 1, and it got even hotter after a 41-17 loss on his home turf. The Miami game was a must-win for Florida, who faces one of the toughest schedules in college football history down the stretch of the season.
Poor Billy Napier, can’t even beat a water bottle pic.twitter.com/MP0umUB98G
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) September 1, 2024
Graham Mertz was very unimpressive, the defense got carved, and there is not much to look forward to for Florida fans aside from getting a new coach in place for next season.
ACC
The ACC’s demise started in Week 0 with Florida State’s loss to Georgia Tech as the preseason conference favorites, and it only heated up from there. Clemson got stomped by Georgia, Virginia Tech fell to a feisty Vanderbilt team, and NC State scraped by Western Carolina on Thursday night.
Miami was the only contender that looked impressive, and it would be shocking to see this conference get a second team into the College Football Playoff.
Houston Cougars
The expectations are practically nonexistent for first-year head coach Willie Fritz, but wins will not be easy to come by with the plucky Big 12 schedule ahead for the Cougars. The Week 1 game against UNLV felt like a must-win, but instead, the Cougars were embarrassed on their home field as the only Power 4 team to fall to a non-Power 4 team. Coach Fritz’s first season could be a long one.
Oregon Ducks
Oregon was a preseason favorite to contend for the national title. Week 1’s matchup with FCS-level Idaho was supposed to be a steamrolling, but the Ducks led by three with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
It would be an overreaction to say Oregon is no longer a playoff contender, but, luckily, the slow start came against a lesser Idaho team rather than a tougher team like this week’s opponent in Boise State. The Ducks need to figure it out this week to avoid a potential upset.
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