We're only one week into the 2023 college football season and have already learned so much about how the season will play out. At least, we think we do after watching a number of wild outcomes, including Colorado football's shocking upset of TCU.
Week 1 is always tricky to evaluate, as it's the first time we've seen these teams in many months. Additionally, the advent of the transfer portal has made it so teams see even more turnover than previously, with some rosters looking completely different from one year to the next. In short, there's still a ton of time for everything to change at any moment.
That said, it's still very fun to completely overreact to just one full week of play. Others have already made their overreactions, so today, we're sharing three of our own.
3. Clemson will have its worst season in over a decade
Clemson has won the ACC in seven of the last eight seasons, and the expectation this year was no different. With a No. 9 preseason ranking, many expected the Tigers to also compete for a College Football Playoff spot.
In the season opener against Duke, though, Clemson looked like a team that doesn't belong anywhere near the playoff race in a humiliating 28-7 loss. Many of the same offensive issues that have plagued the Tigers over the last two seasons were still present, and they had a downright atrocious performance in the red zone with one touchdown in four trips. As time goes on, it seems that Dabo Swinney's refusal to embrace NIL and the transfer portal has caused Clemson to fall from college football's elite.
If the Tigers don't get their act together soon, it could be a very long season. They still have matchups against higher-ranked Florida State, Notre Dame and North Carolina, plus other tricky games against Miami, NC State and South Carolina. The last time Clemson failed to win 10 games was in 2010, when it went 6-7. Barring a major turnaround, it feels like the Tigers' streak of 10-win seasons will come to an end.
2. No Big 12 team will make the College Football Playoff
The Big 12 had a great time over the offseason, officially welcoming in four schools and getting four others to join next year. When the teams took the field this weekend, though, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows anymore.
Big 12 teams combined to go 10-4 this weekend, which doesn't sound that bad, but the context of those losses is important. Texas Tech, seen as a potential dark horse before the season, lost 35-33 to Wyoming in double overtime as a 13-point favorite. TCU, last year's national runner-up, fell 45-42 to future Big 12 member Colorado as a 21-point favorite. Most embarrassing of all, Baylor lost to a completely new Texas State squad as a 26.5-point favorite. Even some of the conference's wins, such as Houston beating UTSA 17-14 and BYU beating Sam Houston State 14-0, weren't that impressive.
The only Big 12 teams to crack this week's AP Top 25 are No. 11 Texas, No. 15 Kansas State and No. 18 Oklahoma. While not exactly breaking news, this week confirmed that there are no truly elite teams in the conference. Although it's very early, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Big 12 get left out of the College Football Playoff.
1. Colorado football will win 9 games
After being the worst team in the Power Five last season, Colorado suddenly became one of the most intriguing teams in college football over the offseason. Of course, that's because the Buffaloes hired Deion Sanders and he dramatically overhauled the roster. Despite Sanders capturing all the headlines, expectations were still pretty low for his team.
However, the Buffaloes proved the doubters wrong on Saturday, at least for one game. Colorado defeated TCU, a team that played for a national championship in January, on the road in an offensive shootout. After entering the game as three-touchdown underdogs, Sanders and the Buffaloes became the biggest story of Week 1 with the upset win.
Colorado's stars were on full display in this game, with some even receiving early Heisman hype. Shedeur Sanders, Deion's son, set a school record with 510 passing yards and four touchdowns in his Buffaloes debut. Dylan Edwards had a quiet game on the ground, but he was a monster as a receiver with 135 yards and three touchdowns on five receptions. Then there's Travis Hunter, who dominated on both sides of the ball with 11 receptions for 119 yards and an interception on defense.
If Colorado can continue playing like that, then a bowl game is the absolute floor. If the Buffaloes can continue improving, maybe they can even reach the nine-win mark. Their tough schedule makes this a very tall order, but Deion Sanders has defied the odds at every turn.
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