Week one of the college football season certainly lived up to the hype with a number of marquee matchups that have heavily influenced the outlook of the top-25. That includes a number of key upsets that have sent shockwaves throughout a handful of top-25 programs. Here is a look at the top five teams whose seasons have already been turned upside down.
#3 Oklahoma Sooners
The biggest story of week one was Houston’s upset of Oklahoma, as the Cougars lived up to lofty preseason expectations with a 33-23 win that keeps them in the conversation as a potential college football playoff team. Houston’s win was impressive, but on the other side of the equation was the major disappointment the Sooners’ fans felt. Coming off a Big 12 title and a playoff appearance, Oklahoma was ranked No. 3 in the country entering this season. However, a brutal missed field goal return for a touchdown provided the spark that the Cougars needed and it swung the momentum of a marquee matchup for week one. The Sooners could still bounce back and challenge for a Big 12 championship but their season has been turned upside down already following the upset loss. They were one of the most disappointing teams in Week 1.
#5 LSU Tigers
LSU football fans could only shake their heads following another disappointing loss as this season began in similar fashion to the way that last season came to an end. A subpar offense was held in check for the most part and it led to a close 16-14 loss to an unranked opponent in Wisconsin. Star running back Leonard Fournette did his part with 6.0 yards per carry while rushing for 131 yards and a touchdown but quarterback Brandon Harris completed just 12-of-21 attempts for 131 yards and a score with two interceptions and the passing game never found its rhythm. Les Miles was already on the hot seat heading in to this season and a disappointing start will put even more pressure on he and his staff. They were one of the most disappointing teams in Week 1.
#9 Tennessee Volunteers
The lone entrant on this list that actually won its opener is Tennessee, but a 20-13 victory over Appalachian State left some major question marks about this team’s potential as a top-25 program. The Vols struggled to get anything going until the second half when they managed to come back from down 10 points to tied the game and force overtime. Tennessee would complete the comeback in the extra frame but it was a little too close for comfort for a team that is expected to contend for an SEC championship this season. Star running back Jalen Hurd was held to 3.9 yards per carry but the bigger concern had to be the passing game, as star quarterback Joshua Dobbs completed just 16-of-29 passes for 192 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Dobbs and the Vols’ vertical passing attack will need to be better going forward and a close call in week one is an obvious red flag.
#16 UCLA Bruins
The Bruins had many experts convinced that they had the potential to be a national championship contender right up until a 31-24 overtime loss to Texas A&M. UCLA did show signs of life with a rally from down two scores in the fourth quarter but couldn’t complete the comeback as they fell in overtime. The loss won’t improve the Pac-12’s overall reputation on a national stage either since they weren’t the only top-25 team from the conference to falter in week one.
Washington State Cougars
The Cougars aren’t a top-25 team but any talk about Washington State’s potential as a darkhorse contender in the Pac-12 this season took a major hit following their lopsided loss to Eastern Washington. The Cougars couldn’t slow down the Eagle offense and in the end it came back to bite them in a high scoring shootout. Washington State opened with a loss to an FCS opponent in Portland State a year ago and then rebounded to finish 9-4 but that won’t make Cougars’ fans feel any better about another brutal loss in Week 1.
