One Big Question for Each of the Top 10 College Football Games to Watch in Week 1

A full slate is finally on the docket—and Sports Illustrated not only points you to the best matchups of the week but highlights the key storyline in each one.

How will Lane Kiffin fare in his LSU debut this weekend? | Gus Stark/LSU/University Images/Getty Images

There are few better feelings than rolling out of bed on a crisp Saturday morning, stumbling to your couch and proceeding to watch 12 consecutive hours of college football. And folks, we’ve finally gotten to that time of the year: The 2026 season is about to kick into full gear. 

If Week Zero was something of an amuse-bouche before the main course of the college football season, then Week 1 is like a middling appetizer. Like mozzarella sticks—reliably tasty, easy to replicate but not particularly inspiring when you have steak (Texas vs. Ohio State in Week 2) on the way. 

Still, there’s plenty that we could learn right away about a host of contenders this season from Indiana to Oregon to LSU. Which is why Sports Illustrated has come up with one key question to monitor for each of the top 10 matchups in Week 1. Let’s dive in with the defending national champions:

North Texas at No. 6 Indiana

Saturday, noon ET, Fox

Did Curt Cignetti adequately replace the talent Indiana lost this offseason?

Cignetti not only outperformed what pundits, fans and just about everyone on planet Earth thought was possible for him as coach at Indiana, but he also put players on the field who were far more talented than anyone could have predicted. Eight players were selected in the 2026 NFL draft, tied for the seventh most from any one school with Georgia and Penn State, and nine made 53-man rosters this week. Sure, the team embraced Cignetti’s ethos of hard work and not making mistakes, and was perhaps the most disciplined program in the country, but there was also previously overlooked talent that finally got a chance to shine.

Can the Hoosiers replace title-winning QB and No. 1 NFL draft pick Fernando Mendoza and the other talent they lost in the offseason to pull off another miracle? | Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated

Overcoming those departures and quickly filling those gaps will be vital for the Hoosiers to go back to back. Indiana dipped into the transfer portal for a new QB (TCU’s Josh Hoover), another top receiver (Michigan State’s Nick Marsh) and a handful of other spots (OG Joe Brunner, edge Tobi Osunsanmi, RB Turbo Richard and CB A.J. Harris to name a few), but seems to have lost more on paper than it replaced. An opener against a North Texas program that saw a flood of talent follow former coach Eric Morris to Oklahoma State won’t exactly be the real litmus test for how good this Hoosiers team will be—this game shouldn’t be close. However, we should get the chance to see which new Indiana additions or internal risers pop, or if there are any that might not quite be at championship level yet. 

Baylor vs. Auburn (in Atlanta)

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC/Disney+

Can DJ Lagway bounce back from a horrible 2025?

The scholars of the future will study what happened with Lagway, the top quarterback prospect in the class of 2024, in Gainesville. Behind a porous offensive line, he turned the ball over 15 times in 12 games, encapsulated by a five-interception showing in prime time in Baton Rouge against LSU. It didn’t get much better, even with a season-best performance in an upset of Texas, and the writing was on the wall that the Gators needed a complete reset under Jon Sumrall. Out went Lagway, in came Georgia Tech’s Aaron Philo. 

All things considered, landing at Baylor presents Lagway with tremendous opportunity. Sawyer Robertson, last year’s starter for the Bears, threw the third-most passes (504) in the country, and there’s reason to believe Lagway will get a hefty workload to sort out his tendency for turnovers. He’ll also face a far less menacing schedule; Florida played six teams that were ranked in the top nine when they met in 2025. Baylor doesn’t have a single matchup against a preseason AP Top 25 team until Nov. 14 at BYU. Alex Golesh’s revamped Auburn is no slouch, especially in what will be a Tiger-heavy crowd at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, so Lagway will need to show right away if he’s put the mistakes of his past behind him.

Boise State at No. 2 Oregon

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS

What does Dante Moore’s supporting cast look like? And is it better than last year’s?

The annual stay-or-go decision has grown far more complex in recent years with the influx of dollars for NIL and revenue sharing at the college level, so it wasn’t a total shock to see Moore opt for another year at Oregon. He spoke candidly about feeling that he needed to improve in all facets as a quarterback, especially after a 56–22 smackdown at the hands of the national champion Hoosiers abruptly ended his run with the Ducks in last year’s College Football Playoff. With its QB back in the fold, Oregon is firmly among the contenders for a title in the 2026 season. 

Moore has room to improve, to be sure, but I’m far more focused on what the supporting cast around him looks like. Oregon dealt with a depleted receiving corps last season and veteran running back Noah Whittington wasn’t able to play in that blowout against Indiana. In the offseason, the Ducks lost both starting tackles as well as star guard Emmanuel Pregnon and standout tight end Kenyon Sadiq. Senior center Iapani Laloulu is back, but the rest of the line is still unsettled, even though there seems to be plenty of talent for Dan Lanning to play with. Receiver Evan Stewart is also returning from injury after missing all of 2025 with a torn patellar tendon, forming a one-two punch with Dakorien Moore. The defense might look loaded and should be the strength for this team, but whether or not the offensive pieces jell quickly for new OC Drew Mehringer enough is a bit more up in the air. 

Oklahoma State at Tulsa

Saturday, 3:45 p.m. ET, ESPNU

Can Eric Morris and Drew Mestemaker make the leap up to the Power 4?

Of all the offseason coaching moves, none piqued my interest more than Morris taking over after 20 years of Mike Gundy’s mullet in Stillwater, Okla. This is, after all, the man who turned Texas Tech into an offensive juggernaut in the mid-2010s with Davis Webb and a little known three-star recruit named Patrick Mahomes. Next up were stops at Incarnate Word and Washington State, where he developed a future No. 1 pick in Cam Ward. And the latest in his bunch of protégés is Mestemaker, who was the only FBS QB to crack the 4,000-yard mark in 2025 and did so while throwing 34 touchdowns and ranking fourth in efficiency (168.7). 

Mestemaker followed Morris to Stillwater, as did breakout running back Caleb Hawkins, the FBS leader in rushing touchdowns last year. The issue is, this is a complete rebuild for the Pokes. Oklahoma State has 91 new players on the roster, according to the Wall Street Journal, making for one of the most complete overhauls in college football history. Will that pay off for Morris? It’s hard to see that happening immediately in Week 1, Year 1, and Tulsa shouldn’t be a slouch. The Golden Hurricane haven’t been bowl-bound since 2021, but head coach Tre Lamb has the program moving in the right direction with the second-most returning production in the American Conference. It’s not an easy opener for Morris & Co. It is, however, one where Mestemaker and the offense should shine if they fancy turning this train around quickly. 

Quarterback Drew Mestemaker followed coach Eric Morris to Oklahoma State in the offseason. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Clemson at No. 11 LSU

Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC

What will the start of the Lane Kiffin era look like?

Well, well, well, if it isn’t everyone’s favorite college football villain. The Kiffin era in the Bayou begins in prime time against Dabo Swinney, and those two personalities alone make this game worth watching. Swinney already made sure to lob a few pregame salvos from the podium about LSU’s attempts to shoehorn players who were on NFL rosters, like tight end Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, back into the college game before Week 1. From an LSU perspective, what exactly the Tigers look like on the field, after an offseason filled with recruitment drama and over $40 million flying out of the university’s coffers to create a roster, is an open question. 

A healthy Sam Leavitt is an upgrade over Garrett Nussmeier at quarterback, but what the Tigers have lacked the past two seasons is any real explosiveness on offense. The Tigers finished 103rd in points per game in 2025 and 47th in ’24 without many players to really get excited about. Jayce Brown (Kansas State) and Jackson Harris (Hawai’i) should give LSU some pop at receiver and the offensive line has been largely reworked, built around Colorado transfer tackle Jordan Seaton. Ultimately though, it comes down to Kiffin being capable of getting the best out of this group, which he clearly did last season when Ole Miss had one of the best offenses in the country. Drama aside, when Kiffin gets to calling plays on the sideline, his teams are usually lethal. We’ll see if that’s the case once again, starting Saturday. 

UCLA at California

Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Is Cal a real sleeper team in the ACC?

It’s been an underwhelming decade in Berkeley, Calif., with the Golden Bears never quite breaking out of the mediocrity in the Pac-12 and then, over the past two seasons in the ACC. In fact, Cal hasn’t had a winning conference record since 2009 and a third straight bowl game appearance wasn’t enough for Justin Wilcox to hold onto his job. In comes Tosh Lupoi, a standout defensive lineman who helped resurrect the program in the early aughts, culminating with a 10–2 season and top 10 finish in the AP poll in 2004. He arrives after four seasons as the defensive coordinator at Oregon determined to reestablish Cal quickly—and he should have a chance to do so in Year 1. 

There was some attrition out of the program, but Lupoi managed to return 70% of Cal’s offensive production, headlined by burgeoning star quarterback Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele. He’ll be flanked by a handful of transfer additions at the skill positions (Washington RB Adam Mohammed, Ohio WR Chase Hendricks and Rutgers WR Ian Strong), but the biggest question mark that lingers is a reworked offensive line, a unit which allowed 33 sacks in 2025. The real reason to back Cal this season is a favorable schedule that doesn’t feature a matchup against Miami. That said, if we’re to buy into the Golden Bears making a real play at the conference crown, staying competitive—and ideally winning—against Bob Chesney’s revamped Bruins is a must. 

Washington State at No. 17 Washington

Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, NBC

Have the Huskies moved past Demond Williams Jr.’s attempted departure? 

Seattle became the battleground for one of the more bizarre offseason sagas, when Williams entered the transfer portal mere days after signing a contract—in the $4 million range—to continue his career at Washington. He seemed to have a destination in mind, seeing as he had a no-contact tag in the portal, but the Huskies held their ground and 48 hours later he said he would be back with Jedd Fisch’s program this fall. Just another day in modern college football, ladies and gentlemen. 

So are we to believe everything is sunshine and daisies now? What happens if the Huskies, who are over three-touchdown favorites for this year’s Apple Cup, get off to a slow start on Saturday? Or find themselves with two losses through the first half of the season and still have Penn State, Indiana and Oregon on the schedule? Will Williams, who should be one of the best quarterbacks in the country after a season that saw him amass 3,676 total yards and 31 total touchdowns, stay bought into the program? I may be woefully naive and though I’m still very staunchly a defender of Williams as a football player, I need to see this go smoothly on the field before I’m willing to put Washington into the CFP contention conversation. 

Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. attempted to leave the Huskies in the offseason only to return. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

No. 24 Louisville vs. No. 9 Ole Miss

Sunday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC

Has Pete Golding maintained the level established by Lane Kiffin? 

There’s no question that 2025 was a special year for the Rebels. It was a culmination of the Kiffin era with a third straight season of 10-plus wins and the program’s first-ever trip to the CFP. But fortunes change quickly in this era of college football and Kiffin is off to LSU, taking well-regarded offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. and a whole host of talent with him. Breakout quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and star running back Kewan Lacy are back to lead the way for the Rebels, but past that, it’s unclear exactly what this team will look like. 

Hiring an interim coach like Golding to the full-time gig doesn’t pan out as often as it seems like it should. Plus, new offensive coordinator John David Baker may have familiarity with the program and two solid years in the same role at East Carolina, but walking into a team aiming to make the playoff again this season is a tall task. On top of that, the schedule is brutal, with trips to Texas and Oklahoma, paired with an emotional matchup vs. Kiffin and LSU and a November home game against Georgia. Right out of the gates will be difficult against a ranked Louisville team on a neutral field in Nashville. We’ll get an early look to see if Jeff Brohm has something in longtime Ohio State backup Lincoln Kienholz, but we’ll also get to see if this is the same sort of explosive Ole Miss with Golding, not Kiffin, running the show. 

Wisconsin vs. No. 4 Notre Dame

Sunday, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC

How will the Fighting Irish’s offense be different than last year?

Notre Dame may have the best defense in the country with players like cornerback Leonard Moore and edge rusher Boubacar Traore leading a deep group on that side of the ball. The real question that will dictate whether the Irish can actually elevate into the national championship team many think they can become is how the offense adapts to the NFL departures of standout running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. Aneyas Williams is the next man up after 24 carries for 224 yards and five touchdowns last season, and he’ll be well set up for success behind a mostly proven offensive line. But can Notre Dame ride him as much as it did Love?

What we saw out of QB CJ Carr last season impressed and suggested that he could definitely manage a heavier workload in his second year as the starter. But he threw just 293 passes (85th in FBS) compared to the 419 rushing attempts for Notre Dame’s ground game. Will those numbers be flipped in 2026 as the Irish lean into Carr’s talent, even if he struggled against the better teams on the schedule last season? Wisconsin, though more optimistic about its roster this season than in years past under Luke Fickell, won’t have the offense to break down the Irish defense, so this game should be a good test case for Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame OC Mike Denbrock to tinker with their approach. 

Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr showed last season that he can manage an increased workload. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

No. 19 SMU at Florida State

Monday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Can Mike Norvell pass the first real test of the season? 

The Seminoles were among the most uninspiring winners of Week Zero, never being too threatened in a 34–17 win over New Mexico State but not exactly dominating their far lesser opponent either. That doesn’t bode well for Norvell, who needs to do everything possible to cool his seat down, not give excuses for it to get even hotter. Ashton Daniels didn’t stand out (232 total yards, two touchdowns and one interception) and the defense didn’t really dominate along the line or in the secondary. 

Now the more difficult part of the schedule kicks off, beginning with the ACC opener against the Mustangs. SMU is at least in the second tier of the conference behind Miami, with Kevin Jennings boasting ample experience in the Power 4 and the rest of the projected starting lineup on the older side. The Mustangs are also going up against a weaker ACC slate, so this is a team that will be desperate to pad its résumé against name opponents like Florida State and Notre Dame. The Seminoles may have a small advantage with a game already in the rearview, but it’s clear that last week’s performance won’t cut it on Monday night.

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