College football is officially back! After a fun opening Saturday for Week 0, there was no shortage of drama on and off the field. Of course, everyone will be playing next week for Week 1, but before we get there, we need to take a look back at the winners and losers across the country from Week 0.
Winners
North Carolina
For a program many thought was going downhill, it was a refreshing win for Bill Belichick and his North Carolina team. After a disastrous 2025 season, it was important to get 2026 started with a nice win.
One could argue that the story was more about TCU, but I have to give credit where credit is due. The simple fact is this: the Tar Heels looked better in a 15-10 win over TCU. How good will they be? That remains to be seen, but all things considered, they should be better this season despite their tough schedule ahead. Maybe Bill finally has things figured out in Chapel Hill.
Virginia
Out of all the teams on this list, there may not have been a more dominating victory than the one Virginia had over NC State. The Cavaliers took down the Wolfpack with ease in their 34-8 win at home.
Quarterback Beau Pribula rushed for over 100 yards and threw two touchdown passes in his debut as the offense put up over 400 yards on the day. Meanwhile, their defense dominated NC State from start to finish, giving up fewer than 10 points and just 168 total yards. It was yet another great start for head coach Tony Elliott, who looks to have this Virginia program back on the map once again.
North Dakota State
Welcome to the big time, North Dakota State! With the Bisons’ big win over Jacksonville State, they were able to get their first victory as a member of the FBS. NDSU rushed for over 200 yards on the day and outscored the Gamecocks 26-0 in the final three quarters.
Meanwhile, their defense was excellent, holding Jacksonville State to 170 yards and zero points in the last 45 minutes of the game. Even though it wasn’t against a top-tier team, it’s always nice to get that first game and win under your belt.
Losers
TCU
What a disappointing Ireland trip for the Horned Frogs. After going back and forth with Curt Cignetti about Josh Hoover, and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram regarding a locker room incident, it feels like TCU was the program in shambles instead of North Carolina.
That’s how it played out on the field too, as TCU’s new-look offense looked awful. Quarterback Jaden Craig had some growing pains and failed to bring any life to the offense. Between drops, mental errors, and poor execution, it was a bad look for Sonny Dykes, who many claim to be on the hot seat entering the year. I know it’s just one game, but that was an embarrassing display of football from TCU.
NC State
Speaking of embarrassing teams, how about NC State? They got annihilated by Virginia on the road in a game that was never even close. Their defense had trouble, but more importantly, their offense looked much worse.
I am not sure how it’s even possible to throw for just 92 yards when you are down by a ton on the scoreboard. And to have just 168 yards of offense on the day is pathetic. Forget about being a middle-of-the-pack ACC team; on Saturday, they looked like a bottom-tier program outside the Power Four.
USC
While the Trojans beat San Jose State with ease, this was more about the crowd there at the Coliseum. It’s opening weekend, and USC is a top 15 team, but you wouldn’t have known it from the poor showing of fans there in Los Angeles.
I have seen more fans at a spring game than I saw for the USC home opener on Saturday. Don’t give me the excuse that it’s hot and the opponent is bad. Plenty of programs outside the top 25 will fill their stadiums regardless of who they play. It’s the opening game of the season, yet USC fans treated it like a waste of their time.
