Week 0 gave us our first opportunity to see several intriguing teams and players in meaningful action, and while I’m not ready to completely rewrite my preseason predictions, there are already a few opinions I’m willing to reconsider. Here are some of the Week 0 overreactions we will look at.
Let’s start with Jackson Arnold.
Can We Give Jackson Arnold a Break?
I’ve defended Arnold before, and his performance in UNLV’s 27-21 loss to Memphis is exactly why.
Arnold completed 25 of 37 passes for 291 yards and two touchdowns while adding 54 rushing yards and another score. UNLV didn’t win, but Arnold certainly didn’t look like someone incapable of playing quarterback at a high level.
I’m not arguing that Arnold is suddenly an elite NFL prospect. My argument has always been that we’ve been incredibly quick to write him off without considering the situations he’s been placed in.
His first year starting at Oklahoma included offensive-line problems, instability on the coaching staff and a receiving corps that was decimated by injuries. Then he transferred to Auburn, which in hindsight was probably the worst possible destination for a quarterback trying to rebuild his career.
Now he’s at UNLV, and maybe we’ll finally get an opportunity to judge Jackson Arnold simply on how he plays football.
After Week 0, I’m certainly not ready to count him out.
USC Won — And I Still Have Questions
Embed from Getty ImagesUSC beat San Jose State 42-26, and I want to be careful about criticizing the Trojans too much. The starters were good.
USC led 35-3 entering the fourth quarter before San Jose State scored 23 points in the final period. That’s why my concern isn’t necessarily USC’s starting defense. It’s the depth behind it.
College Football Playoff teams eventually need those second- and third-string players. Injuries happen. Players get tired. You play physical conference games week after week.
USC absolutely still has playoff potential, but that fourth quarter was enough for me to put a warning light next to the Trojans on my early Playoff Board.
And then there’s the attendance.
USC announced a crowd of 51,144 at the Coliseum. Yes, it was hot. Yes, San Jose State isn’t Ohio State or Notre Dame. I understand all of that.
But if USC wants to be viewed alongside the biggest brands in college football, its fans have to show up like one of the biggest brands in college football.
Pump the Brakes on North Carolina
North Carolina deserves credit for beating TCU 15-10 in Dublin.
It was unquestionably an improvement from what we saw from the Tar Heels last season, particularly defensively. TCU didn’t score over the final 49 minutes of the game. That’s impressive.
But I’m not ready to turn UNC into an ACC contender after one game. To me, this felt just as much like a game TCU failed to win as one North Carolina went out and dominated.
My takeaway isn’t that North Carolina is suddenly great. It’s that North Carolina looks competent again.
Considering where the program was a year ago, that’s meaningful progress. I just want to see considerably more before buying any serious UNC stock.
Virginia Might Be More Than a Good Story
Embed from Getty ImagesHere is one opinion that changed significantly for me Saturday. Virginia deserves our attention.
The Cavaliers didn’t just beat NC State. They dismantled the Wolfpack 34-8 after scoring the game’s first 24 points.
Remember, this is a Virginia program coming off an 11-win season. Maybe it’s time we stopped wondering whether last season was a fluke and started asking a much more interesting question:
Could Virginia actually make the College Football Playoff?
That doesn’t mean I’m predicting it yet. But Virginia doesn’t necessarily have to become one of the five or six best teams in America. If the Cavaliers are capable of getting back to the ACC Championship Game and winning it, there’s a legitimate path into the CFP.
After what we saw against NC State, I’m at least willing to have that conversation.
Two More Teams I’m Buying
Memphis and North Dakota State both earned some early stock purchases from me.
Memphis went into Las Vegas, fell behind UNLV three separate times and ultimately scored the game’s final 13 points to win 27-21. That’s the kind of road victory we might look back on months from now when discussing the race for the highest-ranked conference champion outside the Power Four. Then there’s North Dakota State.
Welcome to the FBS.
The Bison opened their first FBS season by beating Jacksonville State 33-7. Not surviving. Not squeaking out a victory. Dominating.
I’m officially putting a receipt on this one:
North Dakota State will finish the 2026 season ranked in the AP Top 25.
Save it. We’ll revisit it later.
Week 0 Gave Us Evidence — Not Answers
That’s ultimately the most important thing to remember.
One Saturday shouldn’t erase everything we believed throughout the offseason. But it should make us question some things.
Maybe Jackson Arnold deserves another chance.
Maybe USC’s depth deserves scrutiny.
Maybe North Carolina is improving without suddenly becoming great.
And maybe Virginia and North Dakota State are about to become much bigger stories than most college football fans expected.
Week 1 will give us considerably more evidence. For now, the Overreaction Court is officially in session.
What team are you buying stock in before Week 1?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Josh Mahler
Editor/Founder | Game Day Collective
@realJoshMahler
