Lee Corso’s Farewell, Ohio State’s Statement & Week 1 College Football Takeaways

CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 25: ESPN College Gameday guest picker Danica Patrick and host Lee Corso listen in durning an on air segment prior to a college football game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Wisconsin Badgers on September 25th, 2021 at Solider Field in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Dan Sanger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Posted By: County Sports Network September 1, 2025

🏈 College Football Week 1 Recap & Takeaways

🎓 Lee Corso’s Farewell

  • Corso ended his College GameDay career with a final mascot-picks record of 287–144.
  • On his last day, nearly all his former teams (FSU, Maryland, Navy, Louisville, Indiana, NIU, plus Ohio State’s mascot) won their games.
  • His last pick? Ohio State over Texas — and the Buckeyes delivered.

🌟 Buckeyes Steal the Spotlight

  • No. 3 Ohio State 14, No. 1 Texas 7
    • Buckeyes’ defense was dominant with four 4th-down stops inside their own 10.
    • Offense sputtered (just 3.8 yards per play), but new DC Matt Patricia impressed.
  • QB Watch:
    • Arch Manning (Texas): 17/30, 1 TD, 1 INT — flashes of brilliance mixed with late mistakes.
    • Julian Sayin (OSU): 13/20, 126 yards — solid, hurt by WR drops.

🔥 Superlatives of the Week

  • Revenge of the Noles: Florida State stunned Alabama 31–17, with QB Tommy Castellanos backing up bold pregame talk.
  • Biggest Relief: LSU snapped its streak of Week 1 losses with a gritty 17–10 win at Clemson.
  • Hot Seats in Alabama:
    • Heating Up: Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer after another big loss.
    • Cooling Off: Auburn’s Hugh Freeze with a statement road win over Baylor.
    • Still Toasty: UAB’s Trent Dilfer after shaky defensive play.
  • Trick Play of the Week: New Mexico’s fake tush push in a loss to Michigan.
  • Savviest Move: Tennessee sticking with QB Joey Aguilar, who shined against Syracuse.
  • Worst Playoff Crashout: Boise State’s blowout loss at USF effectively ended CFP hopes.

⚡ Quick Hits

  • Kent State: Snapped a 22-game losing streak with a 100-yard kick return TD by Da’Realyst Clark.
  • Missouri WR Joshua Manning: Stepped up with 53 yards, filling the void left by Luther Burden.
  • Devin Hester Confusion: Two different players named Devin Hester Jr. — neither related to the Hall of Famer.
  • Aggressive Coaching Trend: Teams went for it on 4th-and-4 (or less) 57% of the time — record pace.

🏆 The Final Word

College football’s opening weekend delivered chaos, drama, and classic Corso magic. The Buckeyes are back on top (for now), Alabama is wobbling, and the Noles might really be “back.” If Week 1 is any sign, this season is going to be wild.

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