Yo, Week 1 college football was a wild ride, and if you watched Michigan, you know their new coach Kyle Whittingham just served up an absolute disaster. We’re talking a miserable 229 total yards and only six points against Western Michigan, even before that controversial finish. This wasn’t just a loss, it was an F-grade showing that has the Wolverines looking like a team that’ll miss a bowl game entirely. Seriously, what happened out there?
Whittingham’s Wolverines Are in a Hole
Man, that Michigan offense under Whittingham was painful to watch. Six points? Only 229 total yards? The defense struggled to get off the field too. This team, which supposedly had high expectations, looked flat out awful. Whittingham’s first game at the helm was a complete train wreck, and that’s before you even factor in the four games against AP top 10 opponents already ahead on their schedule. If *that* version of Michigan keeps showing up, their season is going to be a complete write-off. An F-grade for a debut tells you everything you need to know about the early returns in Ann Arbor.
Kiffin’s LSU Runs Wild, UCLA Shines
Meanwhile, down south, Lane Kiffin showed everyone why LSU brought him to Baton Rouge. His Tigers absolutely *obliterated* Clemson, 51-10! It wasn’t even close. LSU dominated every single phase of the game in spades, but the running attack, led by QB Sam Leavitt and RB Dilin Jones, stood apart. Kiffin’s A+ performance for his debut was worth every penny, every bit of headache he might bring. That dude knows how to get an offense rolling.
Not just Kiffin, Bob Chesney at UCLA also got his Bruins rolling with a dominant 45-24 win over rival California. Chesney has deservedly gotten plenty of plaudits over the offseason, and his team came out guns blazing. UCLA executed and played clean, situational football, and their diversified running game gave California fits, racking up a cool 8.7 yards per carry. Early returns for Chesney are looking absolutely sensational.
Morris’s Cowboys Struggle While Huskies Win Local Battle
On the flip side, Eric Morris and Oklahoma State were a major letdown. Expectations were high for the Cowboys heading into Morris’s first season after importing the core of his North Texas 11-win roster. Instead, Oklahoma State only managed 10 points in a 24-10 loss to Tulsa. Morris himself called it “one of the worst offensive performances he’s ever seen,” and quarterback Drew Mestemaker didn’t even clear 100 yards. Losing to the Golden Hurricane sent Mike Gundy packing just a year ago. That’s a tough start.
And hey, while all that was going down nationally, our own Washington Huskies handled business in a solid 24-10 victory over the Washington State Cougars. Just a little local flavor to round out Week 1!
So, Week 1 gave us some wild swings. Kiffin looks like a genius, Chesney’s got UCLA humming, but Whittingham and Morris? They’ve got some serious work to do, and fast. For Michigan, it feels like the season is on the brink already with those tough matchups ahead. Can they turn it around before things spiral? Week 2 can’t get here fast enough!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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