Texas CFB Recap: Which college teams are off to the best start after Week 1?

TEXAS, USA — Well here we are: College football is officially back. 

Miss it? I sure did. With all due respect to every other sport out there that we love, it’s the best one out there. Everybody is either 1-0 or they’re not talking about it. 

Let’s get around the great State of Texas and review what happened on the gridiron in the first full week of college football action. 

Is this where the Manning family says its next great product’s struggles were the result of his coaches’ play-calling?

Listen, defense is what Ohio State does better than anything else most year. The Buckeyes tend to give masterclasses on that side of the ball, and they basically made Arch Manning and the Longhorns offense their pupils Saturday at “The Shoe.” The best pro quarterback prospect we’ve ever seen (as those with knowledge refer to Manning as) had a mixed bag as the preseason No. 1 Longhorns fell at Ohio State, 14-7. 

Manning showed some flash here and there, but the tape won’t lie. And the tape shows he threw wide, high, low and behind his receivers against the Buckeyes defense. The game film will tell the tale and I’d expect Arch to rock the learning curve from this game to his next, and the one after that and one after that and so on. 

Side story: I was impressed with the Texas defense. They’ll be Manning’s best friend each week as he gets better and better. Texas is not all out of the CFP picture, not even close, but the offense will need to take immediate steps moving forward. 

That should happen this week with San Jose State in town. It’s their get-right game at just the right time. Thanks, fellas, the Longhorns appreciate you in advance. #HookEm

Hey! Hey! What do you say? Birds up! 

This is what I shared on X two or three days before the game. 

So what’s my point? It looks like UTSA is maybe better than good? 

It’s always easy to overreact after one game, I get it. But they played tough until the Aggies’ physical size finally got the better of them as the third quarter turned into the fourth. 

The Birds looked good in the trenches on both sides of the ball, all things considered. RB Robert Henry went full-on beast mode against the A&M rush attack through the first half and early into the third quarter. QB Owen McCown will need to be better, in his own words, moving forward. 

But the Aggies’ game is over and the schedule is favorable moving forward. So now, cue the home opener this week inside the Alamodome with Texas State. Big game alert!  #BirdsUp

Oh, nothing, just 606 yards of total offense Saturday night at Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos. Texas State rolled to an easy 52-27 win over Eastern Michigan to open their season–a game that resided on a slightly different tier of the opponent difficulty scale compared to what UTSA opened with. Lots easier, in fact. 

Going off what we saw in Aggieland last weekend, it won’t be near as easy for the Bobcats to beat UTSA as when they hung 49 points on the ‘Runners last season. (That was their moment, it felt like.) Former Reagan Rattler and starting QB Brad Jackson makes his gameday return to San Antonio this weekend, leading an offense that rushed for 392 yards against the Eagles in their opener to make his life considerably stress-free. 

Call Saturday’s matchup the Revenge Game for UTSA and the Try To Do It To ‘Em Again Game for the Bobcats. The second part isn’t gonna happen this time. One of two bold predictions from me for this one: Either it’s really close in the fourth quarter or the Roadrunners return the favor of what Texas State inflicted on them last season in San Marcos. 

You know the ‘Cats are well aware of what is on UTSA’s mind. #EatEmUp

Do I think they are all that? No, no I don’t. 

And I mean that with all due respect to both the Aggies and UTSA from over the weekend in College Station. 

The Aggies were favored by three-plus touchdowns and didn’t get full separation until well into the second half. Their run game was, I don’t know, meh, at times. (Credit UTSA for that). And they just didn’t feel or really look that special. (More credit to UTSA.) 

A&M gets Utah State at home in Week 2 before (and they better not look ahead too much) traveling to South Bend to face Notre Dame. Another Big Game Alert! And all that comes before they try to run the SEC gauntlet. Remember: No program overhypes to then underdeliver quite like Aggie Football. We shall see. Stay tuned. #GigEm

Bears Nation, meet SEC speed. 

Auburn left Waco with a two-TD margin of victory Friday night, winning 38-24. The Tigers rushed for 308 yards, on the road! Baylor ran for 64, at home. 

I’ve always like Bears head coach Dave Aranda, but he might be on the hot seat. Maybe he was already was in the minds of BU brass even before their first game. It was only one game, I get that, but if Baylor falls flat this season and say, for example, oh, I don’t know, that UTSA wins eight, nine, 10 or more this season, UTSA Roadrunner fans might need to be worried about Jeff Traylor relocating to the Dr. Pepper Capitol of the World. 

Long way to go, yes, but the front half of Baylor’s upcoming schedule is also heavy with top-25 teams, starting with a road game at SMU next week. Good luck with that. #SicEm

My man Sonny Dykes said it in his network broadcast interview after the clock read zero: His team did feel somewhat disrespected. 

All the talk (understandably) was about Bill Belichick’s debut. But UNC did have 70 new players and not much chemistry with the entire operation with that new car smell. TCU, meanwhile, had nine wins last season and lots of chemistry back for 2025. 

It showed. The Frogs ran the Heels out of their won stadium, to the tune of a 48-14 victory after getting zero pregame love. Cue the party pics in Fort Worth! #GoFrogs

Did you see that “Independence Day”-style ominous cloud that rolled through Lubbock during their season opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff? That was crazy! Like, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”-crazy! 

The Red Raiders were favored by 45 or 50 points. I said something along the lines of, “Why are we still doing this?” And to TTU’s credit, they did cover. 67-7 was the final score after the nearly 90-minute weather delay. Saturday nights in Lubbock, they can be bizarre. 

And it’s another payout game for the Red Raiders this week, welcoming mighty Kent State to the South Plains. Kent State is also 1-0 after surviving, 21-17, in their opener against Merrimack College, whoever that is. #WreckEm

Incarnate Word evened their record at 1-1 with a 31-21 win over Eastern Washington. Starting QB Richard Torres (Southside HS) was much better in his home field debut, completing 27/38 passes for 332 yards and one score.

I’m not sure the Cards offense is the high-octane stuff we’ve seen in the past, but it’s only two weeks in. They get an early season bye this week and extra days to prep for an Alamodome visit against UTSA. 

They’ll need to use all that time wisely. I don’t love this game being played. My head and heart says, right now anyway, that it might get ugly in the favor of the Roadrunners. And that doesn’t do the Cardinals any good, or UTSA, really. But then again, a close game doesn’t do the Roadrunners any real good either. #TheWord

16th-ranked SMU picked right up where they left off last season, handling East Texas A&M by a score of 42-13. The Ponies host Baylor this weekend. 

Houston shut out SFA, 27-0. I’m not sure anyone in H-Town noticed; I doubt they’re even over that NCAA Basketball Championship loss yet. 

And shout it out for U! T! R-G-V! The Vaqueros played their debut college football game in Edinburg and blasted Sul Ross State, 66-0. Former UTSA quarterback Eddie Lee Marburger completed 18 of 19 passes for 365 yards and five TD passes. Congrats, Eddie Lee. Good on you! #RallyTheValley