Week 1 Recap: Florida State Stuns Alabama, Ohio State Tops Texas in Season-Opening Thriller

Previews · by Rick's Picks Editorial Team

The 2025 college football season opened with a slate of games that immediately reshuffled preseason expectations. Multiple ranked teams fell, new quarterbacks made their debuts, and the national championship race got its first shakeup before September even arrived.

The Big Upsets

Florida State 31, No. 8 Alabama 17

The headline of Week 1 belonged to Florida State. The unranked Seminoles marched into the opener and dismantled Alabama, snapping the Crimson Tide's 23-game winning streak in season openers. Transfer QB Tommy Castellanos, who arrived from Boston College, rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown while commanding the offense with poise. Alabama's new-look roster simply couldn't keep up, and the Seminoles' defense forced three turnovers to seal the deal.

This was a statement win for FSU after a brutal 2024 campaign, and it sent an early message: the Seminoles are back in the conversation.

No. 3 Ohio State 14, No. 1 Texas 7

The marquee matchup of Week 1 delivered a defensive slugfest. Ohio State's defense suffocated Arch Manning and the Texas offense, holding the Longhorns to just 7 points. Julian Sayin was efficient under center for the Buckeyes, and their defensive line set the tone early. This game signaled that Ohio State was the team to beat in 2025.

Other Notable Results

No. 10 Miami 27, No. 6 Notre Dame 24 -- Transfer QB Carson Beck connected with freshman WR Malachi Toney on a clutch 28-yard touchdown to lift the Hurricanes over the Irish. This result would become a significant talking point when CFP selections rolled around months later.

No. 9 LSU 17, No. 4 Clemson 10 -- The Tigers from Baton Rouge outdueled the Tigers from Death Valley in a low-scoring affair that saw LSU's defense dominate.

No. 24 Tennessee 45, Syracuse 26 -- Tennessee's offense clicked early and often, rolling past the Orange in a comfortable Week 1 victory.

Kent State 21, Merrimack 17 -- The Golden Flashes snapped the longest losing streak in FBS history as Da'Realyst Clark returned a kickoff for a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Early Analytical Takeaways

The opening week confirmed several of our preseason model projections. Ohio State's defensive metrics graded out as elite from the jump, and Florida State's returning production numbers suggested they were being undervalued by preseason rankings. Our algorithm had flagged the Alabama opener as a potential upset spot based on roster turnover and early-season chemistry concerns.

On the totals side, the Ohio State-Texas matchup going Under was exactly what our weather and defensive efficiency models predicted -- two elite defenses in a neutral-site grind.

Looking Ahead

Week 2 brings another loaded slate. The question now: was Alabama's loss a fluke, or a sign of deeper issues? And can Ohio State maintain its defensive dominance against a softer schedule? We'll have our full Week 2 analysis and predictions up later this week.

All analysis is for entertainment and educational purposes only.

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