AI-assisted summary
• Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos backed up his preseason trash talk, leading the Seminoles to an upset victory over Alabama.
• Lee Corso correctly predicted the outcomes of three marquee games in his final appearance on ‘College GameDay.’
• Preseason hype proved to be misleading, as highly touted teams like Alabama and Texas struggled in Week 1.

Everyone knows talking trash can get you in some hot water. Not only does it cause a stir, but failing to back it up could lead to plenty of criticism.

But turning that trash talk from a prediction to a spoiler? That’s some legendary stuff.

It only took one game for Thomas Castellanos to cement himself in Florida State lore. He couldn’t be stopped by Alabama in the 31-17 upset the Seminoles quarterback said would happen two months ago.

There was a collective groan when Castellanos declared Alabama didn’t ‘have Nick Saban to save them’ and ‘I just don’t see them stopping me.” It was bulletin board material for the Crimson Tide. Even more, Castellanos doubled-down on his words. You wouldn’t blame anyone for expecting a blowout Alabama win and Castellanos to become the meme of the season.

Instead, Castellanos proved Alabama needed Saban to stop him from running for a game-high 78 yards and a touchdown along with 152 yards in the air on just 14 attempts, leading a physical domination over a supposed College Football Playoff contender.

It took guts for Castellanos to back up his trash talk, and he leads the best and worst things we saw in Week 1 of the 2025 season.

Best: Lee Corso goes out with a bang

College football fans rejoiced their beloved game was back, but they also poured love to the retirement of Lee Corso after 38 memorable years on ‘College GameDay.’ There’s no debating his contributions to the sport, and while he has given us several iconic moments, it was clear Corso was reaching the end of his remarkable career.

But he left proving he still got it.

It’s not often greats end their careers with such a high note, but in his final act, Corso reminded everyone he knows ball.

Worst: Preseason hype

It’s practically a guarantee a team with preseason hype will get smacked by reality in Week 1. It’s just a matter of who.

In 2025, that belongs to Arch Manning and Alabama. The Heisman Trophy favorite, Manning struggled against Ohio State with just 38 passing yards through three quarters. He finished with 170 yards in the air but it wasn’t a performance that looked like the next great college quarterback.

Meanwhile, Alabama was believed to be ready to return to the title picture after an up-and-down first year with Kalen DeBoer. Instead, the Crimson Tide didn’t look anything close to a contender, beaten by Florida State team coming off a two-win season. Now, people in Tuscaloosa are already wondering if Saban’s successor was a mistake.

Reality hits you fast.

Best: Tulane makes New Orleans proud

Tulane wanted to recognize the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina by wearing blank green helmets and white jerseys in its home opener, what the team wore in its first game after the devastating hurricane. However, they weren’t able to because Northwestern declined the decision as the road team.

What was supposed to be a nice tribute to their city was denied. The Green Wave responded by dismantling the Wildcats, 23-3, and coach Jon Sumrall made sure everyone knew it fueled the dominant win.

‘When you disrespect the city of New Orleans, that’s what’s going to happen to you. You’re going to run into a team like this that had a chip on their shoulder,’ he said. ‘We might’ve used that for a little motivation to represent the city.’

‘Don’t disrespect the City of New Orleans, ever.’

Worst: Poorly planned ‘neutral’ games

Neutral site games to start the season are pretty good ideas. They provide excitement for teams and fans to travel to fun cities and stadiums while increasing national exposure.

Unless it’s pretty much a road game.

Cincinnati and Syracuse signed themselves up for complete hostility; the Bearcats had to deal with Nebraska fans taking over Arrowhead Stadium − even though it was a ‘home’ game − and the Orange were taken over by Tennessee orange in Atlanta.

Essentially playing true road games, Cincinnati and Syracuse came up short and will probably rethink their future non-conference scheduling strategy.

Worst: The Oregon Duck loses his head

Even the greats have to shake off the offseason rust.

The Oregon Duck is one of the best mascots in sports, but his 2025 debut was rocky. Its head fell off as it made its way onto the field, resulting in a full sprint back to the locker room to protect the identity. A really tough moment from the person in the costume.

It could’ve been a bad omen, but luckily, the football team wasn’t affected with a 59-13 win over Montana State.

Best: Kent State snaps losing streak

The nation’s longest losing streak is no more as Kent State snapped its run of 21 consecutive defeats with a win against Merrimack.

It’s easy to forget how miserable the Golden Flashes have been. The last time they won a game was Sept. 16, 2023. That’s 714 days of waiting. Since Kent State’s last victory, Oregon has won a nation-high 23 games.

The cobwebs of the victory bell finally got to be shaken off. Enjoy it Kent State.

Sure it was a win over an Championship Subdivision team, but not every FBS team can say they won their game against one.

Worst: Losing to FCS teams

Case in point.

Army and Middle Tennessee State, congratulations on paying for a loss. The Black Knights were the first FBS team in 2025 to lose to an FCS team in Tarleton State. A missed field goal stopped them from winning in regulation, and another failed kick doomed them in overtime for a 30-27 loss. Army paid the Texans $250,000 for the game, and it doesn’t look like a great use of government funds.

Middle Tennessee suffered a worse fate. Austin Peay jumped out to a 21-0 lead over the Blue Raiders and won 34-14 for its first win over an FBS team since 1987. It hasn’t been revealed how much Middle Tennessee paid, but getting completing outplayed already cost too much.

At least Kansas State avoided being on this list, barely getting past North Dakota in a game it paid $475,000 for.

• Carson Beck won’t regret transferring from Georgia to Miami. That doesn’t mean Gunner Stockton won’t answer Georgia’s problems.
• Kalen DeBoer faces trouble at Alabama, but not the hot seat. Not yet, at least
• For Notre Dame, it all comes down to Texas A&M.

It’s gotten so bad in Alabama in Kalen DeBoer’s quest to replace Nick Saban, fans are musing about the availability of Georgia Tech’s coach, and talk-show host Paul Finebaum is tweeting his show’s phone number, lest dejected fans require an on-air therapy session.

Is Georgia Tech’s coach also available to call plays for Notre Dame? The Irish are reeling after their play-callers were out to lunch in the season opener, while Carson Beck dined on leprechaun.

Clemson fought for the driver’s seat on the struggle bus, but the Tigers failed that task, too. Alabama already called dibs. At Texas, they’re left rationalizing that it’s only Week 1.

Here are four lingering questions after college football’s first full weekend:

Will Georgia regret losing Carson Beck?

Beck won’t regret transferring from Georgia to Miami. He wisely left Kirby Smart behind in favor of Miami’s superior wide receivers. Dependable big fellas and reliable pass catchers are a quarterback’s best friends.

For Beck, it became notable that Miami receivers didn’t drop a pass, and CJ Daniels turned a would-be interception into a touchdown with the greatest grab you’ll see all season. Notre Dame sacked Beck just once. Allow Beck comfort in the pocket, and he’ll use his big-league arm to dissect a defense.

Beck’s performance in a 27-24 takedown of the Irish became proof positive of the power in a change of scenery – and the value in wide receivers. Georgia led all Power Four teams in dropped passes last season.

Beck missed his Brock Bowers security blanket in 2024, but, more than that, he missed having a target whom he could throw to without worrying the ball would bounce off their hands. Beck compounded the problem by forcing passes that resulted in interceptions. It’s revisionist history to act like Beck wasn’t part of Georgia’s underachievement last year. His slump played a part, but he was far from the only (or biggest) flaw.

Smart, realizing he had a problem, upgraded Georgia’s wide receivers in the offseason, but the collection in Athens still isn’t as good as what Beck will have at Miami.

So, Beck will enjoy his new digs, but will Georgia regret losing Beck? That’s tougher to answer.

Gunner Stockton, Beck’s successor, lacks Beck’s howitzer, but he’s no noodle-armed quarterback. He’s a veteran blue-chipper. Stockton fared well in Georgia’s smashing of Marshall, but there’s little to glean from playing what Smart aptly described as an “overmatched” opponent.

Still, I couldn’t help but notice Stockton score on a pair of read-option runs.

Georgia’s offense never looked better than it did while possessing dual-threat veteran Stetson Bennett IV in its 2022 national championship season. Bennett could improvise and extend plays with his legs. He became the epitome of a gamer. Georgia rallied around him.

Stockton seems popular inside Georgia’s locker room, and teams that lack receivers like Miami’s Daniels and Malachi Toney benefit from mobile quarterbacks. Stockton’s running abilities give Georgia a callback to Bennett.

Is Kalen DeBoer on the hot seat?

No. Not yet, anyway. He’s on an uncomfortable seat. Rightfully so. Alabama’s defense lacked none of its vintage ferocity in a season-opening loss to Florida State. You could’ve made a similar assessment after last year’s losses to Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma.

The drop-off of Alabama’s defense didn’t begin under DeBoer. That started at the end of the Nick Saban era, but the problem’s worsened.

DeBoer is protected by a whopper buyout, and the fact that athletic departments now need money to pay athletes. He’s also got five-star freshman quarterback Keelon Russell waiting in reserve. He might want to consider tapping that reserve sooner than later.

For now, DeBoer’s facing heat, but not the firing squad. Ask me again if Alabama loses to Louisiana-Monroe.

Should Texas or Clemson be more concerned?

Texas. Why? Because Clemson’s game against LSU equated to a free swing.

Georgia smashed Clemson last season, and the Tigers still made the College Football Playoff. Clemson’s neatest path to the playoff remains winning the ACC, though Florida State, Miami, Louisville and SMU will make that an obstructed path.

Clemson’s vaunted defensive line will shine within the ACC.

For Texas, the Horseshoe won’t be the only difficult environment it faces. Two of its toughest remaining games, against Georgia and Florida, will be on the road, in addition to a neutral-site game against Oklahoma and home game against Texas A&M. Arch Manning has yet to prove he can diffuse landmines such as those.

It’s not time to panic about Manning or this Texas offense, but it’s also not irrational to be concerned after a clunker in Columbus.

Does Notre Dame’s season hinge on Week 2?

Consider the Irish’s next game – they’ll host Texas A&M – a matchup with win-or-bust consequences.

Notre Dame scheduled its toughest games in the season’s first two weeks, and it’s reasonable to think the Irish need to go 1-1 in those games to build a playoff résumé.

Pinning at-large playoff credentials to opponents like Purdue, Stanford and Syracuse is a bootless errand. The Irish need to beat the Aggies to avoid falling from the playoff picture by Week 3.

The good news for Notre Dame? CJ Carr showed promise against Miami in his first career start. The game plan became a problem. That can be addressed. Start by remembering the existence of Jeremiyah Love.

Texas A&M’s run defense showed vulnerability in a Week 1 triumph against Texas-San Antonio.

Beating Texas A&M buoyed Notre Dame a year ago, even after the Irish lost to Northern Illinois. A year later, the Aggies could sink Notre Dame.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

NEW YORK — The last time Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka met at the US Open six years ago, the emotions for a then-15-year-old Gauff were overwhelming, with her bursting into tears at the end of the 6-3, 6-0 third-round defeat.

It was Gauff’s first appearance on the big stage of Arthur Ashe Stadium, but on Monday, a resurgent Osaka was the one fighting back tears. The No. 23 seed again got the best of her fellow former US Open champion and someone she affectionately calls her ‘little sister,’ advancing to the quarterfinals with a rather efficient 6-3, 6-2 victory in front of a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sept. 1, 2025.

Gauff’s issues from earlier matches in the tournament reared their ugly head again, with a flurry of unforced errors and double faults, putting her down early as Osaka, a two-time winner at Flushing Meadows, sat back, waited patiently to capitalize on every mistake, and worked her forehand to win points along the baseline.

The problems started early, as Gauff, the No. 3 seed, was broken on her initial serve. Then, serving to stay in the first set, she started off with an ace but faltered, double-faulting twice, the last one giving Osaka the set.

Gauff was serving to stay in the match, and held a 40-15 lead, only to suffer another meltdown, and Osaka celebrated her victory when Gauff’s return of her effective forehand return hit the net.

It is the fifth time Osaka has reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal, and she has gone on to win that title each time. She also advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time since the 2021 Australian Open, the last of her four Grand Slam titles.

“I’m a little sensitive and I don’t want to cry, but I had so much fun out here,’ Osaka said in a post-match interview. ‘I was in the stands two months after I gave birth to my daughter, watching Coco. I really wanted an opportunity to come out here and play. This is my favorite court in the world. It means so much to me to be back here. ‘

“I look up to her. The way she conducts herself is really special. To be such an amazing role model at such a young age, it’s a gift. I have all the respect in the world for her.’

Osaka’s quarterfinal opponent will be No. 11 seed Karolína Muchová, a 6-3, 6-7 (0-7), 6-3 winner over No. 27 seed Marta Kostyuk.

USA TODAY had full coverage of the match between Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff. Scroll below for a recap and highlights:

Osaka seems primed for victory

Two games away from victory, Osaka has played a steady match so far, limiting her mistakes and capitalizing on opportunities when Gauff’s game has gone astray. In the sixth game, Gauff again couldn’t get together and was broken, giving Osaka a 4-2 advantage.

Osaka takes the first set

Naomi Osaka is halfway home, a set away from the quarterfinals, winning the first set 6-3, as Gauff double-faulted and is broken on her service game to stay in the set. Gauff had 14 unforced errors in the set.

Gauff having issues with errors

Naomi Osaka is continuing to put the pressure on Gauff, and continues to be up a break at 4-2; Gauff, at times, is having trouble returning Osaka’s serve, and several rallies have ended up in the net for unforced errors

Osaka takes two-game lead over Gauff

Osaka is in control in the early part of the match, as Gauff was broken on her serve and Osaka powered through with a clean sweep of games, thanks to several enforced errors by the 2023 U.S. Open champion.

Packed house for Gauff vs. Osaka

It is more than 20,000 strong at Arthur Ashe Stadium for the sixth meeting between Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka. Gauff leads the head-to-head matchup 3-2, including victories in the last two meetings (2022 San Jose and 2024 Beijing).

Osaka’s first win over Gauff came at the 2019 US Open in the third round, with Gauff winning the next time they met at a Grand Slam, a third-round victory at the 2020 Australian Open.

What time is Gauff vs Osaka from the US Open?

The Round of 16 match between No. 3 seed Coco Gauff and No. 23 seed Naomi Osaka is the second match in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday, Sept. 1. It will take place immediately following the match between No. 25 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and No. 15 seed Andrey Rublev, which is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. ET.

Gauff and Osaka are likely to begin play in the early afternoon on Monday.

How to watch Osaka vs. Gauff

No. 23 seed Naomi Osaka will face No. 3 seed Coco Gauff in a U.S. Open women’s singles fourth-round matchup on Monday, Sept. 1, on ESPN.

• Date: Monday, Sept. 1
• Time: TBD, early afternoon ET
• TV channel: ESPN
• Streaming: ESPN+ and Fubo (free trial)

Watch the US Open with Fubo

How to watch all the 2025 US Open action: Dates, TV, streaming

• Dates: Sunday, Aug. 24-Sunday, Sept. 7
• Location: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center (New York)
• TV channels: ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes (Spanish language)
• Streaming: ESPN+ and Fubo (free trial)

Luis Suarez appeared to spit on an opposing team’s staff member, while Sergio Busquets punched an opposing player in a postgame scuffle, following Inter Miami’s 3-0 loss to the Seattle Sounders in the 2025 Leagues Cup final on Sunday, Aug. 31.

Suarez, 38, aggressively put his left arm around the back of the neck of 20-year-old Seattle Sounders player Obed Vargas after the final whistle was blown.

Seattle defender Yéimar Gomez Andrade, 33, helped disengage Suarez from Vargas, who began celebrating the Leagues Cup victory with 21-year-old teammate Cody Baker in front of him before Busquets, 37, landed a punch on Vargas’s chin.

Vargas flopped onto the pitch as Baker engaged in a heated exchange with Busquets after the punch.

Inter Miami defenders Marcelo Weigandt (25 years old) and Tomás Avilés (21 years old) — who did not play in the final — also appeared to physically engage with Seattle defender Jackson Ragen, 26, during the scuffle.

The brief, but ugly sequence following the match ended with Suarez appearing to bump and spit on a Seattle staff member. USA TODAY Sports reached out to Seattle and Leagues Cup officials to identify the person, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.

“Unfortunately, that is going to take some of the attention away from what was a great Sounder performance,” longtime Seattle coach Brian Schmetzer said of the incident during his press conference after the match.

“So, I can take that as a compliment, that their players were frustrated, and frustrations led to some things that shouldn’t happen on the field, but that shouldn’t be the story. I’m going to shut that down.”

Tensions were tempered as both clubs remained on the pitch for the postgame trophy celebration.

Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said he was far from the incident during his postgame interview.

“Clearly, none of us like to see this kind of behavior at the end of the game. Also, when there’s a reaction, it could be that there was provocation. But I’m not going to comment because I don’t know what happened,” Mascherano said after the loss.

Schmetzer was complimentary of Inter Miami after the match, saying he had a quiet moment with star Lionel Messi on the pitch.

“I said ‘Lo siento’ (I’m sorry), and we talked, and we tried to push it aside,” Schmetzer said of his interaction with Messi.

Schmetzer also said Inter Miami co-owner Sir David Beckham waited in the tunnel after the match to shake the hands of the Seattle players. They also shared a conversation before the match.

“That is class through and through,” Schmetzer said of Beckham.

Schmetzer also praised Mascherano and Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas after his conversations with them before the final.

“Those are people that have been at the highest levels of our sport giving our team compliments, and that’s the story,” Schmetzer said. “That’s the story.”

Osaze De Rosario (26’), Álex Roldán (84’) and Seattle native Paul Rothrock (89’) scored for the Sounders in the victory over Messi and Inter Miami.

Both clubs will meet again during an MLS regular-season match at Inter Miami on Sept. 16.

Taylor Fritz is moving on to the US Open quarterfinals.

The No. 4 seed remains as the last American competing in the men’s singles tournament.

The 27-year-old earned a decisive victory over No. 21-seed Tomáš Macháč of Czechia, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, in the fourth round on Sunday, Aug. 31 at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York.

As a result of the victory, Fritz has now won 25 of his last 30 matches, the most of any player on the men’s tour since the conclusion of the French Open in early June.

Fritz will play the winner of Novak Djokovic or German Jan-Lennard Struff.

Fritz finds himself just two wins away from reaching the US Open finals for a second straight year. He finished as the 2024 runner-up behind Jannik Sinner. Sinner also remains in the tournament and will have an opportunity to qualify for the quarterfinals on Monday.

This will be the sixth consecutive Grand Slam event to feature at least one American male in the quarterfinal round. That is the longest such streak since another run of six straight events from the 2002 US Open to the 2004 Australian Open, according to ESPN.

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• Alabama had no Nick Saban to save it, no ferocity and none of that ‘hard edge’ – whatever that means – that we heard about in the preseason.
• Alabama’s fearsome defense is nothing but a memory.
• Thomas Castellanos can talk all the trash he wants after backing up comments about Alabama.

Thomas Castellanos stands 5 feet, 11 inches tall, but he’s planted atop a mile of moxie. From that perch, the Florida State quarterback boldly boasted this summer that the Alabama Crimson Tide don’t have Nick Saban to ‘save them’ anymore, and that Alabama’s defense didn’t stand a chance of stopping him.

He told no lies. In fact, he might have undersold it. 

Alabama had no Saban, no ferocity and none of that ‘hard edge’ – whatever that means – that we heard about in the preseason.

Castellanos and his companions made minced meat of a defense Saban once made the most feared in the land. 

I thought Castellanos had been wrong to poke the bear, but I was wrong. The bear doesn’t reside in Tuscaloosa anymore. What’s left is a 31-17 loser to Florida State.

‘There’s no excuse about what happened,’ Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said.

Truly, there isn’t any excusing this. Under DeBoer, Alabama has become a team you can talk trash to and get away with it.

I’m not prepared to author the eulogy to DeBoer’s Alabama coaching tenure, but there’s no polishing his first 14 games as Saban’s heir, either. 

The backslide in Alabama’s defense that started at the end of the Saban era slipped into freefall in this season opener.

Saban said on ‘College GameDay’ a few hours before kickoff that he sensed ‘a different culture’ within Alabama’s team after last year’s disappointing debut under DeBoer. His praise turned out to be fluff from a TV bobblehead.

Castellanos is right: This isn’t a fearsome Alabama defense of the Saban heyday – certainly not at the line of scrimmage.

I could underscore that DeBoer lost to a team that won two games last year, less than 11 months after he lost to Vanderbilt. But, FSU’s 2024 record isn’t particularly relevant. The Seminoles live and die by the transfer portal. Two years ago, they struck it big. Last year, they whiffed. Part of the miss came in choosing DJ Uiagalelei as quarterback.

Castellanos corrected that problem. The Boston College transfer led the team in rushing, and he made his nine completions count.

New Florida State offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn reprised his role as the boogeyman who spooks ‘Bama.

You need more evidence that the Alabama brutality present at the peak of Saban’s prime is long gone? There’s this: Florida State outrushed Alabama 230 to 74, and the Seminoles had more than twice as many tackles for loss. 

There was a theory around Alabama throughout the offseason that the team could improve without new starting quarterback Ty Simpson being a superstar in the mold of Bryce Young or Tua Tagovailoa.

Make good decisions, avoid mistakes, put the ball on the money more times than not, and let the supporting cast take care of the rest.

That logic hinges on Simpson enjoying an excellent supporting cast.

We got a look at his supporting cast in Tallahassee. Florida State’s is better. So is its quarterback.

There’s no bear left to fear at Alabama. Just some cuddly defense that couldn’t stop a 5-foot-11 transfer quarterback from Boston College.

Here’s what else I’m eyeing after the season’s first full Saturday:

ACC pecking order needs to be reworked?

So, is Florida State the ACC favorite, after its upset victory and after Clemson failed to muster a punch in a 17-10 loss to LSU? Let’s hold off on that judgment until we see No. 10 Miami play No. 5 Notre Dame.

If you picked unranked Florida State as your playoff sleeper, you’re looking mighty wise about now, but the schedule houses more landmines. The Seminoles will host Miami, play at Clemson and play at Florida.

At the very least, it’s a three-horse race in the ACC.

Nay, a four-horse race, because I’ll add Louisville to the mix of Florida State, Clemson and Miami. I’d consider SMU, too, except I can’t unsee what happened at Penn State eight months ago.

Julian Sayin supplies ‘smart’ first start

Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. aptly described Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin’s first career start thusly: ‘He played smart.’

Can’t argue that. The redshirt freshman didn’t dazzle but also didn’t destruct while executing a conservative game plan in a 14-7 takedown of No. 1 Texas.

Sayin outdueled Arch Manning. Tell that to the grandkids.

As for Archie Manning’s grandkid, he might want to call his uncle. Peyton Manning completed a modest 7 of 14 passes for 79 yards in his first career start, although Tennessee won that game.

This wasn’t Arch Manning’s first start – he started two games last season against hapless competition – but it marked his first road start. He looked jittery against the defending national champions.

Coach Steve Sarkisian’s game plan didn’t help, either. Score one for new Buckeyes defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. He outfoxed Sarkisian, and Sayin outplayed Manning.

‘I just loved his composure,’ Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said in a postgame interview on Fox.

Speaking of first career starts …

Buckeyes fans watching the New Mexico-Michigan game at a bar just outside Columbus erupted when the Lobos scored their first touchdown. After New Mexico’s second touchdown, two Ohio State fans ordered a shot. Enjoy the bourbon, but after sobering up, realize that Michigan’s true freshman Bryce Underwood played beyond his years while smoothly tossing for 251 yards and a touchdown in a 34-17 victory.

New Mexico isn’t Texas, but both Sayin and Underwood passed their first tests.

Brian Kelly quiets critics

The sharks were circling, ready to barbecue Brian Kelly with a series of mean tweets and memes if he lost another LSU season opener. Garrett Nussmeier and a retooled LSU defense refused to allow that to happen.

The Tigers secured the most impressive Week 1 victory this side of Florida State by unleashing their meaner, smarter, faster defense on Clemson.

LSU outplayed Clemson more significantly than the score indicates, too.

Nussmeier made some big-league throws, thriving on a day when fellow Heisman Trophy frontrunners Manning and Clemson’s Cade Klubnik struggled.

This result doesn’t knock Clemson from the playoff picture. Far from it. Remember what happened after Clemson got trounced by Georgia in last season’s opener? Beating a good SEC opponent and winning the ACC are challenges of two different orders.

But, this outcome does show Kelly made smart investments in an offseason portal raid that transformed LSU’s personnel.

Holy smokes, Joey Aguilar

I jokingly texted this to a couple of colleagues on Saturday: Auburn vs. Tennessee in the SEC Championship Game? In seriousness, Auburn and Tennessee were among the SEC’s big winners in Week 1.

Nico Iamaleava did Joey Aguilar a massive favor by transferring to UCLA. Now, Aguilar gets to play for Josh Heupel and Tennessee instead of DeShaun Foster and UCLA. Talk about an upgrade for Aguilar. Perhaps, Tennessee upgraded, too. Aguilar cooked Syracuse in his first game with the Vols.

He transferred after UCLA replaced him as starter with Iamaleava. How’s that looking, Bruins?

Iamaleava, the five-star in pajama pants, threw for a meager 136 yards in a 43-10 beatdown at the hands of Utah.

Round 1 of the UCLA-Tennessee quarterback trade goes to Aguilar, and it was a mismatch.

Another key transfer in the SEC, Auburn’s Jackson Arnold, helped Hugh Freeze quiet his critics for a week in a pivotal road win at Baylor.

If Alabama stays as feeble as it looked against Florida State, then the schedules become easier for Auburn and Tennessee. Maybe, I wasn’t joking about that SEC Championship matchup.

Three and out

1. My favorite scene from my time on the road in Week 1: I watched Lee Corso eat a couple of hot dogs with a knife and fork in the press box during the first half of the Texas-Ohio State game. Earlier, Corso made his final pick, putting on the Brutus Buckeye head, inside Ohio Stadium before kickoff on his ‘College GameDay’ farewell. ESPN’s 90-year-old pregame show personality is retiring, but not before a final press box meal. George Costanza would approve of Corso busting out the utensils on a food item others would eat with their hands.

2. I’m not a poll voter this season. If I had a ballot, LSU would be ranked no lower than No. 3 in my voting after Week 1, with Ohio State and Penn State joining them on the podium. That LSU defense, a unit that’s struggled for years, looked quite salty against Clemson.

3. Speaking of rankings, try to convince me that Alabama should be ranked after that dud. There’s no evidence for it.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

The 2025 US Open will feature a clash of former champions in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Labor Day.

No. 3 seed Coco Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion, will face No. 23 seed Naomi Osaka, who won the tournament in 2018 and 2020, in the Round of 16 on Monday, Sept. 1. It is the second match of the day in the main stadium, following a men’s fourth-round match.

Gauff advanced to the Round of 16 by defeating Magdalena Frech with a decisive score of 6-3, 6-1. This victory was much more straightforward compared to her emotional second-round match against Donna Vekic. Now, Gauff will face a resurgent Osaka, who triumphed over No. 15 seed Daria Kasatkina in a hard-fought, third-round match that ended 6-0, 4-6, 6-3.

Here’s what you need to know to watch the clash between Gauff and Osaka at the US Open:

What time is Gauff vs Osaka from the US Open?

The Round of 16 match between No. 3 seed Coco Gauff and No. 23 seed Naomi Osaka is the second match in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday, Sept. 1. It will take place immediately following the match between No. 25 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and No. 15 seed Andrey Rublev, which is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. ET.

Gauff and Osaka are likely to begin play in the early afternoon on Monday.

How to watch Osaka vs. Gauff

No. 23 seed Naomi Osaka will face No. 3 seed Coco Gauff in a U.S. Open women’s singles fourth-round matchup on Monday, Sept. 1, on ESPN.

• Date: Monday, Sept. 1
• Time: TBD, early afternoon ET
• TV channel: ESPN
• Streaming: ESPN+ and Fubo (free trial)

Watch the US Open with Fubo

How to watch all the 2025 US Open action: Dates, TV, streaming

• Dates: Sunday, Aug. 24-Sunday, Sept. 7
• Location: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center (New York)
• TV channels: ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes (Spanish language)
• Streaming: ESPN+ and Fubo (free trial)