Week 1 • 2026
QUOTE OF THE WEEK “I’m fighting it back pretty good right now, and I need to. I can’t wait to go through this process of making this move up (to FBS). This is step No. 1. I just think for Fargo, and for our university, this can be explosive, and we’re excited about this season.
- North Dakota State Head Coach Tim Polasek following the program’s first game at the FBS level
TEAM TO WATCH
TEAM OF THE WEEK
After winning the ACC regular season title a year ago, Virginia steamrolled NC State, 34-8, in front of a raucous sold-out crowd of 62,779 – the first sellout at Scott Stadium since 2008.
North Carolina, led by second-year head coach Bill Belichick, turned in a dominant defensive performance in a 15-10 victory over TCU in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland.
Missouri transfer quarterback Beau Pribula completed 9-of-11 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns, along with 15 carries for 110 yards.
The Tar Heels surrendered 10 points in the first quarter, but shut down the Horned Frogs’ offense over the final three quarters. North Carolina’s dominant defensive outing snapped TCU’s historic streak of scoring at least 28 points in 30 consecutive non-conference regular season games.
VIRGINIA
The Cavaliers scored the game’s first 24 points before tallying 17 more in the second half. Pribula connected with Xavier Brown and Da’Shawn Martin for 45- and 47-yard passing touchdowns, respectively, while Brown also added a one-yard rushing score. Virginia’s defense was equally dominant, holding NC State to just 168 yards and forcing two turnovers. The Wolfpack didn’t record a first down until its fourth possession. The victory marked the Cavaliers’ 700th win in program history. Virginia will look to build on its impressive start when it hosts Norfolk State on Friday, September 11, at 4:00 p.m. PHX on ACCNX.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER // 2026
NORTH CAROLINA
Offensively, Wisconsin transfer quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. returned to action after missing nearly all last season due to injury. In his Tar Heel debut, he completed 16-of-28 passes for 232 yards. Ohio State transfer tight end Jelani Thurman set career highs with four catches for 94 yards. North Carolina hosts East Tennessee State in its home opener on Saturday, September 12, at 9:00 a.m. PHX on ACC Network.
Week 1
GAMES TO WATCH #7 MIAMI AT STANFORD
9.4 // 6:00 P.M. // ESPN
BOISE STATE AT #2 OREGON
AP PRESEASON RANKINGS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Ohio State Oregon Georgia Notre Dame Texas
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Indiana Miami Texas A&M Ole Miss Oklahoma
For the full AP Top 25 Rankings, click here.
9.5 // 12:30 P.M. // CBS
CLEMSON AT #11 LSU
9.5 // 4:30 P.M. // ABC
WISCONSIN VS. #4 NOTRE DAME
9.6 // 4:30 P.M. // NBC
#19 SMU AT FLORIDA STATE
9.7 // 4:30 P.M. // ESPN
For a full schedule of Week 1 games, click here. (All times in PHX)
2026 BOWL PREDICTIONS CFP QUARTERFINAL at Vrbo FIESTA BOWL
GAME OF THE WEEK #24 LOUISVILLE VS. #9 OLE MISS
Ole Miss enters the season ranked No. 9 after a memorable, heart-stopping matchup in last season’s CFP Semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. The Rebels return a talented 1-2 offensive punch with quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy after Ole Miss ranked second in total offense and 10th in scoring offense last season. Louisville enters at No. 24 following a 9-4 season highlighted by a 24-21 upset of then-No. 2 Miami and a 27-22 Boca Raton Bowl victory over Toledo. Under head coach Jeff Brohm, the Cardinals have won at least nine games in three consecutive seasons and are looking to return to the ACC Championship Game for the first time since 2023. Kickoff is at 4:30 p.m. PHX on Sunday, September 6, on ABC.
CACTUS BOWL
ESPN Bonagura – No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 4 Indiana
ESPN Schlabach – Nebraska vs. UCF
USA Today – No. 4 Miami vs. No. 5 Oregon
USA Today – Nebraska vs. Kansas
College Football News – No. 5 Texas Tech vs. No. 4 Miami
College Football News – Wisconsin vs. Arizona State
The Athletic – No. 3 Ohio State vs. Georgia-Penn State winner
The Athletic – Nebraska vs. Kansas State
Sporting News – No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 5 Texas
Sporting News – Illinois vs. Kansas
On3 – No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 7 Indiana
On3 – Nebraska vs. UCF
Week 1
COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER // 2026
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
DREW ALLAR Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Drew Allar impressed in his first NFL preseason, completing 30-of-54 passes for 351 yards, two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. Allar made an immediate impact in his debut, throwing for 154 yards and accounting for all three of his preseason scores in a 28-9 victory over Green Bay. Following a productive preseason, Allar earned a spot on the Steelers’ initial 53-man roster alongside Cactus Bowl alumni Aaron Rodgers (2003) and Mason Rudolph (2015). Allar led No. 6 Penn State to a 31-14 victory over No. 3 Boise State in the first-ever CFP Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl in 2024-25, throwing for 171 yards and three touchdowns as the Nittany Lions advanced to the CFP Semifinals. Allar and the Steelers open the season at home against the Atlanta Falcons on September 13, at 10:00 a.m. PHX on FOX.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
BEAU PRIBULA – VIRGINIA
XAVIER LEWIS – NORTH CAROLINA
Beau Pribula posted historic dual-threat numbers
Across the pond, Xavier Lewis delivered a breakout
in a dominant 34-8 victory over NC State in his
performance in North Carolina’s 15-10 win over TCU in
Virginia debut, recording 155 passing yards,110
the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. Lewis tallied
rushing yards and two touchdowns. Pribula became
seven tackles, a career-high 4.5 tackles for loss and
just the ninth ACC player in 30 years to pass for at
two sacks to help the Tar Heels shut down the Horned
least 150 yards and rush for 100 yards in a season
Frogs’ offense over the last 49 minutes. Lewis was
opener. His outstanding performance earned him
named Most Valuable Player of the 2026 Aer Lingus
ACC Quarterback of the Week honors and the
College Football Classic and ACC Defensive Lineman
Monday Morning Quarterback award, a weekly honor
of the Week.
presented by the Shriners Children’s East-West Bowl.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER // 2026
Week 1
BIG NEWS The Cactus Bowl enters an exciting new era with a fresh rebranding rooted in its Arizona heritage. The game will once again feature Bowl Season’s only Big Ten vs. Big 12 matchup and is set for 5:30 p.m. MST on Saturday, December 26, in its grand return to Mountain America Stadium. As we eagerly await kickoff in Tempe, we’re bringing you weekly game highlights, player reports and other updates from the two conferences. Here’s the BIG news heading into Week 1:
BIG TEN
BIG 12
•
The Big Ten opened the 2026 season with a win as No. 14 USC defeated San Jose State, 42-26, in the conference’s lone Week 0 game. Quarterback Jayden Maiava completed 25-of-29 passes for 286 yards and accounted for three touchdowns, including one passing and one rushing.
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TCU dropped its season opener to North Carolina, 15-10, in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland. Despite the loss, junior running back Jeremy Payne produced an efficient performance with 30 touches for 169 yards. The Horned Frogs return home to host Grambling State on Saturday.
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The Big Ten became the first conference to occupy the top two spots in a preseason AP poll since the Big Eight in 1987, when No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 2 Nebraska held the top spots. No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Oregon headline eight ranked Big Ten teams, including three in the top 10 — No. 6 Indiana, No. 14 (tied) USC, No. 16 Michigan, No. 17 Washington, No. 18 Penn State and No. 22 Iowa — trailing only the SEC’s nine ranked teams and five top 10 teams.
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Four Big 12 teams are ranked in the preseason AP Poll: No. 12 Texas Tech, No. 14 (tied) BYU, No. 21 Utah and No. 23 Houston, while Arizona, TCU and Oklahoma State also received votes.
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Oklahoma State’s Eric Morris, Utah’s Morgan Scalley, Kansas State’s Collin Klein and Iowa State’s Jimmy Rogers all enter their first seasons as head coaches at their respective schools, with Scalley taking over at Utah after spending 18 seasons on the Utes’ coaching staff.
•
The Big Ten has won the last three national championships, with Indiana claiming the title in 2025, Ohio State in 2024 and Michigan in 2023. The Hoosiers begin their title defense against North Texas, while Ohio State and Michigan open their seasons with Ball State and Western Michigan, respectively.
HOT TAKES “North Dakota State will make the CFP. I believe the Bison will not only enter FBS and be immediately competitive but the best Group of Six team in the sport.” - RJ Young, FOX Sports “The Heisman Trophy will not go to a quarterback. I see several non-QBs who could easily steal the spotlight, including Jeremiah Smith at Ohio State, running back Kewan Lacy at Ole Miss, and Ahmad Hardy at Mizzou.” - Aaron Ryan, Whiskey Riff CLICK HERE to submit your hot takes for a chance to be featured in next week’s edition!
Week 1
COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER // 2026
NEWS IN THE FOUNDATION COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT FIESTA SPORTS FOUNDATION WISHES FOR TEACHERS OPENS APPLICATIONS FOR 11TH YEAR, INCREASES GIVING TO RECORD $1.75 MILLION
TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF QUARTERFINAL AT THE Vrbo FIESTA BOWL ON DECEMBER 30
As the anticipation for another thrilling season of college football builds, tickets for the 2026 College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl are now on sale. The road to the CFP National Championship runs through Arizona as the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl hosts a CFP Quarterfinal on December 30, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. MST. As the only football game played that day, the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl will stand alone as the centerpiece of the football experience for fans across the country. Game tickets and premium experiences for the CFP Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl are available by visiting fiestasportsfoundation.org/tickets, calling 480.350.0911 or emailing tickets@fiestasportsfoundation.org. Those interested in premium experiences may contact 602.480.9004 or premium@fiestasportsfoundation.org.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER // 2026
The Fiesta Sports Foundation Wishes for Teachers program – Arizona’s largest direct financial support initiative for educators – returns for its 11th year, set to deliver a record total of $1.75 million in funding to directly benefit classrooms and schools across the state. This year’s increased program donations will support Arizona teachers with $2,500 grants to bring a classroom wish to life. Past program wishes have included robotics kits, musical instruments, adaptive learning tools, classroom libraries, athletic gear and a variety of other resources to enhance learning opportunities for students. Arizona K-12 public and charter school teachers are invited to complete a brief online application detailing their $2,500 classroom wish. Applications are open through Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at 10 p.m. PHX. Applications may be found at www.WishesForTeachers.org.
Week 1
CFP QUARTERFINAL AT THE Vrbo FIESTA BOWL DECEMBER 30, 2026
CACTUS BOWL
DECEMBER 26, 2026
F I E S TA S P O R T S F O U N D AT I O N . O R G /FIESTABOWL
Week 1
@FIESTA_BOWL
@CACTUSBOWL
@THECACTUSBOWL
COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER // 2026