Welcome to Year Two of The Eliminator, in which every week this season we'll narrow the 127-team field for the four available spots in the College Football Playoff.

Starting this week, we're separating FBS teams into three categories: Still In Contention, On The Fence, and Better Luck Next Season.

Once again, we'll use utmost caution in eliminating teams from contention. We'd rather be safe than sorry. That's why you'll see teams like Penn State and Texas, which had terrible performances in their season openers, still among the teams on the fence.

The Nittany Lions, Longhorns and some of the other teams that lost their openers don't have much margin for error the rest of the way, but they're still in the playoff mix. Stranger things have happened -- ask defending national champion Ohio State.

But for teams such as Kansas and Washington State, which dropped their openers to FCS opponents, their dreams of making the College Football Playoffs ended with Week 1 losses. They were among 29 teams, including nine from the Sun Belt Conference alone, that were eliminated after the season's opening week.

Here's a closer look at where FBS stands after Week 1:

Jump to Sections: Who's In | Still In Contention | On The Fence | Better Luck Next Season

Who's In

Alabama and Ohio State look the most dominant, and we'll go with Baylor and Notre Dame for the other two for now. But it's a little early to lock in any of the four College Football Playoff spots.

Still in Contention

Alabama Crimson Tide

Trending: UP

Concerns about Alabama's quarterback might turn out to be much ado about nothing. Thanks to a punishing ground game and defense, the Crimson Tide dominated Wisconsin 35-17. Alabama plays a warmup against Middle Tennessee State on Saturday before hosting Ole Miss on Sept. 19.

Arizona Wildcats

Trending: DOWN

The Wildcats weren't overly impressive in their 42-32 win over UTSA, and now they'll be without star linebacker Scooby Wright III for a month because of a knee injury. His presence will be missed, starting with Saturday's road trip to Nevada.

Arkansas Razorbacks

Trending: EVEN

The Razorbacks took care of business in a 48-13 win over UTEP, and showed the rest of the SEC they might have a capable passing game to go with their potent running game. Quarterback Brandon Allen threw for a career-high 308 yards with four touchdowns.

Auburn Tigers

Trending: EVEN

After a summer of hype, the Tigers had mixed results in their opening 31-24 win over Louisville. Jeremy Johnson threw three interceptions, and new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp's defense was sloppy in the second half.

Baylor Bears

Trending: EVEN

The Bears looked pretty good in a 56-21 win at overmatched SMU, especially in the second half, when they outscored the Mustangs 28-0. New quarterback Seth Russell certainly looks the part, completing 15 of 30 passes for 376 yards with five touchdowns and one interception.

Boise State Broncos

Trending: DOWN

The Broncos are going to need a lot of help to reach the College Football Playoff, and they managed to survive a big scare in their opener. Boise State didn't look great in a 16-13 win over Washington, but a win is still a win. A trip to BYU looms even larger after the Cougars beat Nebraska.

Clemson Tigers

Trending: EVEN

The Tigers played about as expected in a 49-10 victory over FCS foe Wofford. Deshaun Watson threw for 194 yards with two touchdowns in less than a half. The victory was costly, however, as All-ACC receiver Mike Williams injured his neck after colliding with the goalpost.

Florida State Seminoles

Trending: UP

The Seminoles' first impression of Notre Dame transfer QB Everett Golson was a positive one, as he completed 19 of 25 passes for 302 yards with a career-high four touchdowns and no interceptions in a 59-16 rout of Texas State. He'll get another tune-up against South Florida on Saturday.

Georgia Bulldogs

Trending: UP

Virginia transfer Greyson Lambert may have eased the Bulldogs' concerns at quarterback, after he completed 8 of 12 passes for 141 yards with two touchdowns in a 51-14 win over Louisiana-Monroe. If tailbacks Nick Chubb, Sony Michel and Keith Marshall stay healthy, Lambert won't have to do much.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Trending: EVEN

Coach Paul Johnson spent much of the preseason criticizing his team's effort in practices, so he had to be happy about the 69-6 rout of FCS foe Alcorn State. The Yellow Jackets ran for 476 yards with nine touchdowns, and freshman Marcus Marshall had 184 rushing yards and two scores.

LSU Tigers

Trending: EVEN

The Tigers' scheduled opener against FCS McNeese State was cancelled because of lightning. So LSU remains a mystery heading into Saturday's SEC opener at Mississippi State. LSU coach Les Miles probably would have liked his team to take the field before opening conference play.

Michigan State Spartans

Trending: EVEN

Should the Spartans be overly concerned about their lackluster 37-24 win at Western Michigan? Probably not. More than a few Spartans probably had their minds on next week's home game against Oregon. The MSU defense, which surrendered only 18 rushing yards on 23 attempts by WMU, will be tested by the Ducks.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Trending: UP

The Fighting Irish turned in one of the most impressive performances of the weekend, dominating Texas 38-3. Notre Dame held the Longhorns to only eight first downs and 163 yards of offense, and Irish quarterback Malik Zaire completed 19 of 22 passes for 313 yards with three touchdowns.

Ohio State Buckeyes

Trending: UP

While we worried about who was going to start at quarterback and pumped tailback Ezekiel Elliott for the Heisman Trophy, we nearly forgot about senior Braxton Miller, who looked like OSU's best player on offense in Monday night's 42-24 win at Virginia Tech. The quarterback job appears to be Cardale Jones' to lose.

Oklahoma Sooners

Trending: UP

Maybe the preseason hype about the Sooners was justified. Oklahoma's new, fast-paced spread offense under offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley looked pretty explosive in Saturday's 41-3 rout of Akron. Quarterback Baker Mayfield, a Texas Tech transfer, threw for 388 yards with three touchdowns.

Ole Miss Rebels

Trending: EVEN

The Rebels barely broke a sweat in their 76-3 win over FCS foe UT-Martin, scoring their most points since dropping 92 on Memphis in 1935. Clemson transfer Chad Kelly threw for 211 yards with two touchdowns in his debut while sharing time with two other quarterbacks.

Oregon Ducks

Trending: DOWN

Ducks coach Mark Helfrich had to be more than happy with transfer quarterback Vernon Adams, who threw for 246 yards and ran for 94 in a 61-42 win over Eastern Washington, his former team. Helfrich couldn't have been happy with Oregon's defense, which surrendered 549 yards and six touchdowns.

TCU Horned Frogs

Trending: EVEN

TCU coach Gary Patterson doesn't seem overly concerned about the Horned Frogs' closer-than-expected 23-17 win at Minnesota, and he probably shouldn't be. Winning on the road against a Power 5 team on opening night isn't easy. One early concern: quarterback Trevone Boykin's inaccuracy on deep balls.

Texas A&M Aggies

Trending: UP

After the Aggies teased us in 2014, excuse us if we proceed with caution. That said, the Aggies were one of the most impressive teams of opening weekend. New defensive coordinator John Chavis is already making his mark, and freshman Christian Kirk scored on a 66-yard catch-and-run and 79-yard punt return.

UCLA Bruins

Trending: UP

Maybe freshman quarterback Josh Rosen really is the Rosen One. He completed 28 of 35 passes for 351 yards with three touchdowns, leading the Bruins to a 34-16 win over Virginia. After Saturday's trip to UNLV, UCLA plays consecutive games against BYU, Arizona and Arizona State.

USC Trojans

Trending: UP

More than any other coach, USC coach Steve Sarkisian probably couldn't wait for the season to begin. The Trojans got off to a rousing start, blasting Arkansas State 55-6. Quarterback Cody Kessler threw for 236 yards with four touchdowns.

On The Fence

Air Force Falcons

Trending: EVEN

The Falcons didn't have any problem burying Morgan State 63-7 on Saturday. The Bears had 10 of their players ruled academically ineligible, including running back Herb Walker Jr., who ran for 1,408 yards with 15 touchdowns last season.

Appalachian State Mountaineers

Trending: EVEN

The Mountaineers opened their second FBS season by blasting FCS foe Howard 49-0 on Saturday. A trip to Clemson's Death Valley is next.

Arizona State Sun Devils

Trending: DOWN

After getting walloped by Texas A&M 38-17 in Houston, the Sun Devils don't have much margin for error left in their chase for the playoff. Fortunately for them, they'll play tune-ups against Cal Poly on Saturday and New Mexico on Sept. 18 before back-to-back games against USC (home) and UCLA (road) to open Pac-12 play.

Ball State Cardinals

Trending: EVEN

The Cardinals had a 34-10 lead over FCS member VMI with eight minutes to go in the third quarter, but had to hang on for a 48-36 victory. Ball State now goes to Texas A&M on Saturday.

Boston College Eagles

Trending: EVEN

The Eagles had to work a little harder than expected to defeat FCS opponent Maine at home. Sophomore Darius Wade played pretty well in his first start at quarterback, completing 14 of 25 attempts for 155 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. BC plays another FCS cupcake in Howard on Saturday.

Buffalo Bulls

Trending: EVEN

The Bulls' 51-14 victory over FCS member Albany had at least one juicy moment. Jacob Martinez returned a punt 86 yards for a touchdown, which was the Bulls' first such score since 2002. It was the longest drought without a punt return for a touchdown by any FBS team.

BYU Cougars

Trending: UP

The Cougars turned in the opening weekend's signature moment, beating Nebraska on the road with a Hail Mary pass in the final seconds of a 33-28 victory. Now BYU has to avoid another post-Taysom Hill letdown, after losing their senior quarterback for the rest of the season with a foot injury. Freshman Tanner Mangum played well in relief, completing 7 of 11 passes for 111 yards with one touchdown against Nebraska.

California Golden Bears

Trending: EVEN

Not everybody in the Pac-12 North forgot how to play football over the summer. The Bears walloped FCS foe Grambling 73-14 in their opener, with quarterback Jared Goff throwing for 309 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.

Charlotte 49ers

Trending: UP

The 49ers won their first game as an FBS member, defeating Georgia State 23-20 on the road. The 49ers gave a game ball to Haley Ratliff, the daughter of offensive line coach Phil Ratliff, who died of a heart attack on Aug. 9.

Cincinnati Bearcats

Trending: EVEN

Keep your eyes on the Bearcats, who might be among the contenders from the Group of Five conferences for a spot in one of the New Year's six bowl games. Quarterback Gunner Kiel threw for two touchdowns and then sat out the second half of a 52-10 win over FCS foe Alabama A&M.

Colorado State Rams

Trending: EVEN

New Rams coach Mike Bobo, a former Georgia player and assistant, couldn't have asked for a better debut. The Rams rolled FCS member Savannah State 65-13 on Saturday, with quarterback Nick Stevens completing 20 of 28 passes for 289 yards with five touchdowns.

Connecticut Huskies

Trending: DOWN

Maybe UConn coach Bob Diaco should start a football rivalry with Villanova. The FCS Wildcats sure looked to be on the Huskies' level in a 20-15 loss. UConn quarterback Bryant Shirreffs threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns in his first start.

Duke Blue Devils

Trending: UP

Maybe ACC football fans wrote off the rebuilding Blue Devils too soon. Quarterback Thomas Sirk had 357 yards of offense and passed for two touchdowns in his first start, and Duke's defense limited the Tulane Green Wave to only 271 yards of offense in a 37-7 victory in New Orleans.

East Carolina Pirates

Trending: DOWN

The Pirates lost starting quarterback Kurt Benkert to a season-ending knee injury in August, and the early results without him weren't very encouraging. ECU got all it wanted from FCS foe Towson State in a 28-20 victory. Pirates quarterback Blake Kemp was pretty good, completing 29 of 37 passes for 230 yards, but the defense allowed 416 yards of offense.

Florida Gators

Trending: UP

Yeah, it was only New Mexico State. But Gators fans had to spend the previous two seasons wondering whether their team still knew how to find the end zone. The Gators had 606 yards of offense in a 61-13 win over the Aggies in coach Jim McElwain's debut. It's a step in the right direction.

Florida International Golden Panthers

Trending: UP

A Ron Turner-coached team beat a George O'Leary-coached team. Enough said.

Fresno State Bulldogs

Trending: EVEN

Fresno State unveiled Victor E. Bulldog III, its new 6-month-old English bulldog mascot, before Thursday night's 34-13 win over FCS member Abilene Christian. Fresno State figures to be a big dog in next week's trip to Ole Miss.

Hawaii Rainbow Warriors

Trending: UP

Former USC quarterback Max Wittek returned to the field while most of us were sleeping on Friday, leading the Rainbow Warriors to a 28-20 upset of Colorado. He completed 19 of 38 passes for 202 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Houston Cougars

Trending: EVEN

New Cougars coach Tom Herman's debut was a success, as the Cougars piled up 621 yards of offense in a 52-24 victory over FCS opponent Tennessee Tech. Cougars quarterback Greg Ward Jr. completed 21 of 27 passes for 275 yards with one touchdown and ran for 101 yards with two scores.

Illinois Fighting Illini

Trending: UP

Former Illinois coach Tim Beckman might end up making interim coach Bill Cubit look like a genius. Only eight days after Beckman was fired and one day after the game was postponed because of bad weather, the Illini steamrolled Kent State 52-3 on Saturday. The Illini never scored 50 points in Beckman's three seasons.

Indiana Hoosiers

Trending: DOWN

The Hoosiers came within a missed two-point conversion of losing to FCS foe Southern Illinois at home. Instead, Indiana survived with a 48-47 victory, but it's hard to imagine it doing much of anything in the Big Ten this season with another lousy defense. The Hoosiers surrendered 659 yards of offense to the Salukis.

Iowa Hawkeyes

Trending: EVEN

Quarterback C.J. Beathard threw for 211 yards with one touchdown in his first career start, leading the Hawkeyes to a 31-14 victory over FCS opponent Illinois State. Given how Iowa's offense performed the past couple of seasons, it seemed like a scoring explosion. Up next: A trip to Iowa State, where the Cy-Hawk Trophy will be on the line.

Iowa State Cyclones

Trending: EVEN

Congrats, Cyclones. You finally defeated an FCS opponent in your opener. After losing to Northern Iowa and North Dakota State in each of their previous two season openers, the Cyclones demolished the Panthers 31-7 at home.

Kansas State Wildcats

Trending: DOWN

Kansas State shut out FCS foe South Dakota 34-0 on Saturday, but lost quarterback Jesse Ertz to a potential season-ending knee injury in the process. Former walk-on Joe Hubener will start in this week's game at UTSA. It will be his first start at quarterback at any level -- he didn't even play the position in high school.

Kentucky Wildcats

Trending: DOWN

The Wildcats' opener against U-La-La almost turned into Oh-No-No. Kentucky nearly blew a three-touchdown lead before escaping with a 40-33 victory over the Ragin' Cajuns. The Wildcats have plenty to correct before Saturday's SEC opener at South Carolina.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

Trending: EVEN

Maybe former Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel only needed a change of scenery -- or a chance to play FCS opponents every week. Driskel threw for 274 yards with four touchdowns on 12-for-15 passing in the Bulldogs' 62-15 rout of Southern on Saturday.

Louisville Cardinals

Trending: DOWN

Louisville football fans spent the opening weekend trying to figure out what font Adidas used for names on the back of the Cardinals' jerseys. After losing to Auburn 31-24 the more important question was who is going to be Louisville's quarterback going forward. The answer: freshman Lamar Jackson, who named the starter for Saturday's home opener against Houston.

Marshall Thundering Herd

Trending: EVEN

Life after Rakeem Cato doesn't look that bad for Marshall after new quarterback Michael Birdsong completed 23 of 36 passes for 234 yards with two touchdowns in a 41-31 win over Purdue on Sunday. If Marshall's defense keeps scoring touchdowns, Birdsong won't have to do much.

Maryland Terrapins

Trending: DOWN

Maryland walked away from opening week with a 50-21 victory over FCS member Richmond, but coach Randy Edsall can't be happy with his quarterback play. Perry Hills completed 12 of 21 passes for 138 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, and he looked unsettled for most of the game.

Massachusetts Minutemen

Trending: EVEN

#Firethemuskets. The Minutemen open the season at Colorado on Saturday.

Memphis Tigers

Trending: EVEN

The Tigers' rebuilt defense didn't get much of a challenge in Saturday's 63-7 rout of FCS opponent Missouri State. The Tigers had 317-18 edge in rushing yards and outgained the Bears 519-125 in total offense. Memphis has a great chance to pick up a win over a Power Five opponent in Saturday's trip to Kansas.

Miami Hurricanes

Trending: EVEN

The Hurricanes dispatched FCS member Bethune-Cookman with relative ease in a weather-shortened 45-0 victory. Miami's much-maligned defense looked pretty good against an overmatched opponent, holding the Wildcats to only 79 yards of offense and shutting them out for the first time in 95 games.

Miami (OH) RedHawks

Trending: EVEN

The RedHawks defeated FCS member Presbyterian 26-7 on Saturday. It's the first time Miami has had a winning record since it improved to 3-2 with a 56-49 win over Akron on Sept. 29, 2012. I'm guessing they'll be back to .500 after this week's trip to Wisconsin.

Michigan Wolverines

Trending: EVEN

While it might be difficult for Michigan fans to believe, Jim Harbaugh isn't going to perform miracles overnight. The Wolverines have a long way to go to get to the talent level of Ohio State (or even "little brother"), which was evident in last week's 24-17 loss at Utah. At least Michigan's defense played well, and the offense avoided self-inflicted mistakes.

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders

Trending: UP

New Blue Raiders quarterback Brent Stockstill -- coach Rick Stockstill's son -- had quite a debut, completing 23 of 29 passes for 336 yards with four touchdowns and one interception in a 70-14 win over FCS foe Jackson State. It won't be as easy at Alabama this week.

Minnesota Golden Gophers

Trending: EVEN

The Gophers have little margin for error after losing to TCU 23-17 at home on Thursday night. But Minnesota played well, and it's evident it won't be an easy out in the Big Ten even without departed tailback David Cobb and tight end Maxx Williams. The Gophers need to be careful with a tricky road trip to Colorado State this week.

Mississippi State Bulldogs

Trending: EVEN

Remember the Bulldogs? They were ranked No. 1 in the country for five weeks in 2014, but they seemed to be the least talked about team in the SEC West this season. MSU opened the season with a 34-16 win at Southern Miss, and they can gain a lot of credibility by beating LSU at home on Saturday night.

Missouri Tigers

Trending: EVEN

It's difficult to take a lot away from Missouri's 34-3 win over FCS opponent Southeast Missouri State on Saturday. Quarterback Maty Mauk struggled at times, completing 12 of 22 passes for 181 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He'll have to be better if Missouri is going to contend for a third straight SEC East title.

Navy Midshipmen

Trending: EVEN

The Midshipmen had an easy time beating FCS opponent Colgate 48-10 in Saturday's opener. Chris Swain ran for 126 yards with one touchdown, and quarterback Keenan Reynolds threw only six times. Navy gets a week off before hosting East Carolina on Sept. 19.

Nebraska Cornhuskers

Trending: DOWN

Could new Cornhuskers coach Mike Riley's tenure have started any worse? The Cornhuskers looked like they had BYU beat -- until Tanner Mangum threw a 42-yard Hail Mary touchdown to Mitch Mathews as time expired in a 33-28 loss at Memorial Stadium. It was Nebraska's first loss in a season opener in 30 years.

Nevada Wolf Pack

Trending: EVEN

After beating FCS foe Cal-Davis 31-17 in its opener, Nevada is preparing to play Arizona at home Saturday night, the first time the Wildcats have played in Reno since 1924.

New Mexico Lobos

Trending: EVEN

The Lobos tied a Mountain West Conference record with eight rushing touchdowns in a 66-0 rout of FCS opponent Mississippi Valley State, which no longer has Jerry Rice on its roster.

North Carolina Tar Heels

Trending: DOWN

Five days later, it's still hard to believe that the Tar Heels didn't beat South Carolina. Thanks to UNC quarterback Marquise Williams' three interceptions and some questionable play-calling (did Larry Fedora forget that Elijah Hood was on his roster?), the Gamecocks were able to come back in a 17-13 victory. At least UNC's defense looked better under former Auburn coach Gene Chizik's direction.

NC State Wolfpack

Trending: UP

The Wolfpack is considered a potential dark horse in the ACC, and quarterback Jacoby Brissett is one of the reasons why. He was nearly flawless in a 49-21 win at Troy, completing 21 of 23 passes for 196 yards with two touchdowns. NC State is gaining momentum under coach Dave Doeren, winning five of its last six games dating to last season.

North Texas Mean Green

Trending: EVEN

The Mean Green waited an extra week to open the season, which means they had to wait seven additional days to end a six-game losing streak to teams that don't have the initials FAU or FIU. North Texas plays at SMU on Saturday, after blasting the Mustangs 43-6 last season.

Northern Illinois Huskies

Trending: DOWN

The Huskies fell behind UNLV by two touchdowns on the road on Saturday night, but rallied for a 38-30 victory. They get to play FCS foe Murray State on Saturday before traveling to Ohio State the next week.

Northwestern Wildcats

Trending: UP

We don't want to take too much away from the opening weekend, so we'll leave the Wildcats here for now. Still, it's difficult not be excited about Northwestern's chances after it upset No. 21 Stanford 16-6 at home on Saturday. The Wildcats play FCS foe Eastern Illinois on Saturday before getting a big test at Duke on Sept. 19.

Ohio Bobcats

Trending: EVEN

Bobcats coach Frank Solich, who is no longer the only former Nebraska coach working in Ohio, guided his team to a 45-28 win at Idaho on Thursday night.

Oklahoma State Cowboys

Trending: DOWN

It's surprising that Oklahoma State had so much trouble putting Central Michigan away on Thursday night. The Pokes had to rally from a 13-10 deficit in the second half to pull out a 24-13 victory. The Big 12 sleeper seems to still be sleeping.

Old Dominion Monarchs

Trending: EVEN

The Monarchs' 38-34 win at Eastern Michigan was probably a little closer than they wanted, but the new-look offense performed well. Ray Lawry ran for 223 yards with four touchdowns on 28 carries, finishing seven yards shy of the school single-game record.

Oregon State Beavers

Trending: EVEN

Vernon Adams wasn't the only quarterback in Oregon making his debut. Beavers freshman Seth Collins looked really good, throwing for 92 yards with two touchdowns and running 17 times for 152 yards in a 26-7 win over FCS member Weber State.

Penn State Nittany Lions

Trending: DOWN

I was tempted to eliminate Penn State after Week 1 because it looked so downright awful in its 27-10 loss to Temple. Quarterback Christian Hackenberg is considered a potential first-round pick in next spring's NFL draft, but he might not survive this season. The Owls sacked him 10 times, sometimes using only a two-man rush.

Pittsburgh Panthers

Trending: DOWN

The Panthers beat FCS member Youngstown State 45-37 in Saturday's opener, but they suffered one of the biggest losses of the weekend. Reigning ACC Player of the Year James Conner, who ran for 1,765 yards with 26 touchdowns in 2014, tore the MCL in his right knee and will miss the rest of the season.

Purdue Boilermakers

Trending: DOWN

Purdue coach Darrell Hazell, who guided the Boilermakers to a total of four wins in his first two seasons, put a lot of emphasis on beating Marshall on the road in the opener. Now he has egg on his face after the Thundering Herd returned two interceptions for touchdowns in a 41-31 victory.

Rice Owls

Trending: UP

The Owls opened the season with a 56-16 blowout of FCS member Wagner on Saturday. Rice coach David Bailiff will really be hootin' and hollerin' if the Owls can somehow knock off Texas in Austin this week.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Trending: DOWN

Can it get any worse for the Scarlet Knights? Shortly before Saturday's opener against FCS member Norfolk State, the school announced it had dismissed five players who are accused of being involved in a string of robberies. The Scarlet Knights won their opener 63-13 but the result hardly seemed to matter.

San Diego State Aztecs

Trending: EVEN

Junior linebacker Calvin Munson was Johnny on the Spot in last week's 37-3 win over FCS foe San Diego. He returned two interceptions for touchdowns, and Rashaad Penny returned a kickoff 97 yards for another score.

San Jose State Spartans

Trending: EVEN

The Spartans piled up 707 yards of offense in a 43-13 victory over FCS member New Hampshire on Thursday night. Its defense limited the Wildcats to only 186 yards of offense and 10 first downs.

South Alabama Jaguars

Trending: EVEN

The Jaguars trailed FCS foe Gardner-Webb 16-13 early in the third quarter before rallying for a 33-23 win. They'll have to be much better to keep it close at Nebraska this week.

South Carolina Gamecocks

Trending: EVEN

The Gamecocks could have easily lost their opener against North Carolina, but linebacker Skai Moore intercepted two passes in the end zone to end scoring threats by the Tar Heels. USC's revamped defense surrendered 440 yards of offense, but at least it made plays when it needed them most.

South Florida Bulls

Trending: EVEN

After limping through a 4-8 season in 2014, the Bulls blasted FCS foe Florida A&M 51-3 on Saturday. The USF defense had 15 tackles for loss, and Quinton Flowers threw for two touchdowns and ran for one more. It won't be as easy at Florida State on Saturday.

Stanford Cardinal

Trending: DOWN

The Cardinal turned in one of the least impressive performances of the weekend, falling 16-6 at Northwestern. Quarterback Kevin Hogan again seemed lost, and the Cardinal looked unable to throw the ball down the field. It was a pretty deflating way to start the season after finishing 2014 on a high note.

Syracuse Orange

Trending: DOWN

The Orange's opening 47-0 shutout of FCS foe Rhode Island was pretty costly. Starting quarterback Terrel Hunt, a fifth-year senior, suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon injury early in the game. Freshman backup Eric Dungey completed 10 of 17 passes for 114 yards with two touchdowns in relief.

Temple Owls

Trending: UP

Now we know why Temple's Matt Rhule is considered one of the sport's up-and-coming coaches. He guided the Owls to a 27-10 victory over Penn State on Saturday, their first victory over the Nittany Lions in 74 years. Temple's defense sacked PSU quarterback Christian Hackenberg 10 times.

Tennessee Volunteers

Trending: EVEN

The Volunteers' 59-30 win over Bowling Green was a mixed bag of results. The good: tailback Jalen Hurd ran for three touchdowns, and Alabama transfer Alvin Kamara ran for two more. The bad: Tennessee's defense surrendered 30 points and 557 yards of offense, which is a concern with Oklahoma coming to town on Saturday.

Texas Longhorns

Trending: DOWN

How poorly has Texas' offense performed lately? In the Longhorns' past three games, opponents' defenses have actually outscored them 21-20. That's bad. UT coach Charlie Strong said he'd like to "restart" the season, but Saturday night's 38-3 loss at Notre Dame is going to be difficult to forget.

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Trending: DOWN

The Red Raiders supposedly spent the offseason trying to improve their porous defense. The early results weren't very good, as Tech allowed 637 yards of offense in a 59-45 victory over FCS member Sam Houston State on Saturday. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for 425 yards with four touchdowns, easing some of the pain of former Red Raider Baker Mayfield playing so well at Oklahoma.

Toledo Rockets

Trending: EVEN

The Rockets' scheduled opener against FCS member Stony Brook was cancelled because of severe weather. It gave the Rockets a few more days to prepare for Saturday's home game against Arkansas.

Tulsa Golden Hurricane

Trending: DOWN

The Golden Hurricane saved new coach Philip Montgomery's debut by beating Florida Atlantic 47-44 in overtime on Saturday. Tulsa fans can be excited about their offense under the former Baylor offensive coordinator. Tulsa quarterback Dane Evans completed 21 of 33 passes for 424 yards with two touchdowns, and Keevan Lucas caught 10 passes for 193 yards with two touchdowns.

Utah Utes

Trending: UP

The Utes have kind of been the forgotten team in the Pac-12 South, but they sure look like contenders after spoiling new Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh's debut with a 24-17 victory in Salt Lake City on Thursday night. Quarterback Travis Wilson played pretty well, and tailback Devontae Booker had 124 yards of offense.

Utah State Aggies

Trending: DOWN

Fresh off a less-than-impressive 12-9 victory over Southern Utah, the Aggies play at Utah on Friday night. Utah State had better hope the Pac-12 team in its state isn't as good as the FCS one it just played.

Virginia Cavaliers

Trending: DOWN

This wasn't the start Cavaliers coach Mike London needed after three straight losing seasons. Virginia's defense was shredded by UCLA freshman Josh Rosen in a 34-16 loss on Saturday, and it won't get any easier when it hosts Notre Dame this week.

Virginia Tech Hokies

Trending: DOWN

The Hokies put up a good fight in Monday night's 42-24 loss to defending national champion Ohio State -- until starting quarterback Michael Brewer broke his left collarbone in the third quarter. He'll miss at least a month, and the Hokies will have to rebound quickly with junior Brenden Motley playing under center.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Trending: EVEN

Sure, it's hard to get excited about a 41-3 victory over FCS member Elon. But Wake Forest actually looks like it might have an offense, after scoring 10 points or fewer in five games in 2014. Quarterback John Wolford threw for three touchdowns and ran for 70 yards and another score.

Washington Huskies

Trending: DOWN

Washington coach Chris Petersen's team lost 16-13 in his return to Boise State, where he coached from 2006 to 2013. It was pretty evident the Huskies have a long way to go on offense before they'll be a contender in the Pac-12 North.

West Virginia Mountaineers

Trending: UP

Maybe West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen finally has the defense thing figured out. The Mountaineers dominated Georgia Southern 44-0 on Saturday night, holding the Eagles to only 224 yards of offense and forcing five turnovers. West Virginia's secondary suddenly looks very good, which might be a premium in the pass-happy Big 12.

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Trending: DOWN

The Hilltoppers better hope Vanderbilt's defense is that much better. Western Kentucky couldn't manage much offense in a 14-12 victory at Vanderbilt, finishing with 246 yards and 11 first downs. They'll need more production to defeat Louisiana Tech at home on Thursday night.

Wisconsin Badgers

Trending: DOWN

The good news for Wisconsin is that it won't face many defensive fronts as talented as Alabama's -- unless it's fortunate enough to play Ohio State in the Big Ten championship. The Badgers ran for only 40 yards in a 35-17 loss to Alabama in Arlington on Saturday. They'll have a chance to get on track over the next three games, starting with this week's home game against Miami, Ohio.

Better Luck Next Season

Akron Zips

Trending: DOWN

The Zips are going to have to go back to the drawing board on offense after an ugly 41-3 loss at No. 19 Oklahoma. New quarterback Tra'Von Chapman didn't complete any of his passes and was replaced by Kyle Pohl, last season's starter. Akron had only 226 yards of offense and completed 6 of 26 passes.

Arkansas State Red Wolves

Trending: DOWN

The Red Wolves' trip to Los Angeles for Saturday night's opener at USC was pretty much a disaster. Arkansas State's defense gave up 509 yards of offense, the offense committed four turnovers and it had eight penalties in an ugly 55-6 loss to the No. 8 Trojans.

Army Black Knights

Trending: DOWN

Last season, the Black Knights barely escaped their home finale with a 42-31 victory over FCS opponent Fordham. On Friday night, the Rams defeated Army 37-35 in their first victory over the service academy since 1891.

Bowling Green Falcons

Trending: EVEN

There was a silver lining in the Falcons' 59-30 loss to No. 25 Tennessee in Nashville on Saturday. Bowling Green quarterback Matt Johnson completed 27 of 49 passes for 424 yards with two touchdowns, and the Falcons had 557 yards of offense against an SEC defense.

Central Michigan Chippewas

Trending: UP

The Chippewas certainly looked motivated in Thursday night's 24-13 loss to Oklahoma State, which was played only 13 days after coach John Bonamego finished treatment for cancer. The Chippewas had a 13-10 lead early in the third quarter until the Pokes woke up and scored two touchdowns in the second half.

Colorado Buffaloes

Trending: DOWN

Talk about a deflating way to start the season. The Buffaloes trailed 28-20 at Hawaii early Friday morning, and had the ball at the Warriors' 8-yard line with about 10 seconds to go. Out of timeouts, the Buffaloes never got a play off because officials couldn't get the ball spotted. By the time it was, time had expired.

Eastern Michigan Eagles

Trending: UP

The Eagles are showing progress under second-year coach Chris Creighton. After going 2-10 in 2014, the Eagles lost 38-34 to Old Dominion. EMU led 24-10 early in the third quarter and 34-31 midway through the fourth, but couldn't manage to hold on.

Florida Atlantic Owls

Trending: UP

Don't look now, but the Owls are showing signs of life under coach Charlie Partridge. FAU had a three-point lead late in the fourth quarter at Tulsa, before losing 47-44 in overtime.

Georgia Southern Eagles

Trending: DOWN

How bad was the Eagles' offense in Saturday's 44-0 loss at West Virginia? The Eagles completed two passes, threw four interceptions and went 0-for-4 on fourth down. It was the first time the Eagles were shut out since a 45-0 loss at Montana in the 1995 I-AA playoffs, a streak of 242 games.

Georgia State Panthers

Trending: DOWN

You certainly can't blame safety Bobby Baker for the Panthers' 23-20 loss to Charlotte. Baker, a UAB transfer, had five takeaways in his first game with Georgia State. He set a school record with three fumble recoveries and tied a record with two interceptions.

Idaho Vandals

Trending: DOWN

Sun Belt Conference commissioner Karl Benson was non-committal on whether his league would extend Idaho's football-only membership beyond 2017. The Vandals responded by losing to Ohio 45-28 for their 22nd loss in 24 games under coach Paul Petrino. As bad as the Vandals have been, I bet Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany would trade Rutgers for them.

Kansas Jayhawks

Trending: DOWN

You know what's the worst part of Kansas' opening 41-38 loss to FCS opponent South Dakota State? The Jayhawks still have to make a direct deposit to former coach Charlie Weis this month. Weis should have to repay Kansas his last year's salary -- plus interest. At least new coach David Beaty's team didn't quit after falling behind early.

Kent State Golden Flashes

Trending: DOWN

In hindsight, the Golden Flashes would have been better off cancelling their opener at Illinois, instead of pushing it back a day because of a lightning storm. The not-so-Golden Flashes were no match for the Illini, turning the ball over four times and committing 11 penalties in an ugly 52-3 defeat.

Louisiana Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns

Trending: EVEN

One thing seems clear after the Ragin' Cajuns' 40-33 loss at Kentucky: they won't quit. UL-Lafayette trailed 34-10 late in the third quarter, but then scored three straight touchdowns (and made two two-point conversions) to tie the score at 33. They lost after Kentucky scored on with 57 seconds to play.

Louisiana Monroe Warhawks

Trending: EVEN

The Warhawks had a couple of bright spots in Saturday's 51-14 loss at No. 9 Georgia. Receiver Rashon Ceaser had a career-high 13 catches for 153 yards with two touchdowns, and freshman quarterback Garrett Smith completed 23 of 29 passes for 206 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

New Mexico State Aggies

Trending: DOWN

Talk about adding salt to the wounds. After watching the Aggies get steamrolled 61-13 at Florida, New Mexico State officials discovered that one of their team buses was robbed outside the Swamp. Computers and bags were stolen from a bus parked in a secured lot and surrounded by police cars.

SMU Mustangs

Trending: EVEN

New Mustangs coach Chad Morris wasn't going to be able to fix SMU's defense overnight. The Mustangs allowed 723 yards of offense -- 423 passing and 300 rushing -- in a 56-21 loss to Baylor at home on Friday night.

Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles

Trending: EVEN

After going 4-32 the previous three seasons, the Golden Eagles put up an admirable fight in a 34-16 loss to Mississippi State on Saturday, the first time they've hosted an SEC opponent since 1989. Southern Miss trailed 14-10 at the half but couldn't muster any offense after halftime.

Texas State Bobcats

Trending: EVEN

The Bobcats weren't awful in their 59-16 loss at No. 10 Florida State, but they were clearly outmatched. FSU outgained the Bobcats 636-300 and broke open the game by scoring on seven of eight possessions. The good news: Texas State turned it over once and had only one penalty.

Troy Trojans

Trending: EVEN

The Trojans had a couple of positives in their 49-21 loss at NC State, which spoiled coach Neal Brown's debut. Quarterback Brandon Silvers completed 12 of 16 passes for 149 yards with one touchdown, and tailback Brandon Banks ran 14 times for 124 yards with one score.

Tulane Green Wave

Trending: DOWN

The Green Wave couldn't muster much offense in a 37-7 loss to Duke at home. Tulane went 2-for-14 on third down and had only 271 yards of offense. It won't get any easier at Georgia Tech in Week 2.

UCF Knights

Trending: DOWN

So now we know why coach George O'Leary can't wait to leave the sideline to become UCF's athletics director. The Knights were stunned 15-14 by FIU at home on Thursday night. Up next: a road trip to Stanford on Saturday.

UNLV Rebels

Trending: UP

The Rebels couldn't hold a two-touchdown lead over Northern Illinois on Saturday night and fell, 38-30, in coach Tony Sanchez's debut. There's still reason to be excited going into Saturday's home opener against No. 13 UCLA.

UTEP Miners

Trending: EVEN

The Miners couldn't keep up with No. 18 Arkansas in a 48-13 loss, averaging only 1.7 yards per rush and throwing for 146 yards with three turnovers. The Miners will have to get a lot better on offense before Saturday's road trip to Texas Tech.

UTSA Roadrunners

Trending: UP

The Roadrunners have plenty of reasons to be optimistic after a 42-32 loss at Arizona. UTSA piled up 525 yards of offense, despite returning only two starters on that side of the ball, and quarterback Blake Bogenschutz completed 25 of 43 passes for 332 yards with two touchdowns.

Vanderbilt Commodores

Trending: EVEN

The good news: the Commodores looked pretty good on defense in Thursday's 14-12 loss to Western Kentucky. The bad news: Vandy's offense looked disgusting in coordinator Andy Ludwig's debut. The Commodores had 393 yards of offense, but red zone mistakes and three turnovers doomed them in the end.

Washington State Cougars

Trending: DOWN

The Cougars suffered easily the worst loss of the opening weekend, falling to FCS Portland State 24-17 at home. The Vikings, a 31-point underdog, had never beaten a Pac-12 opponent and were 2-32 against FBS foes. Portland State is coming off a 3-9 season and is playing under interim coach Bruce Barnum.

Western Michigan Broncos

Trending: UP

The rest of the country is starting to see why Western Michigan is so excited about 34-year-old coach P.J. Fleck. The Broncos put up a heck of a fight in a 37-24 loss to No. 5 Michigan State. WMU fell behind 34-10 in the third quarter but didn't quit and scored two touchdowns to make it a game.

Wyoming Cowboys

Trending: DOWN

This wasn't what Craig Bohl had in mind when he left FCS power North Dakota State to take over the Cowboys. After going 4-8 last season, the Cowboys were stunned by North Dakota (not State) 24-13 in Saturday's opener. Wyoming ran only four offensive plays in North Dakota territory in the first three quarters.