Ole Miss hangs on for 32-24 win over Rival LSU

Mississippi jumped out to a 17-0 lead oner Lane Kiffin's LSU team and it looked like it might be the beat down Ole Miss fans had been hoping for. But in the third quarter LSU's offense came alive and by the 4th quarter thet were all tied up at 24-24. Overtime looked eminet but the Rebels had one more piece of magic lwft in their bag of tricks and shot down the field for a late TD that earned the victory. They even capped it off with a two point conversion. It was sweet revenge for Mississippi who had to go through a years worth of anger when Kiffin left the Grove for Death Valley.  Around the nation: Georgia Tech 44, Mercer 11; Clemson 28, North Carolina 20; Vanderbilt 35, NC State 31; Boston College 22, Maine 16; Louisville 41, SMU 31; Cal 49, Wagner 7; Duke 35, Stanford 7; Alabama 50, Florida State 36; West Virginia 38, Virginia 27; and Virginia Tech 35, Maryland 26. NC State built a 14-nothing first-quarter lead and was still up 31-28 in the final minute. But with 6 seconds left, CJ Bailey was stripped near his own goal line, and Vanderbilt fell on the fumble in the end zone for the winning touchdown. Bailey threw for 275 yards and three scores to Keenan Jackson, but Vandy's late surge stole it. NC State actually outgained the Commodores and held the ball longer, but three turnovers proved too costly. It really felt like one that got away. Scores from the Big 10 yesterday show Minnesota 41, Akron 7. Ohio State 59, Kent State 3. Penn State 55, Buffalo 13. Wisconsin 54, Eastern Michigan 10. Illinois 48, Southern Illinois 10. USC 42, Rutgers 35. Michigan 52, UTEP 17. Indiana 38, Western Kentucky 0. Iowa 55, Northern Iowa 0. Washington 48, Eastern Washington 16. Nebraska 34, North Dakota 7. Northwestern 41, Colorado 7. Virginia Tech 35, Maryland 26. Notre Dame 27, Michigan State 10. UCLA 52, Purdue 38. The Big 10 looks very strong in these early weeks, but the level of competition has been weak except Michigans's win over Oklahoma las week and the shocking Ohio State loss to Texas as well.  In the Big 12, Iowa State 55, Bowling Green 7; Kansas State 31, Tulane 20; Arizona State 24, Kansas 17; Cincinnati 35, Miami (Ohio) 31; Utah 33, Utah State 0. Baylor 36, Louisiana Tech 19; UCF 44, Georgia State 30; Oklahoma State 59, Murray State 0. Northwestern 41, Colorado 7; West Virginia 38, Virginia 27; TCU 31, Arkansas State 7; BYU 41, Colorado State 23; Arizona 42, Northern Illinois 17. In the SEC, Georgia 45, Arkansas 17. Vanderbilt 35, NC State 31. Kentucky 31, Texas A&M 21. Mississippi State 41, South Carolina 34. Alabama 50, Florida State 36. Missouri 27, Troy 17. Florida 44, Auburn 39. Oklahoma 14, New Mexico 6. Ole Miss 32, LSU 24. Tennessee 42, Kennesaw State 9. Texas 30, UTSA 6. Oklahoma's offense continues to struggle, if not for the Sooners exceptional defense, Oklahoma could easily have lost that game. The Sonners were a 21 poing favorite going in. It will be interesting to see how the AP and Coaches polls respond to that performance. Last week the Coaches poll dropped Oklahoma out of the Top 25.  The Billingsley Report is now online, along with the Week #5 projections.   

21 Point 4th Quarter Explosion Dooms Ohio State

Ohio State dominated the Longhorns for 3 long quarters, taking a commanding 23-3 lead, but Texas made a miraculous recovery, scoring 21 points in the 4th quarter, shocking the Buckeyes for a 24-23 victory. This will undoutedely go down in history as the Longhorns greatest comeback in school history.  Around the nation: Georgia Tech fell at home to No. 18 Tennessee,45-24, as the Vols pulled away late. South Florida grabbed a 28-24 road win at Army. UTSA went on the road and beat Texas State, 31-26. North Texas rolled UNLV, 44-6. Tulane topped South Alabama, 28-24. UAB beat Louisiana-Monroe, 26-20. Tulsa won at Sam Houston, 23-17. Florida Atlantic outlasted Navy, 38-30. On the tough side, ECU fell to Appalachian State, 27-24. Memphis lost 38-20 at Boise State. Temple was beaten by No. 16 Penn State, 27-9. Rice fell to No. 3 Notre Dame, 52-0. And Charlotte lost to No. 9 Ole Miss, 41-9. Michigan grabbed a big win, beating No. 11 Oklahoma, 17-10. Iowa edged Iowa State, 16-13. Penn State beat Temple, 27-9. Indiana rolled Howard, 55-0. Nebraska crushed Bowling Green, 56-7. Michigan State beat Eastern Michigan, 35-7. Maryland won at UConn, 38-14. Wisconsin handled Western Illinois, 36-9. USC stayed perfect, beating Louisiana, 49-30. Washington escaped Utah State,16-14. But two massive setbacks: No. 6 Oregon lost at Oklahoma State, 39-31, and No.1 Ohio State blew a 20-point fourth-quarter lead, losing at Texas 24-23. Also, Purdue fell, 38-36 to Wake Forest, Illinois lost 31-27 to Duke, and Minnesota was beaten 38-13 by Mississippi State. Oklahoma State pulled the stunner of the day, taking down No. 6 Oregon, 39-31, behind 554 yards of offense. Utah crushed Arkansas 43-10. Texas Tech won at Oregon State 35-24. BYU beat Arizona 28-17. Kansas State took care of Washington State 34-7. Colorado beat Weber State 52-21. West Virginia rolled UT Martin 52-7. Cincinnati won 62-10 over Western Carolina. Houston blasted Southern 77-6. TCU won 63-7 vs. Grambling State, and Baylor beat Prairie View A&M 44-3. On the other side: Iowa State lost 16-13 at Iowa, Arizona State fell to Texas A&M 48-20, and UCF dropped a 12-7 game at Pittsburgh. FIU picked up a solid 33-20 win over Buffalo, putting up540 yards. Missouri State rolled Lindenwood48-14 with584 yards of offense. Liberty survived a late scare to beat Gardner-Webb 24-23, scoring the winner in the final minutes. Jacksonville State lost a 4-overtime heartbreaker at Ohio, 29-27. Middle Tennessee fell 28-26 at Marshall. Delaware lost 35-26 at Vanderbilt. Sam Houston fell at home 23-17 to Tulsa. Kennesaw State lost 31-17 to Georgia State. Western Kentucky ran into No. 2 Georgia and lost 70-20. FIU picked up a solid 33-20 win over Buffalo, putting up540 yards. Missouri State rolled Lindenwood48-14 with584 yards of offense. Liberty survived a late scare to beat Gardner-Webb 24-23, scoring the winner in the final minutes. Jacksonville State lost a 4-overtime heartbreaker at Ohio, 29-27. Middle Tennessee fell 28-26 at Marshall. Delaware lost 35-26 at Vanderbilt. Sam Houston fell at home 23-17 to Tulsa. Kennesaw State lost 31-17 to Georgia State. Western Kentucky ran into No. 2 Georgia and lost 70-20. New Mexico blasted Mercyhurst 70-7. San Jose State beat Cal Poly30-20. UTEP handled Texas Southern 51-10. Wyoming beat Northern Colorado 21-13. And North Dakota State, in its first Mountain West conference game, beat Air Force 38-32. Hawaii got its first win of the season, 29-19 over New Mexico State. UNLV lost 44-6 at North Texas, Northern Illinois fell 28-24 to Illinois State, and Nevada lost 20-7 to Montana State. Boise State rallied past Memphis 38-20, scoring 21 unanswered in the second half. Colorado State rolled Southern Utah 58-24 with678 yards. Fresno State dominated Sacramento State 49-3. Utah State nearly stunned No.19 Washington but fell 16-14, scoring late but couldn’t finish the comeback. Oregon State lost 35-24 to Texas Tech. Texas State fell 31-26 to UTSA. San Diego State lost 28-10 at UCLA, and Washington State was beaten 34-7 at Kansas State. No. 4 Texas pulled off a stunning 24-23 comeback at No.1 Ohio State, scoring21 straight in the fourth quarter. Georgia crushed Western Kentucky 70-20, Alabama pulled away from Kentucky45-17. Ole Miss rolled Charlotte 41-9. Texas A&M beat Arizona State 48-20. Tennessee beat Georgia Tech 45-24. Vanderbilt handled Delaware 35-26, and Mississippi State beat Minnesota 38-13. Auburn edged Ball State 42-3, while Missouri beat Kansas 42-31. South Carolina defeated South Carolina State 38-10. Arkansas fell 43-10 at Utah.  App State went on the road and beat ECU27-24. James Madison absolutely demolished Wagner 87-3. Arkansas State crushed West Georgia 52-7. Coastal Carolina beat Fordham45-7 and Troy took care of Alabama State 34-17. Marshall survived Middle Tennessee 28-26. Georgia State got a nice road win over Kennesaw State 31-17. The league also had some tough matchups, with Old Dominion falling to Virginia Tech 44-21. ULM losing to UAB 26-20, South Alabama dropping a close one at Tulane 28-24, Georgia Southern falling at Clemson 22-7. Southern Miss losing at Auburn43-8. Louisiana losing to USC49-30. And Louisiana Tech falling at LSU45-14. Big offensive day for JMU, and solid wins for App State, Arkansas State, Coastal and Troy. Texas soard all the way to #1 in this week's Billingsley Report. Week 4 projections are already online.       

LSU Destroys Clemson 51-10

The battle for the right to claim the stadium "Death Valley" has been settled, at least for 2026. LSU blasted Clemson 51-10 to settle that arguments. Memphis was the only American Athletic Conference team on my Week 1 list, and the Tigers opened the season strong with an impressive 42-24 victory over Arkansas State. Memphis established control with a balanced offensive attack. Jaylin Carter led the ground game with 183 rushing yards, consistently breaking through the Arkansas State defense and setting the tone for the offense. Quarterback Marcus Stokes complemented the running game by throwing for 188 yards, making timely plays through the air and keeping the Red Wolves from loading up against the run. The Tigers showed the balance that championship contenders need. While the defense made enough key stops to prevent Arkansas State from mounting a serious comeback. Week one doesn't guarantee anything, but Memphis looked like a team capable of competing for the American Athletic Conference title again this year. If the Tigers continue to run the football as effectively as they did in their opener, they should be a factor throughout the conference race.  The Big Ten offered a little bit of everything in Week 1. Oregon was tested before pulling out a 34-27 win over Boise State. Quarterback Dante Moore passed for378 yards and three touchdowns, showing poise in a game that was far from a runaway. Ohio State left nothing to doubt in a 56-3 rout of Ball State. Julian Sayin threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns as the Buckeyes looked every bit like a national title contender. USC was equally impressive, shutting out Fresno State 39-0, suggesting that the Trojans may finally be finding the consistency they've been searching for. Michigan, meanwhile, had a very narrow escape. The Wolverines needed a last-second 47-yard Hail Mary from quarterback Bryce Underwood to J.J. Buchanan to get past Western Michigan 13-12. That result left plenty of questions in Ann Arbor. Nebraska, on the other hand, looked sharp in a 49-21 win over Ohio, showing balance and rhythm on offense. The early Big Ten picture is clear. Ohio State and USC looked dominant. Oregon showed resolve. Nebraska impressed, and Michigan left its fans holding their breath. Big 12. Houston picked up a solid non-conference win, knocking off Oregon State 33-20 behind a balanced offensive performance. Conner Weigman threw for over300 yards, Amare Thomas topped 130 receiving yards, and the Cougars piled up more than 220 rushing yards as a team. Houston built a comfortable lead and then held off a late push to close it out. Baylor, meanwhile, came painfully close in a 17-16 loss to Auburn. DJ Lagway threw for 333 yards and two touchdowns, Gavin Freeman was explosive on the outside, and Dawson Pendergrass led the ground game. But Baylor's final two-point try came up short. It was a tough loss, but Baylor showed it can go toe-to-toe with a quality opponent. Early impression in the big 12? Houston's start builds real confidence, and Baylor's narrow miss still offered encouraging signs. Independents, Notre Dame delivered one of the most notable independent performances of the weekend in the Shamrock Series at Lambeau Field, where the Irish pulled away in the second half to beat Wisconsin 41-13. It was close early, just 13-10 at halftime, but Notre Dame dominated after the break. Quarterback CJ Carr threw for 239 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Aneyas Williams ran for90 and two scores, and Jordan Faison led the receivers with 81 yards. Wisconsin got a solid day from quarterback Colton Joseph, who threw for277 yards, but the Badgers couldn't run the ball, and a costly pick6 slammed the door. So from the independent ranks, Notre Dame looks balanced, explosive, and poised. That second half in Green Bay was the kind of statement that playoff hopefuls like to make early. Pac-12. Washington took care of Washington State in the Apple Cup, grinding out a 24-20 win. Quarterback Desmond Williams Jr. threw for two touchdowns and ran for87 yards and a score, leading a balanced attack. Washington rushed for 198 yards as a team, while Washington State's second-half rally came up just short. This wasn't a flashy win, but it was a steady one, and it's the kind of result that can build confidence early. For a restructured Pac-12 world, it was Washington asserting itself in a rivalry game that always seems to come down to the wire. SEC. Texas opened with a dominant 59-7 win over Texas State. Arch Manning threw for over300 yards and four touchdowns. Texas scored on eight of its first nine drives and looked like a national title favorite. Oklahoma was just as sharp, shutting out UTEP 51-0, scoring on its first eight possessions. Quarterback John Mateer accounted for three early touchdowns before backups finished the job. And we already saw Ole Miss edge Louisville 41-38 on a last-second 48-yard field goal. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss threw for336 yards and three touchdowns in that one. The SEC looks deep and dangerous again. Texas and Oklahoma flexed early, Ole Miss proved it can win tight games, and the league as a whole showed why it’s still the standard. Week 1 never tells the whole story, but it always gives us something to think about. Miami looked like a national contender. Clemson has real questions. Memphis looked strong in the American. The Big Ten showed both dominance and vulnerability, with Ohio State and USC rolling and Michigan escaping. The Big 12 offered encouraging signs from Houston, while Baylor's narrow miss still had positives. Notre Dame looked complete, Washington passed a rivalry test, and the SEC flexed its depth from Texas and Oklahoma to Ole Miss. The season is just beginning, but the first impressions were loud and clear. Some teams already look like contenders, while others have work to do, and that's what makes the weeks ahead so intriguing. The rankings for week 1 will be posted tomorrow after the SMU/Florida State game tonight. Week 2 projections will also be posted .