And now, five bonus Final Thoughts from Sunday’s college football tripleheader (which brings us to 25 for the weekend). Why did the networks take this long to figure out they could show more than one game on Week 1 Sunday?

Dabo Swinney, Clemson are the biggest losers from Week 1

Manny Navarro

1. In a very 2026 college football moment, ABC’s Louisville-Ole Miss broadcast began with reporter Katie George recounting Trinidad Chambliss’ courtroom fight last winter to receive an extra year of eligibility. After watching the ninth-ranked Rebels’ thrilling 41-38 win, I’d like to personally thank Mississippi Judge Robert Whitwell for giving us the chance to watch Chambliss again.

The former Division II transfer picked up where he left off in last year’s College Football Playoff, throwing three long touchdowns where he led his receiver perfectly and running for another en route to 397 yards of offense. Ole Miss won despite prolific running back Kewan Lacy leaving with an injury in the third quarter.

But if Sunday was an indication, Pete Golding’s team is going to struggle to get back to the CFP, even with a Heisman-caliber QB. After losing several of its best players to the portal (thanks, Lane Kiffin), Ole Miss’ defense looked slow and out of position for much of the second half, and could have very easily blown the game.

2. Louisville coach Jeff Brohm’s new quarterback, Ohio State transfer Lincoln Kienholz, came into Sunday shrouded in mystery. The only time anyone had seen him play meaningful action was as a third-string freshman thrown to the wolves in the Buckeyes’ 2023 Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri. He didn’t start this one much better.

But in the second half, Kienholz was almost as electric as Chambliss, completing touchdowns of 62 and 54 yards and running for a game-tying seven-yard score that allowed the Cardinals to erase a 38-24 deficit with 1:28 left. Louisville ultimately took the “L” because Ole Miss has a bionic kicker, Lucas Carneiro. The same guy who made both a 56- and 58-yard field goal in January’s CFP games hit a walk-off 48-yarder to win this one.

Louisville came into the season as an ACC sleeper. If Kienholz is going to play like that all season, the Cardinals will be an ACC contender.

3. For one half, those of us who believed No. 4 Notre Dame can win the national championship started to have some premature buyer’s remorse. They led underdog Wisconsin 13-10, with a concerning inability to get the run game going.

The Irish won 41-13.

We got a nice peek at what the Irish offense will look like post-Jeremiyah Love/Jadarian Price. Aneyas Williams is clearly the lead runner, finishing with 90 yards on 20 carries, while Nolan James Jr. twice caught short CJ Carr passes and broke them 28 yards, the second for a touchdown.

The biggest play of the night for the Irish defense came from its most important newcomer. Colorado CB DJ McKinney’s 55-yard pick six opened the floodgates. It wasn’t an LSU-level statement, but encouraging nonetheless.

Notre Dame players celebrate after win over Wisconsin

4. Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell entered the season one of the nation’s hottest seats, but with reason to believe this will be a much-improved team. Can’t say we saw that. New QB Colton Joseph (Old Dominion) had a couple of noteworthy plays, including a 28-yard touchdown in the first half to promising WR Malachi Coleman (Minnesota). But for the most part, the offense couldn’t sustain drives.

The good news for Fickell: Wisconsin’s schedule is much more manageable this season.

5. Finally, I’m glad Washington and Washington State have kept the Apple Cup alive post-conference breakup. Unfortunately, it’s just not the same. A one-score game deep into the fourth quarter felt less like “intense rivalry” and more like “sloppy Big Ten team struggling to put away its G6 opponent.”

The 16th-ranked Huskies overcame a staggering 130 penalty yards and star QB Demond Williams Jr.’s uneven performance to win 24-10. Williams helped put it away with a nifty 21-yard run, followed by a successful flea-flicker with just over two minutes left.

The Cougars, now on their third head coach (Kirby Moore) in three seasons, could be better-than-expected in their return to the “Pac-12.”

Read Saturday’s 20 Final Thoughts here.