LSU and Clemson have a lot in common.

Both are nicknamed the Tigers, both have a home stadium nicknamed “Death Valley,” both have quarterbacks who could be in New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation in December and be high first-round picks in the NFL draft, and both have head coaches feeling pressure to make a strong run at a national championship.

But the winning team will achieve some separation when No. 9 LSU and No. 4 Clemson meet in their season opener Saturday night in Clemson, S.C.

“They’re similar to us in a lot of ways,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said of LSU. “They have elite quarterback play, elite skill and dudes in the trenches on both sides. That’s why it’s a Top 10 matchup.”

Both quarterbacks not only have stuck around longer than many of their counterparts in college football, but both have stayed at their current schools the whole time.

Cade Klubnik is in his fourth season at Clemson, and Garrett Nussmeier is in his fifth at LSU. Klubnik threw for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns last season, and Nussmeier passed for 4,052 and 29, respectively.

“It’s great,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said of the quarterbacks’ patience. “It’s hard to develop them when they’re not in your program. The continuity with the people around them is great.”

Klubnik arrived in 2022 as one of the top recruits in the country but started just one game as a freshman before earning the top job two years ago.

“He could have gone to a lot of places,” Swinney said. “I told him to be in it for the long term, not just his freshman year. That kid has really grown and developed. He has really bought in.”

Clemson, which finished 10-4 in 2024, made it back to the CFP last season after a three-year drought, but its last national championship came in 2018, which was its second title in three seasons.

Swinney’s team is favored to repeat as ACC champion — the Tigers went 7-1 last season — and perhaps do better than its first-round CFP loss to Texas last season.

LSU hasn’t won a season opener since its national championship campaign in 2019, and Kelly’s first three teams fell far short of preseason expectations with their performances in opening losses to Florida State (2022 and 2023) and Southern California (2024).

Last season, LSU finished 9-4 overall and 5-3 in the SEC, and the team has been picked to finish fourth in the conference.

Kelly was much more active in the transfer portal during this offseason than he had been previously, and he came away with one of the highest-rated classes.

“The reality is we had some work to do,” Kelly said, “and that work was building a foundational piece in this program. Each year, you’re developing depth. I think this is probably the most depth we’ve had. I would say what’s different is this is a mature group that has played a lot of football.”

Kelly said he believes this team has the “DNA” to handle the challenge of opening against a program as successful as Clemson in an environment as hostile as the one his home stadium creates for visitors.

“When we get to these moments, it’s having a team that is confident, that plays the game the right way in a hostile environment,” Kelly said. “Many would say composure, maturity, and they’ve got to play with great competitiveness. Each and every play is going to be important for us.”

–Field Level Media

Coaches like to pontificate that what happened last season has no bearing on the upcoming campaign because a new season brings different players and storylines.

While it is hard not to view the massive season-opening matchup in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday afternoon between No. 1 Texas and No. 3 Ohio State as a rematch of the Jan. 10 national semifinal won by the Buckeyes 28-14 that led to their winning the national championship 10 days later against Notre Dame, a look at the current quarterbacks suggests that indeed there are major changes to both sides.

The game in January featured Texas three-year starter Quinn Ewers vs. the Buckeyes’ fifth-year senior Will Howard in the QB showcase.

Enter the much-ballyhooed redshirt sophomore Arch Manning, with two career starts, against redshirt freshman Julian Sayin making his first start.

“We’re excited for him,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said of Sayin, who threw for 84 yards and a touchdown last season. “You’re seeing him every day get more and more confident and more and more comfortable in what we’re trying to do. But we’ve got to get on the field and play. It’s about time.

“The message is just win. Find a way to win.”

Manning, the nephew of Super-Bowl winning quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning and the grandson of former New Orleans Saints QB Archie Manning, last season had 939 passing yards, nine touchdown passes and two interceptions in 10 games.

“It’s not about me, it’s about the whole team,” Arch Manning said. “We have to play the situations well, not give them short fields, and take care of the ball. It should be a fun one. I just have to trust my training, the coaches, the practice plan.”

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Manning is ready.

“He’s practiced well, and he’s been in these environments,” Sarkisian said. “It’s not like we didn’t put him in the game in the semifinals (last season) — we played him at Texas A&M (Nov. 30), and now he just gets to play more snaps. I know he’s excited about that.”

In all, 26 players (14 from Ohio State) who played in the semifinal were selected in April’s NFL draft. But Day had stern words about Saturday’s clash.

“We’re not defending anything,” he said. “They can’t take the trophy away. We’re looking to attack and win a championship with this team.”

Subplots aren’t lacking. Texas (13-3 last season) must replace four starting offensive linemen, the same number of departing defensive linemen for the Buckeyes (14-2).

Manning will face All-America safety Caleb Downs, who many pundits consider the second-best player in the country to. … Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who as a freshman last season made 76 catches for 1,315 yards (17.3-yard average) and 15 touchdowns.

However, he had just one catch for 3 yards against the Longhorns.

As good as Smith was, Texas defensive end Colin Simmons was voted the national freshman of the year after he compiled 48 tackles, nine sacks and an interception.

While Texas is the underdog for Saturday, the Longhorns have won 11 straight true road games, and the introduction of the 12-team College Football Playoff last season means the loser won’t sustain a knockout blow.

“I don’t think either us or Ohio State, for that matter, is going to get punished for playing in this game from a CFP standpoint,” Sarkisian said.

— Field Level Media

Former South Florida football coach Jim Leavitt was arrested on Monday evening in St. Petersburg, Fla., on a felony grand theft charge and misdemeanor charges of simple battery and domestic battery.

Leavitt, 68, grabbed his ex-girlfriend by the arm as she tried to walk away and took her Louis Vuitton purse, clutch bag and wallet and would not give them back as she attempted to leave, according to arrest affidavits filed in Pinellas County, Fla. Leavitt admitted to authorities that he withheld the items, which are valued between $5,000 and $10,000.

According to a separate affidavit, Leavitt shoved a man in the chest a few minutes later. Leavitt told authorities that the man “walked into his right hand, making contact with the victim’s chest,” per the affidavit.

Leavitt was USF’s first football coach, hired in 1996 and leading the Bulls for 13 seasons (1997-2009). His teams went 95-57 — including the first four as an NCAA Division I-AA independent (1997-2000) before moving up to Division I-A — and went 3-2 in bowl games. The Bulls were ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation (2007).

USF fired Leavitt in January 2010 after its investigation found that during halftime of a game against Louisville, he grabbed one of his players by the throat, slapped him in the face and later lied about it.

Leavitt at the time called the allegations “absolutely false” and later sued the university for wrongful termination. The lawsuit was settled for $2.75 million, per an ESPN report.

He is scheduled to be inducted into the USF Athletic Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2025 on Oct. 2.

Leavitt served as linebackers coach with the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers (2011-14) before returning to the college ranks. He was the defensive coordinator at Colorado (2015-16), Oregon (2017-18), Florida Atlantic (2020) and SMU (2021), as well as a defensive analyst at Florida State (2019).

–Field Level Media

Colorado will face Georgia Tech in the teams’ season opener on Friday night in Boulder, Colo., in the first-ever meeting between the two programs that split the 1990 national championship.

After years of insignificance, Colorado appeared back on the map two seasons ago with the hiring of coach Deion Sanders and the additions of son Shedeur and last year’s Heisman winner and second overall pick in the NFL draft, Travis Hunter.

With quarterback Sanders and wide receiver/cornerback Hunter off to the pros, Colorado, which finished 9-4 last season, has named fifth-year transfer Kaidon Salter as the starting quarterback for the opener.

Salter joined Colorado in December with 77 touchdowns (56 passing, 21 rushing) across 35 games in four seasons at quarterback for Liberty.

“Kaidon is unbelievable,” Deion Sanders said. “Kaidon is off the chain. He can get the job done. I wouldn’t have brought him here if I didn’t trust him.”

While Georgia Tech (7-6 in 2024) prepares to face Salter, coach Brent Key readies to face a fellow third-year coach in Sanders.

“We have a chance to go on national TV to open the season on a Friday night and play such a quality opponent,” Key said. “It’s an honor to play a guy like Deion Sanders, coach to coach. … He’s done a tremendous job putting that team together with the amount of talent that they have.”

Sixth-year senior Haynes King will return for his third season as Georgia Tech’s starter at quarterback. After helping to lead the team to consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 2013-14, King was picked second behind Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik for ACC Preseason Player of the Year honors.

“It’s always good to open up the season against somebody that’s good, strong and a talented football team,” King said. “That pushes your team to be the best as well, whether it’s through the offseason, fall camp or even preparing for the first game.”

–Field Level Media

Jackson Arnold was brought in to be the new Auburn quarterback, but coach Hugh Freeze is talking about playing three signal-callers in the season opener on Friday night.

Arnold, an Oklahoma transfer, didn’t run away with the competition, so Stanford transfer Ashton Daniels and prized freshman Deuce Knight also are expected to see action at QB when the Tigers face Baylor at Waco, Texas.

Arnold, a former five-star recruit, was expected to be the main quarterback after receiving an NIL deal reportedly approaching $2.5 million via the transfer portal. But he averaged just 5.8 yards per passing attempt with the Sooners last season and hasn’t been carving it up on the practice field this month, either.

In fact, Auburn coach Hugh Freeze acknowledged the defense was told to back off at times to aid Arnold.

“The No. 1 priority of practice is for our quarterback to leave that field confident,” Freeze said. “I am going back to that this year.”

The Bears’ defense certainly won’t play along and also will have to prepare for Daniels and Knight.

Daniels passed for 21 touchdowns against 20 interceptions over the past two seasons for Stanford, while Knight has displayed all the necessary tools.

“Without giving away too much, I think there’s a place for both of those guys that you can play to their strengths,” Freeze said of the plan against Baylor. “We won’t be afraid to do that. (Knight) can make any throw on the field, and he has a poise about him for a freshman that’s unique.”

The Tigers are looking for their first winning campaign in Freeze’s three seasons at the school. They went 5-7 last season and 6-7 the previous year.

Baylor (8-5 in 2024) has no problems at quarterbacks, with Sawyer Robertson back for his second full season as the team’s starter. He passed for 3,071 yards and 28 touchdowns against eight interceptions last season.

Robertson’s improvement was a big reason why the Bears were vastly better than the disappointing team that went 3-9 in 2023.

“A lot of the guys that are here right now, and that had roles in last year’s successful season, were also on that 3-9 team when nobody liked us,” Robertson told reporters. “So just keeping that chip on our shoulder is the main thing, and building off of how we ended last season.”

Baylor won its last six regular-season games in 2024 before losing 44-31 to LSU in the Texas Bowl.

–Field Level Media

Nebraska and Cincinnati will meet Thursday night at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., in the only Power Four matchup of the day.

Coming off a season in which they played in a bowl game for the first time since 2016, the Cornhuskers enter their third season under head coach Matt Rhule — who has had success in his third seasons in his previous head coaching stints at Temple and Baylor, going 10-4 and 11-3, respectively.

Now he’s looking to replicate his success at Nebraska.

The Cornhuskers’ campus in Lincoln, Neb., is just 209 miles from the Kansas City Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium, and defensive coordinator John Butler said he feels like the crowd will favor his team Thursday night. But he had a caution for his players.

“You’re playing game No. 1, you’re playing in a pro stadium — don’t make it bigger than it is,” Butler said. “A lot of guys have played in an elite venue here at Memorial Stadium, so it’s similar, but just do what we’ve practiced to do. Don’t lose your minds. Play with energy and enthusiasm, but don’t make it bigger than it is.”

Quarterback Dylan Raiola is entering his second season at Nebraska, coming off a freshman year in which he threw for 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He finished with 2,819 yards passing.

The Bearcats’ Scott Satterfield is also entering his third season at the helm of his program. Through his first two seasons, Cincinnati’s first two in the Big 12, the team’s record is just 8-16 overall and 4-14 in the conference.

The Bearcats finished 5-7 overall last season, while Nebraska was 7-6.

Like Raiola, Bearcats quarterback Brendan Sorsby is entering his second season with his team. He had a strong first half of 2024, then fizzled as Cincinnati lost its last five games following a 5-2 start.

“Obviously, (those last five games) weren’t up to the standard I would like to play at,” said Sorsby, who finished last season with 2,813 yards passing. “I think the experience I got from last year in the system will be a huge benefit going into this year.”

Cincinnati is looking to start 1-0 for the third straight season.

–Field Level Media

Kansas enters the official Week 1 of the 2025 college football season in an unusual position. The Jayhawks already are 1-0 and preparing to play their second home game in their almost-new stadium in Lawrence, Kan.

The Jayhawks opened with a 31-7 victory over Fresno State last week. Kansas will host FCS opponent Wagner (0-0) in Memorial Stadium, which began undergoing a significant renovation following the 2023 season. Only the east side of the stadium remains largely unchanged from previous seasons.

Now into the weekly grind, Kansas coach Lance Leipold looked back with pride about the opener and forward with anticipation.

“I thought we played hard,” he said at his Monday press conference. “I thought we played physical. Defensively, I thought we played well after the first series.

“We’ve got to clean up the penalties (nine for 72 yards) and be better with our hands. It was a good first win, but there’s plenty on the film that you can point out that we have to embrace to get better.”

Wagner was predicted to finish fifth in the Northeast Conference preseason poll, coming off a 4-8 season in 2024. The Seahawks will try to build from a rushing attack that had only one player, Rickey Spruill, gain more than 400 yards last season. He finished with 612 yards on 119 carries.

Senior offensive lineman Brady Anderson was named to the All-NEC preseason team. He is joined as a captain by defensive back/wide receiver Sam Martin and defensive lineman Logan Barnes.

“I’m proud of the leadership this group has shown, both on and off the field,” Seahawks coach Tom Masella said. “Our captains have earned the respect of their teammates through their work ethic, toughness and commitment to the program. They set the standard every day, and I know they’ll do a great job leading our team this season.”

Kansas was impressive against Fresno State. Quarterback Jalon Daniels is breaking in a group of new skill position players this year, as he lost his top three receivers and leading rusher Devin Neal to the NFL. But that didn’t slow him against the Bulldogs.

He finished 18 of 20 for 176 yards and three touchdowns and added 47 yards rushing on eight carries.

–Field Level Media

Colorado named its replacement for departed quarterback Shedeur Sanders, with Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter set to take over under center for the Buffaloes.

Salter passed for 1,886 yards and 15 touchdowns, six interceptions in 11 games during his fourth season at Liberty last year. He also rushed for 579 yards and seven more TDs.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders used his son Shedeur at quarterback in 24 of the 25 games since he arrived to lead the Buffaloes program. Shedeur Sanders, who was a fifth-round draft pick for the Cleveland Browns, completed 74.0 percent of his passes last season for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns with 10 interceptions.

Salter’s best season at Liberty came in 2023 when he completed 61.0 percent of his passes for 2,876 yards, 32 touchdowns and six interceptions. He guided the Flames to a 13-1 record that season with a spot in the Fiesta Bowl where they lost 45-6 to Oregon.

“Kaidon is off the chain,” Deion Sanders said at Big 12 media day. “He’s been there, done that. He can get the job done. I wouldn’t have brought him here if I didn’t trust him.”

Colorado begins its 2025 season against Georgia Tech at home on Friday.

–Field Level Media

With new coaches and teams looking for bounce-back seasons, Kennesaw State and Wake Forest have plenty in common going into their opener Friday night in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Jake Dickert has taken charge at Wake Forest, moving across the country from Washington State. Jerry Mack is the new coach at Kennesaw State.

Both teams had losing records in 2024 and will go with well-traveled quarterbacks as the season begins.

Dickert’s assignment follows Dave Clawson’s 11 seasons as Wake Forest’s head coach before Clawson resigned. The Demon Deacons are coming off back-to-back 4-8 seasons.

“I think since Day 1 the guys have really embraced the change,” Dickert said.

Robby Ashford — formerly of Oregon, Auburn and South Carolina — will start at quarterback for Wake in the opener, but the Demon Deacons will rely heavily on running back Demond Claiborne, who had 1,049 rushing yards, 254 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns last year.

Ashford completed 23 of 32 passes for 324 yards and two touchdowns last season for South Carolina, with no interceptions. He ran for 227 yards and two scores on 41 carries.

“It isn’t going to be one player; it’s going to be us as a collective,” Dickert said.

Kennesaw State is turning to Dexter Williams II as its starting quarterback, making his debut with the team and after stops at Indiana and Georgia Southern.

“He has played and he has been in college before,” Mack said of Williams, who passed for 248 yards and three touchdowns at Georgia Southern last year. “… He has led teams to victory. He just has a lot of experience, being on the field. He understands what it’s supposed to look like.”

Another area to watch for Kennesaw State will be Davis Bryson, who started 11 games at quarterback last year and has shifted to receiver.

“I love myself with the ball in space,” Bryson said. “That’s what I pride myself on.”

The Owls, who went 2-10 last year in their first FBS season, will have plenty of questions going into the opener, especially along the offensive line.

“Whenever you get so many men in a room that have never played together, come from all different backgrounds … has been really a challenge,” Mack said.

Mack most recently was running backs coach with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. Until he was hired by Kennesaw State in December, his only previous job as a head coach came from 2014-17 at North Carolina Central, where his teams won three Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championships.

–Field Level Media

Virginia Tech junior linebacker Caleb Woodson is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 9 after his arrest on a charge of misdemeanor driving while intoxicated.

Woodson, 21, was arrested Saturday in that incident.

He also has a Sept. 16 court date for a reckless driving citation in which he reportedly was going 96 mph in a 70-mph zone on July 30.

“We are aware of an incident involving Caleb Woodson,” Virginia Tech said in a statement on Tuesday morning. “We take this matter seriously and will handle it according to athletic department policy and university policy. As this is a legal matter, we will have no further comment until the process is complete.”

Hokies head coach Brent Pry told reporters on Tuesday that there has yet to be a determination about the status of Woodson, a captain, for the team’s season opener against No. 13 South Carolina on Sunday in Atlanta.

“We removed his captain status with the opportunity to earn it back,” Pry said.

Woodson recorded 72 tackles, two sacks and an interception in 13 games (11 starts) last season.

–Field Level Media