Bill Belichick and Sonny Dykes trade places in Week 0's 5 biggest winners and losers

The first weekend of college football is in the books as Saturday kicked off the 2026 season with the "Week 0" games. The slate was rather light, with just 8 games on the day while only 1 team ranked in the Top 25 was in action. While there weren't a ton of games being played, the drama was all you could ask for as some of the biggest games lived up to the drama.

The day gave us Bill Belichick seeking revenge against TCU in Ireland, an ACC clash that didn't count toward league standings, Florida State on upset alert, USC kicking off a pivotal season, and a Group of 5 clash with major College Football Playoff implications. While Week 0 is just the start of the season, some teams are flying sky-high while others are already fearing for the worst.

Week 0 delivers upsets, high-stakes clashes, and more

Winner: Bill Belichick

After the beatdown that TCU put on North Carolina to start Bill Belichick's college football tenure, everyone was counting the Tar Heels out in the season opener. With Steve Belichick on medical leave, Bill Belichick called the Tar Heels' defense and did an outstanding job. The Tar Heels shut TCU out after the 1st quarter, leading the team to a win that should quiet the hot seat talks for the time being.

Loser: Sonny Dykes

There's just something about Sonny Dykes and TCU that creates major stories to open the season. A few years ago, TCU gave birth to the wild hype around Colorado in Deion Sanders' first season, and last season, they crushed North Carolina to send the Tar Heels spiraling. TCU's loss gives Bill Belichick new life, while the 10-point performance won't give the fans a ton of excitement post Josh Hoover and Kendal Briles.

Winner: USC's youth movement

Tanook Hines and Terrell Anderson were out with injuries for USC, allowing members of USC's top-ranked signing class to step into starting roles. The 5-for-5 eligibility rule has eliminated redshirts, and Lincoln Riley showcased his top-ranked signing class. The Trojans played 16 total freshmen, and top recruits Mark Bowman, Luke Wafle, and Trent Mosley all looked like stars in an important year for the program.

Loser: USC football fans

Seemingly, everyone was excited for college football to be back, with the lone exception being the USC football fans. The Coliseum was empty on Saturday, which is a pretty bad look for a program as historic as USC. Considering that the "Championship window" just opened, you would think the fans would be more supportive in what could be a special season.

Winner: Tony Elliott and Beau Pribula

Coming off a trip to the ACC Championship Game, Tony Elliott was tasked with proving Virginia wasn't a one-year wonder. With the help of his transfer quarterback Beau Pribula, Tony Elliott did just that, handing down a 34-8 beatdown of NC State, ending Dave Doeren's 4-game winning streak against the Cavs. The offensive line was nasty, and the defense was beyond impressive, giving UVA a chance to contend for the ACC Championship again.

Loser: CJ Bailey

This offseason, CJ Bailey could've hit the Transfer Portal when NC State lost a ton of the talented pieces around him, but he opted instead to return to the Wolfpack. That decision instantly looked wrong when NC State got embarrassed by Virginia in a 34-8 blowout. While CJ Bailey could've played better, his offensive line struggled blocking, and his receivers couldn't get open, which is a major concern moving forward. Bailey likely could've transferred for more money to a better team, but his decision to remain loyal may end up being regrettable.

Winner: North Dakota State Bison

Welcome to the big leagues North Dakota State! Saturday marked the first game for the Bison in the FBS after their dynasty run at the FCS level. The Bison cruised to victory in their first FBS game, beating Jacksonville State 33-7 in a total team effort. As the season progresses, we'll see how well equipped the team is to win at this level, but the early returns are promising.

Loser: Mike Norvell

The best way to keep the entire fanbase from calling for your job certainly isn't by playing a close game against New Mexico State to open the season before facing back-to-back Top 25 opponents. While the Seminoles won the game by 17 points, New Mexico State had the Noles on the brink of collapsing several times, and if not for a few mistakes, they could've pushed for a win. The next two games come against top 25 teams in SMU and Alabama, so the Noles better find answers fast.

Winner: Tavita Pritchard

Coaching the first game at his alma mater, it looked like Tavita Pritchard may get his first win for Stanford with ease when the Cardinal took a 9-point lead into the 4th quarter. Instead, Hawaii ripped off a 20-point run, forcing the offense to go on one last touchdown drive before the defense stripped Micah Alejado for the game sealing touchdown.

The resilience that Stanford showed after everything went against them was impressive and shows how good a job Pritchard did keeping his team in the game. Getting 310 yards passing out of Davis Warren and a hat trick on the ground from Micah Ford shows this offense can make some noise this season.

Loser: Dan Mullen

UNLV was given a golden opportunity to start the season off with a major resume-building win as Memphis came to Las Vegas in a clash of two elite Group of 5 teams. After taking a 14-7 lead into the locker room, Mullen was outcoached by Charles Huff as Memphis went on a 20-7 run to leave Las Vegas with a victory. After the first drive of the 2nd half resulted in a touchdown, Mullen's offense was shut down, dealing a major blow to their hopes of making the College Football Playoff.

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