​How much can we learn from Week 1 in college football, really? Objectively, we learn a whole lot more from some performances than we do from others. There’s a ton of teams out there, like Texas, Oklahoma, and Georgia to name a few, who took care of business and did what they were expected to in Week 1. Those teams are not what this column is about. This column is for the teams who improved or declined in perception based on this week’s performance. No matter who you played, your Week 1 performance can and will be held against you in this court. MORE:Clemson should move on from Dabo SwinneyRiser: LSUSep 5, 2026; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney runs to greet LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin before a game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)The game may have been delayed due to weather, but the outcome was decided at a usual time. The Bayou Bengals, in their first game of the Lane Kiffin era, came out and thoroughly trounced Clemson in what was supposed to be the biggest game of the day. One could argue that 2026 Clemson might not be a formidable opponent, but the simple fact of the matter is that LSU beat Clemson worse than a lot of teams beat G6 opponents. Lane Kiffin has built one of the most purely talented rosters in all of college football, and their true ceiling is a National Championship. Faller: MichiganThe Wolverines may have won the game (thanks to either timing precision, a loophole, or straight-up cheating depending on your viewpoint), but they can’t erase what they showed for almost 60 minutes of football. The final result does not change the mediocrity of the performance. They truly looked terrible at the lines of scrimmage and allowed Western Michigan to dictate the pace of the game with over 40 minutes of possession. The Wolverines only averaged 4.2 yards per carry on the ground, and only passed for 123 yards before Bryce Underwood’s Hail Mary. If that’s all the offense you can muster against Western Michigan, good luck against Oklahoma. Riser: UCLASep 5, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Bob Chesney (center) talks to UCLA Bruins linebacker Jalen Woods (left) before the game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn ImagesMost of the East Coast was asleep for one of the better matchups of the weekend when UCLA took on Cal. While Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele looked awesome for Cal, it was the Bruins who came out on top in the first game of the Bob Chesney era thanks to 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Nico Iamaleava didn’t even have his best stuff, but the ground game was tremendous as UCLA’s top three backs combined for over 250 yards from scrimmage. Look for this team to upset somebody in the Rose Bowl this season.MORE:College Football risers & fallers after Week 0Faller: Oklahoma StateThere was perhaps no