Week 1 of the college football season in Texas began with Houston shutting out SFA and ended with TCU blowing out North Carolina. The results in the middle of those two wins were hit-and-miss. Texas and Baylor lost marquee games. Texas Tech and SMU coasted past overmatched FCS opponents. Rice’s upset win over Louisiana in Scott Abell’s head coaching debut at the FBS level was the headline at the G6 level.  

The 13 FBS teams went 8-5 in Week 1 and the state of Texas sits at 8-6 overall because Sam Houston lost in Week 0. As the smoke clears on the long weekend of action, here are my 10 thoughts. 

Texas red zone woes continue at Ohio State

Steve Sarkisian is considered an offensive wizard and one of the top play callers in college football. His kryptonite appears to be the red zone. Texas was 0-for-2 in the red zone in the loss to Ohio State on Saturday. That included a goal line stand by the Buckeyes when Manning was stuffed on a quarterback sneak early in the third quarter. It was the first of two possessions in the second half that ended inside the Ohio State 10 without points. The first was a 15-play drive. The second was 13 plays. 

The frustration was nothing new for Texas. The Longhorns was 1-for-2 in the red zone in the Cotton Bowl loss to Ohio State in January. They ranked 54th nationally last year in red zone touchdown percentage and 101st in red zone scoring percentage. The offense was 120th in red zone touchdown percentage in 2023 and 65th in 2022. They were 90th in red zone scoring percentage in 2023. 

The hope for Texas was that the return of Baxter, a big, bruising running back, and the insertion of Manning would jumpstart the red zone offense. Early returns, at least against an elite defense like Ohio State, were more of the same lack of results. Sarkisian has built a roster that can beat 99 percent of college football teams. Against that one percent that can match up physically with the Longhorns – thank Ohio State and Georgia, which Texas is 0-4 against since the start of 2024 – execution in big moments matter and those big moments typically occur in the red zone. 

Fix the red zone issues and Sark fixes the perception that he can’t win the big games. Sarkisian is 3-8 against Top 10 teams in his tenure at Texas. Two of those happened in 2024 with wins over a Michigan team that finished the regular season at 7-5 and Big 12 champ Arizona State in the Peach Bowl. Few argue against Sarkisian being an offensive genius. Let’s see if he’s smart enough to fix his team’s red zone deficiencies. 

TCU was undervalued 

The Big 12 headlines in the Lone Star State were dominated by Texas Tech. If it wasn’t the Red Raiders, it was the Baylor Bears mentioned as potential Big 12 contenders. TCU flew under the radar. The Horned Frogs were blown out in the national championship in 2022 and went 5-7 a year later. Last year, the 3-3 start caused most of the country to overlook a strong finish that resulted in wins in six of the last seven games. TCU returned its starting quarterback, most of its offensive line, and a bulk of its defense. The continuity on the coaching staff included Sonny Dykes in Year 4, OC Kendal Briles in Year 3, and DC Andy Avalos in Year 2. 

They’re potential was on display to a national audience on Monday night when Dykes’ group avoided a repeat of the Colorado loss to Deion Sanders & Co. from 2023. TCU beat Bill Belichick in his college football debut in dominating fashion. The main question – TCU’s ability to run the ball – looked answered thanks to UTSA transfer Kevorian Barnes. Dykes told anyone who’d listen that this 2025 squad was the most talented roster he’d coached. Maybe more people will believe him after watching them manhandle the Tar Heels. 

Transfers provide instant impact for Texas A&M 

Mike Elko knew the weapons at wide receiver needed to improve if he expected quarterback Marcel Reed to excel. The Aggies dipped into the portal for N.C. State’s K.C. Concepcion and Mississippi State’s Mario Craver in the offseason, and in the Week 1 win over UTSA, both made returns on those investments. Concepcion scored the first touchdown of the season for Texas A&M when he returned a punt for 80 yards in the first quarter. He added three catches for 72 yards and a touchdown. Craver, who Texas A&M cornerback Will Lee III said was his toughest cover in 2024, led the Aggies with eight catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns. 

The added firepower helped Reed soar in Game 1. Much of the expectations in College Station rest on Reed’s evolution. If he is an above average passer, Texas A&M is an SEC contender and a dangerous team that can reach the College Football Playoff. Offensive coordinator Collin Klein clearly wanted to build his confidence as a passer against UTSA as Reed completed 22-of-34 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns to zero interceptions. He also led the team with eight carries for 39 yards. Surprisingly, Texas A&M passed the ball more times (36) than it ran (23). 

We're not sure Texas A&M will throw the ball 34 times in games against high leverage opponents such as Notre Dame or Texas, but the fact that the Aggies can trust Reed in the passing game, at least through one game, is huge. 

Rice wins first game of Scott Abell era 

Stock is rising on South Main as the Owls opened the Abell era with a 14-12 upset win on the road against Louisiana. Much was made of the unique option attack Abell brought from the FCS ranks heading into the year but it was Jon Kay’s defense that won the day. The former Galena Park North Shore state champion head coach was elevated to defensive coordinator when Abell arrived. The Owls ranked 70th in scoring defense last year while allowing 25.4 points per game and 83rd in 2023 while allowing 28.1 per contest. Holding Louisiana to 12 points was a Herculean effort. The Rice offense ran the ball 55 times compared to nine pass attempts, which allowed the Owls defense to only be on the field for 23 minutes. Somehow, Rice's offense was shut out in three of the four quarters and still won the game.  

Two of the next three for Rice are against Prairie View A&M and Charlotte. The Owls could easily be 3-1 by their trip to Navy later this month. 

Baylor’s run defense is a problem 

Auburn walked into McLane Stadium on Friday night with a plan to bully the Bears. The Tigers did just that, running past Baylor with ease thanks to 307 rushing yards. They averaged 5.9 yards a carry and reached the end zone four times on the ground. Baylor allowed 38 points despite Auburn only completing 11 passes for 108 yards. Quarterback Jackson Arnold ran 16 times for 137 yards and two scores. 

Head coach Dave Aranda made his bones as a defensive coach en route to getting the Baylor job, but the Bears haven’t played good defense for most of his tenure. They ranked 81st in scoring defense last year and 116th the year before. Four of his five defenses at Baylor ranked in the bottom half of the FBS. In those five years as head coach, the Bears defense has allowed an average of 26.86 points per game. The 2021 season is the only one where the unit allowed fewer than 20 points per game. 

It should concern Baylor fans that Aranda’s side of the ball is the thing holding the team back. 

Morton injury clouds Tech win 

Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton has dealt with shoulder issues throughout his college career but it is a hyperextended knee that is now the concern in Lubbock. Morton left the Tech win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff after a second quarter sack that made Jones AT&T Stadium fall quiet. After the game, head coach Joey McGuire said, “We feel good about where Behren is. Nothing is broken.” An X-ray and an MRI on Sunday confirmed that news. 

The good news for Texas Tech is that the Red Raiders won’t be tested until a road trip to Utah on Sept. 20. McGuire could hold Morton out for the next two weeks – home games against Kent State and Oregon State – to let the swelling disappear and the pain to reside. Former Hutto Hippo star Will Hammond is a capable backup and Morton is experienced enough to miss two games without it hurting the offense too much upon his return.  

But make no mistake, the Red Raiders need a healthy Morton to reach the Big 12 championship game and potentially cash in on the investment made through the portal in the offseason. He’s one of the top Big 12 quarterbacks and one of the leaders of the team. Hammond is good, but he’s not ready to drive the car in road games against Utah and Arizona State. Morton’s health is pivotal to Texas Tech reaching its goals in 2025. 

Houston’s offensive blueprint 

The Cougars rolled past SFA in Week 1 with an offensive gameplan that I believe mirrors what we’ll see from the Coogs in 2025. Texas A&M transfer quarterback Conner Weigman was a five-star prospect from nearby Cypress Bridgeland who received a ton of press when transferring home to Houston. But on Friday night against the Lumberjacks, he wasn’t asked to win the game. He was asked to manage it. The Cougars ran the ball 46 times while throwing it just 27. Weigman’s favorite target was a tight end as he finished 15-of-24 for 159 yards and three touchdowns to zero interceptions. That’s the blueprint to win eight games and overachieve in Year 2 under Willie Fritz. 

Take the over in UTSA, Texas State this weekend 

The two rivals impressed for different reasons in Week 1. Texas State outscored Eastern Michigan 28-10 in the second half to pull away for an easy win. New starting quarterback Brad Jackson was efficient while throwing for four touchdowns while three different running backs scored touchdowns on the ground. UTSA lost to Texas A&M on the road but the Roadrunners looked like they belonged. They didn’t commit a single pre-snap penalty or turn the ball over and they were within a score in the second half against the Aggies. 

But neither secondary looked improved. Texas State ranked 102nd in pass defense last year while UTSA was 121st. Eastern Michigan’s Noah Kim threw for 248 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Texas State. The Bobcats allowed 249 yards per game through the air in 2024. Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed had a banner day, tossing 289 yards and four scores. The Roadrunners allowed 291 passing yards per game in 2024. 

That’s good news for both offenses entering the Week 2 clash in the Alamodome. Expect Jackson and UTSA QB Owen McCown to thrive in what should be a high-scoring affair that comes down to the last possession. UTSA is favored by five points and is 29-3 at home in the Jeff Traylor era, but the Bobcats throttled the Roadrunners last year. 

North Texas impresses in flawless victory 

Onlookers always wondered what the Mean Green would look like with a competent defense that could compliment the always-productive Eric Morris offense and on Saturday, we found out. It looked beautiful. North Texas pitched a shutout for the first time since 2003 and the offense scored 51 points. The opponent was Lamar so there is no need to hang the banner just yet, but the performance on defense was markedly improved and quarterback Drew Mestemaker looked like a star. This team just might be AAC championship contenders.

UTEP, Sam Houston trail behind the state 

The two toughest FBS jobs in Texas are UTEP and Sam Houston. The two Conference USA programs in Texas started the season a combined 0-3. 

Location hurts the Miners. I love El Paso and am on record that it is the best big city in Texas and a truly underrated gym, but there isn’t enough talent there to win major football games. That means outside talent from DFW or Houston or wherever needs to be brought to Sun City and that’s hard to do. Even if you do it well like Scotty Walden has by signing the top recruiting classes in Conference USA, keeping them proves even harder. 

Sam Houston just simply isn’t well funded enough to sustain success in football at the FBS level. What K.C. Keeler and that staff did to build the team and win with it in 2024 is one of the more underrated coaching jobs in the transfer portal and NIL era. The Bearkats had no business winning 10 games given their budget and funds at their disposal and it might’ve set an unfair expectation for new head coach Phil Longo to follow. 

With Rice’s win over Louisiana, it seems clear that the two teams on the bottom of our weekly Power Poll will be UTEP and Sam Houston. Both programs head into massively important games in Week 2. Sam Houston plays at Hawaii and UTEP hosts UT Martin. Those are both winnable games.