College football grades: Alabama gets ‘F,’ Georgia and Oregon earn ‘A’ marks in Week 1 report card

Week 1 felt a lot different in 2025 for Georgia and Oregon than it did in 2024, and that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially for the Ducks. A year after getting pushed into the fourth quarter by FCS foe Idaho, Oregon looked far more ready for its season opener this time around.

The Ducks ransacked Montana State 59-13 on Saturday to get their 2025 campaign started in style. The Bobcats posed a threat after reaching the FCS national title game last season, but Oregon never gave the visitors a chance while racing out to a 38-3 halftime lead.

Georgia made a statement in its 2024 season opener by steamrolling Clemson 34-3, but there was no marquee Week 1 foe waiting for the Bulldogs in 2025. Instead, UGA played a low-key game against Marshall and passed the assignment with flying colors in a 45-7 victory. Georgia gave up just seven first downs to the Thundering Herd.

On a day when some Power Four programs struggled against Group of Five or FCS opposition, Oregon and Georgia escaped their opening tests without any drama or crippling long-term concerns. For that reason, they are among those receiving ‘A’ grades on the season’s first report card.

2025 national championship odds listed below courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Teams below listed in order of their AP Top 25 ranking. 

Grade: C-
Result: 14-7 loss at No. 1 Ohio State
Title odds: +750
Texas played great defensively, but the Longhorns’ passing game was a disaster for roughly 56 minutes as Arch Manning’s starting tenure began with a thud. Ten of his 17 completions went to running backs or tight ends, and Texas didn’t gain 10+ yards on a pass until the fourth quarter. There’s no shame in losing on the road to Ohio State, but the offensive performance was concerning.

Grade: B+
Result: 46-11 win vs. Nevada
Title odds: +650
If there was a knock on the Nittany Lions from their stress-free opener, it’s that star backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen combined for just 62 yards on 16 carries. Ideally, Penn State would have averaged better than 3.9 yards per pop with their stud duo against a team of Nevada’s caliber. On a positive note, transfer receivers Trebor Pena (Syracuse) and Byron Hudson (USC) combined for 163 yards receiving on 13 grabs.

Ohio State

Grade: A
Result: 14-7 win vs. No. 1 Texas
Title odds: +600
Ohio State pitched a shutout for over 56 minutes in a near-perfect debut for new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. The offense sputtered some, but Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin outplayed counterpart Arch Manning. For a program that lost both coordinators and 14 NFL Draft picks, it was an encouraging start against an elite opponent.

Clemson

Grade: C-
Result: 17-10 loss vs. No. 9 LSU
Title odds: +1600
Clemson is just 1-4 in season openers over the last five years and has been held to 10 points or less in all four losses. The Tigers had no running game, iffy pass protection and no answers for LSU’s suddenly strong defense. An early injury to veteran star Antonio Williams also didn’t help a disappointing showing from what was touted as one of the nation’s top receiver groups. 

Georgia

Grade: A
Result: 45-7 win vs. Marshall
Title odds: +650
Running quarterbacks made their mark on Week 1, and Georgia has one of its own. Gunner Stockton scampered for a pair of touchdowns and kept Marshall off balance by totaling 73 yards rushing on 10 attempts. He was also effective as a passer with three completions of 20+ yards in his first seven attempts. Defensively, the Bulldogs were absolutely dominant.

Oregon

Grade: A
Result: 59-13 win vs. Montana State
Title odds: +1200
Oregon dominated a Montana State team that played in last season’s FCS national title game. The Ducks scored touchdowns on eight of their first nine possessions as new starting quarterback Dante Moore looked comfortable distributing the football to several different targets. Defensively, the Ducks were especially strong against the run. 

Grade: F
Result: 31-17 loss at Florida State
Title odds: +1700
Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos repeatedly gashed Alabama’s defense with his legs as he scored a touchdown and picked up five first downs as a runner. The Crimson Tide became totally one-dimensional offensively, but playing hero ball with quarterback Ty Simpson proved unfruitful as Alabama turned it over on downs three time in the second half.

LSU

Grade: A
Result: 17-10 win at No. 4 Clemson
Title odds: +1100
LSU’s nightmarish run of five straight season-opening losses finally ended in unexpected fashion. It was the Tigers’ defense — not their high-powered offense — that led the charge. Clemson totaled just 261 total yards and was shut out in the second half. Clemson’s 31 rushing yards were its fewest in a home game since 2007.