College football is back, with five Week 0 games involving FBS teams officially in the books. With that comes teams that came out on top and teams that fell, but within those contests, what players, coaches, and conferences came out of the weekend as winners and losers?
Winner: Aer Lingus Classic in Dublin, Ireland
What a game the Dublin fans were treated to on Saturday to kick off the 2025 college football season. Played between two ranked Big 12 teams, the No. 22 Iowa State Cyclones and No. 17 Kansas State Wildcats, it’s hard to imagine a more competitive game than the one that took place on the field.
What a night in Dublin 🏈☘️
We’re so proud to call Ireland the European home of college football, and nights like that confirm it 🇮🇪
See you all in 26 🙌#MuchMoreThanAGame | #TouchdownDublin | #TouchdownIreland pic.twitter.com/WGmJ53enAJ
— Aer Lingus College Football Classic (@cfbireland) August 24, 2025
That’s not to say it was pretty, as there were four fumbles and a missed field goal in the first half alone. The rain, combined with the less-than-ideal footing on the field, created a level playing field. To make matters trickier, the lines on the field even had to be repainted due to the rain and wet conditions.
After the score was deadlocked at 7-7 at the half and for much of the third quarter, the Cyclones managed to take the lead and never gave it up. They closed the game with a clutch fourth-down conversion before three kneels. Iowa State came away with a 24-21 victory.
This came a year after the 2024 Aer Lingus Classic between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Florida State Seminoles, another game that came down to the final minutes — or, in this case, final seconds.
GEORGIA TECH TAKES DOWN FLORIDA STATE IN IRELAND pic.twitter.com/SB1MoiKXqO
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) August 24, 2024
The then-10th-ranked Seminoles came in with high expectations but were dominated at the line of scrimmage, giving up 190 rushing yards to the Yellow Jackets. However, they still had a chance with the game tied at 21 and 6:18 remaining. Georgia Tech then took all the air out of the ball, marching down the field and kicking a game-winning field goal as the clock expired.
While they may not be considered thrilling in every essence, the 2024 and 2025 Aer Lingus Classics were thrillingly competitive and came down to the final possession. At the end of the day, it was a significant win for overseas college football fans.
Losers: Big 12’s National Perception
While the game was entertaining, it was sloppy. And while that’s much to do with the field conditions, rain, and it being played in Week 0, it doesn’t help the Big 12’s outside chances of having an at-large team in the College Football Playoff.
That sentiment of having two teams in the CFP (as the conference champion gets an automatic bid) was already a pipe dream, but it may have vanished entirely. Iowa State won the game, but it didn’t look playoff-worthy. And yes, it’s Week 0 — who would look playoff worthy at this point?
But it’s not just that. The Cyclones’ roster personnel didn’t match what we saw in the 2024 CFP. The departures of top wide receivers Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins were prominent, as Iowa State lacked a standout pass catcher.
The run game was dormant for much of the game until Carson Hansen broke a few first-down runs in the fourth quarter. Still, they finished the game with just 2.8 yards per carry. Rocco Becht, heralded as one of the top quarterbacks in the Big 12, completed just 50% of his passes.
Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson arguably looked better, especially in the fourth quarter. But at this point, the Wildcats’ only chance of making the CFP is winning the conference title. And with this being a conference game, they’re already facing an uphill battle.
The Big 12 doesn’t have the national respect, deservingly or not. It’s safe to say this game didn’t help the narrative.
Winner: Kansas QB Jalon Daniels
It’s been a long college football journey for Jalon Daniels. Joining the Kansas Jayhawks as a true freshman in 2020, injuries have ravaged his tenure in Lawrence, KS. When he’s been on the field, he’s proven himself a reliable passer, throwing 45 touchdowns versus 24 interceptions in addition to 19 scores on the ground.
But the issue has been his inability to stay healthy throughout an entire season, which has required him to use a medical redshirt and utilize his extra Covid year.
Six years later, he’s still at it for one more run as the Jayhawks’ starter. Kansas opened the 2025 season against the Fresno State Bulldogs at home, a game expected to be a two-score win for Daniels and the Jayhawks.
They outdid that, coming away with a 31-7 win on a day that Daniels was nearly perfect. He completed 18 of 20 passes for 176 yards and three touchdowns, and he looked fresh in adding 47 yards on the ground.
A feel-good story for all college football fans, Daniel’s sixth and final season of eligibility is off to a tremendous start.
Loser: Stanford Head Coach Frank Reich
Frank Reich is a good football coach, and he has proven that throughout his career in the pro ranks. That’s not in question here, but what is in question is how long he can hold the attention of Stanford Cardinal players.
Reich is in an unprecedented position in college football. To stabilize the program’s culture, Reich will carry the interim tag for the entire 2025 season. Presumably, the Cardinal will have a different head coach in 2026. That makes for a potentially awkward situation if the losing piles on — as it has in recent years, with four consecutive 3-9 campaigns.
The hope was that Reich’s debut game with the Cardinal would be a galvanizing, promising victory against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. Instead, they suffered a heartbreaking loss, falling on a game-winning field goal by Hawaii. Not ideal for Reich and the Stanford program as a whole.
Winner: Hawaii QB Micah Alejado
On the other side of the Cardinal’s defeat was Hawaii quarterback Micah Alejado, who displayed unmatched toughness in Week 0. Several things happened that Alejado had to recover from.
To begin the game, the Rainbow Warriors had the ball at their own 1-yard line thanks to a mental error by the return team. Alejado faced pressure and was strip-sacked, leading to a Stanford recovery in the end zone for a touchdown. All on the first play of the season. Talk about a confidence-testing turn of events.
Alejado responded, finishing the half with two touchdown passes to push Hawaii up 14-13 at halftime.
Built different.@MicahAlejado‘s gutsy performance earns him Mountain West Offensive AND Freshman of the Week honors.#BRADDAHHOOD x #GoBows pic.twitter.com/JcQQPl6mlU
— Hawaii Football (@HawaiiFootball) August 25, 2025
Then, in the third quarter, Alejado got rolled up on and suffered an ankle injury. There was uncertainty over whether or not he’d be able to return to the game, but he did — with a visible limp.
Clearly hurting, Alejado led a 9-play, 51-yard two-minute drive to get into field goal range in what turned out to be the game-winner. Just a redshirt freshman, the Rainbow Warriors have a tough quarterback under center.
Loser: UNLV QB Alex Orji
After flaming out with the Michigan Wolverines in 2024, in which his accuracy and ability to run the offense were highly inconsistent, Alex Orji transferred to UNLV to secure the starting spot.
Heading into the Rebels’ Week 0 matchup with FCS Idaho State, the job had yet to be decided, as both Orji and former Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Anthony Colandrea would split reps.
RELATED: UNLV QB Alex Orji Feels the Heat as Fans Turn on Him for Crucial Fumble Against Idaho State
Yet, that’s not quite what it looked like. Orji threw just three passes, completing each of them for 37 yards. He was used primarily on the ground, carrying the ball six times for 34 yards and a score. That included a costly fumble at the Idaho State 1-yard line, which the Bengals recovered in the end zone for a touchback on the game’s first possession.
Used primarily as a runner for the Wolverines a season ago, Orji appears to be in a similar situation again, shooting down hopes of securing the starting spot full-time.
