Saturday's best in college football
— -- Maybe you have the kids today. Or you goofed up and scheduled that family yard sale for Kickoff Week. Or perhaps that destination wedding your uncle booked didn't account for college football's return.
Regardless, you might have missed some of the Saturday action.
Well, it's your lucky game day. Here's everything you need to know.
Wisconsin pulled off a huge upset over No. 5 LSU (which you can read about here). The Tigers' frustration after throwing a late interception was manifest in a late hit by offensive lineman Josh Boutte on Wisconsin safety D'Cota Dixon.
Stars come out for Michigan's blowout win
Michigan thumped Hawai'i 63-3, and sports icons Michael Jordan and Derek Jeter were there to see it.
Not to be outdone, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh stole the show when he had some words (or punches?) of encouragement for quarterback? Wilton Speight.
The kicker hits the truck stick
Penn State's Joey Julius isn't your normal kicker. He's 5-foot-10 and 260 pounds and he's been paying attention in tackling drills.
"I told coach [Brent] Pry don't try to put him in the 'Big Hit' reel on defense, although he probably had the biggest hit of the day," Penn State coach James Franklin said.
Upsets alerted
Kickoff Week started with a few upsets.
- Life after Dak Prescott got off to an ugly start for Mississippi State. South Alabama upset Mississippi State 21-20, the biggest upset in the last five years, according to FPI, which gave the Jaguars a 2.3 percent chance to win the game. Mississippi State missed a 28-yard field goal with :06 left in the game.
- Western Michigan upset Northwestern, 22-21, marking the 11th straight season a MAC team has defeated a Big Ten team (every year since 2006).
- With LSU's loss to Wisconsin, it was the first time since 1972 that two top-5 teams lost on the opening weekend, according to Stats & Info. Back then, No. 1 Nebraska fell to unranked UCLA and No. 4 Arkansas lost to No. 8 USC.
Welcome back, Conner
After battling cancer, Pittsburgh's James Conner made his triumphant return to college football Saturday.
Conner scored in his 2016 debut in what will be one of the best stories of the year.
Kick Six, The Sequel
Look, don't feel bad OU, it's happened to some great programs. Alabama got it. Florida State got it. And now, the Sooners have fallen victim to the Kick Six.
Hey you, grab your uni
Talk about calling for reinforcements.
Navy starting QB Tago Smith was injured in the first half against Fordham. With Smith out for the remainder, Will Worth took over, but it was freshman Malcolm Perry who got the biggest surprise.
At this point, Perry is just suited up for depth, but has not played yet.
Ryan Lochte, the "Warrior's" and Lee Corso riding a tiger
Check out the best GameDay signs from Kickoff Week.
Great QBs have great memories
?
Some football wounds don't heal, as former California quarterback Aaron Rodgers made clear as the guest picker on ESPN's College GameDay.
Rodgers picked Texas over Notre Dame, adding "I love the underdog. And also Mack is not there anymore [so] I can pick Texas again."
Some might recall that in 2004 Texas coach Mack Brown lobbied hard for his team to be promoted in the national rankings so it could eclipse Rodgers and Cal in the BCS standings and thereby earn a Rose Bowl berth. His gambit worked, and Rodgers - and Cal fans - have never forgotten.
Rodgers also noted he couldn't pick USC to beat Alabama. The Trojans handed Cal its only regular season loss in 2004, a 23-17 nail biter. -- Ted Miller
Kickoff Week's best photos
If a picture is worth 1,000 words, these photos of the weekend's best moments, including South Alabama quarterback Dallas Davis' hurdle in the Jaguars upset of Mississippi State, are worth a look.
When loving the Head Ball Coach goes wrong
Meanwhile, the University of Florida will honor Steve Spurrier tonight by naming the field at the Swamp after him. One fan is already ahead of the game in honoring the Head Ball Coach.
