While week zero has already come and gone, college football is officially and fully back for week one, starting Thursday evening and continuing without the long Labor Day weekend.And it's a reminder of the many reasons why there's so much more to like and enjoy in the collegiate ranks compared to its big NFL brother.Here's just a few of them.WEEK ONE UPSET SPECIAL: THESE THREE COLLEGE FOOTBALL TEAMS SHOULD BE ON UPSET ALERT THIS WEEKENDLSU head coach Lane Kiffin works during fall practice at Tiger Stadium on Aug.
22, 2026, in Baton Rouge, La.(University Images via Getty Images)It's the first full week of the season, but with the number of teams in major conferences and the limited spots in the College Football Playoff, each game means something for many programs.
A whopping 14 teams reach the postseason in the NFL, out of 32, meaning an incredible 44% of the league makes the playoff.In the NCAA, there are 68 teams between the Big Ten, SEC, ACC, Big 12 and Notre Dame.Just 12 teams reach the College Football Playoff, and one of those spots automatically goes to a Group of 6 team.
Not every program in those conferences has realistic hopes of reaching the playoff, but with just 11 spots to go around, just 16.1% of those top teams can play meaningful postseason football.In the 2025 NFL season, for example, the 9-7-1 Green Bay Packers and 8-9 Carolina Panthers made the postseason.Depending on the division or strength of your conference, teams that finish around .500 have a realistic possibility of making the playoffs.
Yes, the games "matter," but a loss in week one of the NFL season carries little weight or meaning.In college? It matters.The expanded playoff gives teams room for one or two losses, potentially three this year, depending on schedule, but one slip up in week one can remove any margin for error.
Notre Dame in 2025, for example, lost their first game of the season to an eventual playoff team in Miami, lost in week two to another playoff team, Texas A&...