SEC, Big Ten rivalry heats up as college football finally returns Week 1

SEC, Big Ten rivalry heats up as college football finally returns Week 1 | Opinion Show Caption Hide Caption Michigan football is 1-0 after controversy vs WMU. Here's what it means Michigan is 1-0 after controversial Hail Mary to stun Western Michigan, Sept. 5, 2026, at Michigan Stadium. Here's what it all means moving forward. The SEC conference went undefeated in the first week of the college football season. LSU defeated Clemson by 41 points, while Ole Miss secured a narrow win over Louisville. Several new SEC quarterbacks, including those at Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Florida, had strong debuts. So after a week of absolute hell, the first weekend of college football couldn't have gone better for the SEC. The 16 schools played 16 games, and didn't lose. Didn't even need a second clock to save a body bag game. A second clock. Imagine the Big Ten selling that concept after clearly rigging Michigan's win over Western Michigan. Meanwhile, back in reality where the SEC is on the verge of running a founding member of the conference because it can't play nice, Mississippi escaped Nashville with a wild win over Louisville late Sunday night to complete an unbeaten Week 1 for the conference that was beat to hell after a week of legal infighting with rogue member LSU. LSU said we're bigger than you, then went out and proved it by beating washed up Clemson by 41. And that's the key to everything, everyone. DUCK TALES: Dan Lanning gives you a reason not buy Oregon SOMETHING BRUIN: Bob Chesney shows UCLA is a dark horse contender Once ball begins, all off-field nonsense fades away. Months of judge shopping and NIL spending and legal wrangling can't stand up to the beautiful gift in the perfectly imperfect box. It's eight months in the desert for the parched, only to frolic in the rejuvenating rain when it falls every Labor Day weekend. All is forgiven, all is new again. Even if some of the same nonsense is part of the package. Like Western Michigan president Russ Kavalhuna putting on the best face possible when assessing two clocks in one game. 'As it stands,' Kavalhuna said Sunday, 'The rule was applied the way it should be.' Sure it was. I'm sure Kavalhuna's video with Broncos coach Lance Taylor — which looked more like a hostage video than a media opportunity — had nothing to do with playing nice and getting millions from Michigan for future body bag games. That wasn't grace and class, that was saving your financial ass(ets). But ball is back, and we'll take the good with the bad. Like the SEC going unbeaten in games against Power Four opponents, and Rutgers losing at home to UMass. Like Auburn's defense against Baylor's 2-point conversion offense with the game on the line, and the uncomfortable reality of Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood throwing a forward pass. One not supplemented by the Big Ten replay booth. By the time Saturday ended, the SEC showed it was the conference of quarterbacks, including big games from first-time starters Keelon Russel (Alabama), Faizon Brandon (Tennessee), Kenny Minchey (Kentucky) and Aaron Philo (Florida). Yeah, they played body bags games, too. But SEC officials weren't needed to save assets. Then came Ole Miss, which spent the offseason in LSU and coach Lane Kiffin's wake, nearly blowing a 14-point, fourth-quarter lead against Louisville — before a last-second field goal kept the hottest program and hottest quarterback (Trinidad Chambliss) at front of mind. For all the right reasons. What was more impressive? New Louisville quarterback Lincoln Kienholz making plays in the second half and going strike for strike with Chambliss, or ESPN's obsession with showing Kacy Kienholz, Lincoln's mom? We get it, she's fabulous. Which is more than can be said for the Ole Miss secondary. We're two weeks away from the world ending when LSU visits Ole Miss, so the Rebels have two weeks to figure out how to, you know, communicate in the secondary. Until then, the SEC and Big Ten will continue their growing rivalry next week, with Ohio State traveling to Texas and Oklahoma playing at Michigan. There are two clocks in Ann Arbor, Sooners fans. And apparently at all Big Ten games. Who really knows at this point? The only thing that matters is ball is back. And that means everything. Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB. Listen to him daily, from 12-2 p.m., on 1010XL-Jacksonville.