Fraud Alert: These 10 college football teams have some explaining to do after Week 1
Fraud Alert: These 10 college football teams have some explaining to do after Week 1
Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAYWed, September 9, 2026 at 9:13 AM UTC
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The season is barely underway, but it's already time to sound the alarm.
College football's annual hunt for frauds has begun.
Coaches spent the offseason insisting their teams were tighter, tougher and better than ever. Then the ball was kicked off, and reality arrived. Just one game into a 12-game marathon, some teams look every bit the contender they claimed to be. Others have already raised suspicions.
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Week 1 delivered plenty of surprises. Some teams looked like dark horses. Others looked like paper tigers. And while it's far too early for definitive verdicts, it's never too early to ask the question:
Are we looking at the real thing, or a fraud?
That's where we come in.
Each week, 10 teams will enter the USA TODAY Sports district court and make their case. Some will be cleared of all charges. Some will leave under suspicion. Others will be convicted of football fraud and sentenced to a week of intense scrutiny.
Appeals are always welcome.
The court is now in session.
No. 6 Oregon
The case: The national championship contending Ducks were in a dogfight with Boise State. The Broncos actually looked much better than Oregon at various points, and had a chance to pull off a victory before a late second-half push helped the Ducks avoid a major upset.
The verdict:Not guilty. There were plenty of mistakes made by Oregon, but that was a product of great play from Boise State. The Broncos proved they looked like a top 25 team despite not appearing in this week's US LBM Coaches Poll. The Ducks should use it as motivation to go full gas against Oklahoma State to erase doubt.
No. 11 Ole Miss
The case: Pete Golding's regular-season debut in his first official season in charge of the Rebels was a rollercoaster, with Ole Miss escaping a thriller against Louisville on a last second field goal.
The verdict:Not guilty. While Ole Miss was one of the members of the preseason fraud alert, there wasn't anything wrong with the close win. The Rebels lost star running back Kewan Lacy in the second half and were battling against a star in the making in Louisville quarterback Lincoln Kienholz. The Cardinals are legit, and Ole Miss should feel good about winning after a tough game.
No. 17 SMU
The case: After a strange power outage, SMU was in a battle with Florida State that took a field goal in the last minute to make it out with a victory. There were flashes of brilliance, but several mistakes kept the Seminoles in the game.
The verdict:Guilty. SMU is putting a ton of hype in quarterback Kevin Jennings being a Heisman Trophy candidate, but that won't happen if old habits don't die. Turnovers have been a big issue, and he threw two picks in what was four total turnovers by the Mustangs. They were fortunate to play a bad Florida State team. It won't be as fortunate if it happens again.
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No. 24 Michigan
The case: The biggest story of Week 1, the Wolverines escaped the clutches of Western Michigan thanks to an extremely favorable replay review of game clock that opened the door for a miracle Hail Mary to avoid a disastrous upset.
The verdict:Guilty. No need for an appeal. This is as guilty as it gets. What gets lost in the controversy is how disgusting the Wolverines looked against the Broncos. The MAC team is no cakewalk but Michigan was horrendous. There's a Bryce Underwood problem, and with such a tough schedule, Kyle Whittingham is in for a long first campaign.
Clemson
The case: In the battle for Death Valley, Clemson got put right in the ground with Lane Kiffin putting a 51-10 beatdown in his LSU debut to hand Dabo Swinney his worst loss in his storied tenure with the Tigers.
The verdict:Guilty. What a fall from grace for Clemson. The college football world has clearly ran past the Tigers and there isn't a chance for them to catch up. No matter how the rest of the season goes, it will not be able to wipe away this crushing defeat. Could Swinney regroup and get this team to sneak into the ACC title picture? Maybe, but that's the ceiling for a squad that clearly won't be able to hang with the top-ranked teams.
Colorado
The case: Deion Sanders got the Buffaloes back on track after a wild ending with Georgia Tech. They got a late score and a blocked field goal to pull of the first road win for Colorado since 2024, snapping a six-game road skid.
The verdict:Jury is still out. There was plenty to like and not like from the Buffaloes' opener. The running game was relentless and the defense didn't give up a touchdown. However, quarterback Julian Lewis really struggled for the majority of the night before he came up big in the game-winning drive. More evidence is needed, likely collected in Big 12 play, to correctly assess Colorado.
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More: Deion Sanders has another two-way star in the making for Colorado
The case: The Bob Chesney era began with a bang. UCLA went up to longtime rival Cal and played a tight contest before breaking away in the fourth quarter with 21 straight points for a 45-24 victory.
The verdict:Not guilty.Football is well alive for the Bruins after showing a clear night-and-day performance with their new coach. The offense was actually moving the ball well and the defense tightened up in the clutch. It was the outing that sets UCLA up really well to have a strong season in Year 1 under Chesney, with a chance to possible sneak into the CFP picture.
California
The case: The Golden Bears brought excitement back into the program and looked like they would be able to capitalize on it against UCLA before it got outplayed in the final 15 minutes.
The verdict:Not guilty. While the hype train got derailed, there's still belief it can get back on course. Cal had flashes of promise, especially on the offensive side that just made too many mistakes to overcome. First-year coach Tosh Lupoi has the pieces for for a successful season, and getting more experience all together will eventually lead to positive results.
Nebraska
The case: The Cornhuskers were in an unexpectedly tough battle with Ohio. The Bobcats came to play out of the gate with an early lead and had it as a one-score game in the fourth quarter, until Nebraska really woke up for a 49-21 result that doesn't fully paint how close the game had mostly been.
The verdict:Guilty. Whatever ominous cloud had been hanging over Lincoln is back. Nebraska looked largely dysfunctional for most of the day, a strong sign it hasn't taken another step forward under Matt Rhule. The Cornhuskers luck out with an easy nonconference schedule, but like the game against Ohio, don't let the record fool you come conference play.
Auburn
The case: What a strange one out in Atlanta. Auburn and Baylor had plenty of issues and it came down to the end in their matchup, with the Tigers stopping a 2-point conversion to seal a one-point victory to open the Alex Golesh era.
The verdict:Jury is still out. It wasn't pretty by any means, but winning an ugly contest shows maybe Auburn can turn a corner. There's still plenty of things that need to be fixed, namely Byrum Brown's adjustment to the Power conference level, but the Tigers should have optimism — for now.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fraud Alert: These 10 college football teams have some explaining to do after Week 1
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