If we learned anything on Saturday in Week 0, it’s that college football is back. Who would have seen this coming?
Tenth-ranked Florida State began the season against Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland, looking to make a statement after a 12-0 regular season in 2023 and a win over Louisville in the ACC Championship Game, but missed the four-team College Football Playoff. Let’s just say things didn’t go the way Mike Norvell and his team had hoped. Here, we begin a look back at Week 0 in the ACC with three things we learned on the first Saturday of college football.
Some may say this is an overreaction to a single game, but at the start of the season, the Yellow Jackets were considered a team that could wreak havoc in the ACC in 2024. Well, that lasted four full quarters and ended with a stunning victory over the Seminoles, who were favored by 10.5 points.
Haynes King led Georgia Tech down the field late in the fourth quarter, running down the clock after Florida State tied the game at 21-21. He set up a game-winning field goal on the final play of the game to seal a 24-21 victory. The Yellow Jackets will be able to move the ball on offense this season, and if their defense can play like it did against FSU, they will be a big problem this fall, even with a tough schedule.
Florida State started this season as the best team in the conference, along with Clemson and Miami. Some teams are considered underdogs: Virginia Tech, Louisville, North Carolina State, and Georgia Tech’s win underscores that the conference is winnable for any team. If you want a season of chaos, you’re likely to get it every week.
SMU’s first game as a member of the ACC nearly ended in disaster. As a four-touchdown favorite in Nevada against a Wolfpack team that has won four games in the past two seasons, the Mustangs needed a 16-point fourth quarter to avoid a surprise upset.
SMU managed a 98-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown and a two-point conversion to get within 24-21 with 8:01 left. Then a safety and a touchdown with 1:18 left sealed the win, 29-24. Note to Virginia Tech and everyone else: Don’t underestimate your opponent, even if you’re up by two or more touchdowns. That’s college football.
It’s great to have college football back, and if Saturday was any indication of how 2024 will play out, we’re all in for an exciting season.
