The commencement of the college football season has finally arrived.

In the opening week, only one game features two ranked teams: No. 24 Louisville faces No. 9 Mississippi on Sunday night in Music City.

However, Week 1 is full of compelling storylines, as many top teams start their seasons with new coaches, new players, and high expectations.

There are also major eligibility issues and jersey patches to consider.

Let's dive in.

Clemson's visit to No. 11 LSU on Saturday night was always set to be a high-profile encounter.

Both teams, which finished 7-6 last season, are now aiming to re-enter the national championship race—LSU's 2019 triumph and Clemson's 2018 success now seem like distant history—while the involvement of two outspoken coaches, Dabo Swinney and LSU's costly new acquisition Lane Kiffin, adds to the excitement.

The game gained considerably more significance when the NCAA's new eligibility rules were overturned in courts across the country, and LSU openly expressed its desire to bring back not only fifth-year players who had taken legal action but also those who had signed NFL preseason contracts.

The issue dragged on into the latter part of the week, highlighted by the bizarre scene of the SEC and LSU facing off in multiple courtrooms.

Who takes the field or stays on the sidelines in Death Valley on Saturday night—the LSU version—will be just as intriguing as the final score.

There is no avoiding it: this year's Week 1 is short on marquee games, and you can expect many one-sided results.

No. 1 Ohio State is favored by more than 50 points in its opener against Ball State.

No. 6 Indiana (vs. North Texas), No. 8 Texas A&M (vs. Missouri State) and No. 10 Oklahoma (vs. UTEP) are each expected to win by more than 40.

Even No. 22 Iowa, a team known for grinding out games, is favored by 31 or more against Northern Illinois.

Consider this: it is college football, after all.

Just this week, UMass—the sole winless team in the Bowl Subdivision last season—entered Rutgers as a 29.5-point underdog and stunned the Scarlet Knights with a decisive 37-21 victory, snapping a 16-game losing streak.

Meanwhile, Colorado, following a 3-9 campaign, narrowly edged out Georgia Tech in a 14-13 thriller by blocking a last-second field-goal attempt as time expired.

Notre Dame's CJ Carr and Texas star Arch Manning are the preseason front-runners for the Heisman Trophy.

Carr is expected to face a tougher opening test against Wisconsin, and he will have the Sunday night spotlight to prove himself.

Manning and the fifth-ranked Longhorns will take on Texas State.

It wouldn't be surprising if the top-ranked Buckeyes have two contenders in the Heisman race, with quarterback Julian Sayin and star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith returning to pursue a championship.

Speaking of seasoned firepower: Gunner Stockton has resumed his role as quarterback for Georgia, a position that somehow appears to fly under the radar despite the team's third-ranked status.

Likewise, Trinidad Chambliss remains at Ole Miss, and Marcel Reed continues with Texas A&M.

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No. 2 Oregon opens at home against Boise State as 24.5-point favorites, but the Broncos possess some playmakers and fell by merely 3 points in Eugene the last time these teams met in 2024.

— No. 23 Houston vs. Oregon State.

Texas Tech and BYU often grab the spotlight as the Big 12's top contenders, but the Cougars won ten games last season and bring back a strong core, led by QB Conner Weigman (2,705 yards and 25 touchdown passes) and the addition of RB Makhi Hughes behind an experienced line.

Auburn faces Baylor in Atlanta, a cross-conference clash between SEC and Big 12 programs in dire need of a turnaround after both finished 5-7 last season.

Auburn has turned to former USF head coach Alex Golesh to spearhead a revival, while Baylor's Dave Aranda enters his seventh season with mounting pressure on his shoulders.

Tulane faces Duke.

We last saw Tulane in the College Football Playoff, where they lost to Ole Miss.

Is there any magic left after coach Jon Sumrall left for Florida?

Duke, as you may recall, won the ACC title game, didn't make the CFP, and then lost fifteen starters.

This extended holiday weekend is arguably the season's most compelling, with major college football games scheduled from Thursday through Monday night.

Sunday's lineup features an unusually early Apple Cup between No. 17 and Washington State, followed by prime-time clashes: No. 4 Notre Dame against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and No. 9 Mississippi versus No. 24 Louisville in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Labor Day finale has Mike Norvell's Florida State hosting No. 19 SMU and their dynamic quarterback Kevin Jennings.

The forthcoming AP Top 25 rankings, which are poised to definitively resolve the matter, are slated for release on Tuesday.

Enroll for the Top 25 poll alerts here, peruse the Top 25 here, and peruse AP's exhaustive college football coverage here.