College football Week 1 sees MAC appeal of Michigan win and SEC expulsion filing for LSU

The first week of the 2026 college football season has been marked by significant controversy and standout individual performances. The Mid-American Conference (MAC) has filed formal appeals to the NCAA and the College Football Playoff regarding the Michigan versus Western Michigan game. The MAC alleges that replay protocol was not followed correctly when Big Ten officials added one second to the game clock, which allowed Michigan to secure a 13–12 victory that would have otherwise been a 12–7 win for Western Michigan.

In other major news, the SEC has filed to potentially expel LSU from the conference following legal disputes regarding the use of former professional players on rosters. On the field, individual players are already making Heisman Trophy headlines, including Miami quarterback Darian Mensah and Texas quarterback Arch Manning. Meanwhile, Utah State suffered an unexpected home upset against FCS opponent Idaho State, a loss attributed in part to quarterback McCae Hillstead playing through a forearm injury.

Social media attention has also focused on Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman, who debuted a new hairstyle featuring a sharpened, dyed hairline following his team's 41-13 win over Wisconsin.