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Notre Dame's CJ Carr Among Big Storylines For College Football Week 1
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- Notre Dame's CJ Carr Among Big Storylines For College Football Week 1
The 2026 college football season began last week with Week 0. Yet, for many, the official start of the college football season is Week 1.
Unfortunately, Week 1 this year doesn't feature many high-end games featuring ranked opponents. Although there aren't many marquee games, Week 1 is still an important week for teams — including Notre Dame's CJ Carr — to start off strong.
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Ahead of Week 1 kicking off, here are the three biggest storylines to follow.
3 Biggest Storylines for Week 1
#1, Lane Kiffin vs. Dabo Swinney
The biggest game of Week 1 is on Saturday night as the Clemson Tigers go on the road to play the LSU Tigers .
LSU has plenty of hype entering this season due to the hiring of Lane Kiffin and the talk of NFL players playing for them.
The Tigers open their season at home against Clemson in what should be a great game. A night game in Death Valley is always massive, but Lane Kiffin's debut and Dabo Swinney and Clemson coming to town make it bigger.
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Kiffin and Swinney have also taken some shots at one another in the media over some tampering and NFL players coming back to college. So, the feud will help build up the game.
Both teams have expectations of competing for a playoff spot, so starting the year 0-1 is a tough spot for both LSU and Clemson.
#2, Trinidad Chambliss Return Gives Ole Miss Hope
Jan 8, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Detailed view of Mississippi Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) against the Miami Hurricanes during the 2026 Fiesta Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Ole Miss Rebels were the talk of the college football world last year due to Lane Kiffin leaving. Yet, the talent on the field was solid, as quarterback Trinidad Chambliss came out of nowhere and became one of the best quarterbacks in the sport.
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Chambliss was expected to be out of eligibility, but he got a court ruling to grant him another year, which is another issue with the NCAA right now. But Chambliss's return does give the Rebels plenty of hope of not just competing in the SEC, but competing for a national championship.
Related: 2026 CFB Preseason Top 25: Lindy's Sports Official First Rankings
Ole Miss opens its season on Sunday night in Nashville, Tennessee, against the Louisville Cardinals . It's probably the best or second-best game this weekend, as both teams have playoff hopes.
However, the major storyline is Chambliss returning and how Ole Miss will look with Pete Golding as their head coach.
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#3, Notre Dame Kicks off Title Run
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are one of the favorites to win the national championship, and they begin their season on Sunday night against the Wisconsin Badgers .
The game takes place at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, as it's a neutral-site game and both fan bases will be well represented. Although Notre Dame is a massive 20.5-point favorite, this is more of a showcase game for them.
The Fighting Irish have one of the most talented teams in college football, backed by quarterback CJ Carr. Notre Dame is tied for the best odds to win the national championship, and this is the first chance fans get to see the Fighting Irish in action, as Notre Dame should impress and blow out Wisconsin here.
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Related: Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet 2026: Top 300 Draft Player Rankings
This story was originally published by Lindys Sports on Sep 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Lindys Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
