Week 0 (August 23) of the 2025 FBS regular season began with several early games, including Iowa State Cyclones’ 24-21 victory over Kansas State Wildcats in Dublin, Ireland.
The Ohio State Buckeyes’ 14-7 victory over the Texas Longhorns at home in Week 1 was one of the biggest upsets.
There were still several high-profile games and scores across the nation by Week 10/11 (for instance, Indiana 55, Penn State 3 on November 8).
The calendar features rated opponents, major rivalries, and full conference play.
Numerous top-25 games, conference contests, and large spreads have been a part of the tale throughout, even though a complete tally of every single score is not provided here.
Ohio State’s 14-7 victory over the then-ranked Longhorns in the Ohio State vs. The Texas game is a notable early-season upset.
Iowa State’s 24-21 victory over Kansas State in the Week 0 international game demonstrates that the FBS calendar still includes early foreign settings.
Other noteworthy outcomes include Indiana’s decisive victory over Penn State (55-3), which highlights both Indiana’s strong play and Penn State’s poor performance.
Some blowouts and lopsided scores in mid-season schedule listings show the significant difference between top and bottom programs in specific matchups.
These games highlight how important non-conference play was early on, and there have already been some significant changes in rankings and momentum swings.
1. Program Strength & Depth
Top programs continue to demonstrate consistency, depth, and winning margins. It’s more crucial than ever to be able to win away from home, manage early non-conference testing, and then dominate conference play.
2. Potential upset and mid-major threats
Mid-majors and “Group of Five” teams still have a chance to create waves because of the increased focus on national scheduling. Every early game matters.
3. Implications for conferences
Conference play scores have a big influence on standings, bowl eligibility, and ultimately playoff contention. Teams need to be consistently strong because the schedule runs until December. Each conference, including the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and others, has a unique structure for how their seasons play out.
4. Competitive balance and blowout games
Large victory margins have already been achieved in certain games, indicating that many teams still struggle to close the gap with top clubs. For instance, one story mentioned Florida State’s 66-10 thumping of Kent State.
Momentum is important: Early victories can set the tone for a team’s season, particularly when they come against highly regarded or historically formidable opponents. In conference play, falling behind early makes things more difficult.
Strength of schedule is crucial: Non-conference games are very important for national positioning and schedule strength, especially when played against Power 5 opponents.
Large margins indicate dominance: Teams that win by wide margins frequently demonstrate not only skill but also depth, coaching, and execution.
Upsets are still possible: The Ohio State-Texas outcome demonstrates that even the strongest programs are susceptible in the early going, which makes the season unpredictable.
Relevance of each week: No game is “just a warm-up” anymore due to the broad range of scores and outcomes; each week can affect bowl prospects, rankings, and playoff access.
As the final weeks of the regular season approach, keep an eye out for:
Implications for the conference championship: Each conference’s title game, which frequently determines who advances to the national playoff debate, is decided by the regular-season scores.
Bowl eligibility: Teams who want to win six or more games must carefully manage the rest of their schedules because a season can be turned upside down by large victories or unexpected defeats.
Playoff positioning: The College Football Playoff committee closely examines scores against ranked and conference opponents, thus decisive victories are important.
Late-season highlights: Final rankings and perceptions will be shaped by rivalry games, divisional contests, and high-ranked encounters.
Injury and depth issues: As the gap between teams gets smaller, depth becomes more crucial; close games may reveal problems, while blowout victories may conceal them.
Strong favorites, unexpected winners, lopsided scores, and significant matchups are just a few of the major narratives that the 2025 FBS regular season has already produced. From Week 0 through the end of November, every game is crucial, as the preliminary results demonstrate. A few points can make all the difference between a solid season and a great one as teams advance into conference play and bowl eligibility.
If you would want, I can provide a complete list of the top 10 upsets, biggest margin victories, and closest games from the 2025 regular season thus far, and we can discuss what those might mean going forward. Do you want me to look into that?