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What We Learned on Saturday

Originally posted on Mike Farrell Sports
By Mark Pszonak | Last updated Aug 31, 2025 6:19 AM ET

With the first full slate of Saturday games, we learned several things that could prove to be a sign of things to come.

Castellanos Makes Florida State Relevant Again

Thomas Castellanos spent a lot of time during the off-season talking about the Alabama game. He was loud and he was bold. And when many thought that it would come back to haunt him, he backed it up in a big way. During a convincing 31-17 victory over the Tide, while he only attempted 14 passes, he completed nine of them for 152 yards. He also rushed for a team-high 78 yards and one touchdown on 16 carries. On top of that, he brought a swagger to the Seminoles that was lacking during a disastrous 2024 season. This victory immediately makes Florida State relevant, and suddenly makes upcoming games against Miami and Clemson extremely interesting in the ACC.

LSU Saves the SEC

After Texas lost at Ohio State and then Alabama lost at Florida State, the SEC was facing a disaster of a Saturday. Luckily for them, LSU managed to step up to the plate last night and delivered a 17-10 victory at Clemson. It wasn’t necessarily a pretty victory, but it was also a game that LSU had been known to lose in recent seasons. With the win, it gives the Tigers a huge resume builder for their playoff push. And now they have two weeks before their next huge game, which will happen at night in Death Valley against Florida.

Life Will Become Very Uncomfortable for Kalen DeBoer

Replacing a legend is never easy, so when Kalen DeBoer was hired to replace Nick Saban, everyone knew that his job would be extremely difficult. But now after a 31-17 season opening loss at Florida State, he will really see how difficult it can become. Missing out on the playoffs last season was one thing, but getting dominated by a Seminoles team that finished 2-10 in 2024 is something that Tide fans will not deal with very well. He has only coached 14 games for the Tide, but his seat is already getting uncomfortably warm.

Aug 30, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer looks on against the Florida State Seminoles during the second half at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Great Defenses Or Overrated?

While the Ohio State/Texas game had some drama in the fourth quarter, overall, it was far from a beautiful game. Was that because it was opening game jitters? Was it because both defenses were devastatingly dominant? Or was it because both teams were overrated? It is impossible to answer that question today, but for at least the next few weeks both teams still need to provide some answers before they can be classified as elite. If they are elite, then Texas can still overcome this loss. If not, then there will be plenty of disappointment in Austin throughout this season.

Aguilar Showcases His Potential

Joey Aguilar is a talented quarterback, but he also has faults. One of his most obvious faults is his history of throwing interceptions. At least for one game he avoided that while leading the Vols to a 45-26 victory over Syracuse. Aguilar completed 16 of 28 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 34 yards on six carries. This wasn’t accomplished against an elite SEC defense, but Syracuse was a solid test for a quarterback who has plenty of pressure on his shoulders. And despite this he was able to perform with confidence. It was a good start, but the real test will come in two weeks when the Vols host Georgia.

Aug 30, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joey Aguilar (6) celebrates after a victory against the Syracuse Orange at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Utah Will Be a Contender in Big 12

Mainly because of a unnaturally high number of quarterback injuries that occurred over the last two seasons, which resulted in the Utes going a combined 13-12, many people were forgetting about Utah this season. They were also forgetting how good of a coach Kyle Whittingham is. After last night’s dominating 43-10 victory at UCLA, the Utes are back on the radar. Transfer quarterback Devon Dampier was both efficient and dynamic. He completed 21 of 25 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns, while also leading the running game with 87 yards and one touchdown on 16 carries. On top of that, the defense accumulated four sacks and held the Bruins to only 220 yards. After two winnable out-of-conference games, the Utes will host Texas Tech on September 20 ^th in what is suddenly a huge early season Big 12 game.

This article first appeared on Mike Farrell Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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