College football delivers big surprises every year, but Week 2 was one for the record books. Oklahoma State posted a momentous victory over No. 6 Oregon, while Michigan stunned No. 11 Oklahoma. While Week 1 provided some intrigue, there were big games across the board in Week 2. UTSA used a late Brandon High touchdown to beat rival Texas State, and No. 10 Texas A&M got some defensive touchdowns to survive Arizona State. The quarterback’s production was also electric, with more on the way. Of course, the highlight was in Austin when No. 4 Texas beat No. 1 Ohio State to capture the biggest victory of the Steve Sarkisian era. The Longhorns pulled off an important last-second victory that could elevate them to the top of the national title list. Here are the biggest winners and losers from Week 2. Winner: Texas coach Steve Sarkisian. Since moving to the SEC in 2024, Sarkisian’s Longhorns went 0-5 against Ohio State and Georgia, the sport’s two biggest standard-bearers. Both games against the vaunted Buckeyes ended in painful fashion. With a capstone roster on campus, it’s a critical time for the Longhorns to get over that hurdle. After trailing by 20 points entering the fourth quarter against No. 1 Ohio State, it was decision day for Sark. And instead of hesitating, Arch Manning and the Longhorns showed up. Texas orchestrated three 10-plus play drives for touchdowns in the fourth quarter. As if purpose-built to exorcise demons, the game was won on the goal line. Now, Texas becomes the new prohibitive favorite to win the national championship. With a brutal schedule ahead of them, the Longhorns just got a much-needed break. The Sarkisian era takes on new life. Loser: Big Ten While Michigan pulled off a solid upset against No. 11 Oklahoma, the rest of the conference looked lackluster. Of course, No. 1 Ohio State and No. 6 Oregon lost in close games, although the latter was much more embarrassing. Minnesota’s performance against Mississippi State and Illinois’ collapse against Duke could have negative implications. No. 19 Washington, playing lowly Utah State, needed every second to survive 16-14. The Big Ten has owned college football for the past three seasons, but the conference’s early returns haven’t been good. There is a path for Ohio State and Oregon, the two most talented teams in the conference, to return to national title contention. But if Week 2 is to be believed, the conference won’t be the fourth in a row. Winner: WR Jesse Legree, Oregon StateOregon State failed to pull off a monumental upset against No. 13 Texas Tech, coming up short in a 35-24 decision. However, a star is born in Corvallis after a monster performance from freshman wide receiver Jesse Legree. The Baltimore native only received one major offer from Pittsburgh, but decided to follow former Alabama receivers coach JaMarcus Shepherd to Oregon State. There, he’s already recorded 100-yard performances in the first two games of his career against Big 12-ranked foes. If he can maintain this pace in Pac-12 play, Legree could earn serious All-America consideration. Loser: Northern Illinois The Huskies had found a level of consistency under Thomas Hammock before last season’s slide to 3-9. Now, with interim coach Rob Harley leading the way and the program ready to enter the Mountain West, the road looks tougher than ever. NIU lost the season opener 40-0 against No. 22 Iowa, a defensible performance against a great team. This week, they lost by three touchdowns to Illinois State and needed a furious comeback just to be competitive. With an upcoming trip to Arizona, only a handful of winnable games remain on the schedule. Winner: Oklahoma State The Cowboys pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the 21st century as Oklahoma State snapped a 21-game losing streak against FBS competition to upset No. 6 Oregon 39-31. A week after suffering a bad loss to Tulsa, quarterback Drew Mestemaker rose to the occasion. The North Texas transfer exploded for 300 passing yards, 100 rushing yards and four total touchdowns against one of the nation’s top-ranked defenses. It was Mestemaker’s first time starting against a Power Four opponent. The defense also played extremely well, as 14 Oregon points came directly off of turnovers. Now, the Eric Morris era has new life in Stillwater. Going through the first two games 1-1 leaves the Cowboys as a dark contender in the Big 12 once again. Loser: Oklahoma A road trip to Michigan seemed to set the tone for the 2026 Sooners. Oklahoma returned a healthy John Mateer and several key defenders. The program invested to add receiver and running back talent to go along with a growing offensive line. Michigan had just had a disastrous performance against Western Michigan. Instead, it was Oklahoma who left with big question marks after a 17-10 loss to the Wolverines. The Sooners were shut out in the first half and mustered just 44 rushing yards from running backs. Quarterback John Mateer had a brutal day, including a game-sealing interception. In the next three games alone, Oklahoma plays No. 2 Georgia and No. 4 Texas. Things could get worse quickly. Winner: QB Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State. During the offseason, rumors began to spread around Starkville that the Bulldogs might have a transcendent talent at quarterback. In his first game against a Power Four opponent, Taylor looked perfect and then some. The sophomore threw for 227 yards, rushed for 86 and scored three touchdowns to decimate Minnesota 38-13 on the road. The game marked the first road victory against a Big Ten foe since 1980 for MSU. Taylor could be preparing for a special season. Loser: Oregon A mediocre performance is forgivable for Oregon. Consecutive disappointments are a trend. A week after a dogfight against Boise State, the Ducks lost a disastrous game against Oklahoma State. Giving up points to Drew Mestemaker and Caleb Hawkins can be forgiven since both players will play on Sundays. Being offensively choked was unacceptable. The Ducks rushed for just 90 yards on 3.0 yards per carry against an Oklahoma State team that gave up 134 yards against Tulsa. Quarterback Dante Moore, a top pick in the NFL Draft, hit just three of his first 11 passes and completed less than 50% overall. Oregon replaced both coordinators after their starters left for head coaching jobs, and Dan Lanning seems neutered without them. The talent is still off the page, but the Ducks suddenly find themselves in the danger zone facing a tough schedule. Winner: QB Austin Simmons, Missouri Kansas didn’t hold back on any trash talk in the lead-up to the rivalry game and took an early lead against the Tigers. With 30 seconds left in the half, the Jayhawks had a seven-point lead. Then Simmons happened. The senior threw for a pair of touchdowns in the next five minutes. Simmons was considered a budding star during his time at Ole Miss before being pushed out for a little-known transfer named Trinidad Chambliss. Turns out Lane Kiffin might have had a legendary quarterback room. Simmons looks like an SEC star, especially with standout receivers Donovan Olugbode and Cayden Lee by his side. Loser: UNLV Dan Mullen’s Rebels were considered a serious contender for the Group of Six College Football Playoff bid heading into the season after a promising first year in Las Vegas. Three games into the season, UNLV’s national aspirations are completely extinguished. UNLV lost to North Texas by a surprising score of 44-6, an unexpected loss for Neal Brown’s team. The Mean Green recorded 444 yards of offense thanks to a solid performance from quarterback Tayven Jackson. North Texas had to replace all starters after a roster exodus to Stillwater. How is UNLV so far behind?
