College football takeaways: Everything to know about Week 2 performances

Well, Week 2 didn't go the way a few top-25 teams thought it would. Notre Dame's shocking, last-minute loss to Northern Illinois jeopardized the Irish's playoff hopes, a top-10 Oregon team barely beat Boise State at home, and Cal joined Miami as the two ACC schools with the biggest nonconference wins of the early season. 

Can things turn around for Notre Dame after this weekend's tough loss? How can Oregon improve its line play after losing key players to the NFL and injuries? Can Cal improve its run game while staying dominant on defense? 

Our college football experts break down key takeaways from Week 2 performances. 

It's too early to write teams off in the CFP race

Everyone take a deep breath. The Notre Dame loss to Northern Illinois was devastating to the Irish's playoff hopes. It was a bad loss, and there's no sugar-coating it. The same can be said for Michigan's embarrassing home loss to Texas. Neither team looks worthy of a playoff spot, but that doesn't mean the picture can't change. Especially in a 12-team format that's brand new to everyone -- including the 13 committee members tasked with ranking the teams.

The question is how much better Notre Dame and Michigan can be -- if they can prove to the committee, they're worth a spot. For the independent Irish, their only path is one of the seven at-large bids. Not only do they need to play significantly better, they need to run the table and beat some ranked opponents along the way so that their resumé and performances are better than other one-loss contenders. Strength of schedule is imperative for playoff teams, but both Notre Dame and Michigan need to worry more about looking the part, no matter which teams they face. -- Heather Dinich

No offense, punters

Brent Venables might be a former defensive coordinator, but even he had trouble watching Oklahoma battle to a 16-12 win over Houston on Saturday night. The first clue was early in his postgame news conference. "Luke Elzinga was fantastic," Venables said, taking a beat and shaking his head before hearing himself. "Come in here to the press conference and brag about our punter ... but he deserves it."

Venables said the Sooners were fortunate to win, mostly because of a field-position battle, thanks to Elzinga pinning three of his eight punts inside the 10-yard line and two more inside the 20. New offensive coordinator Seth Littrell has quite a challenge ahead: The offensive line struggled, sophomore QB Jackson Arnold was inconsistent, and the Sooners averaged just 4.1 yards per play. There's one more nonconference game next week against a Tulane team that lost a fourth-quarter lead to Kansas State before Tennessee and former Sooners QB and coordinator Josh Heupel comes to town. There has been much made about how hard Oklahoma's first SEC schedule is. It can't afford for the punter to be its star. -- Dave Wilson

Pathway to the playoff for Tennessee is paved with defense

After putting up 51 points on an NC State team that went into Saturday night's game ranked No. 24 nationally, Tennessee coach Josh Heupel -- never a big talker -- had a message for anybody who cared to listen following the Vols' 51-10 demolition of the Wolfpack in Charlotte, North Carolina.

"Let me just say one more thing," Heupel said as a reporter was about to ask another question. "The standard at Tennessee is to be elite on defense. This is the home of Reggie White, Al Wilson, Eric Berry."

Heupel tapped his finger and surveyed the room as he delivered his message, one that was driven home in dominant fashion on the field. Tennessee's defense has now gone 12 straight quarters without giving up a touchdown dating back to the regular-season finale last season against Vanderbilt. And for all the talk about quarterback Nico Iamaleava's elite arm talent and Heupel's potent, breakneck offense, it's Tennessee's defense that has this program in position to make a serious run at an SEC championship, a College Football Playoff appearance and maybe even more. It's the deepest and most talented defensive front the Vols have had since the John Henderson and Albert Haynesworth days in the early 2000s. In its rout of NC State, Tennessee recorded 13 tackles for loss and 16 different players had at least 0.5 tackles for loss. The Wolfpack managed just 27 yards of total offense in the second half, and the Vols rotated defensive linemen at a dizzying pace.

The true tests will come in the SEC. That's always the case, and the SEC opener on the road against Oklahoma on Sept. 21 looms large. But through two games, this is a Tennessee team that seems to have the pieces in place to overwhelm opponents on offense and suck the life out of them on defense. -- Chris Low

The Big 12 is the league you need to be watching every weekend

Remove Utah and Baylor's nonconference matchup between conference foes from the equation, and the Big 12 went 8-5 in Week 2. In a wonky, mixed-bag weekend for the new-look, 16-team league, we saw exactly why the Big 12 is must-watch television in 2024.

There were highs on Saturday: the field goal from Iowa State's Kyle Konrardy that propelled Iowa State past Iowa, Oklahoma State's double-overtime win over Arkansas and Arizona State's late-night win against Mississippi State. Week 2 in the Big 12 delivered lows of varying degrees, too, from Kansas State's narrow escape at Tulane to losses for Colorado, Kansas and Texas Tech to Cincinnati's fourth-quarter collapse against Pittsburgh. Along the way, we learned that Houston -- in a 16-12 loss at Oklahoma -- probably falls somewhere between the team that got trounced by UNLV in Week 1 and the one that nearly upset the Sooners in Norman on Saturday.

Perhaps the Big 12 lacks the lineup of box office matchups we'll see across the SEC and Big Ten from now to late November. But from the good to the bad to the ugly, Week 2 offered a window into just why the league promises to be the one you just won't be able to take your eyes off this fall, in part because we don't know if the Big 12 contains only several CFP contenders or seven. --- Eli Lederman

The Kyle McCord-Syracuse pairing looks as advertised

Kyle McCord was the centerpiece of Fran Brown's transfers going into his first year as Syracuse's head coach. Through two games, McCord hasn't disappointed.

McCord became just the third ACC quarterback over the past 20 years with consecutive games of 350 passing yards and four touchdowns. In the Orange's 31-28 win over No. 23 Georgia Tech, McCord completed 32 of 46 passes for 381 yards and four touchdowns.

It's not a shock that McCord not only seems comfortable but is also having a fun time with the Orange given some of the emotions displayed in Saturday's game. McCord grew up in New Jersey and has known both Brown and quarterbacks coach Nunzio Campanile (who also served as interim head coach last season) for a decade. He also has ties with first-year offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon.

McCord told ESPN's Pete Thamel before the season that he wanted to take a real shot at the NFL. "I have one more chance to go out and really commit myself, and going through the process, I was looking at schools where I'd have a chance of winning right away," he said. "And with the pieces going there, I'll definitely have that option."

It's a small sample, but the vision Brown had for his team (a vision that McCord also saw) coming into this season looks good through eight quarters of football. -- Harry Lyles Jr.

Colorado doesn't look any different than last year

The supposedly improved offensive line for Colorado looks every bit the disaster of the version that was scapegoated for the Buffaloes' last-place finish in the Pac-12 last year. During the offseason, Colorado coach Deion Sanders spoke multiple times about the improved talent of the offensive line and coaching he expected those players to get this year. That combination, it was implied, would keep quarterback Shedeur Sanders upright, thus solving one of the major issues that plagued the team last year. After watching Shedeur Sanders spend the afternoon under constant duress against Nebraska on Saturday, it's hard to see much -- if any -- improvement. He was sacked five times, the Buffs were incapable of running the ball, and they managed just 10 points.

For all the hype Sanders brought when he was hired as the coach, this team looks no closer to being competitively relevant. It was fortunate to get a win against FCS North Dakota State in Week 1 and desperately needs to beat Colorado State this week to avoid starting Big 12 play as an afterthought. -- Kyle Bonagura

Defense gives Nebraska a chance to contend

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule knew Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter would command all the attention when Colorado came to Lincoln and praised them as potential top-five NFL draft picks during the week. But all along, Nebraska's head coach knew he could depend on his defense to show up.

"Everyone kept talking about this guy, that guy, that guy," Rhule said. "I kept saying, 'Hey, they're forgetting our defense. They're forgetting the Blackshirts.'"

Nebraska's defense is the real deal. Tony White worked wonders with this group in his first year as defensive coordinator and is rolling with a starting lineup of seven seniors and four juniors, led by an excellent D-line. Its experience showed up over and over in its 28-10 win Saturday night, from all the sacks and pressures generated by four-man rushes to cornerback Tommi Hill's early pick-six to the limited explosive plays, with Sanders hitting just one pass of 30 or more yards.

Two games in, the Huskers rank among the top 10 in the FBS in sacks and tackles for loss. They're an AP Top 25 team for the first time since 2019, and the schedule ahead looks manageable. Could this team be 7-0 when it travels to Ohio State at the end of October? If so, we'll know why.

"Our defense is the best in the country," Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola said. "I believe that." -- Max Olson

Cal saves the day for the ACC

NC State had the big national spotlight game against an SEC opponent in Week 2 the way Clemson did in Week 1. Neither team played well. Combined score in two losses: 85-13.

Good thing Cal was there to save the day Saturday, joining Miami with the two biggest ACC nonconference wins in the early season.

That is not a typo.

Yes, the new kids on the ACC block waved that #goacc flag proudly after a 21-14 win at Auburn. Cal won with a relentless defensive effort, forcing five turnovers, including four interceptions, and holding Auburn to 286 yards. Transfer linebacker Teddye Buchanan was a force with 11 tackles, two sacks and three tackles for loss.

Cal benefited from clutch plays made by quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who started the game 19-of-21 before finishing with 233 yards and two passing touchdowns.

Cal won with punter Lachlan Wilson, who helped give the Bears an advantage in field position with four punts inside the 20.

Maybe most impressive, Cal did it all without its run game, which many considered to be the strength of the team coming into the season. With preseason All-ACC choice Jaydn Ott banged up and an injury-depleted offensive line, Cal found tough sledding in the trenches. Everyone else played great complementary football, and it ended up not mattering.

It is early, but Cal has hit on two areas it knew it had to improve this season: winning close games and its turnover margin. Cal now sits at plus-8 in the latter category.

But as Cal coach Justin Wilcox warned after the game, "This can't be the best we play all year. We've got to continue to grind and get better. We'll celebrate but we've got a game next week. We've got a lot of football left to play."

Cal is 2-0 with San Diego State up next and another flight east the following week to Florida State. The ACC appears wide open in the early going. Maybe Cal can find its way into the mix. -- Andrea Adelson

Texas joins Georgia, Ohio State in the top tier

The loaded Bulldogs and Buckeyes were viewed as the clear top two teams coming into the season. But after a dominant performance at Michigan, the Longhorns deserve to be in the same conversation as Georgia and Ohio State.

Texas throttled the defending national champs in every facet for a win that never felt in doubt. Quinn Ewers was spectacular, becoming the only quarterback since the start of last season to throw three touchdowns without an interception against multiple top-10 opponents (Ewers led Texas to a win at Alabama last season, as well).

Texas has playmakers everywhere around Ewers, with an offensive line that is ready to go toe-to-toe with the best in the SEC. Defensively, the Longhorns are physical and fast.

Texas made the playoff last year. The Longhorns showed Saturday that they're now ready to win it all. -- Jake Trotter

Nobody knows anything (mostly)

Here's the dirtiest secret of the college football rankings: There aren't that many teams that truly stand out. And as a minor variant to this point, each conference might have a different tally of truly good teams, but comparing overall conferences is a fool's errand.

As one Power 5 coach told ESPN, "Every year there are five or six great teams, five or six more great-but-flawed teams, and the next 30 are all about the same."

Want proof?

Through two weeks, here's how the Power 5 (which, for the purposes of discussion, will include Washington State, Oregon State and Notre Dame) conferences stack up in nonconference games against other Power 5 teams.

ACC: 5-5
Big 12: 5-6
Big Ten: 4-4
Notre Dame: 1-0
Pac-12: 1-0
SEC: 5-6

Of those 21 games, only seven were decided by more than a touchdown, and five of those were delivered by one of the small cadre of teams that probably are in the elite (or near-elite) tier of the sport.

We can feel pretty good about Georgia, Texas, Tennessee and Miami, for example, but Illinois' six-point win over Kansas, Duke's double-overtime win over Northwestern and Arizona State's narrow escape from Mississippi State's late comeback attempt probably say nothing about any conference and little about the teams themselves beyond noting they're pretty evenly matched -- one squad just made a few more plays at critical moments than the other.

As the season progresses, we'll get more data points that help paint a clearer picture of college football's hierarchy, and a couple teams we might not have considered elite today will emerge (and a couple others might tumble from the top tiers). The debates will get better the further we get into the season. But it's also important to distinguish what matters from the noise, and as much fun as it might be to laugh at Auburn or the SEC's misfortune in Week 2, the truth is, a seven-point loss to Cal probably doesn't say much at all about who deserves a space in the 12-team playoff by year's end. -- David Hale

Oregon must improve from the inside out after surviving Idaho schools

Oregon hasn't suffered a loss like Notre Dame did, or two, like Florida State, but the Ducks haven't resembled a serious national title contender, either. The good news is Oregon sits at 2-0 and won't have to face any more teams from the state of Idaho. The games against Idaho and Boise State had some clear differences, but Oregon's problems along the offensive and defensive lines stuck out in both outings.

For all the flash around Oregon -- Nike branding, ever-changing uniforms, speedy players and splashy transfers and recruits -- coach Dan Lanning and his predecessor, Mario Cristobal, both have emphasized line play as a program pillar. But Lanning's third Ducks team seems to be lacking on the interior of both lines. Oregon is replacing center Jackson Powers-Johnson, the Rimington Trophy winner and an NFL second-round draft pick, and has been without guard Matthew Bedford because of an injury. The Ducks, who also lost respected running back Bucky Irving to the NFL, are averaging just 3 yards per rush.

"It doesn't seem like that O-line has the same kind of pop and juice they did last year," a former Pac-12 personnel director told me Sunday. "Powers-Johnson seemed like the leader, and he's a stud, too."

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty will make a lot of defenses look bad, but Oregon is allowing 5.1 yards per carry in its first two games. The Ducks' defensive front has some transfers -- Jamaree Caldwell, Derrick Harmon -- who still might click, but it has been a rough start.

Oregon's performance this week at rival Oregon State seems especially critical, and the steps to improvement must come from the inside out. -- Adam Rittenberg

The second-best team in the Big Ten is ____.

While the SEC can boast six teams in the top 10 as of this week's AP poll, the Big Ten knows only its best team with some level of certainty: Ohio State.

Penn State, ranked five spots behind the Buckeyes, struggled to beat Bowling Green this weekend, while Oregon, which nearly lost to Idaho and barely beat Boise State in Eugene on Saturday night, continues to plummet down the rankings. The Ducks started at No. 3 as the presumptive biggest conference rival to the Buckeyes, and yet they're now ranked ninth and have not exactly inspired any confidence that they're up for the task. Michigan, meanwhile, allowed Texas to come into the Big House and expose them on both sides of the ball.

Surprisingly, USC has been one of the few teams in the conference that has won its first two games decisively, including a statement win over LSU last week. This week, USC didn't play down to its opponent, Utah State, and instead continued to showcase that it might be a more complete team than most thought headed into the season. It was the first time its defense held a team to zero points since 2011.

Beyond the Trojans, Nebraska has looked like a completely revitalized program under Matt Rhule and with Dylan Raiola at quarterback, while Jonathan Smith's Michigan State is also 2-0 with quarterback Aidan Chiles impressing so far. Washington and new coach Jedd Fisch are also undefeated early on. Penn State and Oregon should (emphasis on should) have the talent to bounce back and likely be among those teams nipping at Ohio State's heels once conference play begins in earnest, but for now, the top of the new-look conference is wide open. -- Paolo Uggetti