Five Things Feeding My Soul: College Football Week 2 Takeaways
Week 2 delivered everything that makes college football so addictive and irresistible. We saw a stunning comeback in a thriller between two heavyweight contenders , a monumental upset, fierce rivalries and the predictable collapse of some early season predictions.
Here are the five things feeding my soul after another gloriously unpredictable Week 2 Saturday in college football.
Arch arrives in a thrilling comeback win for Texas over No.1 Ohio State
No.4 Texas 24, No.1 Ohio State 23
Austin witnessed an ending worthy of Hollywood, sealed by a player nicknamed Hollywood. Make no mistake, while the running back Hollywood Smothers' one-yard run in the dying seconds clinched a remarkable comeback for his Texas team that trailed 20–0, the headlines will be about his quarterback.
Arch Manning, misfired significantly in a first half where he overthrew on four pass plays and saw dropped catches on deep play action passes to Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo. He came to life in a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback, completing 11 of his final 15 passes to lead the Longhorns to a stunning win over No.1 Ohio State.
Analyst Kirk Herbstreit commented that this game symbolised Manning's career to date, a shaky first half and much more impressive second. Manning looked lost at times working through his progressions and missing open receivers. Outside the pocket however, playing instinctively and without hesitation, he looked like the kind of quarterback worthy of the hype that has surrounded him since his arrival in Austin as the most sought after high school quarterback in the country three years ago. Last night, it felt his story was truly beginning.
Shout too to Will Muschamp's Texas defense. Having struggled to contain Jeremiah Smith in the first half, they made critical stops on two drives which the Longhorns offense then turned into long scoring drives to claw their way back into the contest.
Did Texas prove it is now the best team in the country? Ohio State were arguably better overall but will feel aggrieved they threw the game away. Jeremiah Smith had 164 receiving yards and a touchdown, but dropped passes in the second half, while Julian Sayin passed for 278 yards but couldn't complete a fourth quarter drive to finish Texas off. Connor Hawkins' missed 45-yard field goal will sting especially.
This was more than a comeback win for a Longhorns team undergoing a steady renaissance under coach Steve Sarkisian. Ohio State have felt like their bogey team, having knocked Texas out of the playoff two years ago, and beating them in Columbus in Week 1 last year when the Longhorns were ranked No.1. Beating a No. 1 Buckeyes team that looked superior for much of the game feels like a statement victory for Texas, and one that should give them enormous confidence heading into the rest of their tough schedule.
Oklahoma State supplied the soul of Saturday
Oklahoma State 39, No.6 Oregon 31
Nothing stirs the soul like a stunning upset win, crowd invasion and goalposts ending up in a nearby body of water. Thank you, Oklahoma State, for delivering.
This might be the biggest upset of this fledgling college football season. Oklahoma State had lost 21 consecutive games against FBS opponents, and suffered a disappointing 24-10 loss to Tulsa only a week ago. A week later, the 23.5-point underdog Cowboys defeated sixth-ranked Oregon in front of a wild crowd at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater.
Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker threw for 317 yards and ran for 109 yards, accounting for three touchdowns. With his team trailing 31-30, Mestemaker's 10-yard scoring run saw him hurdle two defenders to take a lead the Cowboys retained to see out a memorable upset, while the celebration ended with a goalpost in nearby Theta Pond.
While the Cowboys have already equalled their one-win total for last season, questions have to be raised about Oregon's national championship credentials, this shocking loss coming after a narrow opening day win over Boise State.
Only in college football.
Reports of Michigan’s demise were slightly premature
Michigan 17, No.11 Oklahoma 10
What do we know? After Tony and I openly questioned Michigan and their offense in the most recent Saturdays Under The Lights podcast, the Wolverines went ahead and upset No.11 Oklahoma a week after a highly controversial last-second escape against Western Michigan.
Bryce Underwood still wasn’t convincing through the air, completing 9 of 17 passes for just 111 yards, he ran for 87 yards and an explosive touchdown. Michigan’s defence continue to be a problem and are bailing out the Wolverine's inconsistent offense. They held Oklahoma to 3-of-13 on third down plays.
While Michigan’s problems certainly haven't disappeared, and I would stand behind our conviction that their offense needs to show significant improvement to contend, this is a 2-0 team that, on their day, has the defence, a dangerous running quarterback and a raucous home crowd all capable of spoiling another team's season.
Boise State grabs hold of The Group of Six race
Boise State 38, Memphis 20
Having run Oregon close in Week 1 and seeing Memphis stake their claim to the Group of Six playoff place with their win over UNLV, Boise State wrestled this back by comfortably defeating the Tigers 38-20. The Broncos racked up 519 total yards of offense while restricting Memphis to just 163 yards.
UNLV, in the meantime, saw their playoff hopes shattered by a stunning 44–6 loss to North Texas where the Rebels committed four costly turnovers. The path for the crucial playoff place has passed from UNLV to Memphis and now to Boise State in barely two weeks. It's fascinating to follow and there will be more twists and turns to come.
Rivalry games continue to be the lifeblood of college football
While Rivalry Week officially takes place at the end of November, Week 2 featured several lesser known but significant rivalry match ups.
"The Border War" returned for its 122nd edition as No.23 Missouri beat Kansas 38-21 in a hostile encounter in Lawrence. Ole Miss quarterback transfer Austin Simmons passed for 292 yards and three touchdowns to propel the Missouri offense. Kansas travels to London next week to take on Arizona State in the inaugural Union Jack Classic.
No.21 Iowa won state bragging rights as the Hawkeyes edged the Cy-Hawk rivalry with a tight 16-13 victory over the Iowa State Cyclones at Kinnick Stadium.
The I-35 Rivalry, named literally after the highway that connects the Texan cities of San Marcos and San Antonio, homes of Texas State University and the University of Texas-San Antonio. The UTSA Roadrunners scored with 14 seconds left on the clock to take a 30-26 win over the Bobcats.
One More Thing Feeding My Soul
Before I sign off, there is one story from Week 2 that deserves to stand apart from the results, rankings and playoff arguments. Boston College staged its annual Red Bandana Game in memory of former student-athlete Welles Crowther, who sacrificed his own life while helping others escape the South Tower on September 11, 2001, 25 years ago.
College football is often at its most meaningful when a tradition connects a team and its supporters to something greater than the game itself. Boston College honours their former student’s memory with the annual Red Bandana Game, played this year, between the home team Eagles and visiting Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
I wrote a piece in November last year about Welles, his extraordinary bravery and why Boston College continues to honour his memory: “The Red Bandana Game: How College Football and Boston College Honour a Hero”. If you’re not aware of the courage of this extraordinary young man, please do read it, or search his name and read another piece. It’s a story everyone should know.
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