What we think we know and what’s true after Week 2 in college football
What we think we know and what's true after Week 2 in college football. Follow on XMultiple AuthorsEmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsYou could say that college football college football'd particularly hard in Week 2.
What happened
Skip to main content Skip to navigation Week 2 College Football Playoff predictionsOhio State Buckeyes1hESPN StaffGov. OK StateOregon Ducks9hPaolo UggettiFSU fires AD Alford as questions loom over football programFlorida State Seminoles23hAndrea AdelsonSEC's Sankey says CFP expansion not foregone conclusion17hAlex ScarboroughWhittingham: U-M's game plan in opener didn't prepare UnderwoodMichigan Wolverines20hAdam RittenbergCruz expects Senate vote on Protect College Sports Act this week or next14hTennessee starting tight end Davis has season-ending ACL injuryTennessee Volunteers19hEli LedermanProjecting the CFP top 12 after Week 2: How far does Ohio State fall?
Ohio State Buckeyes1dKyle Bonagura and Mark SchlabachCollege football Power Rankings: Everything we learned from the Top 25 in Week 2Ohio State Buckeyes1dESPN'Probably should've won by 25': Inside Oklahoma State's upset of OregonOklahoma State Cowboys16hMax OlsonHow Texas' win impacted the CFP and Heisman races: Will the Buckeyes bounce back? Oregon Ducks2dMel Kiper Jr. and Jordan ReidplayStephen A. takes exception to Ohio State's AP ranking after loss to Texas (1:41)ESPNMultiple AuthorsSep 14, 2026, 07:00 AM ETEmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsWhat did we learn in Week 2 of the 2026 college football season?
Here's what our ESPN college football experts learned in Week 2. — Eli Lederman1. Ole Miss RebelsPrevious ranking: 11While the college football world looked ahead to next week's hotly anticipated matchup with LSU and the return of former head coach Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss went to work at home against Charlotte and took care of business, winning by four touchdowns. Skip to main content Skip to navigation Let's kick off NFL Week 2: Seven things Solak thinks — including that Houston's offense could be decentBuffalo Bills1hBen SolakSizing up four Week 1 offensive explosions: Barnwell on the Bears, Ravens, Bills and JaguarsChicago Bears1dBill BarnwellSolak makes sense of key NFL Week 1 stats: Williams goes 20-plus mph twice, Kincaid leads Bills in receivingChicago Bears2dBen SolakWhat to know from Sunday's Week 1 games — including the Giants' statement win over DallasCleveland Browns1dNFL NationResist the urge to overreact to Week 1!
The wider picture
Follow on XMultiple AuthorsSep 13, 2026, 12:25 PM ETEmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe biggest storylines coming out of Week 2 of the 2026 college football season include Michigan upsetting Oklahoma, Oregon falling to Oklahoma State and — of course — Texas mounting a massive fourth-quarter comeback to beat Ohio State. In a world in which elite college football teams might play as many as 17 games in a season, Ohio State coach Ryan Day has made the decision to slow his offense down as much as humanly possible.
Oklahoma has solved none of last year's issuesOklahoma reached the College Football Playoff thanks in part to a 4-1 record in one-score finishes last season, but that's a pretty unsustainable way of doing your business. We paint with a broad brush when talking about college football's enormous conferences, and we always lose some nuance by doing so. Four Touchdowns. @KamarioTaylor ➡️ @AnthonyEvansIII #HailState || 📺: @CBS https://t. co/AAUteQFaRU pic. twitter. com/Vo8LfXiB97— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) September 12, 2026 Let's Go, @frisco_magee! 🙌#HailState || 📺: @CBS https://t. co/mCUZJAhWTq pic. twitter. com/aJ9hebbCK4— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) September 12, 2026 Week 4 is a mammoth affair, featuring four games between ranked teams, including a top-10er in Texas A&M at LSU.
There is a long way to go until the College Football Playoff selections, but these games will certainly be factors. Here are our experts' top 12 College Football Playoff picks:Andrea Adelson: 1. Elko praised A&M's emphasis on "winning football," with the takeaways, lack of penalties and red zone defense, while also acknowledging there's still a lot of work to do. — Wilson9.
What has been reported
Coach Kalen DeBoer hopes a strong second-half comeback "builds belief, builds trust" in his team — and that he can trust his quarterback to take care of the football next week against Florida State. — Scarborough 12. Texas Tech Red RaidersPrevious ranking: 9The Red Raiders admittedly struggled on the road against Oregon State, looking as if they're still rounding into form after last season's Big 12 title run and their College Football Playoff appearance. Why Jags' hot start faces early test16hMichael DiRoccoMalik Willis takes blame for five-sack Dolphins debut:16hMarcel Louis-JacquesFantasy football free agents: Shough, Black, Coker highlight top options for Week 219hEric KarabellWho got the ball Sunday?
How Montgomery, Irving emerged from RB committees22hESPN FantasyJoey Porter Jr. trade fits: Cowboys, 49ers, Lions could look to add star CBDallas Cowboys1dJeremy FowlerGraziano: All signs — and Mayfield's new contract — point to next year's QB market explodingTampa Bay Buccaneers2dDan GrazianoTracking Aaron Rodgers' 2026 NFL season: 1 passing TD in Week 1Pittsburgh Steelers19hBrooke PryorNFL draft risers, notes off Saturday's college games: Questions at the top of the QB class? Every Tuesday of the NFL season, I'll turn the page from last week to this week with seven things I think.
Jump to: Ben Johnson is Brian Flores' kryptonite Texans' offense will win games Bengals defense is showing promise Kincaid is the Bills' secret sauce Titans will not score in Week 2 Lions' have an Achilles' heel on defense Lawrence is league MVP this week Five extra inklingsI think. . . Published6 hours agoHow much do you really know about football? Skip to main content Skip to navigation Fantasy football free agents: Shough, Black, Coker highlight top options for Week 219hEric KarabellWho got the ball Sunday?
What happens next
BucsCleveland Browns18hDaniel OyefusiVikings' O'Connell says he doesn't fault Packers for hit on MurrayMinnesota Vikings16hKevin SeifertWhat to know from Sunday's Week 1 games — including the Giants' statement win over DallasCleveland Browns1dNFL NationWeek 1 winners and losers: Caleb Williams, Josh Allen shine; Ja'Marr Chase disappoints1dMatt Bowen and Tristan H. CockcroftplayJalen Coker starts season strong with 'exceptional' Week 1 in fantasy (0:54)Eric KarabellSep 14, 2026, 12:38 PM ETCloseEric Karabell is a senior writer covering fantasy football, baseball and basketball at ESPN.
Coker and pals hit the road for Week 2 in Atlanta, where he should be on the field (even though he was seen wearing a boot on Monday) and the Panthers should be able to throw the football. We still think Rodriguez will matter this season, but as usual, there isn't a lot to add this week at running back. Kiper: I don't know that there even is a true QB1 right now. After two weeks of games, we can answer some reasonable questions about several CFP contenders.
Skip to main content Skip to navigation Week 2 truths: Ohio State's big-game problem; Oregon and Oklahoma still haven't fixed thingsTexas Longhorns2dBill ConnellyProjecting the CFP top 12 after Week 2: How far does Ohio State fall?
The report has been compiled by The Daily Waves using information reported across espn.com. Details are presented according to the information available at the time of publication and may change as authorities, organisers or other relevant parties provide updates.