The second weekend of the College Football season didn't look like the best weekend on paper but, it proved to be more exciting than Week 1. Whether it was close rivalry games like Iowa Vs Iowa State or a truly stunning upset like USF over Florida, the second weekend of the year was more exciting than the start to the year. After an exciting second weekend, here are some superlatives from a great weekend.
Team of the week: USF's win over Florida.
USF went into the Swamp and beat Florida. It was not a fluke of a win; either they were the more physical and better-coached team. USF appears to be in the driver's seat to make the playoff as the Group of 4 representative after beating Boise State last week and Florida this week. Head Coach Alex Golesh has turned around this program as they are a physical team with good athletes all over the field. Next up, a trip to Miami. The Hurricanes better be ready.
Coach on the hot seat: Billy Napier, Florida Head Coach.
No doubt about it, this was an ugly loss for Florida. They were outcoached and outplayed. His team lacked discipline and made poor coaching decisions. His starting quarterback was erratic all day. Florida has a tough schedule the rest of the way, starting next Saturday when Florida must visit LSU. Good luck to Napier trying to save his job now with a tough slate the rest of the way.
Florida loses to USF 18-15, in a final two minutes where:
— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) September 6, 2025
* Player ejected for spitting - costing them 15 yards
* Billy Napier completely mismanages his timeouts
* Should've let USF score on multiple plays - doesnt
I mean, this is truly a masterclass in terrible coaching pic.twitter.com/3b5uKRyOR9
Player of the week: Luke Altmyer, QB, Illinois.
Luke Altmyer played a great game for Illinois in a 45-19 win over Duke. Illinois struggled running the ball early in this game, so Altmyer made a ton of big plays for Illinois. He threw for 296 yards and 3 touchdowns. I also respected his toughness as he took a ton of hits and kept staying in the game and making plays for his team.
The Luke Altmyer Heisman campaign has officially launched.
— The Field Pass (@TheFieldPass) September 6, 2025
22/31
296 YDs
3 TDs
0 INTs
Oh, and 1 dominant P4 road W. pic.twitter.com/JUTkOFzWLF
Coach of the week. Matt Campbell, Iowa Head Coach.
Campbell won a hard-fought 16-13 win against Iowa. Campbell continues to excel at Iowa State, as they won 11 games last year. This year, they are the favorite to win the Big 12. Campbell continues to do well for Iowa State.
Best SEC Road Win: Ole Miss.
Ole Miss went to Kentucky and won a game 30-23. This is notable because last year, Kentucky beat Ole Miss to help derail their season. This is a good win for Head Coach Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss.
Team we should be most worried about: Clemson.
Through two weeks, Clemson has struggled offensively. 1st against LSU in a 17-10 loss, and next this week against Troy, they struggled early, only scoring 3 points in the 1st half. They did rally to win 27-16, but they have not looked great so far this season. They still have plenty of time left in the season, but if they continue to struggle, it will cause some concerns for a team that many thought would be a National Championship contender.
Gutsiest win: Mississippi State over Arizona State.
Wow, Mississippi State got up 17-0 against Arizona State. Then Arizona stormed back to take a 20-17 lead. Then, with 30 seconds left to go in the game, Blake Shapen hit wide receiver Brenan Thompson for a 58-yard touchdown reception. An incredible win for Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby and his program.
Perplexing coaching decision: Arizona State Head Coach Kenny Dillingham
Kenny Dillingham when Mississippi state is on 3rd and long with no timeouts and 30 secs left on their own 40 pic.twitter.com/vmCIlMEr4N
— Cecil Heisenberg (@bergtakes) September 7, 2025
The above-mentioned play was a coaching blunder by Dillingham and his defensive coordinator. Clinging to a 3-point lead, they went man coverage. Mississippi State wide receiver Brenan Thompson beat the corner for the game-winning touchdown. It is coaching malpractice not to play some sort of zone over with under 40 seconds left to go in the game when your leading by 4 and the team hasn’t passed the 50-yard line yet.
Most fun player to watch: Oklahoma Quarterback, John Mateer.
John Mateer is so entertaining to watch play quarterback. The Washington State transfer is a talented player, but he is a wild ride as a quarterback. He threw for 270 yards and a touchdown with an interception against Michigan to help win the game 24-13. He also ran the ball 19 times (yes, 19 times) for 74 yards and 2 touchdowns. Between his running the ball like a fullback to his crazy throws, to his breaking tackles while running, Mateer is great to watch. If he continues to play well and helps Oklahoma become a playoff contender, he will make a run at the Heisman Trophy.
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