Table for 12 Week 2: College football's breakthrough contender and breakout stars

Week 1 had the marquee matchups, with three top 10 teams facing off and four teams from the preseason AP Top 10 going down. Week 2 didn’t provide quite as much drama, but it could be just as impactful when the College Football Playoff committee eventually decides which 12 teams have a seat at the table and a shot at the title in January. And it might have a major impact on this offseason's coaching carousel.

Week 2 revived a few of the most underrated non-conference rivalry games, birthed a new superstar quarterback, cemented the place of another, helped to cleanse the palate for a few programs with a bitter taste in their mouths from an early-season loss, and may have ended Billy Napier's tenure in Gainesville. But, before we check in on our Group of Six darling, let’s dig into our main course, a vintage dish from Brent Venables served piping hot.

Main Course

1. Brent Venables has still got it (No. 18 Oklahoma 24 No. 15 Michigan 13)

Week 1 was loaded with top 10 matchups, but one of the games I had circled early in the season was this Week 2 contest in Norman because there may not be two more intriguing quarterbacks in the entire country than Bryce Underwood and John Mateer. Will Bryce Underwood live up to the hype as the No. 1 freshman QB in the country? Can Mateer make the jump from a Mountain West-caliber schedule at Washington State to Power Conference football? 

Underwood had his immense talent on display last week against New Mexico, but nothing Mateer did against Illinois State would have dispelled my concerns about the step up in competition. His performance on Saturday night in Norman did. 

Mateer finished 21-for-34 for 270 yards and a touchdown, with 74 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. He was unquestionably the best player on the field, showing off his baseball background with throws from every arm angle and using his athletic and twitched-up frame to create outside of structure. He may be a bit too reliant on his fastball, not layering the ball with touch quite enough, but that’s an NFL scout concern, not anything that will prevent him from carrying the Sooners through the SEC. 

In his second year running Ben Arbuckle’s offense, Mateer’s play-caller who led the way from Wazzu to OU this offseason, the redshirt junior comfortably responded to Wink Martindale’s aggressive pressure packages and routinely punished the Michigan DC for bringing extra bodies after evading pressure and buying time. After a disappointing debut in the SEC last season, Venables, with Mateer, looks ready to finally break through as a CFP contender.

Underwood, in his second career start and first away from the Big House, just couldn’t match Mateer’s composure and command. He also wasn't given the answers that Arbuckle and the OU offensive staff provided for his counterpart.

The five-star freshman went 0/8 against the blitz on Saturday night, succumbing to Brent Venables’s devious exotic pressures. There’s a reason that Venables came into Week 2 with a 21-5 record against freshman quarterbacks as a defensive coordinator and head coach, and it was clear almost immediately to Underwood, Sherrone Moore, and anyone watching. 

It didn’t help that, in an attempt to protect Underwood, OC Chip Lindsey leaned into a run-heavy attack, allowing his QB to throw just 10 passes in the first half as Michigan fell behind 14-0, and forcing most of his pass attempts to come on late downs and obvious passing situations. Michigan managed a 36 percent rushing success rate on early downs, and thus generated -0.42 EPA/play on late downs while facing an average distance of 7.87 yards. 

It’s not likely that Underwood stood much of a chance on the road this early in his career regardless, but if that’s the game plan Michigan put together for Oklahoma with its head coach in the building, the Wolverines could be in big trouble when they open Big Ten play against Nebraska in two weeks with Moore still serving his conveniently timed self-imposed two-game suspension. 

2. Catharsis or concern for Lane Kiffin? (No. 20 Ole Miss 30 Kentucky 23)

You can take your pick of which ugly loss to blame for Ole Miss’s exclusion from the CFP last season, but when you let Kentucky win its only SEC game of the slate on your home field, that feels like a good place to point the finger. This Saturday, Kiffin got a measure of revenge in Lexington, but there are serious concerns about an offense that returned just two starters from last season, beyond starting quarterback Austin Simmons’ fourth-quarter ankle injury. 

With such a quarterback-friendly system, which was a frequent topic of discussion surrounding Jaxson Dart’s NFL evaluation before becoming a first-round pick, there was some expectation that the passing game would be just as efficient with Simmons. That has not been the case. 

The chunk plays paper over the down-to-down inefficiency and Simmons’ interceptions on back-to-back possessions in the first half, which led directly to 10 points for the Wildcats. The Ole Miss running game was effective, with Kewan Lacy rushing for 138 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries, but through the air, the Rebels were far too reliant on the explosive play. Aside from six explosive plays, Ole Miss generated -0.26 EPA/play and -0.39 EPA/dropback. 

You can’t just throw out those explosives because that’s largely what Kiffin’s offense is designed to create, but you also can’t rely on them week to week. And, the eight percent explosive play-rate from Week 2 checked in below last season’s mark of 9.3 percent. 

Ole Miss’s defensive front closed it out late, and Kiffin acknowledged, “That’s why those guys up front get paid a lot of money to end the game,” but even with the hefty sum that Ole Miss spent on that group, it’s not nearly as imposing a force as last year’s defensive line that had three players selected in the NFL draft. 

Head of the table: The best individual performance earns the seat at the head of the table

3. Baylor QB, Sawyer Robertson (Baylor 48 No. 17 SMU 45 (2OT)

It may have been a Big 12/ACC matchup, but an old-fashioned Big 12 game broke out in Texas on Saturday. SMU scored on the first play of the game and had multiple 75-yard touchdowns, but Baylor QB Sawyer Robertson matched Kevin Jennings blow-for-blow. 

After trailing by 10 points four times in the game, the Bears got the ball back with 8:32 in the fourth quarter, down 38-24, and from that point, Robertson went 6-for-11 for 112 yards and two touchdowns to send the game to overtime. He finished with 440 and four touchdowns through the air, and after his performance in last week’s loss to Auburn, the redshirt senior is just the third FBS QB since 2000 to throw for at least 850 yards with seven or more touchdowns and no interceptions through his first two games. 

Dave Aranda’s defense is a big problem, but with Robertson, Baylor will be a factor in the Big 12 Title race. 

Palate Cleanser: Whether it’s a glass of sparkling water or a non-conference cupcake, sometimes you just need to get a bad taste out of your mouth

4. Arch Manning’s growing pains continue (No. 7 Texas 38 San Jose State 7)

Four top 10 teams lost last week, including No. 1 Texas, which slid to No. 7 in the Week 2 AP Poll after falling to Ohio State on the road. A bit harsh? Perhaps, but with the defense and special teams unit that Steve Sarkisian has in Austin, the Longhorns will be on the rise soon. 

As for Arch Manning, well, he was the beneficiary of Texas’s dominance in those phases of the game against San Jose State, parlaying excellent field position off back-to-back San Jose State fumbles into two first-half touchdown passes. Manning threw for four touchdowns, ran in another, and looked more comfortable than he did a week ago. 

Still, under pressure, Manning threw an awful red-zone interception and went just 3-for-8 passing with an interception on pressured dropbacks. He continued to play like a young quarterback who could use two more starts against Group of Six opponents before opening SEC play in Gainesville on October 4. Just like last week's performance wasn't as bad as the narrative coming out of the game would indicate, all his problems are not solved after Week 2.

5. Clemson overcomes a nasty hangover (No. 8 Clemson 27 Troy 16)

Dabo Swinney doesn’t strike me as much of a drinker, but his Clemson Tigers looked about as sluggish as a frat house on Sunday morning in the first half against Troy. They trailed 16-0 at home coming off last week’s loss to LSU in Death Valley (Jr.), and there was nothing fluky about how the Trojans built their lead. 

Cade Klubnik’s bad games have typically been against defenses that can match Clemson’s athleticism, but the first half of Week 2 was one of the offense’s worst since he took over the starting job from DJ Uiagalelei three years ago. Then, like a good senior should, he rallied in the second half, putting together a respectable performance and cashing in great field position from two Troy interceptions. 

Was the second half enough to flush the bad taste of last week? When Troy largely outplays you in the trenches, probably not. I think it’s time to consider Miami the favorite in the ACC. 

6. ULM was Alabama’s perfect punching bag (No. 21 Alabama 73 ULM 0)

The low point of the Nick Saban era at Alabama, if you can say that there is one, came in his first season when the Tide lost to Louisiana-Monroe. It would end up as one of Saban’s four unranked losses across 17 years in Tuscaloosa, a mark that Kalen DeBoer has matched in 14 games. 

So, ULM was the perfect punching bag for Bama after DeBoer’s newest low point last week, falling to Florida State in Week 1. The Tide slipped to No. 21 in the AP Poll after the loss, and in response, unleashed a 73-0 barrage on the Warhawks with three different quarterbacks throwing for multiple touchdowns, including five-star freshman Keelon Russell. 

Don’t start the QB controversy, though, because Ty Simpson was perfect. Literally perfect, completing all 17 of his pass attempts for 226 yards and three touchdowns. Is he fixed? We won’t know until Alabama’s trip to Athens in Week 5. 

Appetizers: A little something to chew on from the week that was in college football

7. A new low for Iowa’s offense

The Cy-Hawk Rivalry went to Iowa State in Ames for the first time since 2011, a 16-13 win for Matt Campbell to get to 3-0 on a 54-yard game-winning field goal by Kyle Konrardy. Perhaps the most interesting development from this Week 2 rivalry game, however, is the play of Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski. 

The two-time FCS National Champion transferred from South Dakota State this offseason, and he may not have been ready for the big leagues. Last week, he threw for just 44 yards in a win over Albany. Then, in Week 2, he went for 83 yards through the air on 13 of 24 passing with an interception. His 127 yards are the fewest ever by a Big Ten quarterback through the first two games of a season. 

This is a new rock bottom for a program that included a contract incentive for its offensive coordinator if the team averaged 25 points a game two years ago. 

8. The Luck of the Illini (No. 11 Illinois 45 Duke 19)

As far as appetizers go, Illinois’s blowout win over Duke, which won nine games last season and upgraded at quarterback, is akin to the free chips and salsa because the Blue Devils just kept giving it away. Duke was moving the ball with ease on Illinois in the first half in Durham, then cost itself a combined 12.3 percent win probability, added with a 15-yard penalty that forced Manny Diaz to settle for a field goal and a Darian Mensah fumble on the next possession.

The mistakes kept coming as Duke turned the ball over five times, including four lost fumbles, resulting in a staggering -14.7 points of turnover luck (according to Gameonpaper.com). Illinois took advantage, and most impressively, Luke Altmyer wasn’t afraid to attack the Blue Devils’ top-notch secondary with his hodgepodge of new faces at wide receiver, but it may be worth taking this blowout win with a grain of salt, or the whole pile of it at the bottom of the chip basket. 

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9. Kansas State’s catastrophe (Army 24 Kansas State 21)

It’s terrifying to eliminate any team from the Big 12 race, especially one as talented as Kansas State, but after a 1-2 start with a conference loss to Iowa State, it’s safe to say it’s over for Chris Klieman’s Wildcats. After nearly falling victim to an upset at the hands of North Dakota last week, K-State found a way to lose to Army at home in Week 3. 

The Black Knights held the ball for 26 minutes and 46 seconds in the second half, had possession for over 40 minutes of game time, and thanks to a K-State kickoff return touchdown and recovered (accidental?) onside kick in the fourth quarter, ran 41 consecutive offensive plays, gaining 202 total yards and scoring 17 points, including the game-winning touchdown. That is service academy football at its finest, and why you should never play Army or Navy in the non-conference. 

10. Sam Leavitt can’t handle the cowbell (Mississippi State 24 Arizona State 20)

Sam Leavitt is probably my favorite quarterback in the country. He’s a tough, athletic, negative-play mitigator who is accurate and unafraid to push the ball downfield. Apparently, he just can’t handle a cowbell. 

Kenny Dillingham all but abandoned the passing game in the second half, and even without Cam Skattebo, it nearly worked. Arizona State erased its halftime deficit, riding the incredibly fun backfield tandem of Kanye Udoh and Raleek Brown, but when Leavitt had to throw the ball, the preseason Big 12 Player of the Year couldn’t give the Sun Devils anything. 

Mississippi State is a much-improved team under Jeff Lebby, and Starkville is not a fun place to play, but this loss is disastrous for Arizona State’s at-large hopes in the CFP and concluded a nightmare weekend for the Big 12. Kansas fell to Missouri in the Border War, K-State lost to Army, and Arizona State, last year’s Big 12 champion, lost to a Mississippi State team that went 2-10 and was winless in SEC play last year. 

Iowa State’s win over Iowa will carry some weight with the committee as they weigh each conference late in the season, as will Baylor’s win over SMU, but Brett Yormark’s dream of the Big 12 being a two-bid league was almost certainly dashed in Week 2. 

Credit Card roulette: Let’s see who is footing the bill for this week’s dinner party

11. It’s Dan Lanning, and we know he can afford it (No. 6 Oregon 69 Ok State 3)

Mike Gundy will be pleased to know that Dan Lanning will be paying the check this week. It’s the least he can do after dismantling Oklahoma State in Eugene. Gundy spent his week crying poor before his matchup with the Phil Knight-backed Oregon Ducks, and Lanning spent his Saturday making him regret it. 

The Ducks jumped out to a 41-3 halftime lead, with 472 total yards, averaging 13.37 yards per play and 14.38 yards per dropback. Like Lanning said this week, “If you want to be a top-10 team in college football, you better be invested in winning.” With his back-to-back Top 5 recruiting classes and five-star freshman wide receiver Dakorian Moore, the defending Big Ten champs looked the part of a national title contender. 

Last year, we had Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Williams. This season, Dakorian Moore is the country’s must-see freshman wide receiver. Hey Mike, if you have to ask what a player like Moore costs, it means you can’t afford him. 

Oh, and there’s this not-so-subtle jab: 

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12. The best team in Florida? (USF 18 No. 13 Florida 16)

Forget the chicken tenders, USF gets to order whatever it wants this week. When you get a big kid win, you can order off the big kid menu, and that’s exactly what this year’s Group of Six darling did on Saturday in Gainesville, downing No. 13 Florida 18-16 on a game-winning field goal from Nico Gramatica. 

Byrum Brown and 6-foot-3 junior receiver Keshaun Singleton, whose teammates call him “Baby Calvin Johnson,” provided the pyrotechnics with a 66-yard touchdown connection to put Florida on the ropes in the third quarter. Yet, once again, Todd Orlando’s defense stole the show. 

Orlando didn’t just have another great game plan after last week’s 34-7 win over Boise State, in which his unit completely bottled up the Broncos' run game; he had a completely different game plan. USF, which still tackled remarkably well, schematically conceded the ground game to Florida, allowing a 52 percent rushing success rate and 133 total rushing yards.

What the Bulls took away was the explosive passing game from DJ Lagway, one of the country’s most aggressive downfield throwers. His average depth of target shrank to 7.9 yards, his longest completion was just 32 yards, and the Florida offense finished with a three percent explosive play rate, despite pressuring Lagway on just 7.9 percent of his dropbacks.

Orlando has been one of the most impressive coordinators in the country this season, and if USF’s defense continues to play this way, especially against Miami next week, he’ll be a hot name on the coaching carousel after potentially helping Alex Golesh guide the Bulls to the College Football Playoff.  Maybe he could follow Golesh to Gainesville because that job is going to be open. For as good as USF was, Billy Napier and Florida also gave this game away with an overly conservative approach, timeout mismanagement, and major third-down dysfunction.

Napier is now 20-20 as the head coach of the Florida Gators after losing at home as a three-score favorite on Saturday. His team is 1-1 with No. 3 LSU in Baton Rouge on deck, No. 5 Miami on the road in Week 4, plus a visit from No. 7 Texas looming in Week 6. Napier could be staring down a 1-4 start with Texas A&M, Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Florida State still upcoming. Good luck, Gators.