College Football Week 2: Major Upsets and Standout Performers

College football delivers major upsets every year, but Week 2 was one for the record books. Oklahoma State delivered an earth shattering win over No. 6 Oregon, while Michigan stunned No. 11 Oklahoma.

While Week 1 provided some intrigue, there were great games across the board in Week 2. UTSA used a late touchdown from Brandon High to beat rival Texas State, and No. 10 Texas A&M got a few defensive touchdowns to outlast Arizona State. The quarterback production was also electric, with more on the way.

Of course, the headliner was in Austin as No. 4 Texas beat No. 1 Ohio State to capture the biggest win of the Steve Sarkisian era. The Longhorns pulled off a consequential last-second victory that could elevate them to the top of the national title charts.

Here are the biggest winners and losers of Week 2.

Winner: Texas coach Steve Sarkisian

Since moving to the SEC in 2024, Sarkisian's Longhorns were 0-5 against Ohio State and Georgia, the two biggest standard-bearers in the sport. Both games against the vaunted Buckeyes ended in painful fashion. With a culmination roster on campus, it's a critical moment for the Longhorns to get over that hump.

After going down 20 points entering the fourth quarter against No. 1 Ohio State, it was decision day for Sark. And instead of faltering, Arch Manning and the Longhorns showed up. Texas orchestrated three 10+ play drives for touchdowns in the final period. As if purposefully built to exorcise demons, the game was won on a goal-line set.

Now, Texas becomes the new prohibitive favorite to win the national championship. With a brutal schedule ahead, the Longhorns just bought themselves some much-needed breathing room. The Sarkisian era has new life.

Loser: The Big Ten

While Michigan pulled off a solid upset against No. 11 Oklahoma, the rest of the conference looked lackluster. Of course, No. 1 Ohio State and No. 6 Oregon lost in close games, though the latter was much more embarrassing. Minnesota's performance against Mississippi State and Illinois' collapse against Duke could have negative implications. No. 19 Washington, playing against lowly Utah State, needed every second to survive 16-14.

The Big Ten has owned college football over the past three seasons, but early returns from the conference have not been good. There's a pathway for Ohio State and Oregon -- the two most talented teams in the conference -- to return to national title contention. But if Week 2 is to be believed, the conference won't make it four straight.

Winner: WR Jesse Legree, Oregon State

Oregon State couldn't quite pull off a monumental upset against No. 13 Texas Tech, falling just short in a 35-24 decision. However, a star is born in Corvallis after a monster performance by freshman wide receiver Jesse Legree. The Baltimore native only had a high-major offer from Pittsburgh, but chose to follow the former Alabama receiver coach JaMarcus Shepherd to Oregon State. There, he's already recorded 100-yard performances in his first two career games against ranked Big 12 foes. If he can keep up this pace in Pac-12 play, Legree could garner serious All-America consideration.

Loser: Northern Illinois

The Huskies had found a level of consistency under Thomas Hammock before last season's fall to 3-9. Now, with interim coach Rob Harley leading the way and the program set to enter the Mountain West, the path seems harder than ever.

NIU lost the season opener 40-0 against No. 22 Iowa, a defensible performance against a great team. This week, they went down by three touchdowns against Illinois State and needed a furious comeback just to be competitive. With a road trip to Arizona up next, there's only a handful of winnable games left on the schedule.

Winner: Oklahoma State

The Cowboys pulled off one of the most stunning upsets of the 21st Century as Oklahoma State snapped a 21-game losing streak against FBS competition to stun No. 6 Oregon 39-31. A week after dropping a bad loss to Tulsa, quarterback Drew Mestemaker rose to the occasion.

The North Texas transfer exploded for 300 yards passing, 100 yards rushing and four total touchdowns against one of the top-ranked defenses in the country. It was Mestemaker's first time starting against a Power Four opponent. The defense played extremely well too, as 14 Oregon points came directly off turnovers.

Now, the Eric Morris era has new life in Stillwater. Getting through the first two games at 1-1 leaves the Cowboys as a dark horse contender in the Big 12 once more.

Loser: Oklahoma

A road trip to Michigan seemed to be a tone-setter for the 2026 Sooners. Oklahoma returned a healthy John Mateer and several key defenders. The program invested to add receiver and running back talent to go with a growing offensive line. Michigan was fresh off a disastrous performance against Western Michigan.

Instead, it was Oklahoma that left with major question marks after a 17-10 loss to the Wolverines. The Sooners were shut out in the first half and mustered only 44 rushing yards from running backs. Quarterback John Mateer had a brutal day, including a game-sealing interception.

In the next three games alone, Oklahoma plays against No. 2 Georgia and No. 4 Texas. Things could spiral quickly.

Winner: QB Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State

Rumors started to spread around Starkville over the offseason that the Bulldogs might have a transcendent talent at quarterback. In his first game against a Power Four opponent, Taylor looked every bit the part and more.

The sophomore threw for 227 yards, rushed for 86 and scored three touchdowns to decimate Minnesota 38-13 on the road. The game marked the first road win against a Big Ten foe since 1980 for MSU. A special season could be in the works for Taylor.

Loser: Oregon

One lackluster performance is forgivable for Oregon. Back-to-back letdowns is a trend. One week after a dogfight against Boise State, the Ducks lost a disastrous game against Oklahoma State. Giving up points to Drew Mestemaker and Caleb Hawkins can be forgiven as both players will be playing on Sundays. Getting suffocated offensively was unacceptable.

The Ducks rushed for just 90 yards on 3.0 yards per carry against an Oklahoma State squad that gave up 134 yards against Tulsa. Quarterback Dante Moore, a projected top NFL Draft pick, hit on only three of his first 11 passes and completed fewer than 50% overall.

Oregon replaced both coordinators after their incumbents left for head coaching jobs, and Dan Lanning looks neutered without them. The talent is still off the page, but the Ducks are suddenly in the danger zone facing a difficult schedule.

Winner: QB Austin Simmons, Missouri

Kansas didn't hold back any trash talk in the leadup to the rivalry game and jumped out to an early lead against the Tigers. With 30 seconds remaining in the half, the Jayhawks held a seven-point lead. Then, Simmons happened. The senior threw for a pair of touchdowns in the next five minutes

Simmons was regarded as a star in the making during his time at Ole Miss before getting nudged out by a little-known transfer named Trinidad Chambliss. It turns out, Lane Kiffin might have just had a legendary quarterback room. Simmons looks the part of an SEC star, especially with outstanding receivers Donovan Olugbode and Cayden Lee alongside.

Loser: UNLV

Dan Mullen's Rebels were regarded as a serious contender for the Group of Six's College Football Playoff bid heading into the season after a promising first year in Las Vegas. Three games into the season, UNLV's national aspirations are completely extinguished.