And now, 20 Final Thoughts from Week 2, in which college football remained undefeated at turning a “light” slate of games into a bunch of upsets.

1. The University of Florida is a fine academic institution, but for some reason, its football field is becoming synonymous with boneheaded moments.

You may recall how Dan Mullen’s 2020 Florida team was rolling at 8-1 until Gators cornerback Marco Wilson ripped off an LSU player’s shoe and hurled it downfield, resulting in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that set up a game-winning Tigers field goal. That infamous moment at the Swamp was the beginning of the end for Mullen, who was fired a year later.

If the same fate befalls current Florida coach Billy Napier, we may look back at “Bull spit” the same way.

2. On Saturday, UF was clinging to a 16-15 lead on pesky South Florida with two minutes left when Gators defensive lineman Brendan Bett inexplicably pulled a Jalen Carter and got ejected for spitting in the face of Bulls offensive lineman Cole Skinner. The free 15 yards helped USF advance to its own 39, at which point QB Byrum Brown completed a 29-yard pass to Alvon Isaac. From there, the Bulls marched down and set up a chip-shot field goal for Nico Gramatica (yes, son of Martin) to stun the 13th-ranked Gators 18-16.

NICO GRAMATICA WITH THE GAME-WINNER IN THE SWAMP‼️🔥

SOUTH FLORIDA STUNS NO. 13 FLORIDA 🐊 pic.twitter.com/heS0B24tv0

— ESPN (@espn) September 7, 2025

Needless to say, this was a nightmare scenario for fourth-year coach Napier, who finally earned some goodwill with a strong finish last season but may now face trouble all over again. Florida’s next four opponents happen to be No. 3 LSU, No. 5 Miami, No. 7 Texas and No. 19 Texas A&M. The Gators will need much more from prized QB DJ Lagway to avoid spiraling. The sophomore led just one touchdown drive Saturday.

3. Meanwhile, it only took two games for USF to spring to the front of the pack for the Group of 5’s College Football Playoff berth. The Bulls opened the season by thumping last year’s darling, Boise State, 34-7. They followed that up with an SEC road win against a ranked opponent.

Third-year coach Alex Golesh made his reputation running Josh Heupel’s explosive offenses at UCF and Tennessee, but it’s been his defense putting on a show so far. USF’s first two opponents have averaged just 5.7 yards per pass attempt, equal to the best mark in the country last season (Washington).

Now, Golesh’s team must turn around and visit The U next weekend. In the meantime, I’d love to get a definitive answer to the following question: Is it USF or South Florida?

4. You know how the NFL gives the worst teams the best draft picks and the easiest schedules to try to keep anyone from being down too long? And how it still doesn’t stop the New York Jets from being the Jets? It occurs to me that college football may have stumbled upon a more effective means with the transfer portal.

The Oklahoma offense wearing those familiar crimson jerseys Saturday night against No. 15 Michigan bore no resemblance to the one that could barely complete a first down last year. Highly hyped Washington State transfer John Mateer threw for 270 yards and a TD while running 19 times for 74 yards and two TDs in the 18th-ranked Sooners’ 24-13 victory over the Wolverines. He made several highlight plays, like throwing a rope down the sideline 36 yards to Isaiah Sategna III (Arkansas) or weaving around eight Wolverines defenders on a 19-yard run.

Mateer was hardly perfect. He was intercepted on an overthrow late in the first quarter and was less effective in the second half than in the first. But he was dangerous enough against one of the Big Ten’s best defenses to suggest OU could be a factor come SEC play. Especially when you combine offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle’s unit with what looks like another stingy Brent Venables D.

John Mateer has thrown for 662 yards in his first two games at Oklahoma. (Kevin Jairaj / Imagn Images)

5. Michigan freshman sensation Bryce Underwood had a tough night in Norman (9-of-24 for 142 yards), but it’s hard to be critical of his passing when he appeared to have few options to throw to. Without injured tight end Marlin Klein, who had six catches for 93 yards against New Mexico, the Wolverines seemed to have just one receiver who could get open, Indiana transfer Donaven McCulley (three catches, 91 yards). Despite the Wolverines continually having to settle for field goals, Underwood kept his team within one score, 21-13, well into the fourth quarter. And he finished his first road start without a turnover.

I’d call his performance encouraging, even if underwhelming. He’s probably not going to lead Michigan to a national title this season, but I assume he and the offense will improve over the course of the year.

6. It was not a great week for Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy. First, the embattled Cowboys coach irked Oregon counterpart Dan Lanning by publicly complaining about how much money Oregon spent on its roster. Then the Ducks went out and humiliated Gundy’s team 69-3. Ducks QB Dante Moore (16-of-21 for 266 yards, three TDs) and freshman receivers Dakorien Moore (65-yard touchdown) and Jeremiah McClellan (two catches, 76 yards) served notice that Lanning’s team has reloaded just fine. Oklahoma State looked like it may somehow be even worse than last year’s squad, which went 0-9 in Big 12 play.

We may be down to the last days of Gundy, the former Cowboys quarterback and head coach for 21 years. He was very nearly fired last December, instead agreeing to a restructured contract that makes it easier to do so. He made a puzzling choice last winter to hire journeyman Todd Grantham as his new defensive coordinator. Apparently, that was not the answer.

7. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark is deploying every possible marketing ploy (welcoming Dave Portnoy) to bring some attention (WWE belts!) to his overlooked conference. But there’s only so much he can do to paint over a bad loss by his league’s reigning champ.

Mississippi State, the SEC’s 16th-place team last season, stunned No. 12 Arizona State, 24-20, on Blake Shapen’s 58-yard touchdown pass to Brenen Thompson with 30 seconds left. The Sun Devils, perhaps rattled by those clanging cowbells, dug themselves an early 17-0 hole before Sam Leavitt rallied them to take the lead with 1:38 left. But then Shapen, who was limited to four games last season when the Bulldogs went 2-10, turned around and delivered an emphatic answer.

We may find as the season progresses that Mississippi State is much improved and/or ASU isn’t a top contender. Regardless, results like this one and Baylor’s 38-24 loss last week to Auburn do not help make a case that this should be a two-bid league.

8. Baylor redeemed itself Saturday with a 48-45 double overtime win over No. 17 SMU. A week after throwing for 419 yards and three TDs in that loss to Auburn, Bears quarterback Sawyer Robertson went on the road and led a comeback from 38-24 with 8:38 left. Robertson, who outdueled SMU star Kevin Jennings, finished with an immaculate stat line — 34-of-50 for 440 yards, four TDs and, once again, no picks.

Robertson and the Baylor offense exploded over the back half of last season, but for a moment there, Dave Aranda’s team was staring at an 0-2 start to 2025. Instead, it got a confidence-boosting win over one of last season’s Playoff teams.

9. The joke’s on me for thinking any quarterback, much less the former FCS Player of the Year, could come in and thrive in the Iowa offense. Touted transfer Mark Gronowski was a miserable 13-of-24 for 83 yards and a pick in a 16-13 loss to rival Iowa State. It was still a tie game with two minutes left, because Hawkeyes DC Phil Parker is just that good, but Cyclones kicker Kyle Konrardy drilled a 54-yard field goal, and Gronowski got sacked twice on Iowa’s last drive.

Matt Campbell’s Iowa State program is living the life right now. The Cyclones won 11 games last year, went to Ireland two weeks ago and beat Kansas State for the fifth time in six years, and have now won the Cy-Hawk Trophy three times in four years. They’re already 3-0 and will likely be favored in their next five games, against Arkansas State, Arizona, Cincinnati, Colorado and BYU.

After losing seven in a row from 2015 to 2021, Iowa State has won the Cy-Hawk Trophy in three of the last four years. (David Purdy / Getty Images)

10. The first Kansas-Missouri Border War since 2011 was suitably entertaining. Familiar Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels staked the visitors to an early 21-6 lead and, even after that evaporated, put KU back up 31-28 with 8:45 left. But Lance Leipold has yet to field a defense to match his exciting offenses. Missouri QB Beau Pribula threw a go-ahead 27-yard touchdown, and third-year RB Jamal Roberts broke one 63 yards to seal the Tigers’ 42-31 win.

Pribula, the Penn State transfer who spent his first two seasons as a running-package specialist, finished 30-of-39 for 334 yards, three TDs and no INTs. It will be fun to watch him go head-to-head with South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers in a couple of weeks.

11. Trendy preseason national championship pick Clemson looked like it might start 0-2 when it fell behind 16-0 in the first half against Troy. The Tigers took the lead five minutes into the third quarter and won 27-16, but their offense did not inspire confidence for the second straight week. Cade Klubnik, who was again without top receiver Antonio Williams, threw for a modest 196 yards, and his batted pass at the line became a pick-six that put the Trojans up 16-0.

On the bright side, converted receiver Adam Randall, now Clemson’s top running back, had 21 carries for 112 yards after notching just five attempts against LSU.

12. Texas’s Arch Manning (19-of-30, 295 yards, one INT) brushed off his Week 1 nightmare against Ohio State to throw for four TDs and run for another in a 38-7 scrimmage against San Jose State. Redshirt freshman receiver Parker Livingstone is emerging as Manning’s favorite target. After scoring Texas’s only touchdown against the Buckeyes, he caught Manning’s first two TDs on Saturday, including an 83-yard dash to start the game when he exploited a Spartans DB who fell down.

ARCH MANNING TO PARKER LIVINGSTONE FOR THE 83-YARD TD 🤘 pic.twitter.com/BTotrkwY5E

— ESPN (@espn) September 6, 2025

13. For one half Saturday, it appeared my skepticism over Illinois was warranted. Home underdog Duke was dominating the 11th-ranked Illini’s offensive line, notching three sacks (all by Vincent Anthony Jr.) and eight tackles for loss. But a Blue Devils muffed punt and an Illinois strip sack gave Bret Bielema’s team a 14-13 lead.

In the second half, Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (22-of-31 for 296 yards, three TDs, 0 INTs) caught fire, while Duke imploded with three more turnovers en route to a 45-19 Illinois blowout. That’s a nice nonconference win over a team coming off a 9-4 season that may still contend in the ACC. Altmyer outplayed Blue Devils QB Darian Mensah (23-of-34 for 334 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT), the Tulane transfer who reportedly got a $3 million-plus NIL deal. He made several big throws but had three costly turnovers.

14. The SEC’s first intraconference game of the year, Ole Miss-Kentucky, did not exactly feel like a heavyweight fight, as Rebels QB Austin Simmons threw two interceptions and Wildcats counterpart Zach Calzada had his second straight woeful outing (15-of-30 for 149 yards). The difference maker was Ole Miss sophomore RB Kewan Lacy, who ran for just 104 yards as a freshman at Missouri. He’s had more than that in each of his first two games, including 138 on 28 carries Saturday.

Ole Miss will likely move up from No. 20 in the AP poll, but my early read is that the Rebels are not a Top 25 team.

Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss was not convincing in its 30-23 win over Kentucky. (Andy Lyons / Getty Images)

15. It will be good to finally watch No. 4 Georgia play a meaningful game next week at SEC rival Tennessee. In the meantime, we’re left wondering whether OC Mike Bobo has been playing things extremely close to the vest, or QB Gunner Stockton is a cause for concern.

Stockton was a respectable 26-of-34 for 227 yards in the Dawgs’ 28-6 win over FCS foe Austin Peay, but On3/Rivals’ Anthony Dasher took a closer look at those numbers. Turns out 14 of those 26 completions were screen passes, and another four for 5 yards or less.

Next week, Georgia goes against Tennessee’s Joey Aguilar, who is averaging 9.1 yards per play through two games (against Syracuse and East Tennessee State). I have visions of a circa-2019 Kirby Smart slugfest.

16. What an early-season 180 for Army, which went from losing to Tarleton State one week to knocking off Big 12 foe Kansas State 24-21 the next. Quarterback Cale Hellums, who came on in relief of injured starter Dewayne Coleman last week, got the start this week and made the most of it, running 41 times for 124 yards and two TDs, including the go-ahead 14-yard score with 2:52 left. Army’s Collin Matteson picked off Avery Johnson to ice it.

The Matteson INT that sealed the victory!

What a final drive by the senior safety with four big plays. pic.twitter.com/AFjT54eiKm

— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) September 7, 2025

It’s been a nightmare start to the season for Chris Klieman’s Wildcats, who fell to 1-2 for the first time since 2009.

17. Second-year Syracuse coach Fran Brown went from a complete unknown a year ago to one of the sport’s most entertaining figures. Brown, who went 10-3 in his debut last season, was not pleased that his team followed up its blowout loss to Tennessee in Week 1 by needing overtime to survive UConn, 27-20. So as the stands began emptying afterward, Brown ordered his players to run sprints. “I just want to celebrate the win with the people, but I’m so pissed. I’m mad as heck right now,” he said of his team’s sloppy performance.

18. I believe Rich Rodriguez will eventually win games in his second stint at West Virginia, but his first year always figured to be rough. His offenses thrive when he has a quarterback who can fly like Pat White, Denard Robinson or Khalil Tate, and there was no evidence Saturday that he’s found one. The Mountaineers fell 17-10 at defending MAC champ Ohio, which gave Rutgers trouble the week before. West Virginia gained just 250 total yards and managed to lose despite Bobcats quarterback Parker Navarro throwing three interceptions.

It was a nice win for Ohio, which lost coach Tim Albin to Charlotte after last season but promoted OC Brian Smith and looks to remain one of the MAC’s prime contenders.

19. I did not expect a Boston College-Michigan State game to turn into a mid-2010s Big 12-style QB shootout. Aidan Chiles, who followed Jonathan Smith from Oregon State to East Lansing last year, notched his signature performance as a Spartan so far. He threw four TDs, and in double overtime, ran for a score, then executed a perfect two-point conversion to pull out a 42-40 thriller.

MICHIGAN STATE WALKS IT OFF IN 2OT ‼️‼️ @MSU_Football pic.twitter.com/qcmDgEKSb7

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 7, 2025

But I was even more impressed with the Eagles’ Dylan Lonergan, an Alabama transfer who took shot after shot downfield, finishing 34-of-45 for 390 yards and four TDs. It feels like BC has been a ground-and-pound program for about the last 18 years (post-Matt Ryan), but apparently Bill O’Brien is ready to air it out.

20. Finally, we should acknowledge upstart North Carolina coach Bill Belichick, who earned his first college coaching victory, 20-3 over Charlotte. It just goes to show that 73 is hardly too old to develop a new passion.

(Top photo: James Gilbert / Getty Images)