The Southeastern Conference's hopes of matching its Week 1 feat of having all 16 members win their games were short-lived.
Still, the SEC emerged from Week 2 with one of the weekend's biggest victories thanks to Arch Manning and No. 3 Texas.
The Longhorns got their revenge against top-ranked Ohio State at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, powered by a stellar performance from Manning and a relentless defense. Texas' defense kept Heisman Trophy contender Jeremiah Smith largely in check, helping the Longhorns secure a statement win and strengthen their case as a legitimate national championship contender.
Defense served as the theme and catalyst
behind No. 12 Alabama's SEC opener win on the road against Kentucky.The Crimson Tide's defense finished with four sacks, three fumbles, pick-6 and a key fourth-down stop in the third quarter, where it stopped a fake punt attempt. Keelon Russell faced adversity in Alabama's 45-17 win, but still finished with 188 passing yards and a 5-yard touchdown to Rico Scott.
One SEC team that took a hit in Week 2 was No. 10 Oklahoma, which, despite having a chance at the end, fell to Michigan on the road in Ann Arbor. John Mateer endured a difficult afternoon against the Wolverines' defense, completing 17 of 33 passes for 189 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The turnover proved especially costly, as it came on a third-and-9 in the fourth quarter and eventually led to Michigan's go-ahead score in a 17-10 victory.
Elsewhere, No. 9 Texas A&M and No. 23 Missouri both came out with wins over Big 12 programs in Arizona State and Kansas, respectively, while No. 18 Tennessee and Mississippi State moved to 2-0 on the season with wins over Georgia Tech and Minnesota. Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor has four touchdowns and 354 passing yards through two games.
Here's a look at how those games reflect in the Week 3 US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 rankings:
College football rankings after Week 2
SEC teams in bold
US LBM Coaches Poll
This section will be updated after the US LBM Coaches Poll is released on Sunday
AP Top 25
This section will be updated after the AP Top 25 poll is released on Sunday
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: College football rankings after Week 2: Updated Coaches Poll, AP Top 25 for SEC
