Saturday was pretty good for the SEC. Not so much for the Big Ten.
In one of the biggest games of the regular season, No. 3 Texas stormed back from 20 points down to beat No. 1 Ohio State 24-23 and bolster the SEC’s case for being seen as the nation’s best conference.
Given the two teams involved and the high possibility for a down-the-road impact on the College Football Playoff, that result more than overshadows No. 24 Michigan’s surprising 17-10 win at home against No. 10 Oklahoma.
That was by far the best news of the week for the Big Ten, which had a dreadful run beginning on Friday night.
comeback vs Ohio State
Rutgers lost to Boston College. Illinois lost to Duke. Purdue lost to Wake Forest in double overtime. No. 19 Washington barely beat Utah State. And worst of all, No. 6 Oregon lost 39-31 to Oklahoma State, which opened the year with a loss at home to Tulsa.
Overall, the Big Ten went 2-5 in Week 2 nonconference games against the Power Four, with Michigan’s win joined by No. 21 Iowa’s predictably tight 16-13 against rival Iowa State.
The loss to Texas is the marquee result that will shape this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll. But every nonconference loss has the potential to impact how the CFP selection committee views teams from the Big Ten against fellow contenders from other Power Four leagues.
The Big Ten, Arch Manning and Oregon lead the Week 2 winners and losers:
College football Week 2 winners
Arch Manning
Thenumbers weren’t great, though the entire Texas offense was pathetic until the final drive of the third quarter. Beginning then, Manning led Texas on scoring drives of 91, 72 and 73 yards to take down the Buckeyes in what should rank among the most memorable regular-season wins in program history. Overall, Manning finished with 196 passing yards, 22 rushing yards, a touchdown and an interception. But his ability to keep the Longhorns on track despite a feeble first half and clutch play down the stretch will transcend the box score to make Manning the early-season favorite for the Heisman Trophy.
Boise State
Oregon’s stunning loss to Oklahoma State hurts Boise State, which barely lost to the Ducks in the opener. Looking toward December, the Ducks could return that to a positive loss by turning things around in the Big Ten. The Broncos did their part on Saturday by beating Memphis 38-20 behind 206 yards from running back Dylan Riley and 375 yards on the ground overall, which offset an explosive Memphis passing game that had gains of 44, 68 and 87 yards. The win gives Boise a little more separation from the pack in the Group of Six and could be a crucial data point in any down-the-line comparison between the Pac-12 and the American.
Mississippi State
This is a statement win for Jeff Lebby in his third season: Mississippi State rode another huge game from sophomore Kamario Taylor and beat Minnesota 38-13 in an under-the-radar SEC and Big Ten clash. After lighting up Louisiana-Monroe in the opener, Taylor completed 16 of 22 attempts for 227 yards with three touchdowns and ran 86 yards on 13 carries. The Bulldogs dominated up front while the sloppy Golden Gophers committed 12 penalties, the most in the P.J. Fleck era.
Tennessee
No. 18 Tennessee needed a quarter to get settled against Georgia Tech but took over from there, turning a 10-7 deficit into a 45-24 rout thanks to 147 rushing yards from DeSean Bishop and a defensive touchdown. There are still some rough spots, including 14 penalties, and the passing game still isn’t clicking behind freshman Faizon Brandon. But he did toss two touchdowns without an interception and made far better decisions than Georgia Tech starter Alberto Mendoza, who was intercepted twice.
College football Week 2 losers
Oklahoma
A disappearing and one-dimensional offense is the defining thread of the Brent Venables era, linking together the many mind-numbing losses that have prevented the Sooners from a true breakthrough. Against Michigan, OU was unable to get anything going on the ground and way too reliant on John Mateer, who doesn’t have the physical gifts to carry this offense on his shoulders. Given what they have ahead on the schedule, this loss feels fatal to the Sooners’ odds of another at-large playoff berth.
Oregon
This may not be a very good team. Maybe Boise State is really good — the Broncos are moving into that territory, at least. Maybe Oklahoma State is really good, though if the Cowboys are really good than Tulsa is going to win the national championship. Maybe another round of transfers haven’t meshed as well as groups in the past, testing Dan Lanning’s ability to mold reworked rosters into national championship contenders. Personnel-wise, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with what Oregon has built. Translating that into action has been a major issue, though, and the room for error in the playoff chase has been nearly erased after just two games.
Ohio State
Ohio State stepped off the gas after taking a 20-3 lead into halftime. That’s very unlike a program that has left tire treads on the backs of most opponents throughout Ryan Day’s tenure. But there’s no doubt the Buckeyes’ unwillingness or inability to push the tempo in the second half directly contributed to a defensive collapse in the fourth quarter. Gassed and breathing hard after spending most of the third on the field, OSU had no answers down the stretch against Manning and the Longhorns’ rejuvenated offense.
Some really bad teams
We’re beginning to get a read on which teams will definitely not play for the national championship. One is Northern Illinois, which lost 28-24 to Illinois State of the Championship Subdivision. Another is Louisiana-Monroe, losers to Alabama-Birmingham. Also not going to the playoff: Sacramento State, Bowling Green, Charlotte, Sam Houston State, Western Kentucky and Texas State.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: SEC vs Big Ten debate takes center stage in college football Week 2 winners, losers
