Ten Takeaways: Week Two
A titanic clash (and upset) delivered the goods in week two.
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Ten Takeaways: Week Two
For my Ohio State subscribers: Check out my full thoughts on Ohio State's 24-23 loss to Texas in Bulletpoints:
Colton Denning
1. Texas gladly rips a major win out of Ohio State's hands
I already went in on Ohio State's side of their 24-23 loss to Texas in Bulletpoints, so I'll mostly focus on the Longhorns here. This was a game that Steve Sarkisian's group had to win, and they fought like hell in the second half to pull off one of the greatest comebacks in Longhorns history. It's not like they haven't won any big games in Sarkisian's tenure –2023 Alabama and Texas A&M last year come to mind– but there's something about this one that gives credence to the idea that they're a true national title contender.
Facing a 20-point deficit with just over seven minutes left in the third quarter, Texas essentially needed to play perfect to have any chance at coming back. The defense did their part, forcing two three-and-outs and a long field goal attempt over Ohio State's next three possessions. That set the table for their offense to finally get in gear. They punished the Buckeye defense with two touchdown drives that covered a total of 163 yards over 28 plays and 12 full minutes of gametime. Arch Manning played his best with the Longhorns going no huddle and making plays out of structure, most notably on this fourth-down conversion that saved the comeback effort:
By the time Texas got the ball back at their own 27 with 4:10 left and a chance to take the lead, I already knew how it was ending. Texas' previous two drives left the Buckeyes' defense gassed, and the Longhorns calmly sliced through them over 12 plays, culminating in a one-yard score to take the lead with 25 seconds left. They caught some breaks along the way by recovering a couple of their own fumbles, but Texas made their own luck here by not panicking, letting Ohio State shoot themselves in the foot, and making plays when they needed to.
I said at the top that winning this game gives credence to the "idea" that Texas is a true national title contender. I'm not buying that idea - at least not right now. It was a dramatic game between two blueblood programs that'll go down as a classic, but it wasn't particularly played well on either side. Texas handed the game to Ohio State on a platter for three quarters, and then Ryan Day did what he usually does when he has the chance to cut the head off a snake. There's only one high-profile college football head coach who could pull this off:
Teams were 0-223 when trailing by 17-plus points vs. an AP No. 1 team since 2003.
— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) September 13, 2026
Texas just went up 24-23 with 25 seconds left after trailing by 20 earlier this half.
Credit to Texas, though. This was a win they and Sarkisian desperately needed. They dug themselves out of a hole against a top opponent, and it might just give them the confidence to carry that high level of play in the fourth quarter through the rest of the season.
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2. What's up with Oregon?
Even when Oregon was going back and forth with Boise State last week, I felt like the Ducks were in control by the time they cut the lead to 17-14 at half. They survived the Broncos' initial onslaught and some of their own early mistakes, then took over in the second half. I felt the exact opposite during the entirety of their 39-31, history-making upset loss at Oklahoma State.
Almost all of the same issues the Ducks had against Boise bit them again. Another choppy start was masked by a wonky pick six that put the Ducks up 7-3. Their line got worked by a Cowboys front that played Tulsa to a draw (at best) the week prior. Just like the Boise game, they were stopped on a first-half fourth-and-short at midfield that Oklahoma State turned into a touchdown, then propelled into a 17-7 lead. Their only offensive TD of the first half came from another wild interception gifting them the ball at the Cowboys' one-yard line. For as much as the two turnovers were the main reason it was even close at half, Oregon's defense was just as poor as the offense. They allowed 24 points and were gashed for five plays of 25+ yards.
Oklahoma State didn't even flinch when Oregon took a 31-30 lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter. QB Drew Mestemaker led a 12-play, 75-yard TD drive that showcased exactly why some people were so high on the Cowboys coming into the season. The Ducks also gave them another nice assist, taking a facemask penalty on a fourth down where they initially got off the field:
Mestemaker put the finishing touches on the drive to give the Cowboys a lead they wouldn't relinquish, with the best play of the season so far:
How the final 10 minutes played out are why people still don't trust the Ducks to get over the hump. Their next possession featured two delay of game penalties and a sack. The one after gained two yards on three plays, before Dan Lanning chose to go for it at his own 33 with 6:53 left. The decision was questionable enough on its own. The call and execution of it are what makes it so indefensible. The Ducks offense initially ran off the field before coming back on. They didn't get out of a quick huddle until eight seconds were left on the playclock, rushing a rollout that had no chance:
Lanning probably didn't want to burn a timeout here, and the situation was too chaotic to tell QB Dante Moore to just take a delay of game. Is it crazy to think that Moore is experienced enough that he should've felt how screwed it was and just ate the penalty? With one last shot to tie it up after holding Oklahoma State to a field goal, it was only right for Oregon to make another unforced error:
There's been a lot of chatter in the days since about what Oregon's main issues are. At the top of the list is opponents knowing their plays and tendencies. Oklahoma State linebacker Tate Romney mentioned it in the postgame, echoing what Indiana players said about facing the Ducks twice last season. They're either extremely poor at hiding their hand, or are too confident in doing what they always do and leaning on their talent to carry them.
Even if that's the case, it's not like it's their only issue. Oklahoma State smacked them in the trenches. Oregon allowed 237 rushing yards, while only creating one tackle for loss, and no sacks on 43 Mestemaker passing attempts. Through two games, 40 of the offense's 209 rushing yards (19%) are from one run. The line's been just as rough in pass protection, giving up five sacks. (Moore shares some of the blame there, too.) On the coaching front, Lanning's been overly aggressive –even for him– to a fault, and his two internal coordinator hires are already getting roasted.
I'm excited to watch how Oregon responds to adversity early in the season. I think the Ducks have been frontrunners through much of Lanning's tenure, and now we'll get our first glance at how they build themselves back up (or don't) through these next ten games. They better find some solutions quick, because their trip to USC in two weeks might just end with their playoff hopes officially on the brink before we even hit October.
3. The Oklahoma State side of it
Oklahoma State hiring Eric Morris and portaling nearly every major piece of what was the nation's best offense at North Texas gave the Cowboys the right ingredients for a team who could get into some shootouts this season - if not one poised for a dramatic turnaround. For those reasons, I wasn't the only person who spent part of the offseason toying with the idea of them giving Oregon a scare. Any thought of that immediately went out the window with how bad they looked in their loss at Tulsa. That's what I thought, at least.
Maybe they just needed some more time to gel, because the way Mestemaker and the offense played against the Ducks is why they had some preseason hype. You can tell Mestemaker's still an inexperienced quarterback, but he'll stand in there and make a throw against real heat in his face. The skill guys around him and the system in place make it so it's not all on his shoulders, either.
I still don't know what to make of Oklahoma State yet. Through two games, they have a lousy performance against Tulsa, followed by a historic upset over a team many (including myself) picked to win the national title. All I know is that I'm happy for their fans right now. As a child of the old Big 12, I appreciated watching the Cowboys air it out with Texas and Oklahoma every year, and putting together squads that were always interesting, even if they weren't consistent. It was sad watching that program plummet as far as they did over the past two years, because it's a hell of a fanbase. I'm glad that they have something to celebrate again.
