This college football season has a different feel and a different tenor, one that we have not experienced since 2007.
This has been a season where teams that have received little attention in recent years have risen and grabbed the national spotlight. One could only imagine how this will feel in 2024, when the college football playoffs expand to 12 teams.
With all this noted, here is a rundown of the important lessons we learned this week.
What Did We Learn After Week 2?
For the doubters who thought Coach Prime and Colorado were one-hit wonders, they got a rude awakening after beating Nebraska soundly. So now we can also say it: this Buffaloes team is for real, and they are the most popular team in college football right now. Prime walks to the beat of his own drum, and college football purists hate it. Guess what? We love it!
We all owe Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers a big apology. Since last season, Ewers had not fared well against top-ranked teams, and after his performance in Week 1, many assumed that he was going to disappoint against Alabama. Instead, he elevated his game in the latter stages of the game and helped give head coach Steve Sarkisian the win he had been waiting for. As for head coach Nick Saban, well, he has a serious quarterback problem that he needs to solve if he wants his team to be a playoff contender.
Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels made his long-awaited return, and in the first half against Illinois, he was in his early-2022 season form when many had him in the Heisman conversation. Even though he wasn't as great in the second half, he did more than enough to remind the nation of how great he can be.
Georgia won, which is something we should be hearing often this season. Frankly, Ball State had no shot in this game; heck, even Brock Bowers did not have to do much.
Penn State absolutely dominated Delaware. With the assortment of weapons they have on both sides, dare we say they can beat Ohio State this season?
Speaking of Ohio State, the offense they showed in their win over Youngstown State bore some resemblance to the ones we have seen the last two seasons. A great sign was Marvin Harrison Jr.'s first touchdown of the season. If Kyle McCord can consistently perform at this level, this team will be more than fine.
Last week, Michigan won in the air; this week, they won on the ground, led by Blake Corum's three rushing touchdowns. The Wolverines are looking like a complete team.
Notre Dame looks unbeatable. They have great coaching, depth on defense, an excellent offensive line, and a quarterback in Sam Hartman who is as good as any in the nation. At 3-0, they are arguably the best team in the nation.
Clemson redeemed themselves in a huge way in their win against Charleston Southern. On both sides of the ball, they resembled those dominant Clemson teams from 2018–2021. This game was a big step in the right direction for a team that was losing its identity.
North Carolina may have the best running back in the ACC in Omarion Hampton. Had he not put the team on his back, Appalachian State may have pulled off the biggest upset of the season.
Will Howard and Kansas State should now have our attention. In the games they have played, they have dominated on both sides of the ball. Are they a potential playoff team? Perhaps we will find that out in a few weeks.
Tyler Van Dyke looked like his old 2021 self with his five-touchdown performance in Miami's win over Texas A&M. This was the signature win Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal had been looking for since he joined the organization last year.
Yes, the referees did do Baylor wrong at the end of the game. The biggest takeaway is how Utah's offense looks without Cam Rising. To say the least, they need him back in the worst way.
Week 2 Top Performers
Mr Everything: CB/WR Travis Hunter
Offense -
QB Quinn Ewers - Texas
TE Ja'Tavion Sanders - Texas
QB Bo Nix - Oregon
QB Tyler Van Dyke - Miami
RB Omarion Hampton - North Carolina
QB Will Howard - Kansas State
QB Jayden Daniels - LSU
WR Marvin Harrison Jr. - Ohio State
QB Jalon Daniels - Kansas
QB Sam Hartman - Notre Dame
QB Shedeur Sanders - Colorado
QB Cade Klubnik - Clemson
QB Caleb Williams - USC
QB Tyler Shough - Texas Tech
RB Jawhar Jordan - Louisville
RB Jaylin Lucas - Indiana
RB Demond Claiborne - Wave Forest
QB Kyle McCord - Ohio State
QB Anthony Colandrea - Virginia
WR Brashard Smith - Miami
WR Xavier Weaver - Colorado
WR Isaiah Alston - Army
Defense -
LB Jaheim Thomas - Arkansas
LB Aaron Beasley - Tennessee
DL Jer'Zhan Newton - Illinois
DL Andre Carter - Indiana
S Cole Bishop - Utah
DT Zane Durant - Penn State
LB Tommy Eichenberg - Ohio State
DL Trajan Jeffcoat - Arkansas
DE Taijh Alston - Colorado
DB Cooper DeJean - Iowa
DL Isaac Hodgins - Oregon State
LB Kalen DeLoach - LSU
LB Khalid Duke - Kansas State
EDGE Solomon Byrd - USC
LB Jordan Domineck - Colorado
EDGE Brendan Harrington - Appalachian State
DE Kameron Butler - Virginia
LB T.J. Parker - Clemson
DL Jasheen Davis - Wake Forest
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