Business picked up in Week 2 across college football and the state of Texas took center stage. 

The Texas Longhorns stormed back from a 23-3 second-half deficit to squash narratives and take down No. 1 Ohio State in the process. Texas Tech looked mortal and survived a scare at Oregon State in the late window on Saturday. UTSA and Texas State played a classic and North Texas embarrassed UNLV in a statement win during the afternoon and the Aggies won a weird one in College Stations against Arizona State to start things off in the morning. 

All 13 FBS programs were in action. Here are my 10 thoughts from the weekend. 

Texas renders the narratives moot  

Texas had lost six games since the start of the 2024 season and five of those were either to Ohio State or Georgia. The Horns were 4-7 against Top 12 teams since the start of 2023 with wins over No. 3 Alabama in 2023, No. 10 Arizona State in 2024, and No. 6 Oklahoma and No. 9 Vanderbilt last season. Texas was 36-8 since 2023 overall. Seven of those losses were to teams ranked in the Top 12. The only outlier was the defeat at Florida last season that kept the Horns out of the College Football Playoff. 

In short, the Longhorns had been great but were falling short against the elite. They were 0-3 against Georgia and 0-2 against Ohio State over the last few seasons. Steve Sarkisian clearly raised the floor at Texas after 12-plus years of disappointment. His detractors pointed to how he couldn’t quite reach the ceiling. Ironically, that was the same criticism leveled at Ohio State head coach Ryan Day in 2024 until it wasn’t. 

Texas entered the fourth quarter trailing 23-3 and were 15 minutes from being labeled frauds by most of the national media in attendance and by every fan base outside of Austin. The Horns turned the ball over twice in their first four plays and were down 10-0 before everyone made it to their seats. They were about to move to 0-6 vs. Georgia and Ohio State since 2024 and 4-8 against Top 12 competition since 2023. 

But football is a 60-minute game. Only one of Texas’ first eight drives lasted for more than seven plays and none of them ended in the end zone. The last three resulted in touchdowns. The first was a 15-play, 91-yard drive. The next was a 13-play, 72-yard march. And the game-winning jaunt was a 12-play, 73-yard that ended with 25 seconds left on the clock. 

Simply incredible. It was the type of win that propels a team to championships. 

A 28-point win with plenty of red flags

It feels weird to say a team that beat a fellow Power Four squad by 28 points wasn’t impressive, but that’s exactly the feeling out of College Station following Texas A&M’s 48-20 victory over Arizona State. The Sun Devils outgained the Aggies 369-255. They recorded more first downs, averaged 1.6 yards more per play, and 1.2 yards more per rush. They also recorded two sacks to Texas A&M’s one. 

But mistakes kept Arizona State from mounting a real upset attempt in the fourth quarter. They turned the ball over four times, which resulted in 17 Aggie points. The Sun Devils nine penalties for 62 yards, including a defensive holding on fourth down that kept an eventual touchdown drive alive for the Aggies. Texas A&M was only penalized once. 

If Week 2 performances are any indication, the 2026 version of the Texas A&M football team is not on the level of last year’s group. In Week 2 last year, the Aggies went on the road and beat Notre Dame in a classic. In Week 2 this year, they needed Arizona State’s self-inflicted wounds to knock off what is predicted to be a Tier 2 Big 12 team. 

And that makes sense. Mike Elko’s program lost its offensive coordinator, top wide receiver, four starters on the offensive line, and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year. A program record 10 players were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. The trajectory in College Station is clearly pointing up under Elko in the long-term. But in the short-term, specifically in 2026, I’m just not sure Texas A&M has what it takes to get back to the College Football Playoff or be in the SEC mix come November. 

It is Week 2 and Texas A&M can improve moving forward and turn these concerns into moot points. But with a daunting schedule ahead, it is hard to expect more than an 8-win season in Aggieland if this is what the offensive line looks like. Building an OL from the portal is never ideal, and there is a reason that LSU and Alabama let those guys leave. 

Texas Tech isn’t a death machine 

The Red Raiders were undeniable in 2025. It was clear from Week 1 that the bets in the transfer portal would cash and that they’d be the class of the Big 12. That proved true, and they marched through the regular season schedule and coasted in the Big 12 Championship game to make program history and reach the CFP. We don’t need to discuss what happened in Miami against Oregon in the Orange Bowl. 

But Texas Tech doesn’t have that same look in 2026. The offseason was marred by drama with the Brendan Sorsby situation. And Will Hammond, who has a high ceiling, wasn’t a full participant for all the spring and most of the summer as he worked his way back from ACL surgery. The losses of Jacob Rodriguez, David Bailey, and Lee Hunter look glaring. The offense looks out of sync.

The Red Raiders might still be the class of the Big 12. But it does feel safe to assume that the road won’t be as easy as it was last year when each conference win was by at least three scores. They were in a dog fight deep into the fourth quarter against Oregon State. That didn’t happen last season. 

A Mean Green statement 

The first time I sat down with North Texas head coach Neal Brown he described his 2025 season as the special assistant to the head coach at Texas as the “halftime” of his career. The first quarter was his time at Troy. His second quarter took place at West Virginia. And like most good coaches at halftime, Brown made some adjustments. He also did some research. 

He picked North Texas because of its proximity to talent and available resources relative to G6 programs. And when I asked the obvious follow up question of “what did you learn,” one of the first things he mentioned were the lines of scrimmage. He said the good teams in the G6 possess a real advantage in the trenches. Brown & Co. invested heavily into the offensive and the defensive line during the spring portal and the fruit of those labors showed in the blowout win over UNLV in Week 2. 

North Texas ran for 183 yards, averaging 4.8 yards a carry. Jaheim White led the Mean Green with 124 yards on 12 carries. Three different players rushed for touchdowns. UNLV averaged 2.5 yards a carry, rushing for 98 yards on 39 runs. The defense caused four Rebel turnovers and recorded four sacks. 

A statement was made in Denton. 

UTSA get the Bobcat off its back 

College football at its core is a pissing contest between neighboring rivals. The Roadrunners won the first five against Texas State in football and held that over the Texas State fan base for years. And then G.J. Kinne arrived, changing the momentum in San Marcos and in the series after winning two straight against Jeff Traylor, his former high school coach. It’s become one of the best rivalries in the G6. 

But the Roadrunners’ fall back to earth after two conference championships earlier this decade was about more than the rival Bobcats. UTSA was 2-10 in true road games since the start of 2024. Up next is a trip to Texas. A loss against Texas State on Saturday would’ve caused an implosion within the Roadrunner fan base and it’d shine a light on the trajectory of Traylor’s program. 

Down 17-7 at halftime, it looked like the UTSA squad we’ve seen go 12-12 in the regular season over the last two years. The Triangle of Toughness had become more catch phrase than program identity. But that changed in the final 30 minutes in San Marcos. UTSA answered the bell time after time late in the game, eventually sealing the win on a Brandon High Jr. touchdown run with 14 seconds left. The Roadrunners outscored Texas State 24-9 in the second half, including a 14-3 advantage in the fourth quarter. 

Brad Jackson struggles in loss 

Count me in the camp that entered the season ranking Brad Jackson as the best G6 quarterback in the country. Keeping him in San Marcos, along with his top two wide receivers, was the biggest win in the offseason by the Bobcats. He’s legit. And his mere existence made Texas State a trendy dark horse pick in the Pac-12 and favorites in the Week 2 matchup against UTSA. 

But he struggled in the 30-26 loss to the rival Roadrunners, completing 17 of 30 passes for 192 yards and two interceptions to just one touchdown. He only averaged 2.8 yards a rush. At one point he was 5-for-13 through the air. UTSA scored 10 points off the drives that started with Jackson interceptions in a four-point win. 

Texas State will go as far as Jackson takes them. His performance on Saturday won’t take them very far in a crowded Pac-12. 

Kevin Jennings deals in blowout win 

SMU wants the voting public to know that Kevin Jennings should be on the Heisman Trophy watch list. He’s the most underrated quarterback in the country. A multiple-year starter who has led the Mustangs to an ACC Championship game, the College Football Playoff, and a 15-2 regular season record against ACC peers since joining the conference in 2024. He should be more of a household name. 

But turnovers keep him from becoming a true superstar in the eyes of the college football world. We saw that Jekyll and Hyde nature of his in the close win over Florida State to start the season. The Week 2 matchup with UC Davis was never going to be challenging for SMU, but it was an opportunity to play a clean game. Jennings took advantage and put up huge numbers with 337 yards and five touchdowns through the air with only two incompletions.

But the biggest number? No turnovers. SMU can take the reins in the ACC race to play Miami in the championship game with a win over Louisville next weekend. They won there two years ago. To do it again, Jennings must play a clean game. 

The future is bright in Houston 

Signing five-star quarterback Keisean Henderson was a statement of intent by the Houston Cougars and proof of concept for head coach Willie Fritz. Win the local battles and Big 12 championships can follow. The Week 2 game against Southern provided Henderson his first chance to impress and impress he did. The true freshman completed 6 of 7 passes for 83 yards and two touchdowns. He ran 54 yards for a score on his only rush. 

This is Conner Weigman’s team in 2026. It is Henderson’s after that. And that should excite Coog fans. 

Bearkats fall short in homecoming 

Sam Houston hadn’t played in Huntsville for 652 days. The last time was the season finale against Liberty in 2024 when K.C. Keeler was the head coach. Since then, Phil Longo took over, the team went 2-10 in 2025, and athletic director Bobby Williams announced his upcoming retirement. Oh, and Bowers Stadium was remodeled, which is what forced the Bearkats to play in South Houston for the entirety of 2025. 

They had to wait a week into the 2025 season after starting with a road loss to Troy. But Bearkat Alley and the Sam Houston football team were back in Bowers against Tulsa in Week 2. And they were almost treated to an upset win, falling 23-17 after Landyn Locke was sacked on fourth and goal. 

Moral victories aren’t fun, but Sam Houston is clearly improved and that should provide some optimism in Huntsville. The reasons for 2025’s disappointment weren’t just excuses. Longo & Co. were up against true obstacles outside of their control like home games an hour away and a transfer portal already picked through by the time he got the job. 

The staff was given a whole offseason and the roster is much improved. Locke looks like a legit CUSA quarterback. The wide receiver core is deep and talented. The defense is making plays. Tulsa beat an Oklahoma State team last week that turned around and beat Oregon this week. Let’s see if the close losses in the first two weeks of the season become wins once conference play starts. 

ACU’s backs are against the wall 

Abilene Christian might be the best 0-3 team in college football. The Wildcats have lost to Lamar, Texas Tech, and SFA to start the year. All three of those programs are ranked in their respective subdivisions. They might already be in win-out mode to reach the postseason and Tarleton remains on the schedule. 

SFA is headed in the opposite direction with a 3-0 start that includes two Southland wins and a resumé builder of a non-conference win against ACU.  

FBS Scores 

Texas A&M 48, Arizona State 20
UTSA 31, Texas State 26
Notre Dame 52, Rice 0
North Texas 44, UNLV 6
SMU 56, UC Davis 10
Houston 77, Southern 6
Tulsa 23, Sam Houston 17
Texas 24, Ohio State 23
Texas Tech 35, Oregon State 24
TCU 63, Grambling 7
Baylor 44, Prairie View A&M 3
UTEP 51, Texas Southern 10