The story of an entire college football season doesn’t get told in one week. Really, it doesn’t get told in two weeks either. But with every week that goes by, we get another chapter in the book that is the 2025 season. We learn more about each team and who the true contenders and pretenders are for this year’s National Championship. Here are our 10 takeaways from Week 2 of the 2025 college football season.
John Mateer does it all for the Oklahoma offense
I continue to be unimpressed by John Mateer’s supporting cast on the Oklahoma offense, but it didn’t matter at all in a 24-13 victory over Michigan in Norman. Mateer creates so much offense on his own through the use of his legs and off-script passes that the Sooners’ season would immediately go down the drain if he were to get injured. He should be considered one of the front-runners for the Heisman trophy at this moment.
South Florida is in the driver’s seat for the G5 bid into the College Football Playoff
After beating Boise State in week one, the South Florida Bulls began to turn heads and receive votes for the top-25. This week, they made the short bus ride to Gainesville and beat the Florida Gators in the Swamp. With the win against CFP contender Boise in hand, and now a victory over a quality Power 5 opponent, South Florida is a lock for the CFP if it can win the American Conference (formerly the AAC). 10-2 and a conference championship with those two wins will secure a bid for sure.
Billy Napier’s seat is getting awfully warm
The Florida Gators ended the 2024 season with all the positive vibes. They went on a run, won a bowl game, and true freshman QB DJ Lagway looked like the QB of the future. It probably saved Billy Napier’s job. However, Napier has just lost to USF at home and faces a truly daunting schedule for the rest of the way, which includes LSU, Texas, Georgia, Ole Miss, and Florida State. Yikes. If he doesn’t make a bowl game, Napier’s time in Gainesville may be done.
Fear the cowbells in Stark-vegas!
After going winless in the SEC in his first season as a head coach, Jeff Lebby now has the biggest win of his career at Mississippi State, stunning Arizona State 24-20 with a touchdown in the final minute. Oklahoma transfer Brenen Thompson has turned into a game-breaking receiver, and Starkville, aka “Stark-vegas,” just might become a trap spot in the SEC this season.
Arch Manning might not be so overrated after all
The national media had a field day after Arch Manning’s poor performance at Ohio State in week one. But Arch responded well in Week 2, with a flurry of 4 passing TDs in the first half and a sidewinding rushing TD in the 3rd quarter to total 5 against San Jose State. Yeah, I think Arch is going to be okay. The entire Texas offense needed some reps to gel, and is beginning to gain form as they head into SEC play.
MU may be taking a step back from last season
The 2024 SMU Mustangs went 11-1 in the regular season and lost in the ACC Championship game to Clemson. If they wish to do that in 2025, they’ll now need to win out after an overtime loss to Baylor. The defense was a major letdown, allowing Baylor and QB Sawyer Robertson to drive down the field to tie the game with under a minute remaining in regulation.
Clemson’s early-season struggles continue
After losing to LSU last week, Clemson entered Week 2 with a perceived easy game at home against Troy. I’m not even convinced Troy will make a bowl game this year. But they gave the Tigers all they could handle and even led at halftime, before Clemson used a second-half rally to win 26-17. This is not a good sign for the Tigers, who came into 2025 ranking near the top of the nation in returning production and hopes of returning to the CFP.
Illinois took a step towards being “this year’s Indiana”
Last year, the Indiana Hoosiers came out of nowhere for an 11-1 record and a CFP appearance, aided by some lopsided non-conference wins and an easier-than-average Big Ten conference schedule. Well, Illinois drew an easy conference schedule in the offseason, leading many to believe that they could be 2025’s version of Indiana. They took a big step in that direction with a huge 45-19 road win over a very game Duke team. Illinois will likely be favored in every remaining game on its schedule except for two.
What is wrong with Kansas State?
The Army Black Knights lost to FCS Tarleton State in week one. In Week 2, they went on the road and upset Kansas State 24-21. The Wildcats were a team picked by many experts to contend for a Big 12 championship this season, but now find themselves at 1-2 without a victory over an FBS team. Avery Johnson has not progressed as a passer from last season, and they have been without running back Dylan Edwards since the first possession of the season, when he suffered an ankle injury.
“Buy games” dominated the landscape in Week 2, but will dwindle in number in the near future
The Week 2 slate was not like Week 1. There were so many instances of marquee P4 programs playing low-level G5 or FCS schools, which creates lopsided, pre-determined game environments. Look no further than Texas and Ohio State, going from playing each other to playing San Jose State and Grambling. The concept of a “buy game” is nothing new in the college football economy, as many lower-tier teams are dependent on the cash they trade for a loss to afford their athletic budgets, but it just seemed like there was an inordinate amount of them this week. Conference play starts around the country next week, and we have a truly glorious slate waiting for us.
