AS A YOUNG head coach with a background in offensive playcalling, Arizona State‘s Kenny Dillingham likes to watch what those like him do on game days.

Last season, he closely tracked Ohio State coach Ryan Day, who has toggled between calling plays and relinquishing those duties, as he did in 2024 when veteran strategist Chip Kelly directed the Buckeyes’ offense. Dillingham had watched Day handle both head coach and offensive playcaller responsibilities earlier in his Ohio State tenure. Last year, he observed a different version of Day.

“I saw such a peace in Coach Day on game day, just from a fan watching games, how calm he was … how excited he would get for touchdowns and all of that when he didn’t call it,” Dillingham told ESPN. “I’m like, ‘I think he figured it out.’ He can be involved, have a say, but he’s over here talking to defense and offense. I’m like, ‘I love that.'”

Dillingham, 35, decided to take a similar approach at Arizona State.

He isn’t alone. Many coaches weigh the same playcalling decision, especially early in their careers. A majority of first-time FBS coaches enter those jobs after being primary playcallers as coordinators. For many, their playcalling prowess is the main reason they were selected to lead programs.

But the head coach job description is growing longer by the year, so they face a quandary: Call their own plays or give it up?

“When you’re calling a play, you think they’re all going to work,” Dillingham said. “When you don’t call them, you’re constantly judging.”

Some head coaches clutch their call sheets tight — refusing to let go, regardless of their other duties. Others willingly delegate, recognizing that their time is better spent overseeing all elements of their programs, but make the bigger-picture decisions within games, such as timeout usage or whether to attempt fourth-down conversions.

Week 1 of the 2025 season placed a spotlight on how head coaches handle playcalling. Steve Sarkisian, whose playcalling brilliance gave him a second chance as a head coach, pulled the strings for No. 1 Texas in Saturday’s 14-7 loss at No. 2 Ohio State, for which offensive coordinator Brian Hartline took on playcalling for the first time under Day. Sarkisian’s playcalls in Ohio State territory drew some criticism, as Texas twice stalled inside the Buckeyes’ 10-yard line and didn’t score until 3:28 remained. Hartline generally took a conservative approach with quarterback Julian Sayin, a first-time starter, but didn’t put the offense in dangerous spots with Ohio State’s defense playing so well.

After the game, Day praised Hartline for an “unselfish” approach, especially since the Buckeyes often had poor field position with a young quarterback.

“Moving forward, yeah, we know we have to be more explosive,” Day said Tuesday. “… We need to get the ball in space and do those types of things. But that’s all part of the journey with this group. The first goal was just win the game.”

Alabama‘s Kalen DeBoer and Florida State‘s Mike Norvell spent Saturday afternoon across from each other in Tallahassee, Florida, with each passing off playcalling to familiar names. After a year in the NFL, Ryan Grubb returned to DeBoer’s side, hoping to rekindle the magic that propelled Washington to the national title game in 2023. Norvell, climbing out of a 2-10 crater last season, hired Gus Malzahn, a longtime mentor and occasional Alabama tormentor, to call plays for the Seminoles’ offense, which looked dramatically different, rushing for 230 yards in a 31-17 upset of the Tide.

Teams change every year, and coaches must consider a set of factors — quarterback’s age and skill, offensive coordinator’s track record, other playcalling options on the staff, how the roster is constructed — and ultimately decide how involved they will be.

But this much is clear: They must make the right call with playcalling.

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THE PLAYCALLING DECISION often comes down to trust: Does a head coach trust an assistant enough — and ultimately more than himself — to handle the responsibility? DeBoer doesn’t question his faith in Grubb, even after a tough game like Saturday’s opener, when the Tide mustered only 10 points and 266 yards after the opening scoring drive.

Grubb was DeBoer’s offensive coordinator at both Washington and Fresno State, and the two go all the way back to the University of Sioux Falls, the NAIA program where DeBoer played and later coached. Grubb joined DeBoer’s staff there to work with the offensive line in 2007.

Nick Sheridan, who served as Alabama’s offensive coordinator during DeBoer’s first season last fall, had been with DeBoer at both Washington and Indiana when DeBoer served as offensive coordinator. Sheridan is now Alabama’s co-offensive coordinator and coaches the quarterbacks, but Grubb calls plays.

“We’ve had so many conversations, you get into those moments like red zone or, are we playing for four downs? We can be on the same page,” DeBoer told ESPN. “They can set it up to where it’s like, ‘Man, this is where Kalen usually goes for it.’ And they know the times to be aggressive where there is not going to be a fourth down, going for it.”

DeBoer called offensive plays in every game he coached from 2000 — his first year as coordinator at Sioux Falls — until 2020, his debut as Fresno State’s coach. Now, he picks his spots when to give input — between offensive series, during a media timeout — but also understands that his advice must be on point, because he can influence his coordinator’s mindset.

“There’s more than one really good playcall, almost all the time,” DeBoer said. “It’s more about making sure that you stay out of the bad playcalls. What’s your system of making sure that you can check out of this? The key is: How do you stay on the field?”

Louisville coach Jeff Brohm came up in a family of accomplished quarterbacks, including his younger brother, Brian, who, like Jeff, starred at quarterback for the Cardinals. Jeff has had Brian as an offensive coordinator at all three of his head coaching stops: Western Kentucky, Purdue and Louisville, their alma mater.

“There’s nobody I would trust more than I trust him,” Jeff Brohm said.

But for now, big brother Brohm will continue to call the offensive plays.

“I would be cheating my team if I didn’t use what I thought I was pretty good at to help us win,” Jeff Brohm said. “It’s not like my brother couldn’t do it. … But I feel like it’s my responsibility to continue to do that. I still put that on my shoulders.”

During Dillingham’s first season as a head coach in 2023 and for part of last fall, he was more active in the playcalling process. Offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo handled the calls, but there were a few instances, especially early last fall, where the head coach couldn’t resist.

Against Texas Tech, Dillingham had the offense check into duo, a gap scheme run, but a linebacker shot through and dropped the ball carrier for a loss. Against Cincinnati, Dillingham called for an up-tempo play. It resulted in another tackle for loss.

“I was actually s—ty, so I stopped doing it as the year progressed,” he said.

Dillingham realized that the plays he selected in those moments weren’t necessarily misplaced. They fit the game situations. But he hadn’t spent the week crafting the plan, emphasizing a set of plays in practice, or spending every moment he could with quarterback Sam Leavitt and the offense. That’s Arroyo’s job.

“My best play, in my mind, is not the best play for the football team, because of how [Arroyo] prepared them,” Dillingham concluded. “That was what I learned [in 2023], through the first half of [2024]: Give advice but don’t give plays.”

Dillingham’s contributions became more generalized.

“Give it to Scat, throw it to JT,” he said, referring to All-American running back Cam Skattebo and star wide receiver Jordyn Tyson. “I want to blitz. I don’t want to play coverage anymore. It’s a more generalized philosophy of how I want our football team to play.”

Even then, Dillingham has to catch himself in critical moments, such as in the first quarter of the 2024 Big 12 championship game against Iowa State, when Arroyo called a play-action deep pass on fourth-and-1 from the ASU 34-yard line. Leavitt found Melquan Stovall for a 63-yard gain.

“I was nervous as s—,” Dillingham said. “I literally get on the headset when he called that and I’m like, ‘Y’all think we just hand it to Scat here? What do y’all think?’ Dead silence. Not one other coach. Everybody stayed quiet, everybody. I’m like, ‘All right, looks like we’re rolling with it.’ And huge play. … You’ve got to trust your people.”

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WHEN JEFF LEBBY got his big break to lead Mississippi State — following offensive coordinator stints at Oklahoma, Ole Miss and UCF — he spent no time dithering about who would call plays for the Bulldogs.

“From a game-day standpoint, it’s how I can help us affect the game,” he told ESPN. “It was the reason I got the job. I don’t ever see the value outweighing the effect of being able to call plays. I feel strongly about that.”

A 2-10 debut season without a single SEC win hasn’t shifted Lebby’s position. During the offseason, he empowered offensive assistants Anthony Tucker and Jon Cooper, who have added the pass game coordinator and run game coordinator titles, respectively. Both worked with Lebby at other schools, and Tucker has been a coordinator.

They both aid in organizational elements of the pass and run games, but although Lebby has spent time working on his time management, the playcalling is still his baby.

“My biggest thing is the football, the offensive part, the scheme, the scripting, the organization, that’s not going to take a back seat to anything,” Lebby said.

Playcalling fueled Lincoln Riley’s historic rise up the coaching ranks. He wouldn’t have become Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator at 31, or been named the successor to Hall of Fame Sooners coach Bob Stoops at 33, without being exceptional at crafting game plans and pulling the right strings.

The approach yielded historic results, as Oklahoma had the nation’s top offense in most major categories during Riley’s head coaching tenure from 2017 to 2021, which produced two Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks and a runner-up. When Riley went to USC, he oversaw a top-three offense in his first season and mentored another Heisman winner in QB Caleb Williams. USC’s results the past two seasons haven’t been as strong, though, and part of Riley’s offseason program evaluation included playcalling.

“I’ve had some moments where I’ve thought about it, not during the [season], but in between,” he told ESPN. “I don’t know that I’ve ever gotten close to giving it up, but I’ve had that kind of inner discussion and discussion with some of my confidants about: Would that be the right thing to do?”

Riley concluded that the more important change would be to enhance USC’s personnel department with the hiring of new general manager Chad Bowden and others, and take more off his plate.

“Not that it’s been perfect, but the offensive track record that I’ve had a chance to be a part of is pretty solid, and I’ve just always felt like that’s an advantage that I can bring to our program,” Riley said. “I probably feel better about doing it right now than I have in the last couple of years. Obviously, I kept doing it, but I feel it’s much more manageable right now.”

Other coaches are at the other end of the spectrum. Luke Fickell held a variety of roles as an Ohio State assistant from 2002 to 2016, which included being defensive playcaller beginning in 2012 when Urban Meyer arrived as head coach.

But when Fickell got the chance to lead his own program, first at Cincinnati and now Wisconsin, he had no aspirations of calling plays.

“It can be arrogant to think that you have to be the guy to call it, whether it’s offensively or defensively,” Fickell said. “If you watch that much more and you prepare, then God bless you, but for me, it hasn’t been that way. There was a year, as we made some changes, if it didn’t work out, that I felt like, ‘OK, maybe I’ll be the guy to call it.’ But in my mind, in my heart, I’m thinking, ‘That’s arrogant to think you can do that and not suffer.'”

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WHEN HE WAS an offensive coordinator at Auburn, SMU coach Rhett Lashlee saw how Malzahn, the team’s head coach and one of Lashlee’s mentors, wrestled with the playcalling decision. After a slow start to the 2016 season, Malzahn gave up playcalling to Lashlee, and then assigned it to OC Chip Lindsey in 2017. Malzahn then took back playcalling duties for 2018.

Lashlee joined Miami as offensive coordinator and observed how Manny Diaz, a first-time head coach, reassumed defensive playcalling duties in 2021 after giving them to coordinator Blake Baker. Lashlee decided that when he became a head coach, which he did at SMU following the 2021 season, he would start out calling offensive plays.

“I decided to because one, you got hired for a reason, and two, it’s better to come in as the head coach and take that responsibility and then maybe one day give it up, versus give it up early, and if it doesn’t go well, try to take it back,” Lashlee told ESPN.

Lashlee still evaluates the playcalling role after each season and doesn’t call plays during spring practice, delegating to coordinator Casey Woods and the offensive staff. If SMU would benefit from a different voice, Lashlee would be comfortable stepping aside, but the team has 23 wins and a College Football Playoff appearance in the past two years.

Double duty creates challenges, but it also increases efficiency.

“I don’t have to be like, ‘Hey, do you want to go for it, Coach?'” Lashlee said. “I’m the one deciding if we’re going for it and calling the play.”

Clark Lea gave up defensive playcalling duties when he became Vanderbilt‘s coach, but after the defense slipped in 2023 — to 126th in points allowed and 128th in yards allowed — Lea took them back. He was best equipped to reset the system.

As the 2024 season progressed and Vanderbilt stabilized, Lea didn’t feel the time he could devote to playcalling was sufficient, especially compared with the hours he had logged as a defensive coordinator. He shared his concerns with Steve Gregory, the team’s secondary coach and associate DC, at the walk-through before an Oct. 26 game against Texas. In March, Lea promoted Gregory to defensive coordinator.

“That’s how we spent the last four games of the season, and that’s where we came out in January,” Lea said. “I’m with those guys every day, like every night in fall camp, I’m in front of the defense, and I’m presenting or teaching something. But the actual calling of the play will be Steve’s responsibility, and up until the point that the words come out of his mouth, I’ll have a chance to have an impact on it.”

Norvell has done it both ways, handling playcalls early in his tenures at both Memphis and Florida State. He handed off calls to Dillingham in 2021, then made the calls himself from 2022 to 2024.

A 2-10 season last fall triggered many changes around the program, including the decision to bring in Malzahn from UCF, who worked with Norvell at Tulsa under coach Todd Graham.

“I feel like I got one of the best playcallers in the country, obviously somebody we’re very comfortable with,” Norvell told ESPN. “We always stayed in touch over the years, and it was something that I was aware of throughout the time, whenever he did and decided to not call plays. I know he’s excited to have the opportunity to really just be able to focus on the offensive side of the ball, and to be able to do what I know he loves.”

Empowered by Norvell, Malzahn was in top form against Alabama. Florida State led by seven early in the fourth quarter and faced fourth-and-1 from its own 34-yard line. The Seminoles went for it, converted on a Roydell Williams run and went downfield to score a put-away touchdown.

“You obviously always talk through any of those situations that are up — that and the fourth down at the end as well,” Norvell said. “It’s just like, ‘Let’s go put our stamp on it.'”

The degree of difficulty makes playcalling assignments among the more important decisions head coaches make. When they work, like they did last week at Florida State, the impact can be seismic.

“I’m not the OC; I’m the head coach,” Lashlee said. “So every year, I ask myself: Do I think me calling plays gives us the best chance to win?’ If I do, I’m going to do it, and if I don’t, then that’s when I’ll give it up.”

I always say that the worse a week looks on paper, the wilder it ends up becoming. If that’s true, brace yourself for just about the wildest week of all time. After a Week 1 that had three top-10 headline games and Bill Belichick’s not-so-hot debut, the biggest game of Week 2 is a Jordan Brand matchup between the No. 15 Michigan Wolverines and No. 18 Oklahoma Sooners. Nine AP top-10 teams are in action, but my SP+ ratings project them as favorites by a combined 360.3 points. Illinois-Duke might be the biggest game in Saturday’s noon ET window.

It’s an odd schedule, in other words. But in these parts, we love alternative programming. Michigan-OU will give us the Wolverines’ Bryce Underwood facing the most hostile environment of his young career. The Iowa-Iowa State winner will be a legit College Football Playoff contender. The same goes for the Kansas-Mizzou winner. (That’s right, the Border War — er, Border Showdown — is back!!) And after Boise State’s Week 1 defeat to USF, the wide-open battle for the Group of 5’s guaranteed CFP spot features a number of huge résumé-building opportunities in Week 2.

There’s probably no need to watch what the top teams are up to this week (though the Grambling-Ohio State halftime show should be amazing). But we’re going to entertain ourselves all the same. Here’s everything you need to know about Week 2.

All times Eastern.

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Michigan-Oklahoma | Big Ten challenges
KU-Mizzou is back | G5’s big week | Week 2 playlist

Two big brands trying to look the part

No. 15 Michigan Wolverines at No. 18 Oklahoma Sooners (7:30 p.m., ABC)

It’s like a blind spot in college football’s lore: Michigan and Oklahoma rank first (1,013) and tied for fifth (951), respectively, in college football wins, but they’ve played each other only once. Nearly 50 years ago, in the 1976 Orange Bowl — the first time a Big Ten team was allowed to play in a bowl other than the Rose — Oklahoma won a 14-6 slog that, when paired with Ohio State’s loss in the Rose Bowl, earned the Sooners their fifth of seven national titles. Otherwise, these two iconic helmets have never crossed paths.

After down seasons in 2024, both programs expect improvement this fall. They should have excellent defenses again, but on offense Michigan signed all-world freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood and a new coordinator (Chip Lindsey) while Oklahoma went with a full-on transplant, taking Washington State’s OC (Ben Arbuckle) and QB (John Mateer) and nearly a full lineup’s worth of transfers. Everyone looked as good as expected in easy Week 1 wins, but now the rubber meets the road.

Owen Field vs. a true freshman

The first time I attended an Oklahoma game in Norman, the home crowd forced a fumble. With OU nursing a narrow fourth-quarter lead over Missouri in 2007, Sooners fans made such shrill noise that (A) I had to grab on to the seatback in front of me because my equilibrium was failing, and (B) Mizzou’s Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin miscommunicated and botched an exchange, which Curtis Lofton recovered and took for a touchdown. What they call Sooner Magic might simply be eardrum-bursting shrillness. Regardless, it’s probably going to test Underwood quite a bit.

Underwood was perfectly solid for a true freshman starting in his first collegiate game. New Mexico did its best to confuse him, but he went 21-for-31 for 251 yards. He got help from an effective run game that produced a couple of 50-yard bursts from Justice Haynes and no negative plays.

There was one red flag, though: UNM pressured him seven times, and in those plays he took two sacks, completed just two passes and averaged 2.0 yards per dropback. OU is probably going to pressure him more than seven times. The Sooners ranked 13th nationally in sack rate last year and boast a bevy of pass rushers led by R Mason Thomas. The Sooners also ranked second in rushing success rate allowed, meaning there’s no guarantee that Underwood can lean on Haynes.

Underwood is “no average freshman,” but it’s common for even an awesome blue-chipper to flunk an early road test. Still, if he can avoid devastating mistakes in a deafening environment and the Michigan defense plays its part, the Wolverines could have a chance.

Big plays and rushing quarterbacks

If Week 1 was any indication, a repeat of the 14-6 scoreline from the first Michigan-Oklahoma game is conceivable. The biggest story of Week 1 to me was the complete disappearance of points. The use of safe, two-high coverage (with two high safeties patrolling and attempting to limit big plays) has increased. Combined with the fact that defenses have adapted well to tempo offenses through the years, this led to long, frequently scoreless drives and low point totals in Week 1. It’s as if the entire college football universe suddenly turned into Iowa.

How do you punish teams for two-high looks and force them to get aggressive? With ruthless efficiency. For the SEC in Week 1, that frequently meant running the QB. Auburn’s Jackson Arnold rushed for 151 non-sack yards against Baylor, while Georgia’s Gunner Stockton and Missouri’s Beau Pribula topped 70 yards and seven others topped 30.

Mateer didn’t need to run much against Illinois State. He completed seven passes of 20-plus yards against the Redbirds (the Sooners averaged just 1.5 such completions per game in 2024). Still, considering he had games of 212 and 127 non-sack rushing yards at Wazzu in 2024, plus six more games over 70 yards, we know he’ll probably run a lot when it matters.

Michigan used two-high coverage 38% of the time in Week 1 — 19th most in the FBS — so I’m guessing Mateer’s legs will be frequently involved Saturday evening even though star running back transfer Jaydn Ott should be ready for a heavier load. A threat from Mateer will put pressure on Michigan’s linebackers, which could make the first-half absence of Jaishawn Barham a concern. Of course, Michigan’s defensive front, led by veteran Rayshaun Benny and transfers Tré Williams and Damon Payne, will test OU’s rebuilt offensive line in ways that ISU couldn’t.

Last week didn’t give us definitive answers to the offseason questions we had about either the Wolverines or Sooners. But one of them will be 2-0 and feeling awfully good about themselves Sunday morning.

Current line: OU -5.5 | SP+ projection: OU by 5.7 | FPI projection: OU by 0.9

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Big tests for Big Ten hopefuls

Even without the ridiculous “multiple autobids in a college football invitational” idea, the Big Ten stands to get plenty of teams into either a 12- or 16-team CFP moving forward. Anyone who can get to 10 wins or so is going to have a good shot.

Per SP+, Illinois has a 29% chance of reaching 10-2 or better, and if Bret Bielema’s Illini survive what amounts to a coin-toss game at Duke on Saturday, those odds will see a pretty solid boost. Iowa is at only 4%, but if the Hawkeyes beat their Cy-Hawk rivals — something they’ve done six straight times in Ames — their outlook will be rosier. Noon is Big Ten Time, and Saturday features a pair of awfully important noon contests.

Few teams have proved more through two games than Iowa State. The Cyclones outlasted Kansas State in a massively important Week 0 contest in Ireland, then returned home and mauled both jet lag and a solid South Dakota team last Saturday. They’re tackling well, defending the run effectively and forcing loads of turnovers. Basically, they’re doing the things Iowa typically does to win lots of games.

Iowa wasn’t tested much against Albany in Week 1; the Hawkeyes ran the ball at will — Terrell Washington Jr., Xavier Williams and Jaziun Patterson had 33 combined carries for 238 yards — and neither asked for nor got much from new quarterback Mark Gronowski. The defense gave up a single, 68-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter but otherwise allowed 2.9 yards per play.

A two-time FCS national champion at South Dakota State, Gronowski confessed to “anxiety and anxiousness” in his first FBS start and suffered some misfires while going 8-for-15 for just 44 yards. (He had 47 non-sack rushing yards, too, which was something.) He’ll have to get over that pretty quickly in Ames. And against ISU quarterback Rocco Becht, who was ever-so-slightly better Saturday (19-for-20 for 278 yards and three TDs), the Iowa defense will have to prove that it remains plug-and-play — Becht & Co. will test the Hawkeyes’ five new starters in the back seven.

Enough Big 12 teams looked awesome in Week 1 that the conference doesn’t have to think about settling for being a one-bid league just yet. Still, with a loss Saturday ISU could focus on reaching the CFP with a conference title. Iowa probably won’t have that luxury; this one is therefore a bit more important for the road team. But considering the Hawkeyes’ recent record in Ames, that probably doesn’t scare them all that much.

Current line: ISU -3.5 | SP+ projection: ISU by 6.5 | FPI projection: ISU by 3.8

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Since the start of 2024, 24 power-conference teams have won double-digit games. Illinois and Duke are among them. Granted, they’re a combined 11-2 in one-score finishes in that span, and that will likely be hard to maintain, but both entered 2025 feeling spry and ambitious, and both crafted easy Week 1 wins.

Well, it was eventually easy for Duke. The Blue Devils found themselves tied with Elon at halftime, thanks in part to a missed field goal and a fumble, before winning the second half by 28. Expensive new quarterback Darian Mensah had to stay in a bit longer than intended and took a pair of sacks, but he finished 27-for-34 for 389 yards and three TDs.

Coach Manny Diaz’s intentions were clear this offseason. The Blue Devils won nine games despite an inefficient, three-and-outs-heavy offense last season, so he spent big to land one of the best QBs in the portal. Play Diaz defense and get high-level QB play, and you’re going to be awfully good.

Illinois has provided some proof of concept in that regard. Granted, the Illini defense is far more bend-don’t-break than Diaz’s aggressive units, and Luke Altmyer isn’t exactly a Heisman contender. But he has the best QBR of any Illinois quarterback for the past 20 years (min. 14 starts), and the Illini return about seven starters from a unit that ranked 26th in defensive SP+.

Everything played out as intended in a 45-3 win over Western Illinois. Altmyer went 17-for-21 (albeit with three sacks), while running backs Kaden Feagin, Aidan Laughery and Ca’Lil Valentine combined for 226 rushing yards and the defense allowed 3.0 yards per play. The sacks might be red flags for both QBs, but we’ll learn a lot about two intriguing teams in Durham. And one might actually lose a close game for once.

Current line: Illini -2.5 | SP+ projection: Illini by 2.9 | FPI projection: Duke by 0.1

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A mighty big Border Showdown

It has featured weird ties, rushing records and probably a few too many Civil War references, if we’re being honest, but the Border Showdown is back for a couple of years! Hell, yes. And whether Mizzou and Kansas players are prepared or not — almost none of them really grew up with this rivalry, after all — they’re going to be playing in a lion’s den Saturday afternoon. “I had no idea about the whole Civil War history,” Missouri QB Beau Pribula told the media this week. “I thought it was just a sports rivalry, but I guess it goes beyond that.” Indeed.

Emotions aside, this is a massive game for two programs that have looked the part of late. Mizzou rocked Central Arkansas by 55 points last Thursday, and Kansas has beaten Fresno State and Wagner by a combined 77-14. Mizzou is 22-5 since the start of 2023 — only Oregon, Ohio State, Georgia and Michigan can top that 81.5% win rate — and although close losses dragged KU down to 5-7 last year, the Jayhawks have still enjoyed a spectacular program turnaround under Lance Leipold. They’ve been good enough early on to think of themselves as Big 12 contenders. (Then again, who isn’t a Big 12 contender?)

Pribula, a Penn State transfer, lit Mizzou fans’ imaginations up with a brilliant debut, completing 23 of 28 passes for 283 yards and two scores while rushing for five first downs and ripping off a 31-yard touchdown run. The Tigers’ offensive line was probably their biggest question mark heading into the season, and it looked fine aside from one confusingly awful second-quarter drive. The unit better have those glitches ironed out because the Kansas defense has been attacking with far more vigor under new coordinator D.K. McDonald. They’ve already recorded 19 tackles for loss, 6 sacks and 8 passes defended.

Strangely, it seems as if the Jayhawks’ defense is ahead of its offense at the moment. Quarterback Jalon Daniels & Co. have been efficient enough, but situational play has been horrendous: They’re 101st in third-down conversion rate (30.0%), and that includes a trio of third-and-1 conversions; on third-and-3 or more, they’re a ghastly 3-for-17 (17.6%). They’re also 78th in red zone TD rate (8-for-13) and 103rd in goal-to-go TD rate (1-for-4). These numbers are so bad that they’re almost guaranteed to improve. But Mizzou is 11th in defensive SP+ and held UCA to 2 or fewer yards on 30 of 62 snaps last week. This might not be the best week to expect third-down improvement.

Mizzou did get bitten by the injury bug last Thursday: Quarterback Sam Horn, supposedly still in a battle with Pribula at kickoff, suffered an injury on his first snap and will miss at least a few weeks, and big-legged kicker Blake Craig is now out for the season. The Tigers won a lot of close games over the past couple of years, and long field goals were a huge part of that. The bar is pretty high for freshman kicker Robert Meyer.

Current line: Mizzou -6.5 | SP+ projection: Mizzou by 5.7 | FPI projection: Mizzou by 3.4

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Résumé Week in the Group of 5

Heading into 2025, it seemed like a “Boise State vs. the Field” situation when it came to landing the guaranteed Group of 5 CFP spot. Well, the Field swatted that down pretty quickly. USF’s stunning 34-7 win over BSU in Week 1 opened the CFP race wide. BSU’s hopes aren’t kaput, but the Broncos are now part of the second tier of contenders.

The Allstate Playoff Predictor lists 11 G5 teams with at least a 2.0% chance of reaching the CFP: Tulane (31.2%), Memphis (16.3%), USF (14.3%), UNLV (13.5%), Boise State (3.8%), Texas State (3.3%), Fresno State (3.1%), Navy (3.0%), JMU (2.6%), Ohio (2.3%) and UTSA (2.0%). At least six of these teams have particularly interesting matchups in Week 2, games that could alter these odds a solid amount. Here they are in chronological order:

JMU is the betting favorite in the Sun Belt and has a prime upset opportunity Friday night. Both teams handled FCS opponents with aplomb in Week 1. New Louisville quarterback Miller Moss looked good, and Isaac Brown needed only six carries to gain 126 yards in a 51-17 win over Eastern Kentucky. JMU, meanwhile, outgained Weber State by 300 yards and outscored the Wildcats by 35. Is Louisville simply too explosive for the Dukes to handle, or might JMU make this game awfully tricky for Moss & Co.?

Current line: Louisville -14.5 | SP+ projection: Louisville by 11.4 | FPI projection: Louisville by 8.4

This year’s Battle of I-35 is a huge head-to-head matchup of G5 hopefuls in the Alamo Dome, and it might honestly be one of my favorite matchups of Week 2. UTSA was explosive and exciting against Texas A&M, trailing by only four in the third quarter before stumbling late. Texas State, meanwhile, walloped Eastern Michigan 52-27. Despite massive turnover, the Bobcats look dangerous once again, and they finally beat UTSA as an FBS rival last year. Major track meet potential here.

Current line: UTSA -4.5 | SP+ projection: UTSA by 3.8 | FPI projection: UTSA by 1.7

USF has the third-best odds of any G5 team to reach the CFP, and that’s with a likely loss in Gainesville this weekend. If the Bulls can pull an upset here or even give the playoff committee something to think about with a super-competitive loss, that will be quite the bonus. Is that actually likely? We’ll see. USF’s offense was all-or-nothing against BSU, and the Bulls started quite slowly overall and benefited from some turnovers luck. Still, they’re super explosive, and they now face a Florida team that wasn’t all that explosive itself against Long Island last week.

Current line: Florida -17.5 | SP+ projection: by 20.3 | FPI projection: Florida by 10.8

Tulane is your new G5 leader, thanks both to BSU’s loss and to the Green Wave’s utterly dominant 23-3 win over Northwestern. They’ll face a unique test in Mobile. Can they avoid a letdown after such a stirring showing? And how will they perform against a team that — sorry, Northwestern fans — might actually be able to pass? USA’s Bishop Davenport was 12-for-14 with three completions of 30-plus against Morgan State last week, and though I doubt the Jaguars’ defense can handle Tulane QB Jake Retzlaff & Co., the offense might score enough to make this uncomfortable.

Current line: Tulane -10.5 | SP+ projection: Tulane by 10.7 | FPI projection: Tulane by 9.6

UNLV has suffered serious defensive issues thus far, giving up a combined 52 points and 887 yards to Idaho State and Sam Houston. So why are the Rebels fourth on the G5 playoff odds list? Because of an offense that has scored 76 points and gained 936 yards. That raw potential might be problematic for a UCLA team that got utterly swamped by Utah on both offense and defense last week. The Bruins could rebound, but I have no idea what they’ve done to earn being favored in this game.

Current line: UCLA -2.5 | SP+ projection: UNLV by 2.6 | FPI projection: UNLV by 6.4

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Week 2 chaos superfecta

We got another one! We’re once again using this space to attempt to will chaos into existence, looking at four carefully curated games with pretty big point spreads and mashing them together into a much more upset-friendly number. We scored upsets in 10 of 14 weeks last season, and thanks to Florida State’s upset of Bama, we’re 1-for-1 in 2025.

Who are we taking down this week? Someone good! SP+ says there’s only about a 51% chance that No. 13 Florida (90% over USF), No. 8 Clemson (89% over Troy), No. 20 Ole Miss (84% over Kentucky) and Louisville (76% over JMU) all win. Surely Ole Miss wouldn’t lose to Kentucky again, right?

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Week 2 playlist

Here are some more games you should pay attention to if you want to get the absolute most out of the weekend from the information and entertainment perspectives.

Friday evening

Northern Illinois Huskies at Maryland Terrapins (7:30, BTN). Freshman quarterback Malik Washington grew beautifully into his first start last week, and he’s at least 17 places ahead of Drew Allar, Garrett Nussmeier and Cade Klubnik in QBR. But can he overcome the Curse of Playing Northern Illinois in Week 2? Notre Dame couldn’t last year, after all.

Current line: Terps -18.5 | SP+ projection: Terps by 16.0 | FPI projection: Terps by 13.0

Early Saturday

Baylor Bears at No. 17 SMU Mustangs (noon, The CW). Against Auburn, Baylor proved it has some major speed this season. But the Bears got pushed around early and made too many mistakes. SMU, meanwhile, took a while to find an offensive rhythm against East Texas A&M and fell well short of projections. Which team will head into Week 3 having disappointed twice in a row?

Current line: SMU -3 | SP+ projection: SMU by 9.9 | FPI projection: SMU by 4.5

Virginia Cavaliers at NC State Wolfpack (noon, ESPN2). NC State’s CJ Bailey looked awfully good in the Wolfpack’s 24-17 win over forever-upset-minded ECU, but the UVA defense absolutely wrecked shop against Coastal Carolina. Are the Cavaliers better than we thought? Can State fend off an early upset attempt?

Current line: Pack -2.5 | SP+ projection: Pack by 2.0 | FPI projection: UVA by 0.4

UConn Huskies at Syracuse Orange (noon, ESPN+). Syracuse alternated between wobbly and exciting in last week’s loss to Tennessee, but the Orange will need to get their feet underneath them quickly because UConn made loads of big plays last week — yes, against Central Connecticut, but still — and is good enough to make this one a near-tossup.

Current line: Cuse -6.5 | SP+ projection: Cuse by 1.8 | FPI projection: Cuse by 4.3

Saturday afternoon

No. 20 Ole Miss Rebels at Kentucky Wildcats (3:30, ABC). New Ole Miss starter Austin Simmons threw two early picks against Georgia State last week but eventually got rolling. He’ll likely find far more resistance against a Kentucky defense that held Toledo to 4.8 yards per play, but that will matter only if the Wildcats can score. They averaged a woeful 4.6 yards per play with two turnovers, and I’m pretty sure Ole Miss’ defense is better than Toledo’s.

Current line: Rebels -10.5 | SP+ projection: Rebels by 16.1 | FPI projection: Ole Miss by 11.5

Oklahoma State Cowboys at No. 6 Oregon Ducks (3:30, CBS). Oklahoma State QB Hauss Hejny looked awesome in his first start but got hurt. Now Zane Flores will make his first start on the road against a team that looked about as good as anyone last week. Oregon quarterback Dante Moore was accurate against Montana State, a committee of Ducks running backs romped, and the team’s defense erased what will likely be one of FCS’ best offenses. I’m not sure what resistance OSU can come up with here.

Current line: Ducks -28.5 | SP+ projection: Ducks by 21.8 | FPI projection: Ducks by 20.8

Troy Trojans at No. 8 Clemson Tigers (3:30, ACCN). An interesting stats-versus-sportsbooks contrast here. ESPN BET says Clemson will beat Troy by nearly five touchdowns, but neither SP+ nor FPI trust the Tigers that much. Of course, Troy needed a late charge to beat Nicholls State last week, so maybe the numbers should stand down a bit.

Current line: Clemson -33.5 | SP+ projection: Clemson by 19.5 | FPI projection: Clemson by 19.4

West Virginia Mountaineers at Ohio Bobcats (4, ESPNU). Ohio racked up 440 yards at 7.1 yards per play against a Rutgers defense that we expected to be better than West Virginia’s. West Virginia, meanwhile, started slowly against Robert Morris but caught fire and finished with 625 yards. Points have been hard to come by overall this season, but this one has some track-meet potential.

Current line: WVU -2.5 | SP+ projection: WVU by 6.9 | FPI projection: WVU by 0.9

Saturday evening

Grambling’s World Famed Tiger Marching Band vs. Ohio State’s Best Damn Band in the Land (approximately 5, BTN). This has to be one of the first times a football game was scheduled to set up a halftime show. But make no mistake: The halftime show, pitting two of probably the five or 10 best marching bands in the country, will be unreal. This might be the single coolest 20 minutes of the Saturday slate.

SP+ projection: WFTMB -2 (just kidding)

Vanderbilt Commodores at Virginia Tech Hokies (7:30, ACCN). Virginia Tech’s defense showed up in Atlanta against South Carolina last week. The offense, not so much. Kyron Drones was 15-for-35 with two INTs and two sacks, and his receiving corps was plagued by drops. Vandy’s defense erased Charleston Southern, but this is obviously the Commodores’ real test.

Current line: Tech -1.5 | SP+ projection: Vandy by 3.8 | FPI projection: VT by 3.3

No. 12 Arizona State Sun Devils at Mississippi State Bulldogs (7:30, ESPN2). MSU was sloppy early against Southern Miss last week, and Arizona State woke up only marginally against Northern Arizona. Both won, obviously, but now we get to find out how each will really start the season. Is ASU’s Sam Leavitt really going to throw only to Jordyn Tyson again (12 catches, 141 yards last week)? Can MSU run well enough to keep pressure off of Blake Shapen?

Current line: ASU -6.5 | SP+ projection: ASU by 9.7 | FPI projection: ASU by 1.0

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Toledo Rockets (7, ESPN+). I almost included this one in the G5 Résumés section above. Points might be at a premium this season, but WKU has scored 96 of them in two easy wins while Toledo’s defense looked the part, at least, against Kentucky. The winner of this one will be in the G5’s CFP hunt — especially if it’s unbeaten WKU.

Current line: Toledo -6.5 | SP+ projection: WKU by 2.3 | FPI projection: Toledo by 3.4

Houston Cougars at Rice Owls (7, ESPN+). What would a column of mine be without a reference to Scott Abell’s option offense? Granted, defense played a huge part in Rice’s first-week upset of Louisiana, but now the Owls get a shot at a power-conference rival, a Houston team that shut Stephen F. Austin down last week but never really got rolling offensively. Rice can’t start 2-0, can it?

Current line: Houston -12.5 | SP+ projection: Houston by 13.9 | FPI projection: Houston by 4.9

Army Black Knights at Kansas State Wildcats (7, ESPN). One of these teams could be in crisis Sunday morning. Both came into 2025 with major expectations, but Army suffered a season-opening upset loss to Tarleton State, and Kansas State came within about a minute of falling to 0-2 last weekend before rallying to beat North Dakota. Stumbles happen, and it’s early, but the loser of this one will be in a hole.

Current line: K-State -17.5 | SP+ projection: K-State by 12.3 | FPI projection: K-State by 19.2

Boston College Eagles at Michigan State Spartans (7:30, NBC). Boston College overachieved against SP+ projections by a couple of touchdowns in a 66-10 win over Fordham, while Michigan State underachieved slightly in a 23-6 win over WMU. Both teams could have salty defenses, and both teams have either inexperienced (BC’s Dylan Lonergan) or sack-prone QBs (MSU’s Aidan Chiles). MSU’s favored at home, but this seems like a huge statement opportunity for BC.

Current line: MSU -3.5 | SP+ projection: BC by 1.5 | FPI projection: BC by 0.6

UL Monroe Warhawks at No. 21 Alabama Crimson Tide (7:45, SECN). I’m just saying, you always need to check in on ULM-Bama. Just in case.

Current line: Bama -36.5 | SP+ projection: Bama by 31.6 | FPI projection: Bama by 26.6

Late Saturday

Stanford Cardinal at BYU Cougars (10:15, ESPN). Portland State is clearly not good, but BYU outgained the Vikings 606-51. Six hundred six to 51. Stanford, meanwhile, lost to Hawaii in Week 0. I’m honestly not sure how this line is under three touchdowns.

Current line: BYU -18.5 | SP+ projection: BYU by 24.6 | FPI projection: BYU by 16.0

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Smaller-school showcase

Let’s once again save a shoutout for the glorious lower levels of the sport. Here are three games you should track.

D-III: No. 17 Wheaton at No. 2 Mount Union (1 p.m., FloFootball). Now the party’s complete. The Division III season kicks off Saturday, and Mount Union, a 12-time national champion battling a seven-year title drought, gets going against some high-level competition. Wheaton missed the playoffs for the first time since 2018 last season, but the Thunder still went 9-2 and are projected ninth in D-III SP+ to start the season. Can Geoff Dart’s Purple Raiders handle their business at home as we’ve come to expect?

SP+ projection: Mount Union by 8.1

NAIA: No. 4 Benedictine at No. 1 Grand View (1 p.m., local streaming). I told you to watch Benedictine’s top-five showdown with Morningside last week, and the Ravens won in a thriller. How are they following that up? With another top-five showdown! We’re going to watch this one too! Grand View won its second national title last fall and starts this season atop the polls. Will the Vikings stay there after Saturday?

SP+ projection: Grand View by 9.9

FCS: No. 2 South Dakota State at No. 3 Montana State (8 p.m., ESPN+). After handily disposing of Sacramento State 20-3 to start the season, second-ranked South Dakota State heads west to face a Montana State team that was treated very unkindly last weekend by Oregon. Will the Bobcats, national runners-up twice in the past four seasons, bounce back and give the Jackrabbits a fight?

SP+ projection: SDSU by 1.6

With Week 1 in the books, the college football season shifts into full gear as contenders begin to separate from pretenders. September is often when momentum is built, hype meets reality, and early missteps can linger all season. From blue-blood clashes such as Michigan–Oklahoma to rivalry battles in Ames, Iowa, and Columbia, Missouri, Week 2 brings both tradition and intrigue. Quarterbacks are already defining the season’s storylines, and new coordinators and transfers continue to shape the national conversation.

Our college football experts give insight on key matchups, quarterbacks and the top quotes going into Week 2. — Kyle Bonagura

Jump to:
Michigan-Oklahoma
Quarterbacks to watch | Rivalry matchups
Quotes of the week

What does each quarterback need to do to win?

Bryce Underwood: Underwood had a scintillating debut in Michigan’s victory over New Mexico. The true freshman completed 21 of 31 passes for 251 yards — more passing yards than any Michigan quarterback had in any game last season. It’s already clear that Underwood’s arm talent alone will elevate the Wolverines’ passing attack. But what was most impressive was his poise — he didn’t look like a freshman playing in his first game. That poise will be put to the test at Oklahoma. The Sooners have been tough defensively under Brent Venables, especially at home. But if Underwood can remain poised, make a few plays with his feet and continue delivering accurate throws in his first road start, the Wolverines will have a chance to pull off the upset — and send a message that with Underwood, they’re ready to contend again for a playoff spot. — Jake Trotter

John Mateer: Mateer and new Oklahoma offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle brought their Washington State offense to Norman, and it’s no surprise they’re already executing it at a high level. Mateer had a career-high 30 completions for 392 yards in his Sooners debut against FCS Illinois State. His accuracy (81%) and efficiency (9.95 yards per dropback) were on point, and he flashed his rushing ability on a 7-yard touchdown. The Sooners were able to score on only five of 10 drives in a 35-3 win, and they’ll need more from their run game after their backs combined for 67 rushing yards on 24 carries with touted Cal transfer Jaydn Ott playing only three snaps. Michigan’s defense has more talent than any Mateer has faced over 13 career starts, but he and Arbuckle will have plenty of tricks up their sleeve. — Max Olson

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Five quarterbacks to watch in Week 2

Duke‘s Darian Mensah: In the opener against Elon, Mensah showed off exactly why Manny Diaz was so eager to bring him in from Tulane this offseason. Mensah threw for 389 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. This week, Duke hosts Illinois, and that will be a far bigger test for the Blue Devils. Illinois’ run defense is exceptional, so a lot will be put on Mensah’s shoulders to carry the Duke attack. It’s a big ask. This will be Mensah’s third career start against a Power 4 opponent. He lost each of his previous two against Kansas State and Oklahoma in 2024.

South Florida‘s Byrum Brown: Plenty of attention will be given to the QB on the opposite sideline for USF’s showdown against Florida in Week 2, but DJ Lagway won’t be the only show in town. Brown has 21 starts under his belt, and he won’t be rattled by playing in The Swamp. He’s also coming off a decisive win over Boise State in the opener, accounting for 253 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns. Brown is a dual threat with 19 career rushing touchdowns, and he’s more than capable of upstaging Lagway and leading USF to an in-state upset.

Michigan’s Bryce Underwood: Going toe-to-toe with Mateer and Oklahoma means Michigan will need to put up some points — something the Wolverines struggled to do last season. The 2024 campaign was scuttled almost entirely by bad QB play, but Underwood — a highly talented true freshman — appears to be a savior. In his debut against New Mexico last week, he completed 68% of his throws for 251 yards and a touchdown without turning the ball over. It wasn’t a gaudy stat line, but it’s the first time a Michigan QB has posted those numbers in a game since Week 8 of 2023. Underwood will need to deliver even more against the Sooners, whose offense figures to be among the most explosive in the country.

Texas‘ Arch Manning: No, we’re not concerned about Manning struggling against San José State. Texas should win this one easily. But the reaction after the Longhorns’ offense was stymied against Ohio State in Week 1 was so emphatic, that it would still be good news — and a welcome relief to Horns fans — if Manning can use the opportunity against a Group of 5 opponent to reset a bit. It is still only the fourth college start for Manning, but this should be his biggest opportunity for some stat padding. In the big picture, he remains one of the most intriguing QB prospects in the country — and Week 2 is a good chance to remind fans of why that is.

Iowa‘s Mark Gronowski: This was supposed to be the year the Hawkeyes finally had a QB who could elevate the offense beyond the traditional “punting is winning” formula. When Kirk Ferentz landed Gronowski via the portal from South Dakota State, he seemed to fit the bill as both a hard-nosed pocket passer in the typical Iowa mold, but also one with sufficient upside to actually make the Hawkeyes a tad more dynamic. But in Week 1 against FCS Albany, he didn’t exactly light it up. Gronowski finished just 8-of-15 passing for 44 yards. No, he didn’t need to do more than that to secure an easy win, but the formula changes a good deal in Week 2 for the Cy-Hawk game against Iowa State. Dating to 2018, Iowa’s starting QBs have combined for a 41.3 Total QBR, 53% completions, one touchdown and four picks in six games vs. Iowa State. — David Hale

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Early rivalry matchups

Iowa at Iowa State: No. 16 Iowa State and Iowa renew their rivalry Saturday in Ames in the 72nd edition of the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series.

The Cyclones, fresh off an 11-win season and a Pop-Tarts Bowl victory, enter with momentum behind quarterback Rocco Becht, who has thrown a touchdown pass in 20 straight games and is coming off an incredible performance against FCS South Dakota, in which he completed 19 of 20 passes. Kicker Kyle Konrardy also entered the record book with the longest field goal in school history — a 63-yard boot to close the first half.

Iowa, meanwhile, cruised through its opener against FCS Albany 34-7, giving up only 177 yards of total offense. Quarterback Mark Gronowski — who started 54 games at South Dakota State before arriving in the offseason — eased into his first game for the Hawkeyes, completing 8 of 15 passes for just 44 yards.

Iowa State has won two of the past three against Iowa but has dropped its past six games in the series in Ames. — Bonagura

Kansas at Missouri: First and foremost, it’s the renewal of a bitter rivalry that has been dormant since the Tigers left the Big 12 for the SEC after the 2011 season. This matchup isn’t the “Iron Bowl” or “The Game,” but college football is better when Kansas and Missouri are playing each other. The Tigers enter with a 56-55-9 advantage in the all-time series as winners in five of the past six matchups between the schools from 2006 to 2011.

As for Saturday, the Jayhawks come to Columbia with a stout veteran defensive line unit led by defensive end Dean Miller and tackles Tommy Dunn Jr. and D.J. Withers. How well can that group limit Tigers running back Ahmad Hardy and attack Missouri’s renovated offensive line will define the 120th edition of the Border War.

It also should be an occasion for the quarterbacks. Sixth-year Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels, who threw three touchdowns in Kansas’ opener against Fresno State, has the chance to claim his latest signature victory in Week 2. Meanwhile, Penn State transfer Beau Pribula meets his first Power 4 opponent since joining the Tigers, facing an unproven Kansas secondary in his second start with Missouri after going 23-of-28 with 283 yards and four total touchdowns in his debut against Central Arkansas last week. — Eli Lederman

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Quotes of the week

“I thought we dominated them in the second half, so he’s really a really good grader for giving himself a 58, or he’s a really hard grader on us,” LSU coach Brian Kelly on Dabo Swinney’s evaluation of the Tigers’ 17-10 win over Clemson. “Or he didn’t see the second half, which, that might be the case. He might not have wanted to see the second half.”

“They outplayed us, outcoached us, and they were just better than we were tonight,” North Carolina coach Bill Belichick said after the Tar Heels’ 48-14 loss to TCU on Monday night. “That’s all there was to it. They did a lot more things right than we did.”

“It means a lot to a lot of people,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said this week on what he wants his players to understand about the significance of the Border War rivalry with Kansas. “It’s a privilege to wear the Mizzou on your chest. And when you wear Mizzou, you represent 6 million people in this state. And that’s just current. Past and present, [too]. I think we’re Team 136, there are some people that felt like there’s just a lot of importance and this is our chance to write our part of the story. We’re going to continue to play this game. So this is just one part of the story, but it’s an important part. You get a chance to be a part of it.”

“I could walk through the jersey. You could open it up, and at 6-4, 280 pounds, I could walk right through it and not touch one side of the thing,” Georgia Tech coach Brent Key said of the oversized jersey Yellow Jackets punt returner Eric Rivers threw on in the first quarter against Colorado in Week 1. “… You will not see that jersey ever again.”

With Oklahoma State redshirt freshman quarterback Zane Flores preparing for his first career start at No. 6 Oregon, Cowboys coach Mike Gundy recalled one of his earliest starts at Nebraska in the fall of 1986: “It was 15 degrees and sleeting … we came out of the locker room and — you know the movie ‘A Christmas Story’ where the kid goes down like this? — that’s how I came out,'” Gundy said before lifting his shirt for reporters. “And when we broke the huddle, Nebraska’s defensive line had their shirts tied up like this. And I thought, ‘This is not good.'”