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Five takeaways from Week 2 of college football

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer. Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Five takeaways from CFB Week 2: OU is back, Oregon is dangerous and Billy Napier is feeling the heat

By Chris Peterson | Last updated Sep 7, 2025 12:51 PM ET

The second week of the college football season was supposed to be a little more mellow.

There was only one top-25 matchup. Yet, college football never disappoints, delivering upsets, wild finishes and crazy fan overreactions. Looking back at college football Week 2, here are five major takeaways, including two marquee head coaches who are feeling the heat.

Oklahoma is back

The Sooners announced themselves as College Football Playoff contenders after a 24-13 win over Michigan that wasn't as close as the final score indicated. John Mateer accounted for 344 total yards and three touchdowns. He did have one interception, but he looked like a Heisman candidate.

Brent Venables' defense made Bryce Underwood look like a freshman, and most impressively, the Sooners pushed around the Wolverines in the trenches. It was just one game, but it feels like Oklahoma could finally have a breakthrough season under Venables.

USF is in a strong position for the College Football Playoff

South Florida isn't guaranteed a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Bulls would still need to win the American Conference; however, if they do that, it's hard to see any other Group of Five team having a better resume.

Not only did South Florida roll Boise State in Week 1, but the Bulls also won in the Swamp on Saturday night. That's two wins over ranked teams in back-to-back weeks.

NICO GRAMATICA WITH THE GAME-WINNER IN THE SWAMP‼️

SOUTH FLORIDA STUNS NO. 13 FLORIDA pic.twitter.com/heS0B24tv0
— ESPN (@espn) September 7, 2025

South Florida should be ranked on Monday, and as long as it takes care of business in its conference, which it appears capable of doing, it will be headed to the College Football Playoff.

Billy Napier is on the hot seat, officially

Florida fans are fed up. The Gators got their five-star quarterback, and Billy Napier was supposed to have everything needed to get Florida in the College Football Playoff for the first time.

Yet, QB Byrum Brown of USF totaled 329 total yards (66 on the ground). He also got the Bulls in position for a game-winning field goal.

The look on Napier's face afterward told the story. DJ Lagway threw for 222 yards but ran for just nine. He was outplayed just like Napier was outcoached. Napier still has time to save his job, but patience is wearing thin.

Sherrone Moore could start feeling the heat

Michigan's head coach isn't on the hot seat. However, Michigan fans are getting restless. Moore's first season on the job was a forgettable one, outside of the ending. He earned some goodwill with the win over Ohio State.

Yet, on Saturday night in Norman, many of the issues that hurt Michigan in 2024 resurfaced. The offensive line struggled. The play-calling was unimaginative, and the defense couldn't get off the field on third down.

Michigan felt overmatched, not like a team capable of competing for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Moore isn't on the hot seat. He's not close, but if there are more performances like that one by Michigan, the criticism will only ramp up.

Oregon looks better than ever

Maybe the most important big-picture takeaway is that Oregon looks even better than last season. The Ducks beat Oklahoma State like it was a D2 program (69-3). Oregon passed for 319 yards and ran for 312. Each of its top two backs had runs that covered more than 50 yards.

Dante Moore was flawless, completing 16 of 21 passes for 266 yards and three touchdowns. The defense dominated, too, with two sacks, two takeaways and just 211 yards allowed. The rest of college football better watch out because the Oregon Ducks are for real.

Chris Peterson

Chris is a sports fanatic with 20 years of sports writing experience. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, FanSided and Yardbarker. He’s covered the NFL, high school sports and everything in between.

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