CFB Week 2 winners, losers: Texas stuns, Michigan and Oklahoma State's exaggerated demises, more

Winner: Boise State Broncos running back Dylan Riley

Memphis-Boise State was billed as having potentially massive implications in the competition for the Group of Six's automatic College Football Playoff berth, and Riley certainly got the memo. He finished the 38-20 home win with 19 carries for a career-high 206 yards as the Broncos avoided a letdown after last Saturday's heartbreaking loss at Oregon.

Loser: Oregon quarterback Dante Moore

This season is quickly becoming disastrous for Moore, who elected against turning pro to run it back at Oregon. Despite being an overwhelming pick among NFL scouts and executives as the top quarterback in the projected 2027 draft class, cracks are surfacing. 

Against Oklahoma State, Moore was a poor 14-of-29 for 191 yards and three total touchdowns. He started 1-of-7 and only had one completion after a 38-yard touchdown at the start of the fourth quarter. After the game, ESPN college football reporter Pete Thamel shared that a "contingent" of NFL scouts was present, only to witness Moore out-dueled by Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker.

Winner: Alabama's rushing offense

No. 12 Alabama may finally have a rushing attack. 

The Tide erased a 17-13 halftime deficit against the Kentucky Wildcats with a dominant second half, eventually winning 45-17. The run game, a non-factor through two quarters, exploded after halftime as Alabama gained 150 yards on 24 carries during the third and fourth quarters. Running back D Hill led all backs with 18 carries for 104 yards, becoming Alabama's first running back to eclipse the century mark since Jam Miller last October.

After Week 2, Alabama has 382 rushing yards this season, more than it had through three games in 2025, when finishing with 104.1 yards on the ground per game. With quarterback Keelon Russell shaky in his first SEC road start, the Tide's newfound running attack was massive. If this were a season ago, Alabama might not have been as lucky.

Loser: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

We hope the $1.9M Western Kentucky received to play at the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs was worth it.

The Hilltoppers were crushed in a 70-20 loss, allowing their most points as an FBS member. As bad as things were, they're unlikely to get better next week when traveling to the defending national champion No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers. But at least they'll be another $1.1M richer.

Winner: Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Kamario Taylor

Only a sophomore, Taylor might be the next big thing in the SEC. In Mississippi State's blowout 38-13 win at Minnesota, Taylor was 16-of-22 for 227 yards and three touchdowns while adding 86 rushing yards on 13 carries.

He got Mississippi State on the board with a 21-yard touchdown pass along the left sideline, then stood in a clean pocket and rifled a pass over the middle of the field for 39 yards on the next possession to set the Bulldogs up with first-and-goal.

Taylor pushed the lead to 28-3 when rolling to his right and firing another precise throw to wideout Anthony Evans III.

He may only be scratching the surface, but Taylor is already demanding our attention.

Loser: Sloppy LSU Tigers

One week after throttling Clemson in Lane Kiffin's opener, LSU was caught looking ahead to a massive trip next Saturday to Ole Miss while playing Louisiana Tech. LSU committed four turnovers in the first half, including a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Overall, the Tigers were also penalized 10 times for 101 yards.

LSU ended up with a blowout 45-14 win and dominated the box score, limiting the Bulldogs to negative-3 rushing yards and outgaining them 528-140 overall. 

But the countless mistakes were troubling, a reminder that the Tigers aren't the well-oiled machine that they appeared to be after Week 1. Without major corrections, Kiffin's return to Oxford could quickly turn into a nightmare.