College football heroes, zeros in Week 2: Texas trending up, Michigan down

Who made the best, and the least, of college football's Week 2 action.

Winners and losers in college football's Week 2 games /

Week 2 of the 2024 college football season brought us some more impactful games across the country, with all teams in the AP top 25 rankings taking part in Saturday’s action, including two matchups involving ranked teams on the same field that could influence the playoff race.

In one of those games, a marquee SEC vs. Big Ten matchup from the Big House, it was decidedly one team that earned ‘contender’ status, and the defending national champion that sunk to the level of ‘pretender,’ at least until it can answer some serious questions at important positions.

What teams emerged as winners and losers in college football’s Week 2 games?

College football heroes, zeros in Week 2

Zero: Notre Dame

Michael Clubb / USA TODAY NETWORK

Congrats to Notre Dame, which paid $1.4 million to Northern Illinois to come into its stadium and beat it, the first time a MAC team defeated an AP top-five ranked team. Ever.

The loss is a blotch on the record of Irish head coach Marcus Freeman, who dropped another game at home to a non-Power team after losing to Marshall two seasons ago.

With that, Notre Dame's playoff chances took a pretty decisive punch to the gut. Expansion leaves more breathing room, but without the benefit of a conference title game to win, the selection committee will harshly judge this result in future.

Hero: Quinn Ewers

Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers attempts a pass during a college football game on Saturday. / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

It might be time to call Ewers the best quarterback in college football, if you weren't doing that already. He went 24 of 36 passing for 246 yards and threw 3 touchdown passes, opening up a 24-3 first-half lead on Michigan, once again saving some of his best stuff for the biggest games.

Since the start of last season, Ewers has played his most concise football against top-10 ranked competition, throwing for 913 yards with seven touchdowns and no interceptions, and finding his groove just as the Longhorns enter the SEC this fall with other big tests to look forward to.

Zero: Michigan

Michigan Wolverines quarterback Davis Warren throws a pass to Colston Loveland in a college football game on Saturday. / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

There is no looking past the fact that the Wolverines have a dire quarterback problem. It's one thing to take a step back after losing so much production from a national title team, but to drop a 19-point decision at home in the fashion this team did bares an enormous deficit at the biggest position.

Michigan didn't get a transfer to replace J.J. McCarthy, instead turning to former walk-on Davis Warren, who has struggled greatly in his initial two starts. Alex Orji has seen limited exposure, but it appears the coaching staff does not yet feel comfortable entrusting him with the full-time role.

Place whatever blame you want on Jim Harbaugh for not creating a better succession plan, but it's on the current Michigan staff for not securing a more competent solution or better developing its in-house options.

Hero: Kyle McCord

Syracuse Orange quarterback Kyle McCord attempts a pass during a college football game on Saturday. / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

The ex-Ohio State quarterback has made the most of his transfer to Syracuse so far, on Saturday leading the Orange to a 2-0 mark after upsetting a ranked Georgia Tech.

McCord threw for a career-high 381 yards and four touchdown passes with no interceptions, giving head coach Fran Brown his first win over a ranked opponent. Dino Babers, his predecessor at Syracuse, went 5-19 against ranked opposition before him.

In two games so far, McCord has 735 passing yards and eight touchdowns, giving the Orange a needed jolt that this offense has been missing, and perhaps emerging as a sleeper in the ACC.

Zero: Penn State

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar attempts a pass during a college football game on Saturday. / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Hopes were high for the Nittany Lions coming off the big win at West Virginia last week, but the Big Ten hopeful's home opener against Bowling Green was way too close for comfort.

Penn State pulled out a close 7-point victory, but some of offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki's decisions will be called into question, like his choice to run the ball on early downs and put the unit into obvious passing situations on third down, where the team finished 2 of 9 converting.

Defensively, a pair of interceptions helped save the day, but the unit allowed Bowling Green to snap PSU's 28-game streak of not allowing a touchdown on the first drive of a game, and the Falcons posted two scores in the first half hour. Other more competent opponents may be able to exploit this defense, which ranked 3rd nationally last season.

Hero: Northern Illinois

This is what it's all about.

NIU's @NIUCoachHammock is overcome with emotion after leading his team to the win at Notre Dame! @NIU_Football | @NIUAthletics | #MACtion pic.twitter.com/K7oS9tsrTC

— #MACtion (@MACSports) September 7, 2024

And by extension, and the MAC. And by extension, college football as a whole. It's always those weeks when you don't think much will happen that history gets made.

Northern Illinois went into No. 5 ranked Notre Dame as 28.5 point underdogs facing 25/1 odds to win the game, and spent the whole 60 minutes frustrating the Irish.

In the process, the MAC won its first-ever game against a top-five ranked team, proving again that if you have the guys and the guts, anyone can win on any given Saturday.

Zero: Kentucky's offense

Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Brock Vandagriff before a play during a college football game on Saturday. / Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Maybe there was a reason Brock Vandagriff never moved up Georgia's quarterback depth chart.

The highly-touted recruit and 2024 transfer fell flat in his debut as UK's starter, going 3 of 10 for 30 yards and a pick while the offense put up just 44 yards in the air and averaged 3 yards per rush.

With the 31-6 loss to South Carolina, the Wildcats fall to 2-7 in head coach Mark Stoops' last nine games at home against SEC competition. Up next? Georgia.

Zero: Arkansas

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green throws a pass during a college football game on Saturday. / William Purnell-Imagn Images

Early on, it looked like the Razorbacks' strong Week 1 performance wasn't a fluke as they opened up a quick two-touchdown lead on the ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys on the road.

That lead lasted until the start of the fourth quarter, when it all came crashing down: three turnovers, including two on downs, a missed field goal, some questionable clock management, and critical penalties late in the game all conspired to lose a game Arkansas was in control of.

This could have been a win, away from home against a ranked College Football Playoff hopeful, that changed the perception around Sam Pittman's tenure at the school. Instead, it serves as a chilling reminder that even a chance like that can be wasted.

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