If you thought a reasonably tame schedule meant Week 2 wouldn't be loaded with intrigue, college football had different plans.

What a beautiful start to the weekend, huh?

The headliner of Saturday's action didn't really end up being one; Texas annihilated Michigan in a Top 10 showdown. Steve Sarkisian and his Longhorns stomped the reigning champions 31-12 in Ann Arbor.

But a ranked team lost. Two others nearly fell, and there was a 20-point comeback. That all happened during the earliest slate of games before the enormous shocker in South Bend in the mid-afternoon.

We're keeping track of the dramatic day, sharing the biggest storylines and results from around the nation in Week 2.

Winner: Kansas State Survives a Scare

Well, that was a close one.

Tulane knocked off Kansas State two years ago in Manhattan, so the underdogs weren't short on confidence. And midway through the third quarter, the Green Wave had built a 10-point lead on K-State.

Down the stretch, though, the 17th-ranked Wildcats found a few impact plays to survive their trip to Tulane.

Avery Johnson hit DJ Giddens on a wheel route for a 45-yard score to convert a 4th-and-1 and even the game at 20. The teams traded touchdowns before Kansas State linebacker Austin Romaine forced a fumble that Jack Fabris scooped up and returned for a touchdown.

Then, a penalty for offensive pass interference took Tulane's tying touchdown off the board in the closing seconds. Kansas State's VJ Payne sealed the 34-27 victory with an interception.

K-State has a habit of frustrating losses in September, so escaping Tulane is a little extra meaningful for the Big 12 contender.

Loser: Michigan's Horrendous Day

Especially given how much the offense struggled last week, I had minimal expectations for Michigan in Week 2. It always felt unlikely that the Wolverines would be able to hang around with high-powered Texas.

But this? Yikes. Texas steamrolled the Maize and Blue as their offense went nowhere—again and again and again.

It was simply a terrible day in Ann Arbor—for the home team.

Davis Warren threw for 204 yards, but a strong majority happened in garbage time. He tossed two interceptions, and the running game managed just 3.5 yards per carry. Star tight end Colston Loveland lost a fumble that led to the Horns breaking open the game shortly before halftime. Michigan lacked creativity when mobile quarterback Alex Orji handled his scattered snaps in the 31-12 loss.

As if that's not enough, Texas had converted 9-of-12 third downs at one point; U-M's promising defense had a rough day, too.

Michigan looked far from a national contender as Texas picked up a quality road victory for its potential CFP resume.

Winner: Kyle McCord's Hot Start

After a decently productive yet disappointing 2023 season with Ohio State, Kyle McCord entered the transfer portal. He landed at Syracuse, which has been pretty mediocre offensively for a half-decade.

The times may be a-changin' for Cuse.

Georgia Tech, ranked 22nd after defeating Florida State in Week 0, went to Syracuse as a small favorite. McCord, however, propelled the hosts to a 31-28 triumph with another tremendous game.

McCord, who tallied 354 yards and four touchdowns in his debut last Saturday, passed for 381 yards and another four scores.

Syracuse likely won't vault into the AP Top 25 because of the victory, but McCord officially has the Orange on the national radar.

Loser: Sam Pittman's Hot Seat

Entering the season, the nation's hottest seat probably belonged to fifth-year Arkansas coach Sam Pittman. Under his watch, the Razorbacks had mustered a 23-25 record with a peak of 4-4 in SEC action.

That temperature looked like it was about to drop quite nicely on Saturday. Unfortunately, it didn't stay that way.

Arkansas jumped out to a 21-7 lead on 21th-ranked Oklahoma State and continued to play stout defense. But the Pokes chipped away as the Razorbacks' offense went quiet, pulling ahead 31-28 before eventually finishing off a 39-31 victory in double overtime.

Arkansas had chances—so, so many chances. And it wasn't to be.

Pittman won't be fired because of this letdown, but the collapse didn't help his likelihood of a sixth year in Fayetteville.

Winner: Pitt's Furious Comeback

If you didn't have enough screens to keep up with everything during the early window of Week 2 games, I understand. The noon ET window of action provided a stream of seemingly endless drama.

Which is to say: If you didn't see this, strap in.

Cincinnati stormed to a 14-3 advantage on Pitt in the first quarter and extended the margin to 27-6 in the third period. Following that Cincy touchdown, Pitt only had 20 minutes to mount an improbable comeback on the road. As it turns out, that's all the Panthers needed.

Eli Holstein and Konata Mumpfield connected for a pair of scores, trimming the deficit to eight points. Pitt forced a second punt, and Holstein hit Desmond Reid for a 56-yard touchdown. Two failed two-point conversions left the Panthers in a two-point hole, but another defensive stand allowed Pitt to take possession with 2:37 left in regulation.

Aided by one penalty and a 34-yard catch from Mumpfield, the Panthers took a 28-27 lead on Ben Sauls' 35-yard field goal.

Whew. It was a stunning finish in Cincinnati.

Loser: Dave Aranda's Hotter Seat

Perhaps you believe Baylor coach Dave Aranda began the year facing more pressure than Pittman. I won't argue.

But now, there's one undeniable fact: Leaving this week of play, Aranda is the inglorious leader in the hot-seat clubhouse.

During the first half at No. 11 Utah, the Bears mustered 48 offensive yards and trailed 23-3 at the break. Baylor lost a fumble, had a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown and converted zero third downs.

Utah ultimately cruised to a 23-12 triumph, even as quarterback Cam Rising didn't play in the second half due to injury.

Baylor starts Big 12 action in two weeks, and those results will likely shape whether Aranda is back in 2025.

Winner: Iowa State's Rivalry Win

It wasn't pretty. I imagine nobody expected it would be, either.

But after 60 minutes—and the Cyclones needed just about every second—of a hard-fought-game, Iowa State clipped in-state foe Iowa in a dramatic 20-19 rivalry win.

Kyle Konrardy played the hero role, hammering a 54-yard field goal with five ticks remaining to cap a 13-point comeback for the Cyclones. They trailed 13-0 at halftime, but Darien Porter's interception on a dreadful pass from Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara kickstarted ISU's surge.

The defense owned the game in the second half; Iowa State limited the Hawkeyes to 23 yards on their last six possessions.

Iowa State, which is idle in Week 3, should be expected to make an appearance in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2021.

Loser: Notre Dame's Encore

Thanks to an exciting win at Texas A&M, Notre Dame put itself on an appealing path toward the College Football Playoff. It's early, sure, but the Fighting Irish toppled one of the toughest opponents on their schedule.

We may have overlooked the juggernaut that is Northern Illinois.

In a truly stunning result, NIU squeezed out a 16-14 upset behind a stingy defense and Kanon Woodill's game-winning kick.

Notre Dame didn't move the ball particularly well at A&M, but that could be attributed to a solid Aggies' defense, right? That thought, while reasonable at the time, has become a major concern. Saturday, the offense continually bogged down on the fringes of scoring territory.

Riley Leonard averaged 5.1 yards on 32 attempts with two interceptions. The running game managed a modest 4.4 per carry. Overall, the unit managed a single gain of 20-plus yards.

The optimism felt around South Bend following Week 1's outstanding victory has rapidly vanished.

Winner: Illinois Springs the Upset

Last year, Kansas steamrolled Illinois. The lead reached 27 at its peak, and KU recorded a comfortable 34-23 win.

But the Illini had their revenge.

The defense posted four takeaways and a turnover on downs to upset the 19th-ranked Jayhawks 23-17. Xavier Scott returned one of his two picks for a score, and his sack/fumble on the final snap prevented KU from heaving a desperation pass to the end zone as time expired.

It wasn't a glamorous showing from Illinois, which mustered 271 yards of offense and lacked any threat of a running game.

Nevertheless, after plenty of near-misses lately, the Illini beat a ranked opponent for the first time in three seasons.

Loser: NC State's Disasterclass

I mean, you couldn't draw it up much worse.

As the Wolfpack met No. 14 Tennessee, they aimed to snatch an upset that would've registered on the national radar. Instead, the Pack left Charlotte dealing with the frustrations of a 51-10 beatdown.

The worst part is that NC State genuinely competed for about 26 minutes. However, the game changed when the Wolfpack—only trailing 10-3 at the time—watched a Grayson McCall overthrow in the red zone become Will Brooks' 85-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Tennessee controlled every bit of the matchup from there.

Following the pick-six, UT scored on four straight drives and ballooned the lead to 37-3. NC State, meanwhile, barely hit 150 offensive yards and committed three turnovers in the lopsided loss.

The good news? It doesn't sting NC State's spot in the ACC race. The bad news? Play like that against top teams, and it won't matter anyway.

Winner: The Nebraska Hype Train

Nebraska has much to prove for anyone to truly reassess whether the Huskers can compete for a Big Ten crown. But if you don't believe a hype train isn't leaving the station in Lincoln, think again.

That's the nature of having a star freshman QB, my friends.

In reality, NU's defense stole the show opposite Colorado. An early turnover on downs and Tommy Hill's pick-six sparked a commanding 28-10 for the Huskers, who received a 23-of-30, mistake-free night from Dylan Raiola. Dante Dowdell rushed in pair of scores for Nebraska, too.

Colorado star Travis Hunter collected 10 receptions for 110 yards, but nobody else hurt Nebraska. The team ceded just 260 yards and held CU to a 4-of-14 mark on third-down attempts.

Raiola alone was not the "missing piece" for the Huskers, but his presence and a stingy defense are an intriguing combination early on.

Loser: The Oregon Hype Train

On the other hand, Oregon's hype train is slowing to an unceremonious crawl because of two unimpressive wins.

Last weekend, the Ducks trudged to a 24-14 victory over lower-division Idaho. Self-inflicted mistakes—a missed field goal, a fumble, two turnovers on downs—plagued Oregon throughout the ugly win.

It wasn't a whole lot better in Week 2.

Boise State forced a punt on five of Oregon's seven drives in the opening half. Later, the Ducks went from leading 27-20 with a prime opportunity for a double-digit lead to losing fumbles on back-to-back possessions and trailing the Broncos 34-27.

Noah Whittington's clutch kickoff return—and Jayden Limar's extra-clutch heads-up fumble recovery when Whittington inexplicably dropped the ball before crossing the plane—helped save UO. Atticus Sappington hit a winning 25-yard field goal as time expired, too.

I sit here as someone who picked Oregon to earn the Big Ten title and Dillon Gabriel to hoist the Heisman Trophy. I contributed to the hype.

Two games in, the Ducks are nowhere close to matching it.