No. 3 Texas stormed back from a 20-point deficit to defeat No. 1 Ohio State 24-23 on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2026, highlighting a chaotic Week 2 across college football where several top-ranked Big Ten programs stumbled and Oklahoma State stunned No. 6 Oregon.
College football’s second week delivered historic upsets and shifting national title landscapes, paced by a dramatic SEC showdown in Austin and an unthinkable turnaround in Stillwater. While the SEC bolstered its reputation at the top, the Big Ten endured a brutal stretch that saw multiple heavyweights fall during non-conference play, according to reporting by The Athletic.
Arch Manning and Texas Stun No. 1 Ohio State in Historic Comeback
The marquee matchup of the regular season lived up to its billing when the Longhorns stormed back from 20 down to take down the top-ranked Buckeyes 24-23. For the first three quarters, Steve Sarkisian’s offense looked entirely stagnant against the vaunted visitor defense, leaving Texas trailing 23-3 as the final period began.
Then the script flipped entirely. Arch Manning guided the offense on methodical scoring drives of 91, 72, and 73 yards, capped off by a pair of touchdowns from Hollywood Smothers. Manning finished the night with 196 passing yards, 22 rushing yards, a touchdown, and an interception, locking himself into early-season Heisman conversations with his clutch play down the stretch.
The victory provides massive momentum for Sarkisian’s program. Since moving to the SEC in 2024, the Longhorns had gone 0-5 against elite standard-bearers Ohio State and Georgia. By erasing a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit against the top-ranked Buckeyes, Texas firmly establishes itself as a prohibitive favorite to claim the national championship.
Oklahoma State Snaps 21-Game FBS Skid Against Sixth-Ranked Oregon
In Stillwater, Oklahoma State ended a dismal 21-game losing streak against FBS opponents in breathtaking fashion, upsetting sixth-ranked Oregon 39-31. The stunning result came just a week after the Cowboys opened their campaign with an uninspired home loss to Tulsa.
Quarterback Drew Mestemaker delivered a historic performance in his first career start against a Power Four opponent. The former North Texas walk-on completed 26 of 43 pass attempts for 317 yards and two touchdowns while adding 109 yards and a go-ahead score on the ground. His stellar afternoon boosted his NFL draft stock directly in front of 20 scouts and two general managers who made the trip to Stillwater.
Conversely, Oregon’s high-powered roster faltered badly as 23.5-point favorites. Dante Moore finished 14 of 29 for 191 yards and two touchdowns, but the Duck offense generated only 281 total yards against an inspired Cowboys unit that piled up 554 yards of total offense.
The Big Ten Suffers a Rough Weekend Against Power Four Foes
Friday brought a warning shot when Nick Saban argued on The Pat McAfee Show that the SEC possesses vastly superior depth compared to the Big Ten. Within 24 hours, both Ohio State and Oregon suffered defeats, while the conference’s broader standing took a significant hit.
Minnesota fell 38-13 to Mississippi State behind a dominant display from sophomore quarterback Kamario Taylor, who threw for 227 yards and three scores while running for 86 more. Elsewhere across the conference, Illinois lost to Duke, Purdue dropped a double-overtime thriller to Wake Forest, and Rutgers fell to Boston College.
When the dust settled on Saturday, the Big Ten finished a dismal 2-5 against nonconference Power Four opponents. Michigan provided a bright spot by defeating 11th-ranked Oklahoma 17-10, and Iowa secured a tight 16-13 victory over rival Iowa State, but the conference’s overall early-season record slumped to 3-6.
