Sports Americana

Week 2 in college football brought blown leads, ranked teams getting knocked off, quarterbacks announcing themselves, and enough fourth-quarter drama to remind us why this sport remains wonderfully incapable of following a script.

And then there was Ohio State.

The Collapse in Austin

The biggest story of the weekend — and perhaps the biggest story of the young season — was Texas coming back from a 23-3 deficit to beat No. 1 Ohio State, 24-23.

For three quarters, the Buckeyes looked like the best team in America.

Then everything changed.

Arch Manning led Texas on three consecutive touchdown drives, the Ohio State offense disappeared, and suddenly the Longhorns were playing for the win. Hollywood Smothers scored the go-ahead touchdown with just 25 seconds remaining.

It was the largest fourth-quarter comeback ever against an AP No. 1 team.

That’s the kind of statistic that usually comes with a few decades of college football history attached to it.

Texas just made it.

And, naturally, the Ryan Day conversation is going to get loud.

Ryan Day and the Fourth Quarter Problem

At some point, this stops being about one bad quarter.

Ryan Day has accomplished plenty at Ohio State. The Buckeyes remain one of the sport’s elite programs, and Day has already won a national championship.

But there is an uncomfortable pattern when the games get tight.

Ohio State has repeatedly found itself in situations where it has control — only to lose control when the pressure reaches its highest point.

Saturday was the most extreme example yet.

Up 23-3, Ohio State couldn’t finish the job. The offense became conservative and couldn’t sustain drives, while the defense eventually couldn’t get off the field. Then came the decision that will be replayed all week.

With Texas at the Ohio State 1-yard line and roughly 1:20 remaining, Day elected to try to stop the Longhorns rather than allow Texas to score quickly and preserve time for a final possession.

Texas eventually scored with 25 seconds left.

Ohio State never got the chance to answer.

That’s the part that will haunt Buckeye fans.

Maybe Day’s defense makes the goal-line stand and everyone calls it brilliant.

It didn’t.

And that’s coaching in college football. Sometimes the decision isn’t judged by the logic behind it. It’s judged by whether it worked.

This one didn’t.

The bigger question isn’t whether Ryan Day is a good coach.

He obviously is.

The question is whether Ohio State can consistently finish against the best teams in the country.

That’s a much harder question to answer.

Oklahoma State Just Blew Up the Oregon Story

If Ohio State’s collapse was stunning, Oklahoma State’s upset of Oregon was downright bizarre.

The Cowboys entered the weekend having lost 21 consecutive games against FBS opponents.

Then they beat No. 6 Oregon, 39-31.

Quarterback Drew Mestemaker threw for 317 yards and two touchdowns while adding 109 rushing yards, and Oklahoma State snapped a 12-game overall losing streak.

That’s not an upset.

That’s a college football fever dream.

Oregon went from looking like a legitimate national championship contender to having a very uncomfortable flight home from Stillwater.

The Ducks dropped 15 spots in the new AP poll, all the way to No. 21.

Welcome to September.

Michigan Looks Like Michigan

After surviving Western Michigan in Week 1 with a second-chance Hail Mary, Michigan was suddenly facing No. 11 Oklahoma.

This time, the Wolverines looked considerably more comfortable.

Michigan defeated the Sooners 17-10 behind Bryce Underwood, who accounted for 198 yards of offense and a touchdown. The Wolverines’ defense then slammed the door late, with Nate Marshall’s sack ending Oklahoma’s final possession.

One week after Michigan looked fortunate to win, it looked like the team everyone expected to see in September.

Funny how quickly the narrative changes.

Georgia Is Doing Georgia Things

Georgia apparently saw all the chaos happening around the country and decided it wanted no part of it.

The Bulldogs destroyed Western Kentucky, 70-20.

Gunner Stockton threw five touchdown passes, Georgia scored on its first seven possessions, and the Bulldogs improved to 2-0 while outscoring their first two opponents 133-23.

At this point, Georgia isn’t exactly making headlines for being interesting.

It’s making headlines for being terrifyingly efficient.

Which, if you’re a Georgia fan, is probably the preferred arrangement.

Notre Dame Looks the Part

Notre Dame also continued its strong start with a 52-0 demolition of Rice.

CJ Carr threw four touchdown passes, the Irish piled up 478 yards, and the defense forced four turnovers without giving the ball away.

After beating Wisconsin in Week 1, Notre Dame is starting to look like a team that doesn’t intend to spend the first half of the season explaining why it belongs in the playoff conversation.

It just wants to win.

The SEC Has Another Good Weekend

Alabama had a strange first half against Kentucky, turning the ball over three times.

Then Alabama remembered it was Alabama.

The Crimson Tide scored 32 unanswered points in the second half and rolled to a 45-17 victory.

Texas A&M also handled Arizona State, while LSU and several other SEC contenders remained unbeaten.

And with Texas now sitting at No. 1, the SEC suddenly has a very familiar look at the top of the sport.

Nine SEC teams are ranked in the latest AP poll, with six in the top 10.

The New College Football Reality

The most interesting thing about this weekend wasn’t simply that Ohio State lost or Oregon lost.

It was how quickly the national picture changed.

Ohio State went from No. 1 to No. 6.

Texas went from No. 4 to No. 1.

Oregon dropped 15 spots.

Michigan jumped back into the Top 25.

Oklahoma fell to No. 24.

And suddenly the first Saturday of September feels like it happened six months ago.

That’s college football.

One Saturday you’re talking about national championship favorites.

The next Saturday you’re asking whether the head coach can close out a game, whether the quarterback is really a Heisman contender, and whether a team that lost 21 straight games just discovered something nobody else knew.

The rankings will change.

The narratives will change.

And, as always, we’ll probably change our minds about everything at least three more times before Thanksgiving.