Week Two College Football Recap: Surprising Outcomes Shift Playoff Picture

The second week of college football showcased a mix of unexpected results that shifted the College Football Playoff landscape. The Oregon Ducks, who were seen as contenders alongside Ohio State Buckeyes and Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten Championship race, narrowly avoided a loss to Boise State but then fell to Oklahoma State. Meanwhile, Oklahoma Sooners suffered a defeat against Michigan, managing to secure only 10 points.

Michigan, previously doubted after a close win over Western Michigan, revived its playoff hopes by beating a top-11 SEC team. The Texas Longhorns, in an impressive display, defeated Ohio State, significantly enhancing their playoff resume and increasing their chances for an at-large berth.

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This week’s AP Top 25 rankings mirrored the chaos and highlighted issues with evaluating teams based on the notion that “some wins are better than some losses,” as suggested by figures like Nick Saban.

The rankings for the week include:

• Texas Longhorns
• Georgia Bulldogs
• Notre Dame Fighting Irish
• Indiana Hoosiers
• Miami Hurricanes
• Ohio State Buckeyes
• LSU Tigers
• Ole Miss Rebels
• Texas A&M Aggies
• Alabama Crimson Tide
• BYU Cougars
• USC Trojans
• Texas Tech Red Raiders
• Penn State Nittany Lions
• Tennessee Volunteers
• SMU Mustangs
• Utah Utes
• Iowa Hawkeyes
• Michigan Wolverines
• Missouri Tigers
• Oregon Ducks
• Houston Cougars
• Louisville Cardinals
• Oklahoma Sooners
• Virginia Cavaliers

One clear takeaway is the dominance of wins and losses over factors like scheduling strength. Oklahoma fell 13 spots after their loss to Michigan, despite the tough opponent. Conversely, BYU jumped four spots following a victory over Arizona in Provo. Indiana and Miami ascended in ranks due to successful games against less formidable teams. Ohio State, despite losing narrowly to Texas, a now top team, dropped five spots. The supposed objective to encourage scheduling top-tier teams often goes unremarked.

Ohio State’s narrow loss showcased a well-matched contest. The adjusted scoring margin was zero, proving them almost evenly matched. Yet, their reward for challenging themselves was a rank drop, while teams facing inferior opponents were rewarded.

The lesson? Humans inherently rank based on results, irrespective of claimed fairness measures. Therefore, the playoff selection outlook is reflected in these early-season AP polls. The emphasis remains on not just outcomes, but on-game performance.

For Oregon, the pathway back to the playoff conversation is tough. With games against USC, Ohio State, Michigan, and Washington ahead, their upcoming challenges are formidable. Any further missteps could knock them out of playoff contention early.