College Football Week 2 Takeaways

Another week, another Saturday of college football delivering the kind of drama you just can’t script. Week 2 might have looked a little light on heavyweight clashes, but tell that to the fans in Gainesville who watched their No. 13-ranked Gators get stunned by an unranked South Florida team. Chaos, my friends, is why we love college football. Let’s dive into the glorious mess and figure out who’s celebrating and who’s updating their LinkedIn profile.

Is Billy Napier’s Seat Getting Toasty?

Remember that feel-good story at the end of last college football season? Florida rattled off a string of wins, Billy Napier seemed to have righted the ship, and with QB DJ Lagway looking like the future, the Gator faithful were feeling optimistic. Well, about that…

All that positive momentum went up in a puff of smoke on Saturday. The Gators didn’t just lose to unranked South Florida; they got outplayed, out-hustled, and frankly, out-disciplined. You can’t rack up 11 penalties for over 100 yards and expect to win. And for the love of all that is holy, you absolutely cannot have a defensive lineman spit in an opponent’s face during the game’s final drive. That brain-freeze moment from Brendan Bett gifted the Bulls 15 free yards, setting up a chip-shot field goal that sealed Florida’s fate.

This isn’t a one-off, either. Napier’s Gators have now dropped a game to an unranked team in each of his four college football seasons. His record sits at a perfectly mediocre 20-20. In the SEC, “perfectly mediocre” is just another way of saying “your seat is on fire.” The pressure is officially on in Gainesville.

And About That Other Hot Seat… Hello, Brent Pry!

Down in Blacksburg, the folks at Virginia Tech were hoping for some sweet revenge against Vanderbilt. Instead, they got a second-half meltdown of epic proportions. The Hokies looked solid going into halftime, up 20-10 and capitalizing on Vandy’s mistakes.

Then, the wheels didn’t just fall off; they were launched into orbit. The second half was a horror show for Virginia Tech. Vanderbilt scored on every single possession after halftime, except for the final kneel-downs. The Hokies’ offense, meanwhile, decided to take the second half off, mustering a measly 21 yards and a collection of punts and turnovers. Getting outscored 34-0 in a single half, at home, is the kind of performance that gets a coach fired.

For Brent Pry, who is now 16-23 in Blacksburg, this loss felt like a defining moment, and not in a good way. It had the same stench as that ugly loss to Duke back in 2019 that spelled the beginning of the end for Justin Fuente. The coffin is being built, and the nails are being handed out.

How Not to Motivate Your Opponent, By Mike Gundy

Note to all college football coaches: maybe don’t complain about your opponent’s budget the week you’re scheduled to play them. Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy learned this the hard way. He went on his radio show and whined about how much money Oregon spends on its college football program.

Oregon’s Dan Lanning heard those comments, and let’s just say he took it personally. “Some people save to have an excuse for why they don’t win,” Lanning said. Then his Ducks went out and hung a 69-3 beatdown on the Cowboys. They poured it on from the opening whistle, leading 41-3 by halftime.

After the game, Lanning delivered the knockout blow: “It never requires extra motivation for an opportunity to go out and kick a–, but it never hurts when somebody pours gasoline on the fire.” Message received, Coach.

Time To Hit the Panic Button On Clemson’s Offense?

Clemson squeaked by Troy with a 27-16 win, but “squeaked by” is the operative phrase here. For a team that was nearly a five-touchdown favorite, trailing 16-3 at halftime to the Trojans is cause for major alarm. The offense managed just over 300 total yards.

Yes, star Receiver Antonio Williams was out, but the problems seem to run much deeper. After a dismal offensive showing in their opening loss to LSU, this performance confirms that something is seriously wrong in “Death Valley.” The defense can’t bail them out forever. With a tough road game against Georgia Tech looming, Dabo Swinney needs to find some answers, and fast. The Tigers look less like a college football contender and more like a team in the middle of a full-blown identity crisis on offense. College football is in full swing after a week 2 full of surprises.