Week 2 • 2026
QUOTE OF THE WEEK “We keep talking as a program, we’re not playing to the scoreboard, we’re playing to the standard, and I think we’re starting to understand that.” - Penn State Head Coach Matt Campbell on his team’s mindset following its 45-0 win over Marshall
TEAM TO WATCH
TEAM OF THE WEEK
Despite a nearly two-hour delay caused by a power outage at Doak Campbell Stadium, No. 19 SMU opened its season with a 27-24 victory over Florida State in Tallahassee.
UMass stunned the college football world with its 37-21 upset at Rutgers, snapping a 16-game losing streak and earning the team’s first victory since October 26, 2024. The win also marked the Minutemen’s first win over an FBS opponent since defeating Army on October 28, 2023, and their first over a Power Four opponent since joining the FBS.
SMU
Heisman candidate quarterback Kevin Jennings completed 26-of-36 passes for 430 yards and three touchdowns, while wide receiver Yannick Smith posted five catches for 107 yards and a touchdown. With the game tied at 24, SMU orchestrated a nineplay, 71-yard drive that ended with Nick Reed’s 20-yard field goal with 21 seconds remaining. The Mustangs committed four turnovers but overcame their mistakes with 585 yards of total offense. SMU is just two seasons removed from a College Football Playoff and ACC Championship Game appearance. The Mustangs are 15-2 in conference play since joining the ACC in 2024 and 13-2 in their last 15 road conference matchups. SMU will continue its pursuit of a playoff berth when it hosts UC Davis on Saturday, September 12, at 1:00 p.m. PHX on ACCNX.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER // 2026
UMASS
After surrendering a touchdown on Rutgers’ opening possession, UMass responded with 30 unanswered points behind quarterback William Watson III. The senior transfer from Virginia Tech completed 19-of-22 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns and added 60 rushing yards in his UMass debut. His efficient performance earned MAC Offensive Player of the Week honors. The Minutemen defense forced four turnovers, including three interceptions and a fumble, and held Rutgers to 30 rushing yards on 25 carries. UMass seeks its first win streak since 2023 when it hosts Sacred Heart on Saturday, September 12, at 12:30 p.m. PHX on ESPN+.
Week 2
GAMES TO WATCH #23 MISSOURI AT KANSAS
9.11 // 5:00 P.M. // FOX
ARIZONA STATE AT #10 TEXAS A&M
AP WEEK 2 RANKINGS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Ohio State Georgia (+1) Notre Dame (+1) Texas (+1) Indiana (+1)
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Oregon (-4) Miami LSU (+3) Ole Miss Texas A&M (-2)
For the full AP Top 25 Rankings, click here.
9.12 // 9:00 A.M. // ABC
#11 OKLAHOMA AT MICHIGAN 9.12 // 9:00 A.M. // FOX
ARIZONA AT #15 BYU
9.12 // 12:30 P.M. // FOX
IOWA STATE AT #21 IOWA
9.12 // 4:30 P.M. // NBC
For a full schedule of Week 2 games, click here. (All times in PHX)
GAME OF THE WEEK #1 OHIO STATE VS. #4 TEXAS
Two college football heavyweights collide in Austin with major CFP implications as topranked Ohio State travels to No. 4 Texas in one of the year’s most anticipated regularseason matchups. Ohio State defeated Texas, 14-7, in last year’s season opener in Columbus. Both teams enter this showdown after dominant Week 1 victories. The Buckeyes routed Ball State, 56-3, behind Jeremiah Smith’s eight catches for 151 yards and two touchdowns, while the Longhorns cruised over Texas State, 59-7, as Heisman hopeful Arch Manning threw for 306 yards and four touchdowns. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. PHX on Saturday, September 12, on ABC.
2026 BOWL PREDICTIONS CFP QUARTERFINAL at Vrbo FIESTA BOWL
CACTUS BOWL
ESPN Bonagura – No. 7 Miami vs. No. 2 Notre Dame
ESPN Schlabach – Nebraska vs. UCF
Sports Illustrated – No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 8 BYU
Sports Illustrated – Wisconsin vs. Cincinnati
College Football News – No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 4 Miami
College Football News – Illinois vs. Iowa State
Pro Football Network – Georgia vs. Texas
Pro Football Network – Michigan vs. TCU
Athlon Sports – No. 4 Notre Dame vs. No. 5 Indiana
Athlon Sports – Illinois vs. West Virginia
Week 2
COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER // 2026
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
MALACHI TONEY Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney took over in the team’s dominant 45-6 road victory over Stanford, recording 12 receptions for a program-record 234 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Eddie Brown set the previous school record of 220 yards against Boston College in 1984. The true sophomore was named ACC Wide Receiver of the Week and is the first FBS player to record 200 or more receiving yards in a game this season, establishing himself as one of the nation’s most explosive playmakers. Toney helped Miami defeat Ole Miss in last season’s CFP Semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, recording five catches for 81 yards and a timely touchdown as the Hurricanes advanced to their first national championship since 2002. Toney and the Hurricanes take on Florida A&M in Miami’s home opener on Thursday, September 10, at 5:00 p.m. PHX on ACC Network.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
TRINIDAD CHAMBLISS – OLE MISS
DANTE MOORE – OREGON
Fiesta Bowl alumnus Trinidad Chambliss led Ole Miss
Dante Moore rose to the occasion in Oregon’s 34-27
past No. 24 Louisville, throwing for 336 yards and
win over Boise State, completing 28-of-37 passes for
three touchdowns while adding another 60 yards and
a career-high 378 yards and three touchdowns. This
a score on the ground. Chambliss recorded his ninth
marked the third time Moore has thrown for at least
career 300-yard passing game, which ranks seventh
300 yards and three touchdowns in a game. After
in program history behind Eli Manning’s 10. He led
the Ducks trailed by 10 points with just over a minute
the offense to three scoring drives for 17 points in
left in the first half, Moore responded by leading six
the fourth quarter, including a two-minute drill that
consecutive scoring drives for 27 points, accounting for
covered 40 yards and set up the game-winning field
all three touchdowns.
goal.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER // 2026
Week 2
BIG NEWS The Cactus Bowl enters an exciting new era with a fresh rebranding rooted in its Arizona heritage. The game will feature Bowl Season’s only Big Ten vs. Big 12 matchup and is set for 5:30 p.m. MST on Saturday, December 26, in its grand return to Mountain America Stadium. As we eagerly await kickoff in Tempe, we’re bringing you weekly game highlights, player reports and other updates from the two conferences. Here’s the BIG news heading into Week 2:
BIG TEN
BIG 12
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The Big Ten dominated in Week 1, posting a 16-2 record with 11 wins by three or more scores. USC, Penn State and Iowa each posted shutouts, combining to outscore their opponents 124-0
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The Big 12 brought the fireworks in Week 1, going 13-2 while producing six 50-point performances. Arizona State, BYU, Kansas, Kansas State, UCF and Utah each reached the milestone, with the six teams combining for 394 points
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USC quarterback Jayden Maiava earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors after completing 23-of-25 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns. Penn State defensive end Caleb Bacon and UCLA defensive back Ta’Shawn James shared Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors. Bacon tallied six tackles, including three for loss, and a sack, while James recorded two interceptions and eight tackles in his debut with the Bruins
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In a weekend defined by offensive firepower, the Big 12 recognized standouts Arizona State quarterback Cutter Boley and West Virginia running back Cam Cook with Offensive Player of the Week honors. Boley completed 21-of-27 passes for 387 yards and six touchdowns, while Cook rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns
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Colorado opened the season with an exhilarating 14-13 road victory over Georgia Tech. With just under two minutes remaining down by six, sophomore quarterback Julian Lewis commanded a 75-yard drive that was capped with a 20yard touchdown pass to tight end Charlie Williams with 37 seconds remaining to put the Buffaloes on top. Colorado defensive back Boo Carter then blocked Georgia Tech’s game-winning field goal attempt to secure the dramatic Week 1 victory
•
Defending national champion Indiana extended the nation’s longest active winning streak to 17 games with a 52-16 victory over North Texas. The Hoosiers jumped to No. 5 in this week’s AP Top 25, only behind No. 1 Ohio State in the conference
HOT TAKES “Virginia Tech will finish the season ranked. James Franklin is off to a fresh start with VT and is on a mission to make Blacksburg one of the most feared places to play again. They will have a few tests this season, most notably at Miami and at SMU. I think James Franklin will turn some heads this year as they take a step closer to a CFP berth.” - Tommy M., Indiana “Gunner Stockton wins the Heisman, leading Georgia to an undefeated record and another national championship.” - Dylan F., Georgia CLICK HERE to submit your hot takes for a chance to be featured in next week’s edition!
Week 2
COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER // 2026
NEWS IN THE FOUNDATION COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT FIESTA SPORTS FOUNDATION AND BHHS LEGACY FOUNDATION MARK THIRD YEAR OF AED ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WITH RECORD IMPACT ACROSS ARIZONA SCHOOLS TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF QUARTERFINAL AT THE Vrbo FIESTA BOWL ON DECEMBER 30 As the anticipation for another thrilling season of college football builds, tickets for the 2026 College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl are now on sale. The road to the CFP National Championship runs through Arizona as the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl hosts a CFP Quarterfinal on December 30, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. MST. As the only football game played that day, the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl will stand alone as the centerpiece of the football experience for fans across the country. Game tickets and premium experiences for the CFP Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl are available by visiting fiestasportsfoundation.org/tickets, calling 480.350.0911 or emailing tickets@fiestasports.org. Those interested in premium experiences may contact 602.480.9004 or premium@fiestasports.org.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER // 2026
Continuing its statewide effort to fill a critical safety gap on Arizona school campuses, Fiesta Sports Foundation, in partnership with BHHS Legacy Foundation, completed its third year of the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Assistance Program, delivering its largest impact to date. This year, 43 schools across four school districts received AED equipment and certified training. The program donated 50 AEDs, trained 81 staff members as certified CPR/AED instructors, and will result in 4,860 staff members becoming CPR/AED trained, benefiting approximately 37,000 students and 5,000 teachers. Interested schools who would like to receive benefits from the AED program in future years may complete an interest form here.
Week 2
CFP QUARTERFINAL AT THE Vrbo FIESTA BOWL DECEMBER 30, 2026
CACTUS BOWL
DECEMBER 26, 2026
F I E S TA S P O R T S F O U N D AT I O N . O R G /FIESTABOWL
Week 2
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@THECACTUSBOWL
COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER // 2026