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While you were sleeping…

No. 7 Oregon needed a walk-off field goal to win Boise State — and Heisman candidate RB Ashton Jeanty — 37-34.

But that was far from the most dramatic outcome we saw on Saturday…

Saturday cracker

Hello, Huskies!

Week 2 brought us perhaps the biggest surprise we will see this season. My home state Northern Illinois Huskies easily defeated No. 5 Notre Dame in South Bend in a 16-14 victory.

To put this disappointment into perspective, let us introduce you to the NIU Huskies:

• NIU QB Ethan Hampton was the nation’s 1,703rd prospect in the Class of 2021. He hails from Elburn, Illinois, a city about 30 minutes from NIU’s campus.
• Since 2000, they have won five times against ranked teams (the first since a 32-27 upset of number 24 Toledo in 2015).
• Thomas Hammock returned to his alma mater as coach in 2019. After going 0-6 in the COVID-impacted 2020 season, Hammock led NIU to a MAC championship in 2021 and its first bowl victory in 12 years in 2023. His emotional postgame interview yesterday left everyone in their feelings.

The Fighting Irish trailed 13-7 at halftime. QB Riley Leonard threw two interceptions, including this brutal one in the fourth quarter that sparked the Huskies’ game-winning drive.

But a major story of the game came from this controversial call, when Northern Illinois was called short on a third-and-2 (it looked like a clear first down to everyone else), forcing the Huskies to attempt a 35-yard field goal (made by kicker Kanon Woodill).

In three seasons, Marcus Freeman has lost at home to Northern Illinois, Marshall and a 3-9 Stanford team. Is it an exaggeration to say he’s on the hot seat? Here’s what our Notre Dame scribe, Pete Sampson, told me:

“It’s an exaggeration to say that Marcus Freeman is on the hot seat today, but it’s not alarmist to wonder out loud where this is all going. Notre Dame was a CFP-or-bust program this season. Now it probably has to win to make it. Next season, the Irish may be rebuilding after a defensive overhaul. Freeman’s inability to win the games he should win — now three times at home as favorites by at least 16.5 points — threatens to undermine his entire tenure. This season should have been one in which Freeman was no longer viewed as a ‘first-time head coach’ at Notre Dame. Instead, it’s been a stark reminder of that fact.”

Pete wrote more about Notre Dame’s status here . And as for Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff hopes? The Irish don’t have a conference title to win. They’re relying on an at-large bid. And their resume just took a major hit.

But Notre Dame wasn’t the only team tested yesterday…

Near misses

Ranked teams looking for surprises

My YouTube TV multiview showed three ranked teams on upset watch at once yesterday. Lesson learned: don’t let a good Week 1 make you too comfortable.

• Arkansas beat No. 16 Oklahoma State to double overtime before the Cowboys won 39-31. It was a strange game that included missed field goals, turnovers, a botched punt and unsportsmanlike conduct from QB Alan Bowman’s finger guns. The strangest of all? The Razorbacks outscored Oklahoma State 648-385 … and still lost.
• No. 17 Kansas State defeated Tulane 34-27 despite trailing early in the fourth quarter. A controversial flag for offensive pass interference stopped the Green Wave’s tying TD with less than a minute to play and ultimately led to a game-ending interception by Kansas State. Tulane coach Jon Sumrall didn’t seem pleased: “I didn’t get a lot of good explanation in the second half from the arbitration,” Sumrall said, according to the Kansas City Star. “It left a lot to be desired. That’s probably all I can say. They were a Big 12 team, in case you were wondering.”
• No. 8 Penn State escaped Bowling Green, 34-27The Nittany Lions defense — which looked like one of the nation’s best last week — gave up more first-half points (24) than in any regular-season game a year ago. They made the right adjustments at halftime to pull out a win, but questions have been raised about how reliable these Nittany Lions will be in big moments.
• A safety in the final game broke a second-half scoring drought for No. 15 Oklahoma and helped the Sooners hold off Houston 16-12.
• 🚨 STORM WARNING IN CHAMPAIGN, ILL. The Fighting Illini defeat No. 19 Kansas 23-17 to start 2-0 for the first time under Bret Bielema (I couldn’t believe it either). Jayhawks QB Jalon Daniels threw three INTs. Illinois State went 5-0 in Division I play on Saturday. (It’s a good thing Western Illinois’ 77-3 loss to Indiana was on Friday.)

Texas Declaration

Michigan’s shortcomings are on full display

No. 3 Texas not succumbed to the Week 2 blues, and easily defeated No. 10 Michigan 31-12 in Ann Arbor. Quinn Ewers proved himself to be the best QB in the country, according to our Chris Vannini. His stats: 24 of 26 passes for 246 yards and three TDs. I haven’t stopped thinking about that particular throw.

Meanwhile, the Wolverines got a rude awakening to what was coming their way. Few expected Michigan to replicate last year’s championship, but the flaws appear to run deeper than roster turnover. Michigan has a particularly big problem at QB, and it’s not the fault of starter Davis Warren. The former walk-on is doing everything he can, but as Wolverines writer Austin Meek put it, “a couple of years of failed recruiting and a lack of quarterback help from the transfer portal have left the Wolverines in trouble.”

Quick Snaps

Utah QB Cam Rises injured his right throwing hand in the No. 11 Utes’ 23-12 win over Baylor. Coach Kyle Whittingham said he did not believe the injury was serious.

No. 21 Iowa gave a masterclass on how to ruin a football match, The Athletics‘s Scott Dochterman wrote after the Hawkeyes suffered a 20-19 loss to rival Iowa State.

No. 25 Clemson responded to his mediocre week 1 on defeated App State 66-20. Where do the Tigers stand in the postseason conversation? Justin Williams shares five things we learned about the CFP race from week 2.

What should have been a battle of the quarterbacks turned into a D-line dominance by No. 14 Tennessee defeated No. 24 NC State 51-10.

Nebraska got what it needed in a decisive way Won 28-10 in return for ColoradoAre the Buffs too broken for Deion Sanders to fix?

In Auburn’s 21-14 loss to CalHugh Freeze once again proved to be a coach who is difficult to trust.

Here you can buy tickets for all American football matches.

For streaming information on Fubo, click here.

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(Top photo: USA Today)