Tom Fornelli's CFP Vibe Check, Week 2: The SEC strikes back and the Big Ten's playoff grip is slipping — SkimNews
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- SEC opened the season 8-2 against Power Four opponents and went 5-2 in non-conference Power Four games this weekend, making it the only Power Four league with a winning record against its peers.
- Texas rallied from a 23-3 fourth-quarter deficit to stun Ohio State 24-23 in Austin, the signature win coach Steve Sarkisian had been missing since declaring the Longhorns "back" at Alabama in 2023.
- Mississippi State dismantled Minnesota 38-13 on the road, Tennessee beat Georgia Tech 45-24 in Atlanta, and Texas A&M closed out Arizona State 48-20 with a dominant fourth quarter, offsetting Oklahoma's loss to Michigan.
- Big Ten powerhouses are wobbling: Ohio State still faces road games at Iowa, Indiana and USC plus home dates with Oregon and Michigan, and Oregon was outgained 554-281 in a 39-31 home loss to Oklahoma State.
- Notre Dame crushed Rice 52-0 but faces a scheduling double-edged sword — a 10-2 finish without a marquee win could leave the Irish outside the top 12, as it did last year.
- Texas Tech allowed 472 yards and 6.6 yards per play in beating Oregon State 35-24, trailing 24-21 late in the fourth before scoring two touchdowns in the final seven minutes to escape.
- Boise State rolled Memphis 38-20 with 357 rushing yards — Dylan Riley going for 206 on 19 carries — to establish itself as the early Group of Six playoff favorite.
Why it matters: The SEC's 8-2 Power Four-vs-Power Four record gives it the strongest at-large résumé of any league, and the Big Ten's early stumbles — Ohio State and Oregon both already with losses — mean fewer Big Ten at-large slots and a clearer path for Notre Dame and Group of Six contenders like Boise State.
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