Texas Stuns Ohio State as Upsets Define Wild College Football Weekend

Week 2 of the 2026 college football season delivered its first major shakeup of the national championship picture, with No. 1 Ohio State and No. 6 Oregon both suffering losses Saturday.

Major Upsets

Here’s a look at some of the week’s biggest upsets.

Texas Wins in Comeback

The biggest game came in Austin, where No. 4 Texas erased a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Ohio State 24-23. The Buckeyes appeared firmly in control after taking a 20-3 halftime lead and extending their advantage to 23-3 in the third quarter. Texas quarterback Arch Manning then helped engineer three fourth-quarter touchdown drives, with Hollywood Smothers scoring from one yard out in the closing seconds to complete the comeback. Manning finished with 196 passing yards and a touchdown, while Smothers rushed for 74 yards and two scores. Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin threw for 278 yards, but his final pass was intercepted as Texas completed the upset. The comeback was the largest fourth-quarter rally to defeat an AP No. 1 team, according to Sportradar. The result should produce a new No. 1 when the next rankings arrive, but Ohio State wasn’t the only highly ranked team to stumble.

Oklahoma State Tops Oregon

Oklahoma State produced an even bigger betting upset by beating No. 6 Oregon 39-31. The Cowboys entered as approximately 23.5-point underdogs after losing 24-10 to Tulsa in Week 1. Instead, Oklahoma State accumulated 554 yards, with quarterback Drew Mestemaker throwing for 317 yards and two touchdowns while adding 109 rushing yards and another score.

Michigan Bounces Back

Michigan also delivered an upset after barely escaping Western Michigan in its opener. The Wolverines defeated No. 11 Oklahoma 17-10 behind a strong defensive performance and 87 rushing yards from quarterback Bryce Underwood.

Key College Football Results

• No. 4 Texas 24, No. 1 Ohio State 23: Texas entered as a 1.5-point favorite and covered by the narrowest possible margin. The 47 combined points also stayed Under the 49.5-point total.
• Oklahoma State 39, No. 6 Oregon 31: The Cowboys didn’t merely cover as 23.5-point underdogs; they won outright. The 70 combined points easily cleared the pregame total of 54.5.
• Michigan 17, No. 11 Oklahoma 10: Michigan entered as a 4.5-point home underdog but won outright. The defensive battle also finished comfortably Under the 43.5 total.
• No. 12 Alabama 45, Kentucky 17: Alabama was favored by roughly 10 points and pulled away after halftime, scoring 32 unanswered second-half points.
• No. 18 Tennessee 45, Georgia Tech 24: Tennessee covered a spread that had been around 11.5 to 13.5 points. The Volunteers generated 447 yards of offense and committed no turnovers.
• No. 20 Utah 43, Arkansas 10: Utah comfortably covered an approximately 11.5-point spread. The Utes piled up 442 yards while holding Arkansas to 10 points.

Elsewhere, No. 2 Georgia crushed Western Kentucky 70-20, No. 3 Notre Dame blanked Rice 52-0 and No. 10 Texas A&M defeated Arizona State 48-20. Alabama’s 45-17 win over Kentucky also provided an impressive opening statement in SEC play.

Betting Recap

The weekend was another reminder of the volatility surrounding early-season college football betting at sportsbooks like DraftKings and BetMGM. Oklahoma State produced the most dramatic example. A bettor backing the Cowboys +23.5 never needed the points, while an outright Oklahoma State moneyline wager would have delivered one of the largest returns of the young season. Michigan offered another valuable underdog result. Oklahoma had been favored by 4.5 to 5.5 points during the week, but the Wolverines’ defense changed the matchup and held the Sooners to only 10 points. Favorites performed considerably better elsewhere. Alabama, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Utah all won comfortably enough to cover their pregame spreads, while Texas survived a dramatic finish and narrowly covered against Ohio State. With Oregon and Ohio State both losing, futures markets for the national championship and College Football Playoff should also see adjustments. Texas now has one of the season’s strongest résumé victories, while Oklahoma State’s massive upset provides an early warning against assuming large favorites will cruise through September.