Instant reaction to developments on the field …

1. Light lineup, heavy drama

Week 2 featured a distinct paucity of marquee games across the region and the country — Oklahoma’s win over Michigan was the only matchup of ranked teams — but there was no shortage of drama, late twists, odd turns and emerging storylines.

From Arizona State’s last-minute loss in SEC country to UCLA’s last-minute misfire in Mountain West country to Oregon State’s (bleeping) meltdown at home, the agony was there for all to see.

So, too, was the joy, as Arizona, Cal, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, Washington and USC produced a series of blowouts that created several stretches of tedium across the day.

And the best way to assess the results, it seems, is with the aid of our way-back machine.

Oh, what a difference a year makes.

2. From high to low

Remember Week 2 of the 2024 season?

That’s when Arizona State overpowered Mississippi State for a 30-23 victory in Tempe that hinted at the success to come and introduced the college football universe to tailback Cam Skattebo, who rushed for 262 yards.

Skattebo was not with the Sun Devils on Saturday night in the Starkville bedlam as they played the role of the hunted. Down 17-3  at halftime, ASU rallied for a three-point lead late in the fourth quarter. But a questionable defensive alignment left the Devils vulnerable to a big play. And sure enough, Mississippi State’s 58-yard touchdown pass with 30 seconds left sent ASU home with a loss.

So much about the program has carried over to 2025, yet everything is different. The Devils rose from the freedom of nothing and now must deal with the pressure of being something.

Week 2 of the 2024 season was when Oregon State traveled to San Diego State and pitched a 21-0 shutout for rookie coach Trent Bray, whose team would win four of its first five games and make the administration look shrewd for promoting the former linebacker to the top post.

Bray is now in his second season, and his program is teetering. The Beavers were smashed at home (by Cal) in their opener, then bumbled their way to a 36-27 loss to Fresno State on Saturday afternoon.

OSU outgained the Bulldogs by 210 yards but made one mistake after another and dropped to 0-2 with the toughest part of the schedule looming. Bray, who cursed during his halftime TV interview — he called OSU’s special teams a “(bleeping) joke” –” looks to be in over his head.

3. From low to … lower

The same could be said of UCLA’s DeShaun Foster, whose second season looks doomed after a blowout home loss to Utah and an embarrassing performance at UNLV.

The Bruins trailed their Mountain West opponent by 23 points in the first half Saturday evening, rallied the second but ultimately lost 30-23. Somehow, UCLA scored just two touchdowns against a Rebels defense that allowed Idaho State to score four (and gain 555 yards).

(We didn’t think the situation could get any worse than the Week 2 result from last season, when the Bruins were run out of the Rose Bowl by Indiana, but it did.)

The Bruins appear to have no answers as their path into the postseason narrows by the week and the heart of the Big Ten schedule (hello, Penn State and Ohio State) approaches..

4. From low to high

In case you had forgotten, Week 2 of the 2024 season was when Utah quarterback Cam Rising collided with a water cooler on the Baylor sideline. The resulting hand injury forced Rising to miss a month and contributed to the Utes’ lost season.

There was no such bad luck Saturday as his successor, Devin Dampier, led the Utes to their second consecutive  blowout, a 63-9 victory over Cal Poly. Through two games, the New Mexico transfer has completed 79.2 percent of his passes, with five touchdowns and no interceptions and 112 yards rushing.

Combine the sizzling attack with their usual granite defense and the Utes look like a Big 12 frontrunner one year after finishing near the cellar.

Week 2 of 2024 was also when Oregon struggled to beat back Boise State in a thriller in Eugene. The Ducks needed two special teams touchdowns to survive and looked nothing like the Big Ten champion they would become.

A year later, zero doubt exists about Oregon’s status as a conference title contender — not after the Ducks demolished Oklahoma State 69-3 on Saturday — a performance so overwhelming it made the Cowboys look like UT Martin. (Not sure what made us think of the Skyhawks.)

With struggling Northwestern and Oregon State on their upcoming schedule, the Ducks should be 4-0 when they visit Penn State for a White Out showdown in late September.

Let’s not forget that Week 2 of the 2024 season was when Arizona mustered just 22 points against NAU and needed a fourth-quarter touchdown to seal the victory. On Saturday, after a lengthy weather delay, the Wildcats scored 24 points in the first quarter against Weber State on their way to a blowout victory.

Quarterback Noah Fifita looks nothing like his 2024 self and everything like the unburdened playmaker he was back in 2023. That’s good news for the Wildcats, whose new coordinators, Seth Doege on offense and Danny Gonzales on defense, have revamped schemes and changed mindsets. Arizona is positioned for recovery under second-year coach Brent Brennan, but the height of the bounce remains to be seen.

Week 2 of 2024 was when Washington’s depth chart featured a backup quarterback named Demond Williams Jr., a gifted freshman who played sparingly for most of the season.

Williams is the starter this fall and has been as good as the hype, if not better. On Saturday, Williams threw for 254 yards and ran for 64 as UW hung 70 points on UC Davis.

The Huskies are idle next weekend, then head to Pullman for the Apple Cup. A victory over Washington State would secure for UW an undefeated record heading into the other Sept. 27 showdown: Ohio State’s visit to Husky Stadium (on the same day Oregon ventures to Penn State).

It’s not yet clear that UW has the size and talent on the lines of scrimmage to seriously contend for the Big Ten title. But their playmaking trio of Williams, receiver Denzel Boston and tailback Jonah Coleman, who scored five touchdowns on Saturday night, is as good as any threesome in the Big Ten.

If you’ll recall, Week 2 of 2024 was when Cal produced a major upset at Auburn with a quarterback (Fernando Mendoza) and offensive coordinator (Mike Bloesch) who are long gone from the program. In their place Saturday for a 35-3 victory over Texas Southern: freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and former Auburn coach Bryan Harsin (although Harsin wasn’t with the Tigers last season).

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Sagapolutele and Harsin have the makings of a formidable tandem, at least when compared to what Cal has produced in recent years — and what the middle of the ACC appears to possess this season.

Combine creative playcalling with a quarterback who can deliver the ball anywhere and a well-drilled defense, and the Bears just might rise to the top half of the ACC (assuming the kicking game is competent, of course).

5. From nothing to something

Another change since Week 2 of last season: The Pac-12 has been rebuilt.

On Sept. 12, 2024, the conference officially added Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State as members, beginning in 2026. (Utah State and Texas State came  later, along with Gonzaga).

They will compete against each other and the two holdovers, Washington State and Oregon State, but the hierarchy is not yet clear. Will the Cougars and Beavers rule the conference or cede ground immediately to the newcomers? The Beavers are spiraling — that much is clear.

The situation in Pullman is a bit muddled. Washington State looked wobbly last week, edging Idaho in coach Jimmy Rogers’ debut. But the Cougars were surprisingly impressive on Saturday night against a soon-to-be peer, San Diego State. Their balanced attack and sturdy defense produced a 36-13 victory that will undoubtedly offer relief to WSU fans who fretted about the close call in the opener.

But Washington State’s schedule is daunting — far more difficult than Oregon State’s. At this point, it’s difficult to envision either Pac-12 holdover becoming bowl-eligible in the second and final transition season.

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