Okay, it's only Week 2 in college football, but some teams, like the Colorado Buffaloes, are already in must-win situations. Even with the landscape in the sport changing dramatically—where losses aren't quite as detrimental as they once were thanks to the implementation of the new 12-team playoff—wins are not easy to come by, and a season can slip away fast if teams aren't careful.
When you look at the teams below, you'll see it's not just teams that may be winless or coming off a loss. Their Week 2 matchups and need for a victory are judged on a much broader scale.
For example, for teams with brutal schedules, racking up wins early and often is their best bet if they, at the very least, want to hit the six-win mark to make a bowl game and have a somewhat successful season. There are others simply hanging on week to week, with their head coaches’ jobs on the line.
Week 2 is definitely another big week in college football, with some excellent games. However, we're not just looking at matchups that involve Top 25 teams. Again, some of these teams, after just one week, need a win in the worst way. With that said, let's take a look at the teams and their games.
Colorado Buffaloes (1-0)
Opponent: @ Nebraska Cornhuskers
Colorado didn't exactly dominate North Dakota State last Thursday night like most Buffaloes fans hoped they would. The Bison were a tough, physical team that gave Colorado all they could handle, leaving many wondering if this was a prelude to how the rest of the season would go for the new Big 12 members.
Remember, last year, the Buffaloes started off red-hot, going 3-0—one of those against Nebraska—before crashing out and winning just one more game all season. Expectations are for Deion Sanders, in his second year in Boulder, to make a jump and, at the very least, get the Buffaloes bowl-eligible. Looking at the schedule and the way Colorado struggled with the Bison—who, by the way, are an excellent and successful FCS team—wins could be scarce once again if this team doesn't tighten up.
This Week 2 game against Nebraska feels like a must-win for Sanders and Colorado football, who will continue to fight the battle against criticism and skepticism.
Virginia Tech Hokies (0-1)
Opponent: Marshall Thundering Herd
If there was anyone who took Vanderbilt to beat Virginia Tech last weekend, they probably made a good bit of cash. The Hokies entered the 2024 season as a dark horse to compete for the ACC title and make the College Football Playoff, and yet they lost to the SEC's laughingstock team, the Commodores.
Vanderbilt has won just 12 games in five years, winning only two games last year. Half the time, they're forgotten even by SEC loyalists. But they took the Hokies all the way to overtime and then beat them, giving the ACC another loss for the weekend.
Now it's on to Marshall for Week 2, whom Virginia Tech football will host at Lane Stadium on Saturday. Just two seasons ago, the Thundering Herd were a nine-win team. They just beat Stony Brook last weekend 45-3. Hokies head coach Brent Pry now holds a 10-15 record in his third season. Not only that, he has yet to pick up a win over a Power 4 conference school that finishes with a winning record. Even with a win on Saturday, that won't happen for Pry. But still, Virginia Tech and Pry need to find themselves in the win column this weekend.
Florida Gators (0-1)
Opponent: Samford Bulldogs
The Gators were dismantled by the Miami Hurricanes in Week 1—and it happened right in front of the Florida football faithful in The Swamp. Things were so bad that head coach Billy Napier couldn't even open his water bottle in the postgame press conference.
Napier is now 11-15 since coming to Gainesville. The Gators have now lost six straight dating back to last season when they didn't even make it to a bowl game. So, you could say that as hot as it is in Gainesville, Napier's seat is probably scorching by now.
Most will look at the schedule and scoff, saying, “It's Samford, of course Florida should win.” And they wouldn't be wrong. Florida most definitely should win, especially being back at home for the second consecutive week. But you have to think that this team probably sees the writing on the wall and that Napier could be out the door at any time.
The Gators have the most brutal schedule in college football. If they don't pick up a win here, they aren't getting one all season. Samford, an FCS team from the SoCon, is 0-1 to start the season.
Texas Longhorns (1-0)
Opponent: Michigan Wolverines
Texas football is obviously one of the best teams in the country, currently ranked No. 3. While the Longhorns are on the lower end of desperation compared to the rest of the teams listed, they have a lot to prove.
Now as an SEC member, they're considered one of the top-echelon schools in all of college football. They have tons of critics who are just waiting for them to fall, saying they can't handle an SEC schedule. So, if they can't even handle a Big Ten team, how are they going to compete in the SEC?
It's a ludicrous thought process; however, that's college football for you. If the Longhorns were to lose in Week 2, it wouldn't hurt their SEC chances or a chance to make the College Football Playoff. However, it would raise a lot of questions about just how good this year's team is and if they truly can win another national title anytime soon. After all, this is a much different Michigan team than the one that won the national title last season.
Clemson Tigers (0-1)
Opponent: Appalachian State
Dabo Swinney can keep his good-ole-boy, nothing-bothers-him approach all he wants, but it's pretty evident that things are getting a little tense at Clemson. The Tigers already had some questioning if they were really back to competing with the elite of the sport after going 9-4 last season.
It wasn't a good start when Georgia pummeled Clemson football in the season opener, where the Tigers scored just three points all game. Now, a team in the Mountaineers comes into Death Valley with a historical reputation for upsetting ranked teams in their own buildings. Swinney and the Tigers need to come out swinging in Week 2 and walk away with not just a win, but a decisive one at that.
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