College football takeaways: Everything to know about Week 2 performances - ESPN

Well, Week 2 didn't go the way a few top-25 teams thought it would. Notre Dame's shocking, last-minute loss to Northern Illinois jeopardized the Irish's playoff hopes, a top-10 Oregon team barely beat Boise State at home, and Cal joined Miami as the two ACC schools with the biggest nonconference wins of the early season.

Can things turn around for Notre Dame after this weekend's tough loss? How can Oregon improve its line play after losing key players to the NFL and injuries? Can Cal improve its run game while staying dominant on defense?

Our college football experts break down key takeaways from Week 2 performances.

Everyone take a deep breath. The Notre Dame loss to Northern Illinois was devastating to the Irish's playoff hopes. It was a bad loss, and there's no sugar-coating it. The same can be said for Michigan's embarrassing home loss to Texas. Neither team looks worthy of a playoff spot, but that doesn't mean the picture can't change. Especially in a 12-team format that's brand new to everyone — including the 13 committee members tasked with ranking the teams.

The question is how much better Notre Dame and Michigan can be — if they can prove to the committee, they're worth a spot. For the independent Irish, their only path is one of the seven at-large bids. Not only do they need to play significantly better, they need to run the table and beat some ranked opponents along the way so that their resumé and performances are better than other one-loss contenders. Strength of schedule is imperative for playoff teams, but both Notre Dame and Michigan need to worry more about looking the part, no matter which teams they face. — Heather Dinich

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