Some results from Week 1 set the stage for an epic season in college football. Some other programs rely on the hype and expectations of their FCS opponents to hit the turbo button.
Week 2 offers teams the opportunity to change or reinforce those narratives against tougher competition, which includes in-state battles, reignited rivalries, frustrating specials and top-10 tilts in the Big House.
Honorable mentions: BYU at SMU (Friday), No. 23 Georgia Tech at Syracuse, No. 11 Baylor at Utah, South Carolina at Kentucky, Michigan at Maryland, Kansas State at No. 19 Illinois, Oregon The state is in San Diego.
(All spreads sourced from BetMGM; click here Live odds. All kickoff times are Eastern Time and Saturday unless otherwise noted.
10. USF (1-0) No. 4 Alabama (1-0), 7 p.m., ESPN
Before anyone complains in the comments about the wide spread, remember that in the same game last season — when the Tide won 17-3 in Tampa and the sky fell on Bama fans — the spread was 34.5 point. I’m not saying Tuscaloosa will repeat its mistakes, but this game can be viewed in the context of everything that has changed for the Tide since the last meeting, when quarterback Jalen Milroe was benched, People are openly wondering if Nick Saban was washed up.
Now, Milroe is a Heisman contender, and Saban (very unwashed) sat next to Pat McAfee on Saturday morning. Also credit to USF. The program has made significant progress under second-year coach Alex Golesh and has its own dynamic quarterback in Byrum Brown. A year from now, I’ll be watching to see how the Crimson Tide, led by Milroe and Karen DeBoer, fare against the Bulls.
Line: Alabama -30.5
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9. UTSA (1-0) at Texas State (1-0), 4 p.m., ESPNU
This is an I-35 competition between two of the top contenders in the Group of 5. Both had impressive wins in Week 1, but were picked second in their respective preseason conference polls and have a chance at G5 College if the rest of the season goes their way. Football Playoff berth. Led by coach G.J. Kinne and quarterback Jordan McCloud, Texas State is my pick as a preseason playoff sleeper from the Sun Belt, but the Bobcats need to win over Jeff Traylor and The Roadrunners, who have their own ambitions in the AAC, own five straight wins in the tournament. If those stakes weren’t enough, Ginn played quarterback for Traylor his senior year in high school — and their relationship goes even deeper than that.
Line: Texas -1.5
8. No. 17 Kansas State (1-0) vs. Tulane (1-0), noon, ESPN
K-State easily defeated its FCS opponents last week while showing off its running game, gaining 283 yards on 9.1 yards per carry. After several ACC favorites were eliminated, the path to the 12-team playoff slate for both Big 12 programs appears to be wider, which definitely favors the Wildcats. But facing Tulane on the road is a tall order after the Green Wave defeated its own FCS opponent in the debut of redshirt freshman quarterback Darian Mensah. Reminder: Two years ago, Tulane beat Kentucky State in Manhattan, the same Wildcat team that went on to win the Big 12 title.
Line: Kansas -9.5
7. Appalachian State (1-0) at No. 25 Clemson (0-1), 8 p.m., ACC Network
Are the Tigers on edge? I’m not ready to predict this yet, but App State does have a history of beating big guns, most recently beating No. 6 Texas A&M on the road in 2022. It was solid in the Week 1 win, with quarterback Joey Aguilar passing for 326 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Clemson’s poor performance against Georgia and subsequent anti-Dabo rhetoric have made the Tigers a must-see opponent for any opponent with a pulse. App State certainly qualifies.
Line: Clemson -17.5
The Pokes performed well against admirable South Dakota State — like a top-20 team should — running back Ollie Gordon II Following in his footsteps in 2023, rushing for 126 yards and three touchdowns. Can Oklahoma State show the same commitment to its SEC opponents? After Arkansas’ 70-0 rout in Week 1, any talk of Sam Pittman being a hot topic was put on hold while Boise State transfer quarterback Tyron Green The team looked good in their debut. But this matchup in Stillwater — the resurgence of a regional rivalry that has been dormant since 1980 — should provide a clearer idea of what to expect from both teams.
Line: Oklahoma State -7.5
5. Colorado (1-0) at Nebraska (1-0), 7:30 p.m., NBC
Another new rivalry, one from the old Big 12 (and Big 8) era, now once again comprised of Big 12 teams. Travis Hunter scored three touchdowns and Shedeur Sanders threw for 445 yards, and after Colorado’s win over North Dakota State last week, Coach Prime became Post-game headlines. But the most anticipated thing about this game may be Nebraska true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola. The five-star recruit fueled the hype by going 19-for-27 for 238 yards and two touchdowns in the Cornhuskers’ 40-7 win over UTEP. Now he faces a Dallas defense that gave up 449 yards to NDSU, and he’s at the helm of a Nebraska team that will look to add to last year’s 36-14 loss in Boulder Revenge for defeat.
Line: Nebraska -7.5
4. Boise State (1-0) No. 7 Oregon State (1-0), 10 p.m., Peacock
The jury is still out on the Ducks, who dropped from No. 3 to No. 7 in the AP poll after beating FCS Idaho 24-14 last weekend (Oregon won by 49.5 points). The Ducks completely dominated the scoring, with quarterback Dillon Gabriel completing 41 of 49 passes for 380 yards. But missed shots, dropped balls and a few failed fourth-down attempts kept the game close and gave Oregon State some doubt. Boise State won a shootout with Georgia Southern 56-45 in a game that had 1,112 yards of combined offense, including 267 yards rushing and six touchdowns by the Broncos’ running backs Ashton Jeanty (your team happened to draft him) CompetitorHeisman Draft). If the Ducks can get their act together, I’d bet on the high ball (61.5 points) in this game.
Route: Oregon-19.5
3. No. 14 Tennessee (1-0) at No. 24 North Carolina (1-0), 7:30 p.m., ABC
For those paying attention to the Duke-Mayo Classic, Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava was also included on the list of players with much hype in Week 1. The Jersey freshman completed 22 of 28 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns in a blowout win over Chattanooga that left the Knoxville faithful fuming. Tennessee finished with 718 yards of total offense. Transfer quarterback Grayson McCall from Coastal Carolina also looked pretty good in his debut at North Carolina, but the Wolfpack struggled against Western Carolina Poor performance in the game, falling behind entering the fourth quarter, and eventually scored 21 points. NC State won’t have the same luxury against an early performance from another high-octane offense in Tennessee.
Line: Tennessee -7.5
2. Iowa State (1-0) No. 21 Iowa (1-0), 3:30 p.m., CBS
Cy-Hawk series haven’t been very scoring lately, and that could be the case again, despite the Hawkeyes scoring 40 points in their first game under new offensive coordinator Tim Lester. The over/under ratio is 35.5, and the last time the Cy-Hawk duo scored more than 45 points was Iowa State’s 44-41 overtime win in 2017. Another high-stakes melee between rivals. The Cyclones defeated North Dakota State in smart fashion, but they need to run the ball better against Iowa’s defense, as Illinois allowed just 189 total yards. Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz returns to the sideline after serving a one-game suspension. Iowa has defeated Iowa State in seven of its past eight games.
Line: Iowa-3
1. No. 3 Texas (1-0), No. 10 Michigan (1-0), noon, Fox
“Kick-off at noon” Head to Ann Arbor for a noble heavyweight match. Michigan held Fresno State behind by six points in the fourth quarter before shutting the door, but it needed more from a new offense that failed to top 300 yards and scored on the team’s three touchdowns. Only achieved 2 times in the formation. Starting quarterback Davis Warren struggled, and running back Donovan Edwards never regained his spark. The Wolverines had to figure it out against a Texas team that swept Colorado State 52-0, including 260 yards from Vansville’s own secondary, Quinn Ewers, and 3 touchdowns. Last year, the Longhorns beat Alabama on the road in Week 2 to reach the playoffs. Michigan has a chance to prove its credentials in the national championship game.
Line: Texas-7.5
(Photo by Donovan Edwards: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
