College football Week 2: 5 teams on upset alert

STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 01: Trace McSorley #9 of the Penn State Nittany Lions looks to pass to Mac Hippenhammer #12 against MyQuon Stout #92 of the Appalachian State Mountaineers and Trey Cobb #45 of the Appalachian State Mountaineers on September 1, 2018 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

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EAST LANSING, MI – AUGUST 31: Brian Lewerke #14 of the Michigan State Spartans throws a first half pass while playing the Utah State Aggies at Spartan Stadium on August 31, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

1. Michigan State Spartans

Rank: 15 | Opponent: Arizona State | Start Time: 10:45 p.m. ET

As was the case with Penn State and, really, with much of the Big Ten entering the season, the hype train surrounding the Michigan State Spartans was indeed real. After they surprised a lot of people last season, there was no way that Mark Dantonio’s group was going to sneak up on anyone in the 2018 college football season. Unfortunately for them, that may have led to the Spartans getting a little ahead of themselves.

Put simply, Michigan State really didn’t look great last week. They fell behind 14-13 midway through the second quarter against Utah State and, while they came back to score 14 unanswered points, it was what happened next that was most troubling. Good teams go on that run and then submit a team like the Aggies. Instead, Sparty let them come back and even take a 31-30 lead with just over five minutes left in the action. Michigan State won, but not without losing some fingernails.

Now the Spartans are heading out west to play Herm Edwards and the Arizona State Sun Devils. Despite all the shade thrown at Edwards and Co. this offseason, this team looked far better than their opponents in Week 1.

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Arizona State did whatever they wanted on offense against UTSA last week. Manny Wilkins threw the ball with easy, wide receiver N’Keal Harry diced the Roadrunners defense and so too did running back Eno Benjamin and Isaiah Floyd. It was an onslaught. And when you factor that into what the Spartans looked like last week, we could see the Sun Devils notch their first big win under Edwards.

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