College football schedule Week 2 picks and predictions for every Top 25 game
College football schedule for Week 2 features two marquee games and we’ve got college football picks and predictions for every Top 25 game.
Week 1 looked like it would be one of the best opening weeks in recent memory. Now that the dust has settled, we’re all left with one giant question: can Kansas keep the magic going?
There are some other minor questions left in this let-down week of mostly tune-up games. Is Oregon a legit team out of the Pac 12? (Probably not.) Did their near loss in Week 1 wake up Iowa State? Why does beating the No. 12 team make you the No. 11 team? If we keep naming games after mayonnaise, will we keep getting boring defensive battles?
All great questions. Some might be answered this week.
College football Week 2 schedule and predictions
Predicted winner in bold
Friday, Sept. 10 (7:30 p.m. ET)
Kansas at No. 17 Coast Carolina
Saturday, Sept. 11 (12:00 p.m. ET)
No. 12 Oregon at No. 3 Ohio State
Alabama State at No. 25 Auburn
Saturday, Sept. 11 (1:00 p.m. ET)
No. 13 Florida at South Florida
Saturday, Sept. 11 (2:00 p.m. ET)
Middle Tennessee State at No. 19 Virginia Tech
Saturday, Sept. 11 (2:30 p.m. ET)
Toledo at No. 8 Notre Dame
Saturday, Sept. 11 (3:30 p.m. ET)
UAB at No. 2 Georgia
No. 5 Texas A&M at Colorado
Murray State at No.7 Cincinnati
Ball State at No. 11 Penn State
Saturday, Sept. 11 (4:00 p.m. ET)
Mercer at No. 1 Alabama
Saturday, Sept. 11 (4:30 p.m. ET)
No. 10 Iowa at No. 9 Iowa State
Saturday, Sept. 11 (5:00 p.m. ET)
South Carolina State at No. 6 Clemson
Saturday, Sept. 11 (7:00 p.m. ET)
Western Carolina at No. 4 Oklahoma
No. 15 Texas at Arkansas
Easter Michigan at No. 18 Wisconsin
Appalachian State at No. 22 Miami
Saturday, Sept. 11 (7:30 p.m. ET)
Austin Peay at No. 20 Ole Miss
Georgia State at No. 24 North Carolina
Saturday, Sept. 11 (10:15 p.m. ET)
No. 21 Utah at BYU
Saturday, Sept. 11 (10:30 p.m. ET)
Stanford at No. 14 USC
UNLV at No. 23 Arizona State
It’s hard not to go chalk this week, with all the practice games and outmatched ranked meetings. And, in general, it’s not a good sign when the week’s spotlight matchup is set in Iowa. Between Gameday and the Field of Dreams game, this might just be the greatest four-week stretch in the Hawkeye State’s sporting history.
Let’s begin, though, with the other premier game this week, that between Ohio State and Oregon. Even if the Ducks were 100 percent, this would be a huge ask. Now that they are limping into Columbus, it just doesn’t look like Oregon will be able to get the job done. Which is a real shame. College football is better when the Ducks are good.
On the heels of the Ohio State game, conference-mates Iowa will upset Iowa State in Ames. It’s not because Iowa is the No. 9 team in the country (they aren’t). It’s because this is Iowa’s MO. The way this will all play out in the Big Ten is so:
- Iowa will beat Iowa State and find themselves in the Top 10;
- Undefeated Iowa will host an undefeated Penn State on Oct. 9;
- Penn State will beat the pants off of Iowa in an on-paper-it-looks-great game. Not because Penn State is a great team (they aren’t), but because this is what Iowa does;
- Undefeated Penn State will play undefeated Ohio State Halloween weekend in another on-paper-it-looks-great game, and the gap between Ohio State and the rest of the Big Ten will be on full display.
Right now, the gap between the Top 6 (Texas A&M excluded, with all due respect) and the rest of the number seven is bigger than the gap between No. 7 (Cincinnati) and No. 25 (Auburn). BYU will drive that point home in a little Pac 12 (getting worked) After Dark action Saturday night.
There shouldn’t be any Montana-over-Washington-type upsets this week. If there is going to be one, though, look out for App State over Miami. The Hurricanes just got embarrassed by Alabama. Let’s see how well they bounce back.
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