Week 2 in the college football slate isn’t quite as exciting as Week 1, but there’s some good games that could ultimately affect the College Football Playoff. Michigan traveling to take on Oklahoma in a road clash between college football’s biggest conferences, will highlight the week, but there’s some other lowkey matchups that will absolutely end up affecting the CFP rankings and seeding.
One of those matchups includes Ole Miss traveling to Kentucky. This one is big because last year it was one of three losses the Rebels had that kept them outside the CFP bubble. This year, they’ll not only be seeking revenge, but looking to stay in the CFP conversation. And then there’s a handful of teams that could use a big win this week to crash the CFP party.
This is the perfect weekend for a college football fanatic. The games aren’t exciting to the casual fan, but to someone that loves college football games, here’s the biggest matchups that could ultimately have an impact on the CFP rankings and seedings.
No. 15 Michigan Wolverines at No. 18 Oklahoma Sooners
Bryce Underwood and John Mateer passed their first tests with their new respective teams. But this week is the first true test on how good these quarterbacks will be. Whooping far more inferior teams is one thing, but getting a shot at comparative talent, that will tell us how good each will be. The winner will get a better grasp on their CFP aspirations.
Both these teams missed the CFP last year with less than exciting seasons. While Michigan’s ended with a win over Alabama in the second-straight season, Oklahoma’s ended with a bowl loss to Navy. This year, both coaches have no choice but to turn things around. Brett Venables and Sherrone Moore each have pressure to get to the CFP and a win in this game goes a long way to getting there.
No. 20 Ole Miss Rebels at Kentucky Wildcats
Ole Miss has a lot to look forward to against Kentucky this weekend. They lost last year at home and could get a massive road win and avoid a trap game early. This is a trap game not just because it’s a road conference game, but because Lane Kiffin has been extremely vocal about the CFP rankings. How bad would that look if he spent all this time bashing the CFP selection committee, just to lose a game the Rebels had no business losing?
Austin Simmons has a lot on his plate in taking over for Jaxson Dart this season. He turned things around from a rough start, finishing with 341 passing yards and three touchdown passes. He did have two interceptions and 17 rushing yards. His first real test is this week and thus there will be pressure to look solid in the Rebels’ first SEC game this year.
The Rebels are one of the many SEC teams vying for a spot in the College Football Playoff and a loss to Kentucky gives them an uphill battle back into the conversation. They play five ranked opponents this year so they will have a lot of games to improve their resume. But with the wrong three losses again, they could find themselves left out of the CFP yet again.
Baylor Bears at No. 17 SMU Mustangs
SMU landed in the CFP as an at-large team after choking against Clemson in the ACC title game. They then proceeded to get curb-stomped by Penn State in the first round and ended a shockingly strong season in the worst way possible. This year is about making up for that and the Baylor game certainly classifies as a trap game.
Baylor lost to Auburn in the season opener and that was largely due to poor run defense. Auburn rushed for 307 yards, including quarterback Jackson Arnold rushing for 137 yards and two touchdowns. SMU has a lethal run game as well, which could pose another problem. But Baylor’s offense is every bit talented.
Sawyer Robertson threw for over 400 yards and three touchdown passes. If he plays like that again, it could get them a win this time around. The winner of this game should have a really good shot at a solid CFP resume, assuming they handle business the rest of the way. Baylor received some votes in the preseason of the AP top 25 poll. With a ranked win over SMU, the voters could give them a boost into the poll.
No. 11 Illinois Fighting Illini at Duke Blue Devils
Darian Mensah left Tulane for games like this. As the new signal caller at Duke, he has a chance to get his first big win on his new team. This is a game between sleeper College Football Playoff teams. Like Indiana crashed the party last year, Illinois could very well be a Big Ten team that gets an at-large bid.
As for Duke, they are a sleeper in the ACC. I still think it’s Clemson’s conference title to lose, but with a strong season, the Blue Devils could get in too. I think there’s only room for two ACC teams so they’d need to beat Illinois and convince the CFP selection committee to add a third. Duke does play Clemson so with those two teams as the only currently ranked teams on their schedules. If Duke wants to crash the CFP party they need at least one win and maybe even two; that starts with Illinois.