Red Flags: 5 college football teams to put on upset alert in Week 2

At least on Saturday, college football upsets weren't overflowing from the margins. In fact, we had to make it to Sunday and Monday for the standalone games to cash our only two upset picks of the week (thanks to the USC Trojans and Boston College Eagles for getting it done) that cashed. It's a shame that Florida State is no longer ranked so we can't take advantage of that again in Week 2.

I'm going to be real with you, I badly wanted to put the Alabama Crimson Tide on upset alert in Week 2. Yes, I know Ty Buchner and Ty Simpson were the reasons South Florida kept their matchup close last year but Byrum Brown is an electricity plant against a Bama defense that could be tested still, at least to my eyes. Ultimately, though, I just couldn't do it. The same goes for the CyHawk (Re: El Assico) matchup with Iowa and Iowa State. It could go either way but I'm just going to let that game exist in its glory.

With those two matchups off the board, though, where do we turn now for our college football upset picks in Week 2? Have no fear -- there are still five teams where I'm seeing the Red Flags waving and that we're going to put on upset alert after a 2-3 start to the season.

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2024 Upset Picks Record: 2-3

5. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Opponent: at Syracuse | Time: Saturday, Sept. 7, Noon ET (ACCN) | Spread: GT -2.5

Let's just unpack what we know about Georgia Tech in the 2024 season. Their upset win over Florida State in Week 0 now doesn't look quite as impressive thanks to the Seminoles and they then handled their business against Georgia State. And that's about it, which really doesn't tell you a whole lot about what this Yellow Jackets team is.

For my money, Georgia Tech and Brent Key's biggest strength is that he knows exactly what this team is, though. Haynes King and the backfield are dynamic on the ground and limited through the air. The defense is disciplined and well-coached under new DC Tyler Santucci but doesn't have elite talent. They play within themselves and that can take them far in the ACC. I just think this spot traveling to Syracuse is tricky.

Though the Orange defense left a bit to be desired against Ohio, Kyle McCord is the best quarterback Syracuse has had in quite some time. Moreover, Fran Brown and his staff seem to be ready to put the pedal to the floor with this team. We've seen things get frisky in the Carrier Dome (I refuse to call it anything else) and this could be one of those spots with a Cuse team I simply think is volatile enough to pop and win this game.

4. Kansas Jayhawks

Opponent: at Illinois | Time: Saturday, Sept. 7, 7 p.m. ET (FS1) | Spread: KAN -5.5

A rematch from a season ago when Lance Leipold's Kansas ran through the Illinois defense like s**t through a tin horn, I could see this ending a bit differently this time around, and not just because this year's bout is in Champaign.

The last thing I want to do with Kansas is overreact to a game against Lindenwood but the passing offense with Jalon Daniels looked suspect in the first game since Andy Kotelnicki's departure as offensive coordinator. Perhaps more importantly, though, the Kansas defense lost legitimate NFL talent from last season and now will have to match up with an Illinois O-line that looks formidable and, frankly, quite stout..

Luke Altmyer really started to show some positive signs at the end of last year and the Fighting Illini appear to be bouncing back after a down 2023 season. This would be a big statement game for them to prove exactly that and, on their home turf, I think the matchup is there against this Kansas team that I'm not quite sure is a finished product yet under new assistant coaching.

3. Oregon Ducks

Opponent: Boise State | Time: Saturday, Sept. 7, 10 p.m. ET (Peacock) | Spread: ORE -20.5

Full disclosure, this is one of two half-hearted upset picks for the week that I don't actually think are going to happen but the possibility and signs that they could happen are too hard for me to ignore. And those signs, naturally, start with the Oregon Ducks finding themselves in a remarkably unexpectedly close game against Idaho in Week 1.

Yes, Dillon Gabriel and Co. moved the ball well but failed to convert several drives, resulting in the 24-14 win. However, the Oregon offensive line remains shorthanded and the defense, for as good as it was billed to be, was not the dominant force you would've wanted to see Dan Lanning's team present against an opponent like the Vandals.

I fully expect Oregon's offense, even with the line questions, to be able to put up points against a Boise State defense that is suspect after giving up 40+ to Georgia Southern last week. But at the same time, Boise has long gotten up for big games and they may actually have the best gamebreaker on the field in Ashton Jeanty, fresh off a six-touchdown performance. So I'll have eyes on Eugene and the Broncos to pull off the upset.

And hey, it doesn't hurt that Boise State is 3-0 against Oregon in program history.

2. Tennessee Volunteers

Opponent: 24 NC State | Time: Saturday, Sept. 7, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC) | Spread: TEN -9.5

Based on what we saw from each of these teams against FCS competition last week, you're probably wondering why in the hell this is being called an upset pick. And yes, it's true that Nico Iamaleava torched Chattanooga in a 60+ point beatdown while NC State had to come back in the fourth quarter to get past Western Carolina.

Here's the thing, though: Tennessee's offense under Josh Heupel with the right quarterback, which Nico appears to be, shines against any opponent. But for a team like NC State, it feels like they were leaving a lot of bullets in the chamber for this neutral-site matchup in Charlotte and almost got caught slipping as a result.

Now, do I have full faith that NC State is going to be that much better in this game? No! There are real questions about the O-line and whatnot. But they are also going up against a young, inexperienced quarterback in what should be a Wolfpack-heavy environment. I think Dave Doeren has his boys ready to put up a fight and, at the very least, give the Vols more of a scare than people are expecting coming out of Week 1.

1. Texas Longhorns

Opponent: at 10 Michigan | Time: Saturday, Sept. 7, Noon ET (FOX) | Spread: TEX -7.5

This is the other game that I don't fully believe an upset is the likeliest or even a likely outcome. With how dominant Texas looked against a pretty good Colorado State team last week combined with how inept Michigan's offense looked in a post-J.J. McCarthy world, this should be advantage to the Longhorns, even in the Big House.

But there is still a world wherein Steve Sarkisian's team could get clipped in this tough road trip. For one, the Wolverines defense is as good as advertised. They'll put a vaunted Texas offensive line to the test in the trenches but also will ask a receiving corps that is full of new faces in Austin to answer tough questions as well.

I still very much wonder how Michigan will be able to consistently move the ball in this game but they may force the same problem for Texas as well. Defense wins championships, as they say -- that may not be the case for Sherrone Moore's team overall in a back-to-back scenario, but that side of the ball could be enough for the Wolverines to win this game.