Week 2 schedule and analysis
Saturday, Sept. 7
Cincinnati at No. 5 Ohio State (-16.5) — 12 p.m. ET
In what should be a popular upset pick this week, the Bearcats head into Columbus feeling good about themselves. Cincy beat UCLA in its opener and is coming off an 11-2 season under third-year head coach Luke Fickell, who is an Ohio State alum. In fact, Fickell started 50 games at OSU and spent 15 years as a coach there. The last time these two teams played, the Bearcats were in the game late before losing 50-28.
Army at No. 7 Michigan (-23) — 12 p.m. ET
The last time Michigan played a team from the service academies it was Air Force in 2017. The Wolverines escaped that game with a 16-point win even though they were 23.5-point favorites. Michigan blasted Middle Tennessee State in its first game 40-21 but will have to play assignment football against an Army squad that beat Rice 14-7 last weekend.
Rutgers at No. 20 Iowa — 12 p.m. ET
Scarlet Knights fans had to be a little shocked to see visiting UMass up 21-7 after the first quarter of their opener. Rutgers woke up to outscore the Minutemen 41-0 the rest of the way. Iowa welcomes Rutgers to Kinnick Stadium for the first time ever after the Hawkeyes defeated Miami of Ohio last week.
No. 22 Syracuse (-2.5) at Maryland — 12 p.m. ET
Maryland scored 79 points in their first game. Syracuse shut out Liberty 24-0 on the road. This game is sneaky good and a line to watch in New Jersey and PA. Regional bias could impact the line movement.
Northern Illinois at No. 14 Utah (-23) — 1 p.m. ET
The Utes looked extremely impressive in their opening win at BYU. Utah won and covered as nearly a touchdown favorite and now opens up its home schedule against a team Northern Illinois team that beat Illinois State 24-10. One of the best teams in the Pac-12 shouldn’t have much trouble in this one.
No. 12 Texas A&M at No. 1 Clemson (-18) — 3:30 p.m. ET
This is the biggest game of the weekend and a massive opportunity for Jimbo Fisher and company to change the narrative that the defending champs are automatically going back to the playoffs this season. Last year, Clemson escaped College Station with a 28-26 win thanks to a failed 2-point conversion by Texas A&M. The Aggies would love to return the favor in Death Valley.
Central Michigan at No. 19 Wisconsin (-33.5) — 3:30 p.m. ET
The Badgers may have been the most impressive team in Week 1 as they blew out South Florida 49-0 on the road. Jonathan Taylor kick-started his Heisman campaign by rushing for 135 yards and two touchdowns while catching two more touchdowns. Central Michigan will have its hands full.
New Mexico State at No. 2 Alabama (-54) — 4 p.m. ET
New Mexico State just lost 58-7 at Washington State and now it plays arguably the most talented team in the country on the road. Alabama started slow against Duke but came to life to score 28 of ts 42 points in the second half. Duke didn’t score a touchdown in that game. Will the Aggies be able to see the endzone in this one? Are you willing to lay eight touchdowns?
Murray State at No. 3 Georgia — 4 p.m. ET
Murray State lost at Kentucky last year 48-10. How is it going to handle playing between the hedges? The Racers have lost their last 10 games against FBS opponents and they are facing a Georgia team that just won at Vanderbilt 30-6. The Dogs were led by D’Andre Swift who carried the ball 16 times for 149 yards. That’s a 9.3 yards per carry average.
Northern Colorado at No. 21 Washington State — 5 p.m. ET
The Cougars blasted New Mexico State in their opener and will do the same to Northern Colorado. Washington State has a tough road game at Houston in Week 3.
No. 17 UCF (-10) at Florida Atlantic — 7 p.m. ET
Central Florida was a 45-point favorite in its opener against Florida A&M and covered with a 62-0 victory, but it would be very surprising to see a similar score this week at FAU. Lane Kiffin’s team got thumped at Ohio State and will want to show their home fans that the program is progressing under his leadership.
South Dakota at No. 4 Oklahoma — 7 p.m. ET
Jalen Hurts had a record-setting debut as the Sooners beat Houston in their opener. While the offense was incredibly impressive, the new-look Oklahoma defense still had problems stopping a high-powered offense. While Houston has several NFL-caliber players, the Sooners still gave up 408 total yards and 31 points. That won’t matter in this game but it is something to monitor for upcoming Big 12 games.
No. 6 LSU (-4.5) at No. 10 Texas — 7:30 p.m. ET
This is the biggest game of the Tom Herman era in Austin. LSU and Texas haven’t played each other in the regular season since 1954 and the winner of this game will have an inside track on one of the four playoff spots. Texas looked very good in its opener against La Tech but LSU looked outstanding. The Tigers beat Georgia Southern 55-3 as the new-look LSU offense lived up to the hype. If Texas can’t contain QB Joe Burrow, who threw for five touchdowns in Week 1, it could be a long night for the Longhorns.
UT Martin at No. 8 Florida — 7:30 p.m. ET
Florida’s victory over Miami in Week 0 was a good start to the season but the Gators immediately got a bye in Week 1 to address problems uncovered in the opener. UF plays a cupcake in Game 2 but the schedule stiffens after this week.
Nevada at No. 11 Oregon (-23.5) — 7:30 p.m. ET
Nevada may have had the most dramatic win of the first week as the Wolfpack beat visiting Purdue on a 56-yard field goal by a walk-on kicker. Oregon is licking their wounds from another disappointing loss to an SEC team and will need to run the table and get help if they want to make the playoffs. Nevada might be walking into a hornet’s nest here.
Buffalo at No. 15 Penn State (-27.5) — 7:30 p.m. ET
Penn State scored 79 points against Idaho; the most points scored by the Nittany Lions since 1991. PSU was up 44-0 at the half. Buffalo won its first game 38-10 over Robert Morris but this is a big step up in competition.
Western Michigan at No. 18 Michigan State (-17.5) — 7:30 p.m. ET
Western Michigan can score and that could be problematic for Michigan State after it struggled on offense against Tusla. As expected, the Spartans defense was the star as it held Tulsa to a ridiculous minus 73 yards rushing and will need to be on its game again against a team that features 10 upperclassmen starting on offense. WMU hasn’t won at Michigan State in 100 years.
California at No. 13 Washington (-13.5) — 10:30 p.m. ET
Washington opens up its Pac-12 schedule with a chance to get revenge for last year’s loss to the Bears. The Huskies defense didn’t allow a touchdown in that game last season but they still lost 12-10. Cal beat UC Davis 27-13 in its opener while Washington crushed Eastern Washington 47-14.
No. 25 Stanford at USC — 10:30 p.m. ET
USC lost starting QB JT Daniels for the year with serious knee injury in its first game against Fresno State. The Trojans rallied to win the game 31-23 but they failed to cover. There are serious questions about the USC offense going forward. Stanford beat then-No.25 Northwestern 17-7 to get the year off on the right foot.