First impressions have been made, narratives are already forming, and Week 2 of the college football season offers another slate that will shape the early trajectory. While there aren’t as many marquee matchups, the week should reveal plenty about where teams stand in the national hierarchy.
Iowa opened with an easy 34-7 win over Albany but showed little progress in the passing game. Now comes a rivalry test at No. 16 Iowa State, which is looking for its third win in four years over the Hawkeyes.
The afternoon slate brings a step up in competition for No. 6 Oregon, hosting Oklahoma State on CBS. New starter Dante Moore was efficient in a rout of Montana State, but facing a Big 12 defense is a different challenge. No. 20 Ole Miss also faces its first test at Kentucky, where the Rebels seek payback for a deflating 2024 home loss.
The day closes with a headliner between No. 15 Michigan and No. 18 Oklahoma, meeting for the first time since the 1976 Orange Bowl. Both teams were victorious but flawed in Week 1, and both will learn plenty about their new quarterbacks in Saturday night’s showdown.
Iowa vs. No. 16 Iowa State
Noon | Fox, fubo (Try for free) — Laying a field goal in what could be another low-scoring rivalry game is frightening, especially when matchups between Iowa and Iowa State often come down to special teams. The questionable start to Gronowski’s tenure in the Hawkeyes offense is spooky, but it is not as though Iowa thrived at the quarterback spot in past Cy-Hawk wins. And if any defense can neutralize a red-hot quarterback like Becht, Phil Parker’s group is always a good pick to do so. With those factors and the five-game winning streak for road teams in this series in mind, I like Iowa against the spread and will be bracing for another slobberknocker like last year’s 20-19 Cyclones win. — Carter Bahns
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No. 21 Ole Miss vs. Kentucky
3:30 p.m. | Fox, fubo (Try for free) — The last four matchups in this SEC series have all been decided by three points or less, including a pair of shootouts in the Bluegrass. There’s not an analytical edge here, but Stoops’ program seems to get up for this matchup more than a few others in the conference and coming off last season’s victory over the Rebels, already knows a double-digit spread doesn’t mean much. Simmons had two giveaways in the opener, so he’ll need to trim those mistakes to win on the road. Ole Miss wins this one, but Kentucky covers. — Brad Crawford
No. 6 Oregon vs. Oklahoma State
3:30 p.m. | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free), Paramount+ with Showtime — Oklahoma State responded to last year’s 3-9 collapse by flipping 65 scholarship players. More than 30 newcomers only arrived over the summer, giving the Cowboys one of the most overhauled rosters in the country. The debut was uneven, especially after quarterback Hauss Hejny went down with a foot injury, but there is plenty of athletic upside in the new group. Still, Oregon is bigger, faster, stronger and better at every position than the depleted Cowboys and should be able to win in every phase. The Ducks roll at Autzen and re-establish themselves as a top national contender. — Shehan Jeyarajah
No. 16 Michigan vs. No. 18 Oklahoma
7:30 p.m. | ABC, (Try for free) — Oklahoma and its new quarterback, John Mateer, are in for a rude awakening against Michigan’s defense after struggling to run the football against Illinois State in Week 1. Similarly, the Wolverines and their freshman star QB Bryce Underwood are walking into an absolute hornet’s nest. The Palace on the Prairie will be next-level electric, and the Sooners’ loaded front seven is going to wreak some havoc. It should take both offenses some time to get settled, and touchdowns will be difficult for both teams to find in what’s shaping up to be a defensive slugfest. — David Cobb
SportsLine’s proven computer model has simulated every Week 2 college football game 10,000 times. Visit SportsLine now to see all the picks, all from the model that went 27-16 last season on top-rated money-line and over/under picks.
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