NCAAF · 1 month ago

10 Fearless Week 2 College Football Takes to Shake Things Up

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

10. Brent Pry's Scalding Hot Seat
Virginia Tech lost to South Carolina in Atlanta to open the season. There’s no shame in that, but quarterback Kyron Drones has gone backwards in his time under Brent Pry, and the Hokies have nothing to hang their hat on. At least, not on the offensive side of the ball. Enter Diego Pavia and the Vanderbilt Commodores, and I am predicting the ultra-tough Pavia to deliver the knockout blow to Pry’s hopes of hanging around past this season in Blacksburg.

Vanderbilt at Virginia Tech (-1.5) - Saturday at 7:30 on ACCN
1. Isaac Brown and Louisville Shine Bright on Friday Night
James Madison is one of the better Group of Five teams in the country, and they have a real chance to win the Sun Belt Conference this season. The Dukes are a dangerous opponent for the Louisville Cardinals but the ‘Ville will shine bright on Friday night. Isaac Brown is a budding star and I think he’ll have a monster game to introduce himself to the national audience and college football world. Pay attention, he’s one of the most explosive players in the country.

Louisville (-12.5) vs. JMU - Friday at 7:00 on ESPN2
2. Jalon Daniels Goes for 300+ Yards...in a Loss!
Kansas has blown out Fresno State and Wagner in its first two games, and Jalon Daniels looks healthy and ready to play at a very high level. The Jayhawks are a really tough out when Daniels is rolling, and he will be needed to put up a massive game on Saturday as they take on border rival Missouri. The Tigers are potentially there for the taking, and I think Daniels will put up more than 300 yards, but Kansas will come up short in Columbia.

Kansas at Missouri (-6.5) - Saturday at 3:30 on ESPN2
3. Baylor Bounces Back Against SMU
The Baylor Bears fell in Waco to the Auburn Tigers in the opening week of the season as Auburn ran all over them. There’s a matchup here that I actually really like in this game, though, and I like Baylor to take advantage of it. SMU had to replace a lot of talent from last season’s College Football Playoff squad, and the pass defense looks vulnerable. Baylor has a good group of wide receivers, and Sawyer Robertson will have a bit more time to throw than he did last week against Auburn. Baylor wins this game outright.

Baylor at SMU (-2.5) - Saturday at Noon on The CW Network
4. Rocco Becht Shreds Iowa
It's under the radar, but few quarterbacks have played as well as Rocco Becht has thus far. Iowa State has two impressive performances, and Becht has completed 68.8 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and no interceptions. A lot of attention has been paid to Mark Gronowski and his arrival at Iowa, but Becht will take center stage and hammer the Hawkeyes as Iowa State beats its rival in Ames.

Iowa at Iowa State (-3.5) - Saturday at Noon on FOX
5. Boston College Upsets Sparty
There can be no definitive takeaways from Boston College’s opening week drubbing of the Fordham Rams, but I love what I saw from Dylan Lonergan in Bill O’Brien’s offense. Lonergan is one of the more talented quarterbacks in the ACC, and he completed 76.5 percent of his passes with four touchdowns while the Eagles racked up 458 yards through the air. The fearless take is that Lonergan will be the best quarterback in this matchup against Michigan State, and the Eagles will win in East Lansing.

Boston College at Michigan State (-4.5) - Saturday at 7:30 on NBC
6. Mississippi State Stuns ASU in Starkville
Arizona State won the Big 12 last season, but do you remember the Week 2 matchup against the lowly Mississippi State Bulldogs? That game occurred in Tempe, and Arizona State only won by a touchdown. Mississippi State looked much improved last week against Southern Miss, and they now get the Sun Devils in Starkville. ASU was unimpressive against Northern Arizona, and I think the Bulldogs will actually win this game outright. Give me more cowbell!

Arizona State (-6.5) at Mississippi State - Saturday at 7:30 on ESPN2
7. Taylen Green Will Have 10+ TDs After Two Weeks
What if Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green makes “the leap”? They bludgeoned an overmatched opponent in Week 1, but Green was particularly impressive, and he appears to have mastered Bobby Petrino’s offense. Green was 24 for 31 for 322 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions, and I am predicting that he’ll have another fantastic day on Saturday against in-state foe Arkansas State. Green is going to lead the nation in touchdowns after Week 2.

Arkansas State at Arkansas (-23.5) - Saturday at 5:00 on ESPN+
8. Navy Sinks UAB By More Than 30 Points
Trent Dilfer’s seat is warm in Birmingham, and it’s not because of the weather in September in Alabama. His UAB Blazers just gave up 42 points to Alabama A&M, and now they play the well-oiled machine that is the Navy Midshipmen in Annapolis. Navy is favored in this game, but I would hammer this number with as much as you are comfortable betting because I think Navy is going to feast and win this game by more than 30 points. If you can find an alternate line, take it.

UAB at Navy (-21.5) - Saturday at 3:30 on CBSSN
9. Bryce Underwood's Coming Out Party
The majority of college football fans do not follow recruiting very closely. As a result, you may not have heard of five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood. That’s going to change on Saturday night as the Michigan Wolverines play in Norman against the Oklahoma Sooners in a gigantic Big Ten versus SEC matchup. Underwood will be playing in a hostile environment against a good defense and an excellent defensive coach, and I have very little faith in Michigan’s receivers. Still, Underwood is a legit “dude,” and his skillset and physicality are the closest thing to Cam Newton since his magical Auburn run. Underwood will introduce him to the nation with a strong performance against the Sooners.

Michigan at Oklahoma (-2.5) - Saturday at 7:30 on ABC
10. Brent Pry's Scalding Hot Seat
Virginia Tech lost to South Carolina in Atlanta to open the season. There’s no shame in that, but quarterback Kyron Drones has gone backwards in his time under Brent Pry, and the Hokies have nothing to hang their hat on. At least, not on the offensive side of the ball. Enter Diego Pavia and the Vanderbilt Commodores, and I am predicting the ultra-tough Pavia to deliver the knockout blow to Pry’s hopes of hanging around past this season in Blacksburg.

Vanderbilt at Virginia Tech (-1.5) - Saturday at 7:30 on ACCN
1. Isaac Brown and Louisville Shine Bright on Friday Night
James Madison is one of the better Group of Five teams in the country, and they have a real chance to win the Sun Belt Conference this season. The Dukes are a dangerous opponent for the Louisville Cardinals but the ‘Ville will shine bright on Friday night. Isaac Brown is a budding star and I think he’ll have a monster game to introduce himself to the national audience and college football world. Pay attention, he’s one of the most explosive players in the country.

Louisville (-12.5) vs. JMU - Friday at 7:00 on ESPN2

10 Fearless Week 2 College Football Takes to Shake Things Up

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