NCAAF · 10 minutes ago

Ranking the Top 10 Potential Upsets for College Football Week 2

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

10. North Dakota State at Air Force (-3.5) - 10:00
Where to Watch North Dakota State at Air Force
- Date: September 12
- Time: 10:00 PM ET
- TV: FS1
- Stadium: Falcon Stadium
- Location: USAF Academy, CO
A service academy at home and getting points? Yes please. North Dakota State is already proving they belong in the FBS, and the Bison could be a legitimate contender to reach the College Football Playoff if they can catch a couple of breaks. After beating Jacksonville State and Fordham, things ratchet up as they take on an experienced and dangerous Air Force Academy team. The Falcons are led by Liam Szarka and a slew of options to get the ball to, and they hope the defense has significantly improved. This is an under-the-radar gem in Week 2, and I love the home underdog.
1. Missouri (-5.5) at Kansas - Friday at 8:00
Where to Watch Missouri at Kansas
- Date: September 11
- Time: 8:00 PM ET
- TV: FOX
- Stadium: David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium
- Location: Lawrence, KS
The No. 23 Missouri Tigers make the short trip to Lawrence to play rival Kansas on Friday night in a game that should be really interesting. Missouri beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday 54-14, and the Tigers’ defense was stifling. That’s expected against a severely overmatched opponent, but there is a reason to think that Kansas could be a challenge. Missouri is still without Ahmad Hardy and their starting running back, Jamal Roberts, only averaged 3.6 yards per rush on Saturday. Kansas had 613 yards of offense against the Long Island Sharks and quarterback Isaiah Marshall is the type of player that could cause Missouri problems. Anything can happen in rivalry games, and the Jayhawks are a home underdog.
2. Arizona State at Texas A&M (-14.5) - Saturday at Noon
Where to Watch Arizona State at Texas A&M
- Date: September 12
- Time: 12:00 PM ET
- TV: ESPN
- Stadium: Boone Pickens Stadium
- Location: Stillwater, OK
Well, hello Cutter Boley! Arizona State’s new starting quarterback exploded for 387 yards on 27 pass attempts with six touchdowns as three Sun Devils’ receivers had more than 100 yards (Reed Harris, Grayson Rigdon and Omarion Miller). Texas A&M drubbed Missouri State 50-0 in their opener, and they now welcome Arizona State to College Station in the Texas heat on Saturday at noon. What if Cutter Boley and Kenny Dillingham’s passing attack is awesome? If the Arizona State offensive line can hold up against the Texas A&M pass rush, the Sun Devils could be a dangerous double-digit underdog.
3. Oklahoma (-5.5) at Michigan - Noon
Where to Watch Oklahoma at Michigan
- Date: September 12
- Time: 12:00 PM ET
- TV: FOX
- Stadium: Michigan Stadium
- Location: Ann Arbor, MI
The Oklahoma Sooners looked like one of the nation’s best teams on opening weekend. At the same time, Michigan needed some very timely intervention by the Big Ten to miraculously survive the Western Michigan Broncos. Michigan’s offense was toothless, and WMU managed to possess the ball for 40 minutes of the game. The Wolverines should be 0-1 and have dropped out of the rankings, but a lot can change from one week to the next. Minus one drive for Western Michigan, Michigan’s defense was pretty darn good. Did the near escape wake Michigan up, and can they flip the switch in what should be an electric atmosphere at the Big House? That seems incredibly unlikely based on what we saw, and Bryce Underwood really needs to clean up his messy footwork if he wants to have a chance against this ferocious OU defense, but when the world is on Oklahoma, maybe Michigan pulls off the surprise.
4. Alabama (-10.5) at Kentucky - 3:30
Where to Watch Alabama at Kentucky
- Date: September 12
- Time: 3:30 PM ET
- TV: ABC
- Stadium: Kroger Field
- Location: Lexington, KY
The Alabama Crimson Tide pummeled the East Carolina Pirates to the tune of 48-10 on Saturday as Keelon Russell successfully debuted as the Tide’s starting quarterback. Kentucky opened a new era, and Kenny Minchey shined in his first start as the Wildcats put up 45 points in a win over Youngstown State. There are understandable concerns about UK’s defense, but this will be the first road start for Russell, and Kenny Minchey looks like he has the talent to make this game really interesting. Is it possible that Alabama struggles to run the ball, Russell makes a couple of mistakes, and Kentucky has a shot to win in the fourth quarter?
5. Arizona at BYU (-7.5) - 3:30
Where to Watch Arizona at BYU
- Date: September 12
- Time: 3:30 PM ET
- TV: FOX
- Stadium: LaVell Edwards Stadium
- Location: Provo, UT
The BYU Cougars beat Utah Tech in a game that we can’t take anything from, while Arizona handled Northern Arizona. So, two games against a pair of FCS foes give us no data, and Arizona now brings veteran quarterback Noah Fifita to Provo as 7.5-point underdogs. Fifita and the Wildcats think they are better in 2026 than they were a season ago. What happened in 2025? Arizona won its last five regular-season games and took BYU to two overtimes before falling 33-27. If Arizona truly is better and they can handle the road environment, the Wildcats could pull off the upset.
6. Duke at Illinois (-6) - 3:30
Where to Watch Duke at Illinois
- Date: September 12
- Time: 3:30 PM ET
- TV: FS1
- Stadium: Gies Memorial Stadium
- Location: Champaign, IL
Illinois beat Duke in Durham last season, but both teams are significantly different this time around, so it’s unwise to put much stock in the result. The Blue Devils got a great rushing performance and had a dominant day on defense as they handled the Tulane Green Wave 17-3 in their opener while Illinois knocked off UAB 42-23. The Blazers outgained Illinois 413-442 and had 41 minutes of possession to the Illini’s 18:57. Some of that can be written off, but this line being only six points in favor of Illinois is eye-catching and should set off some alarm bells in Champaign.
7. Maryland (-12.5) at UConn - 3:30
Where to Watch Maryland (-12.5) at UConn
- Date: September 12
- Time: 3:30 PM ET
- TV: CBS Sports
- Stadium: Pratt & Whitney Stadium
- Location: East Hartford, CT
In a bit of an odd scheduling twist, the Maryland Terrapins are playing the Connecticut Huskies on the road. Yes, the Terps travel to Storrs as near two-touchdown favorites. Maryland waxed Hampton 62-0 in Week One but that doesn’t tell us anything about their quality and early-season road games in Group of Six environments can be tricky. UConn is now coached by former Toledo leader Jason Candle and his era began with a 56-7 win as Kalieb Osborne accounted for four touchdowns. He’s a dangerous quarterback and it would not be shocking to see the Terps struggle in Storrs.
8. UNLV (-3.5) at North Texas - 3:45
Where to Watch UNLV at North Texas
- Date: September 12
- Time: 3:45 PM ET
- TV: ESPNU
- Stadium: DATCU Stadium
- Location: Denton, TX
The UNLV Rebels are 1-1 with a loss to Memphis and a 21-6 victory over Hawai’i. They hit the road to play the 0-1 North Texas Mean Green under head coach Neal Brown. UNT lost at IU but played reasonably well and likely took some real positives from the play of quarterback Tayven Jackson and running back Jaheim White. White, in particular, is capable of emerging as an All-American Athletic Conference running back and he looked completely healthy and back to his Freshman All American form. UNLV’s offense is still finding itself and I don’t really trust Jackson Arnold on the road.
9. Georgia Southern at Clemson (-20.5) - 7:30
Where to Watch Georgia Southern at Clemson
- Date: September 12
- Time: 7:30 PM ET
- TV: ACC Network
- Stadium: Memorial Stadium
- Location: Clemson, SC
It is incredibly unlikely Georgia Southern is able to knock off Clemson. After all, the line here is nearly three touchdowns. That written, Max Johnson is a power conference transfer with a ton of experience and is leading the Georgia Southern offense while Clemson is spending the week licking their wounds after being humiliated by the LSU Tigers in Week One. What if Clemson doesn’t rally? What if, instead, they crumble and come out disinterested and without any answers along the offensive line or at quarterback or on the defensive line?
10. North Dakota State at Air Force (-3.5) - 10:00
Where to Watch North Dakota State at Air Force
- Date: September 12
- Time: 10:00 PM ET
- TV: FS1
- Stadium: Falcon Stadium
- Location: USAF Academy, CO
A service academy at home and getting points? Yes please. North Dakota State is already proving they belong in the FBS, and the Bison could be a legitimate contender to reach the College Football Playoff if they can catch a couple of breaks. After beating Jacksonville State and Fordham, things ratchet up as they take on an experienced and dangerous Air Force Academy team. The Falcons are led by Liam Szarka and a slew of options to get the ball to, and they hope the defense has significantly improved. This is an under-the-radar gem in Week 2, and I love the home underdog.
1. Missouri (-5.5) at Kansas - Friday at 8:00
Where to Watch Missouri at Kansas
- Date: September 11
- Time: 8:00 PM ET
- TV: FOX
- Stadium: David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium
- Location: Lawrence, KS
The No. 23 Missouri Tigers make the short trip to Lawrence to play rival Kansas on Friday night in a game that should be really interesting. Missouri beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday 54-14, and the Tigers’ defense was stifling. That’s expected against a severely overmatched opponent, but there is a reason to think that Kansas could be a challenge. Missouri is still without Ahmad Hardy and their starting running back, Jamal Roberts, only averaged 3.6 yards per rush on Saturday. Kansas had 613 yards of offense against the Long Island Sharks and quarterback Isaiah Marshall is the type of player that could cause Missouri problems. Anything can happen in rivalry games, and the Jayhawks are a home underdog.