NCAAF · 1 year ago

2025 College Football Season: Ranking Best Week 2 Games

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

5. Illinois at Duke - September 6
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The Illinois Fighting Illini are getting a lot of buzz as a College Football Playoff contender. They have already been discussed and written about so much that it seems inaccurate to call them a “sleeper.” At this point, it feels like a CFP bid is the expectation for the Illini in 2025. They return a lot of production but have some question marks at wide receiver, running back, and certain parts of the defense.

They open with Western Illinois but face an interesting test in Week 2 against Manny Diaz’s Duke Blue Devils in Durham. While Wallace Wade Stadium can hardly be described as a hostile cauldron to walk into, Duke will be fired up to host a top 15 team early in the season. If Illinois is actually the squad many think they will be, this is a game they take care of business in and walk away comfortably 2-0.
1. Michigan at Oklahoma - September 6
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A pair of blueblood programs meet in Norman as the Oklahoma Sooners host the Michigan Wolverines in a marquee matchup to lead the slate for Week 2. These teams have met a grand total of one time, all the way back in 1976 (a 14-6 victory for the Sooners in Miami). Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore graduated from Oklahoma, adding a bit of flavor to the matchup. That said, the real meat comes from two teams that struggled in 2024 but enter this campaign with much momentum.

OU is confident that, with a new quarterback (John Mateer) and offensive coordinator, they have solved the major problems they had on offense. Michigan might be handing the program reins to five-star freshman Bryce Underwood, and this would be his first real test. The winner will leave feeling great about their chances to challenge in 2025, while the loser will be asking questions about their head coach’s future.
2. Iowa at Iowa State - September 6
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The annual CyHawk Trophy will be fought for in a Week 2 matchup in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones host the Iowa Hawkeyes this season, and this game rarely disappoints, at least in terms of drama. It can seldom be described as a pleasing brand of football, and offense is usually at a premium, but it is typically full of drama, and the rivalry is very real.

Iowa State begins the season in Dublin with a conference clash against Kansas State, and they hope to return to the Big 12 Championship Game. The Cyclones and Hawkeyes have split the past four meetings, with both Iowa State victories (including last season’s) coming in nail-biters. Iowa is hoping transfer quarterback Mark Gronowski can finally bring some punch to their passing attack. If it looks good in this contest, Iowa suddenly becomes a playoff contender.
3. South Florida at Florida - September 6
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Week 2 does not have anywhere near the loaded slate that Week 1 offers, but several exciting matchups could tell us quite a bit about the season to come. The Florida Gators host the South Florida Bulls in an intrastate clash in Gainesville. Florida has a tough schedule, and Billy Napier cannot afford anything other than a strong campaign with real and tangible progress in the win-loss record.

DJ Lagway gets an early chance to prove he is healthy and ready to step forward as one of the nation’s elite quarterbacks, but South Florida’s Byrum Brown won’t easily take a backseat to anyone at that position. This could be a high-scoring shootout, or it could be a statement from the Florida Gators as they announce their arrival as a player in the SEC.
4. Kansas at Missouri - September 6
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Missouri and Kansas used to compete annually in a game known as the “Border War.” After September 11, both schools believed it necessary to change the name to the “Border Showdown,” but the contest ceased to exist after Missouri bolted from the Big 12 for the greener pastures of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The final annual meeting occurred in 2011, as Missouri knocked off the Kansas Jayhawks 24-10 in Kansas City.

After a long hiatus, the series is resuming this fall, and the first game will take place in Week 2 at Missouri. The Jayhawks hope to rebound from a disappointing 2024, but the program has improved a lot since the last time these two programs played. Missouri is one of several sleeper playoff teams in the SEC, and this will be a first test for transfer quarterback Beau Pribula and the rebuilt roster under “Coach Drink”.
5. Illinois at Duke - September 6
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The Illinois Fighting Illini are getting a lot of buzz as a College Football Playoff contender. They have already been discussed and written about so much that it seems inaccurate to call them a “sleeper.” At this point, it feels like a CFP bid is the expectation for the Illini in 2025. They return a lot of production but have some question marks at wide receiver, running back, and certain parts of the defense.

They open with Western Illinois but face an interesting test in Week 2 against Manny Diaz’s Duke Blue Devils in Durham. While Wallace Wade Stadium can hardly be described as a hostile cauldron to walk into, Duke will be fired up to host a top 15 team early in the season. If Illinois is actually the squad many think they will be, this is a game they take care of business in and walk away comfortably 2-0.
1. Michigan at Oklahoma - September 6
Top 5 Players Who Committed in the CFB Transfer Portal Over the Weekend

A pair of blueblood programs meet in Norman as the Oklahoma Sooners host the Michigan Wolverines in a marquee matchup to lead the slate for Week 2. These teams have met a grand total of one time, all the way back in 1976 (a 14-6 victory for the Sooners in Miami). Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore graduated from Oklahoma, adding a bit of flavor to the matchup. That said, the real meat comes from two teams that struggled in 2024 but enter this campaign with much momentum.

OU is confident that, with a new quarterback (John Mateer) and offensive coordinator, they have solved the major problems they had on offense. Michigan might be handing the program reins to five-star freshman Bryce Underwood, and this would be his first real test. The winner will leave feeling great about their chances to challenge in 2025, while the loser will be asking questions about their head coach’s future.

2025 College Football Season: Ranking Best Week 2 Games

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