NCAAF · 1 month ago

Ranking the 10 Best College Football Games in Week 2

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

10. West Virginia at Ohio - 4:00 on ESPNU
Rich Rodriguez and the West Virginia Mountaineers make a rare trip as a true road team against a Group of Five opponent as WVU travels to Athens, Ohio, to play the Ohio Bobcats. If you have not watched Ohio quarterback Parker Navarro, you should take this opportunity to get eyes on him. He’s a fantastic dual-threat player who will be the best quarterback in this matchup, but WVU should be able to eventually wear down the Bobcats with Rodriguez’s signature high-tempo rushing attack.

West Virginia (-3.5) at Ohio/Total of 60.5

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1. Michigan at Oklahoma - 7:30 on ABC
Week 2 does not have quite the same marquee matchups as last weekend, but there are still some incredible matchups and a bunch of storylines. The top game is undoubtedly the primetime clash between the Michigan Wolverines and the Oklahoma Sooners. This is a top 25 game between two blue-blood programs and another showdown between the Big Ten and the SEC. How is freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood going to fare in a hostile environment? Can John Mateer scale his performance against a top-notch defense? The winner becomes an immediate College Football Playoff contender, and the loser is left looking for answers. Still, given the respective remaining schedules, this feels like a "must get" for Oklahoma more than it does for the Maize and Blue.

Michigan at Oklahoma (-5.5)/Total of 45.5

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2. Iowa at Iowa State - Noon on FOX
The Iowa State Cyclones and Iowa Hawkeyes renew their bitter rivalry with a Big Noon clash on FOX. Iowa has a lot of hopes for an improved offense, but the results were slightly concerning in the opening week. Iowa State is 2-0 with two impressive performances. The road team has actually won the last five meetings in this rivalry.

Iowa at Iowa State (-2.5)
3. Illinois at Duke - Noon on ESPN
Illinois travels to Duke on the verge of breaking into the top ten, but the spread on this game is much closer than you would expect, and the Illini will need to play very well to knock off Darian Mensah and the Blue Devils. These two schools have not met on the gridiron since 1965, and Wallace Wade Stadium should be hopping.

Illinois (-3.5) at Duke/Total of 49.5
4. South Florida at Florida - 4:15 on SEC Network
The week two in-state matchup between the South Florida Bulls and the Florida Gators is much more interesting than most people thought it would be after the Bulls dominated the Boise State Broncos last week. South Florida looked awesome, and Byrum Brown is healthy and ready to shock the world. Florida has a healthy quarterback of its own and looks like a legitimate playoff contender, but it cannot afford a loss to the Bulls. This one could be a whole lot of fun.

South Florida at Florida (-17.5)/Total of 55.5
5. Kansas at Missouri - 3:30 on ESPN2
Kansas and Missouri have played 120 times in football, with Missouri holding a slight edge in the series (57 to 54), but the two have not played since 2011, and they have not met in Columbia since 2006. The rivalry gets renewed this weekend, and the Kansas Jayhawks enter with a ton of momentum after a 2-0 start. At the same time, Missouri dominated in Week 1 and feels good about how transfer quarterback Beau Pribula played.

Kansas at Missouri (-6.5)/Total of 50.5
6. Boston College at Michigan State - 7:30 on NBC
The Boston College Eagles got a strong performance from their passing game in Week 1, and they now travel to East Lansing to take on the Michigan State Spartans in a primetime contest on NBC. Both teams figure to be on the “bubble” for bowl eligibility, and this is one of those 50/50 games that could be incredibly helpful to get in the win column. Boston College beat the Spartans in a close one last season in Chestnut Hill.

Boston College at Michigan State (-4.5)/Total of 45.5
7. Arizona State at Mississippi State - 7:30 on ESPN2
Arizona State won the Big 12 last season, but do you remember the week two 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 they now have to travel and play a fired-up SEC team. We need more cowbell!

Arizona State (-6.5) at Mississippi State/Total of 58.5
8. Baylor at SMU - Noon on The CW Network
Baylor and SMU have a rich history with 82 meetings all-time and a near-even split in the series. Baylor has won the past 13 games in this rivalry, but the two last played in 2016. Much has changed since that season, and SMU is now the favorite and the home team with a real chance to break the streak. The Bears lost to Auburn, but SMU has a susceptible secondary, and Sawyer Robertson is very capable of pulling off this upset.

Baylor at SMU (-2.5)/Total of 63.5
9. James Madison at Louisville - Friday at 7:00 on ESPN2
The James Madison Dukes are one of the best teams in the Group of Five, and they are the favorite to win the Sun Belt Conference. They bring a physical brand of football to Louisville for a Friday night tilt against the Cardinals. Louisville should be ready for that fight, as they can respond with a pair of dynamite running backs and a Jeff Brohm offense prepared to put up big numbers. This game is an entertaining standalone contest on Friday as an appetizer.

James Madison at Louisville (-13.5)
10. West Virginia at Ohio - 4:00 on ESPNU
Rich Rodriguez and the West Virginia Mountaineers make a rare trip as a true road team against a Group of Five opponent as WVU travels to Athens, Ohio, to play the Ohio Bobcats. If you have not watched Ohio quarterback Parker Navarro, you should take this opportunity to get eyes on him. He’s a fantastic dual-threat player who will be the best quarterback in this matchup, but WVU should be able to eventually wear down the Bobcats with Rodriguez’s signature high-tempo rushing attack.

West Virginia (-3.5) at Ohio/Total of 60.5

Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.
1. Michigan at Oklahoma - 7:30 on ABC
Week 2 does not have quite the same marquee matchups as last weekend, but there are still some incredible matchups and a bunch of storylines. The top game is undoubtedly the primetime clash between the Michigan Wolverines and the Oklahoma Sooners. This is a top 25 game between two blue-blood programs and another showdown between the Big Ten and the SEC. How is freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood going to fare in a hostile environment? Can John Mateer scale his performance against a top-notch defense? The winner becomes an immediate College Football Playoff contender, and the loser is left looking for answers. Still, given the respective remaining schedules, this feels like a "must get" for Oklahoma more than it does for the Maize and Blue.

Michigan at Oklahoma (-5.5)/Total of 45.5

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Ranking the 10 Best College Football Games in Week 2

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