Top 10 college football games that fans shouldn't miss in Week 2 ft. Texas vs. Michigan
With Week 1 of college football ending on Monday evening, it's time to think about Week 2. While many schools are still in pre-conference mode (read: playing weak teams), there are still plenty of good games to watch.
Here are the top 10 games to watch from the upcoming Week 2 slate.
Top 10 college football games fans shouldn't miss in Week 2
10. Baylor at No. 12 Utah
Utah is a fairly massive favorite here and it's the first chance to see Cam Rising and company in action against a competitive FBS team. Baylor got an FCS win in Week 1 but probably won't be able to keep up here.
9. Mississippi State at Arizona State
A middle-of-the-pack Big 12 team will host a lower-tier SEC squad. Arizona State could make a bowl without winning, but Mississippi State probably couldn't. Two young QBs trying to gain their way will search for some momentum.
8. South Carolina at Kentucky
Carolina eked out an ugly Week 1 win over Old Dominion, but Shane Beamer's team has won the last two over Kentucky. The Wildcats seem to have the upper hand and the winner of this game will move into the upper half of the SEC while the loser probably slides out of competition.
7. No. 22 Kansas at Illinois
A Big 12 competitor will go on the road to face a middle-of-the-pack Big Ten team in another intriguing interleague matchup. Both teams had easy Week 1 wins that didn't show much of anything meaningful. Kansas' running game should get a better test in Week 2.
6. Iowa State at No. 25 Iowa
An old-fashioned state rivalry, this one offers yet another chance to weigh the Big Ten and Big 12. It's also all but guaranteed to be a defensive slugfest. The last four games in the series have been 18-17, 27-17, 10-7 and 20-13 (Iowa winning three of the four). It's a great "under" bet for point spread gamblers and should be a competitive battle.
5. No. 18 Kansas State at Tulane
A top-20 Kansas State team will be favored on the road, but Tulane has coach Jon Sumrall who is an up-and-coming star in the business. Tulane will have the defensive chops to make Avery Johnson and the Wildcats play carefully, and an upset could be brewing.
4. Colorado at Nebraska
Which rebuilding story holds more water? Colorado was the most talked about 4-8 team in college football a year ago. Meanwhile, Nebraska has somehow had seven straight losing seasons. Something's got to give and it should be great viewing.
3. Arkansas at No. 17 Oklahoma State
Arkansas looked good against a poor FCS team in Week 1 but it will be interesting to see how that translates against a top-20 OSU team with Ollie Gordon. The guess here is that Gordon runs wild; however, if Arkansas wants to make a statement in 2024, the time is now.
2. No. 15 Tennessee vs. No. 24 NC State
This one is a neutral-site battle of two ranked teams. Tennessee was much more impressive in its merciless beatdown of an FCS team in Week 1 than NC State was in stumbling past its FCS foe. The Nico Iamaleava hype train will pick up some steam, but Grayson McCall might be able to give the Tennessee defense a few anxious moments.
1. No. 4 Texas at No. 9 Michigan
Probably the marquee game of Week 2, Texas looked substantially more impressive than Michigan. But of course, the game is played in "The Big House" at Ann Arbor. Either Michigan's offense will have to awaken or their defense will have to be near-perfect.