College Football Picks: Predicting Final Scores for Every Game in Week 2

The Week 2 edition of picking every game on the college football schedule is highlighted by a key conference games in the Pac-12 (USC visits Stanford) and the SEC (Georgia at South Carolina) as well as intriguing non-conference showdowns such as Clemson at Texas A&M, Mississippi State at Kansas State and Penn State at Pittsburgh.

Friday, Sept. 7

TCU at SMU

SMU was one of the more disappointing teams in Week 1, falling behind North Texas 36–0 en route to a 46–23 loss. The Mustangs actually outgained UNT on a per-play basis (6.0 to 5.6) but ran only 43 plays from scrimmage. TCU should roll. TCU 48, SMU 21

Saturday, Sept. 8

Arizona at Houston

Arizona was also a colossal disappointment in Kevin Sumlin’s debut, losing at home to BYU 28–23. Khalil Tate was held to 197 yards passing and 14 yards rushing — not exactly a great start to a Heisman campaign. Houston overcame a sluggish start and beat Rice 45–27. Houston 30, Arizona 27

Duke at Northwestern

Both teams played well in Week 1 wins — Duke at home over Army and Northwestern at Purdue. The Wildcats, with a win, would be one of two teams (assuming Ohio State beats Rutgers) in the nation with two wins over Power 5 teams. Northwestern 27, Duke 21

Eastern Michigan at Purdue

Purdue lost its opener — by four points at home to Northwestern — but may have found its next star. True freshman Rondale Moore rushed two times for 79 yards (including a 76-yard TD) and caught 11 passes for 109 yards. Purdue 41, Eastern Michigan 17

Georgia Tech at South Florida

Blake Barnett was solid at QB in his first start for South Florida, throwing for 305 yards with five TDs and zero INTs in a win over Elon. Georgia Tech rolled to a 41–0 win over Alcorn State. Georgia Tech 30, South Florida 27

Liberty at Army

One year after winning at Baylor in a Week 1 shocker, Liberty dominated Old Dominion on the road with surprising ease, 52–10. Army must regroup after its 34–14 loss at Duke. The Black Knights attempted 21 passes, tied for the most at the school in the past nine seasons. Army 27, Liberty 20

Mississippi State at Kansas State

Kansas State avoided disaster by rallying from a 24–12 deficit entering the fourth quarter to beat South Dakota 27–24. The Wildcats are 1–4 against SEC teams over the last 10 years, with a win over Texas A&M and losses to Vanderbilt, Arkansas (twice) and Auburn. Mississippi State 35, Kansas State 24

Nevada at Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt limited a very good Middle Tennessee offense to seven points in a Week 1 win in Nashville. The Commodores will be tested again this weekend when Nevada — which scored 72 points against Portland State last Friday — makes its first trip to Nashville. Vanderbilt 35, Nevada 24

New Mexico at Wisconsin

Jonathan Taylor opened his sophomore season with 145 yards and two scores in a win over Western Kentucky. Expect more of the same against the Lobos. Wisconsin 47, New Mexico 21

Towson at Wake Forest

Wake Forest recorded a solid win in Week 1, knocking off Tulane 23–17 in overtime thanks to a breakout performance from true freshman quarterback Sam Hartman (378 passing yards, team-high 64 on the ground) and the talented receiving duo of Sage Surratt (11 catches for 150 yards) and Greg Dortch (12 for 149). Wake Forest 48, Towson 14

Western Michigan at Michigan

Michigan limps home after a difficult loss to Notre Dame to face a Western Michigan team that averaged 9.7 yards per play in a 55–42 loss at home to Syracuse. The Wolverines should win with relative ease, but the defense will be tested. Michigan 38, Western Michigan 21

Georgia State at NC State

It wasn’t easy, but NC State survived in Week 1, edging FCS power James Madison 24–13. The Wolfpack did some nice things in the passing game but struggled to run the ball. That will need to improve as the season progresses. NC State 34, Georgia State 7

Holy Cross at Boston College

One week after disposing of one in-state rival — the Eagles pounded UMass 55–21 — Boston College hosts Holy Cross from the FCS ranks. Expect a similar result. Boston College 49, Holy Cross 10

UCLA at Oklahoma

It was business as usual for Oklahoma in the first game without Baker Mayfield as the Sooners averaged 10.5 yards per play in a 63–14 win over Florida Atlantic. Chip Kelly’s debut at UCLA did not go well — and that’s an understatement. The Bruins lost at home to Cincinnati, barely topping 300 yards of offense in the process. Oklahoma 41, UCLA 13

Air Force at FAU

FAU must regroup from a sobering 63–14 loss at Oklahoma in which the Owls averaged only 4.4 yards per play, the fewest in a game during the Lane Kiffin era. Air Force blanked Stony Brook 38–0 behind a dominant defensive effort that limited the Seawolves to 75 yards on 50 plays. Air Force 33, FAU 31

Portland State at Oregon

Portland State lost in Week 1 to Nevada, 72–19. Now, the Pilots head to Eugene to play another — and better — FBS opponent. This will not go well. Oregon 66, Portland State 0

William & Mary at Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech was one of the most impressive teams in the opening weekend, dominating Florida State in Tallahassee with surprising ease. The Hokies should barely break a sweat in their home opener. Virginia Tech 44, William & Mary 10

Kansas at Central Michigan

These two teams played in Lawrence last season, with CMU recording a 45–27 win and outgaining the Jayhawks 590-to-470. They’ve each played one game this season: Kansas lost at home to Nicholls (and managed only 255 yards of offense) while Central Michigan dropped a 35–20 decision at Kentucky. Seems as though Central Michigan was the better team last year and Central Michigan is the better team this year. Central Michigan 34, Kansas 21

Arkansas State at Alabama

Tua Tagovailoa will make his first start at Bryant-Denny Stadium against an Arkansas State team that was picked by most to win the Sun Belt West Division title. The Red Wolves are a solid team — but they are no match for the mighty Crimson Tide. Alabama 48, Arkansas State 17

Ball State at Notre Dame

Notre Dame made a statement with an impressive win over Michigan Saturday night. The defense, led by first-time coordinator Clark Lea, was outstanding. Ball State is only the second MAC team to play in South Bend in the last eight seasons. Notre Dame 41, Ball State 14 

Buffalo at Temple

Despite losing at home to Villanova in Week 1, Temple finds itself as a 5-point favorite against a pretty good Buffalo team that features star power at quarterback and wide receiver. These teams played six times while Temple was in the MAC, with Buffalo winning the first three and temple winning the final three (including the last two by a combined score of 76–0). Buffalo 27, Temple 23

Colorado at Nebraska

Colorado makes its first trip to Lincoln since 2010, when these two programs last met as members of the Big 12. It should be a challenging debut for Scott Frost, whose Huskers lost the opportunity for a more manageable first game when the date with Akron was postponed due to inclement weather. This is not a great Colorado team, but the Buffaloes have a solid quarterback (Steven Montez) who has played in difficult venues. Nebraska 30, Colorado 27

Howard at Kent State

One year after shocking UNLV as a 45-point underdog, Howard came oh-so-close to pulling off another FCS vs. FBS upset, falling 38–32 at Ohio — the preseason favorite in the MAC. Kent State played well in Sean Lewis’ debut as head coach, losing 31–24 at Illinois. Quarterback Woody Barrett, a former four-star recruit and Auburn Tiger, threw for 270 yards and rushed for 117 in his first game at Kent State. Kent State 34, Howard 30

Memphis at Navy

This is a pivotal early season showdown between two teams that are expected to contend for the AAC West Division title. Navy was drilled by Hawaii 59–41 in Ken Niumatalolo’s homecoming on Saturday night. Now, the Midshipmen return home to face another powerful attack. Memphis had 752 yards of offense in a 66–14 win over Mercer. Memphis 44, Navy 37

Morgan State at Akron

This will be the opener for Akron, which had its game at Nebraska postponed due to inclement weather. Meanwhile, Morgan State lost at home to Towson, 36–10. This looks like an easy win for the Zips. Akron 47, Morgan State 13

Rutgers at Ohio State

Rutgers has scored a total of seven points in the last three games against Ohio State and has been outscored in the four games in the series by a combined score of 195–24. Ohio State 48, Rutgers 13

Georgia at South Carolina

South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley is in his third year as the starter, and he has an outstanding group of wide receivers at his disposal. So don’t be surprised if South Carolina scores some points against a Georgia defense that isn’t quite settled yet. It’s the other side of the ball that is the concern. Georgia is loaded with playmakers and will put a ton of pressure on what figures to be a middle-of-the-pack SEC defense. Georgia 37, South Carolina 27