College football Week 2 predictions: Texas-Michigan, Tennessee-NC State bring playoff buzz (2024)

Hummer (Oklahoma State -8.5) — Oklahoma State is really good, y'all. The Cowboys just easily handled South Dakota State, the back-to-back FCS champions. Arkansas, which looked revitalized on offense under Bobby Petrino, carries with it a fair bit of hype coming into this game. But the Cowboys are deep, experienced and will be playing at home. I like Oklahoma State to make a statement here. … Oklahoma State 34, Arkansas 24.

Crawford (Arkansas +8.5) — Not one to make overreactions after the first game of the season, but his new-look Arkansas offense hasn't been stopped yet. Ten possessions, 10 touchdowns in the opener. Picking the outright upset in Stillwater is too bold for me, but the Razorbacks will be expecting to win if they're able to stop Alan Bowman through the air. Eight men in the box should bottle up Ollie Gordon enough to stay within the number. ... Oklahoma State 38, Arkansas 31.

Hummer (Oklahoma -28.5) — Houston might end up being the worst team in the Big 12 this season. The Cougars were beat in every area Week 1 by UNLV, and the test won't be any easier in Norman this week. This is going to be a particularly difficult matchup for a Cougars o-line that gave up six sacks and 10 TFLs last week to the Rebels. Oklahoma, which has one of the deeper d-line units in the country, should eat up front. … Oklahoma 45, Houston 14.

Crawford (Houston +28.5) — After giving the Cougars' banner marks for their hire of Willie Fritz during the offseason, I was taken aback by this team's lack of preparedness against UNLV. That was an ugly, surprising showing to say the least. They're going to play better against the Sooners because they can't look much worse, especially at the line of scrimmage. Keep an eye on Oklahoma's third-down conversation rate. That was the only area of struggle against Temple last week. ... Oklahoma 41, Houston 20.

Hummer (Iowa -2.5) — Iowa's owned this series of late having seven of the last eight. This is, likely, the best Iowa State team the Cyclones have had since 2020. But this is also the most intriguing Iowa's been – thanks to a seemingly invigorated offense – we've seen in a long time. Were this game in Ames, I'd lean Cyclones. They have the better QB and a more proven offensive attack. But with Iowa hosting and what remains one of the elite defenses in the sport, I have a hard time picking against the Hawkeyes. … Iowa 21, Iowa State 17.

Crawford (Iowa -2.5) — I'm comfortable laying less than a field goal with the Hawkeyes considering how well this defense played last week. Iowa State will put up more of a fight, but Iowa appears to have figured things out offensively with Cade McNamara at quarterback. That's an extremely promising sign for a team with a schedule conducive to success during Big Ten action this fall. The best bet in this one might be the under. ... Iowa 20, Iowa State 14.

Hummer (Appalachian State +16.5) — It can't get much worse for Clemson, right? The Tigers were embarrassed in Week 1 by Georgia. Now, they'll host one of the top teams in the G-5. Clemson will need to score in this one. Joey Aguilar is one of the best under-the-radar QBs in the country and will be able to challenge Clemson's defense a bit. Unless we see a very different Tigers offense, this one will be close. … Clemson 27, Appalachian State 17.

Crawford (Clemson -16.5) — I've been burned on one of these 16.5-point spreads already this season after Boston College's win over Florida State and hopefully, it won't happen again. I question Appalachian State's ability to corral the Clemson run game at the level Georgia managed to accomplish. The Tigers are a different team at home and had college football's toughest assignment first time out. If this one's close, it's panic-button time in Death Valley and that's no disrespect to the Mountaineers. ... Clemson 31, Appalachian State 10.

Hummer (Oregon -19.5) — Sleep on Oregon at your own peril after an uninspiring Week 1 performance by the Ducks. I think their offense bounces back this week against a Boise State team that just gave up 45 points against Georgia Southern. The Broncos don't lack firepower – their star RB Ashton Jeanty could play anywhere in the country – but Oregon will be the best defense they face all year. I expect Oregon to look far sharper on offense this week… Oregon 42, Boise State 21.

Crawford (Oregon -19.5) — The Ducks' inability to pull away from Idaho in the second half over the weekend made me continuously flip channels back and forth between a slew of other games to see if we were going to get the upset of Week 1. It took a risky fourth-down conversion midway through the fourth quarter to provide breathing room for a preseason title contender that didn't exactly look the part their first time out. I think the focus improves in Week 2 and Oregon rolls. ... Oregon 49, Boise State 24.

Hummer (South Carolina +9.5) — I think there's value to be had with South Carolina this week. Yes, the Gamecocks' debut went poorly. But I also don't think you can take a lot away from Kentucky's win over Southern Miss, which projects to be one of the worst teams in the G-5. South Carolina showed off an elite pass rush and a defense that should be rather salty. If LaNorris Sellers can play a bit better – and get any help whatsoever at receiver – I think South Carolina sticks around in this game. … Kentucky 27, South Carolina 20.

Crawford (Kentucky -9.5) — South Carolina's not as bad as it looked against Old Dominion. There were a ton of miscues offensively, from blocking to route-running to struggles at the quarterback spot. However, the Gamecocks' defense did force four turnovers and sans a coverage breakdown in the first quarter, really played well at the line of scrimmage. That said, Kentucky has better talent across the board compared to South Carolina's opening opponents and the Gamecocks are going to need a few explosive plays to stay in this one. Wildcats score late to cover in what should be a competitive matchup. ...Kentucky 24, South Carolina 10.

Hummer (Alabama -28.5) — It was less than a year ago when South Florida pushed Alabama well into the fourth quarter during a 17-3 loss. This version of the Bulls is much better than that team from last September. The problem for South Florida is so is Alabama as evidenced by their drubbing last week of Western Kentucky. Were this line a little bigger – say 31 points – I'd be tempted to pick USF. But Alabama should be very ready for this one based on what happened last year. The Tide rolls. … Alabama 48, USF 17.

Crawford (USF +28.5) — The Bulls are one of my Group of 5 teams to watch in the playoff picture this season because of Alex Golesh and Byrum Brown, but this game was never going to be a projected mark in the win column for me. And Alabama, at least early, looks like an absolute buzzsaw to deal with offensively. After last season's game was competitive for three quarters, this is not going to be a matchup worth watching in the fourth quarter, but USF still covers. ... Alabama41, USF 14.

Hummer (Nebraska -7.5) — Colorado embarrassed Nebraska last year in Week 2 with a 22-point victory. But I'd expect things to look a lot different this season. Nebraska, thanks to a big upgrade at quarterback, is much improved and has some of the same advantages along the lines of scrimmage that North Dakota State had last week against the Buffaloes. The big question here is will Nebraska hold down what is a frankly elite group of Buffaloes wide receivers? The Huskers have the athletes in the secondary to keep up and one of the best coordinators in the country calling plays. Give me Nebraska to cover and home. … Nebraska 24, Colorado 16.

Crawford (Nebraska -7.5) — This Nebraska defense should be one of the best Colorado faces this season. That said, Travis Hunter can take the top off any secondary he comes in contact with, so the Buffaloes are going to score points. The middle of the defense is my worry with Colorado and the overall strength of this team in the trenches. Nebraska's a very different foe than North Dakota State when you compare the sheer bulk at the line of scrimmage. Give me Nebraska. ... Nebraska 31, Colorado 20.

Hummer (Tennessee -6.5) — This is going to be one of the more telling games of the week. The initial returns on NC State weren't particularly positive with Grayson McCall and the Wolfpack offense struggling for long stretches against Western Carolina. That can't happen against Tennessee or the Wolfpack are going to get run out of the building. I think Tennessee is supremely undervalued early this year – elite defense and an offense with elite offensive potential. Give me the Vols to cover here. … Tennessee 34, NC State 27.

Crawford (Tennessee -6.5) — Sitting in the press box at NC State last week, I started looking for early lines in this one to try and see where oddsmakers had handicapped the Vols and Wolfpack. I'll say this — this one staying under a touchdown is great news for NC State given how these two teams played in their respective openers. I think there are enough issues up front and at linebacker, however, for the Wolfpack that makes me question their ability to make this one a four-quarter game. I backed off my NC State playoff projection this week after seeing the Wolfpack and some potential personnel worries up close. ... Tennessee 31, NC State 17.

Hummer (Texas -6.5) — Maybe Michigan looks a lot different in Week 2. It's possible. But if the Wolverines get a similar offensive performance to what we saw against Fresno State, the Longhorns are going to roll. Michigan's defense is good enough to keep Texas off the board for long stretches, but you're not going to hold a group like that down forever. And there's little reason to believe, at least based on what we saw Week 1, Michigan will be able to easily move the ball against Texas. Its o-line only looked OK and its QB and wide receivers were average, at best. The Longhorns make a big non-conference statement for the second season in a row. … Texas 31, Michigan 24.

Crawford (Texas -6.5) — The Longhorns were one of college football's most impressive teams in Week 1 and I'm worried about the Wolverines. The nation's longest-winning streak is going to end in Ann Arbor and it could get ugly if Michigan's unable to limit possessions and get things going on the ground. I may regret this prediction, but I don't foresee another SEC faceplant in a big spot like three of those league's teams managed to do over the weekend. Texas takes the torch from Georgia for a week. ... Texas 38, Michigan 17.