Thursday Slate
Thursday, September 10
5:00 PM PT — ACC Network
Florida A&M (1-1) at #7 Miami (1-0)
Location: Hard Rock Stadium — Miami Gardens, Florida
Prediction: Miami 63–7
Friday Slate
Friday, September 11
4:00 PM PT — ACC Network
Villanova (1-1) at #24 Louisville (0-1)
Location: L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium — Louisville, Kentucky
Prediction: Louisville 52–10
4:00 PM PT — ESPNU
Richmond at NC State (0-1)
Location: Carter-Finley Stadium — Raleigh, North Carolina
Prediction: NC State 45–13
4:30 PM PT — ESPN2
Rutgers (0-1) at Boston College (0-1)
Location: Alumni Stadium — Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Prediction: Boston College 21–13
4:00 PM PT — ACC Network Extra
Norfolk State at #25 Virginia (1-0)
Location: Scott Stadium — Charlottesville, Virginia
Prediction: Virginia 56–7
5:00 PM PT — FOX
#23 Missouri (1-0) at Kansas (1-0)
Location: David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium — Lawrence, Kansas
Prediction: Missouri 38–24
Week 2 — Saturday Morning Slate
Saturday, September 12
9:00 AM PT — FOX
#11 Oklahoma (1-0) at Michigan (1-0)
Location: Michigan Stadium — Ann Arbor, Michigan
Prediction: Oklahoma 35–21
In a rematch from last year, the Oklahoma Sooners will travel to Ann Arbor to play an unranked Michigan. In last year’s game, John Mateer was a major reason for the Sooners’ victory, with 344 total yards and three total touchdowns. I expect him to perform well in a hostile environment this year, especially since Oklahoma has more balance on offense. However, Michigan is seemingly more in a state of flux. With last week’s controversial victory, Bryce Underwood struggling and a new coach, questions have started to arise. This game was viewed as a pivotal game with playoff implications in the preseason, but some of that luster has died down. I am not sure if Michigan can win, but they will have a costly cold spell as they lose at home.
9:00 AM PT — ESPNU
Appalachian State (1-0) at East Carolina (0-1)
Location: Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium — Greenville, North Carolina
Prediction: Appalachian State 24–21
9:00 AM PT — ABC
Arizona State (1-0) at #10 Texas A&M (1-0)
Location: Kyle Field — College Station, Texas
Prediction: Texas A&M 38–21
This game will provide fans with a clearer understanding of where their team sits in the pecking order. Two years ago, ASU was in the College Football Playoff with Sam Leavitt at quarterback; now they look significantly different. Last year, the Aggies had a remarkable year that ended with a trip to the College Football Playoff. With plenty of returning talent and new additions, they expect to be back again. Both teams won easily last week against inferior opponents, making this one tough to gauge. In the end, Marcel Reed and the offense should put up numbers, while the defense will be stout in front of a wild home crowd.
9:00 AM PT — ACC Network
East Tennessee State at North Carolina (1-0)
Location: Kenan Stadium — Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Prediction: North Carolina 42–3
9:00 AM PT — Big Ten Network
Howard at #5 Indiana (1-0)
Location: Memorial Stadium — Bloomington, Indiana
Prediction: Indiana 63–7
9:00 AM PT — The CW
Old Dominion (1-0) at Virginia Tech (1-0)
Location: Lane Stadium — Blacksburg, Virginia
Prediction: Virginia Tech 52–10
9:00 AM PT — CBS Sports Network
South Florida (1-0) at Army (1-0)
Location: Michie Stadium — West Point, New York
Prediction: Army 30–21
9:00 AM PT — ESPN
#6 Oregon (1-0) at Oklahoma State (0-1)
Location: Boone Pickens Stadium — Stillwater, Oklahoma
Prediction: Oregon 42–21
9:00 AM PT — ESPN2
#16 Penn State (1-0) at Temple (1-0)
Location: Lincoln Financial Field — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Prediction: Penn State 42–10
9:00 AM PT — FS1
Wake Forest (1-0) at Purdue (1-0)
Location: Ross-Ade Stadium — West Lafayette, Indiana
Prediction: Wake Forest 38–17
9:00 AM PT — TNT
Washington State (0-1) at Kansas State (1-0)
Location: Bill Snyder Family Stadium — Manhattan, Kansas
Prediction: Kansas State 27–24
9:00 AM PT — ESPN+
Wofford at Kent State (0-1)
Location: Dix Stadium — Kent, Ohio
Prediction: Kent State 35–10
9:45 AM PT — SEC Network
Western Kentucky (0-1) at #2 Georgia (1-0)
Location: Sanford Stadium — Athens, Georgia
Prediction: Georgia 56–7
10:00 AM PT — ESPN+
Colgate at Central Michigan (0-1)
Location: Kelly/Shorts Stadium — Mount Pleasant, Michigan
Prediction: Central Michigan 38–14
10:00 AM PT — ESPN+
Holy Cross at Miami (OH) (0-1)
Location: Yager Stadium — Oxford, Ohio
Prediction: Miami (OH) 35–10
10:00 AM PT — ESPN+
UT Martin at West Virginia (1-0)
Location: Milan Puskar Stadium — Morgantown, West Virginia
Prediction: West Virginia 49–10
11:00 AM PT — ESPN+
Stony Brook at Ball State (0-1)
Location: Scheumann Stadium — Muncie, Indiana
Prediction: Ball State 41–10
Saturday Afternoon Slate
12:30 PM PT — NBC
Rice (1-0) at #3 Notre Dame (1-0)
Location: Notre Dame Stadium — South Bend, Indiana
Prediction: Notre Dame 52–7
12:30 PM PT — ACC Network
California (0-1) at Syracuse (1-0)
Location: JMA Wireless Dome — Syracuse, New York
Prediction: Cal 28–21
12:30 PM PT — ESPN+
Central Connecticut State at Toledo (0-1)
Location: Glass Bowl — Toledo, Ohio
Prediction: Toledo 42–14
12:30 PM PT — FS1
Duke (1-0) at Illinois (1-0)
Location: Memorial Stadium — Champaign, Illinois
Prediction: Illinois 31–24
12:30 PM PT — Big Ten Network
Eastern Michigan (1-0) at Michigan State (1-0)
Location: Spartan Stadium — East Lansing, Michigan
Prediction: Michigan State 27–14
12:30 PM PT — ESPN+
Louisiana-Monroe (0-1) at UAB (0-1)
Location: Protective Stadium — Birmingham, Alabama
Prediction: UAB 34–24
12:30 PM PT — CBS Sports Network
Maryland (1-0) at UConn (1-0)
Location: Pratt & Whitney Stadium — East Hartford, Connecticut
Prediction: Maryland 38–17
12:30 PM PT — CBS
Mississippi State (1-0) at Minnesota (1-0)
Location: Huntington Bank Stadium — Minneapolis, Minnesota
Prediction: Mississippi State 28–20
12:30 PM PT — ESPN+
Robert Morris at Akron (0-1)
Location: InfoCision Stadium — Akron, Ohio
Prediction: Akron 35–17
12:30 PM PT — FOX
Arizona (1-0) at #15 BYU (1-0)
Location: LaVell Edwards Stadium — Provo, Utah
Prediction: BYU 31–24
This early-season conference match up will be the first of many games played to help paint a picture of the top of the Big 12. BYU has playoff aspirations after coming so close last year. If they play the way they normally do, expect the Cougars to control the line of scrimmage and make things difficult for Arizona. The Wildcats have a chance to shock fans with an upset victory over the No. 15 Cougars. To do so, Noah Fifita must have a huge game, and defensively, they have to stop LJ Martin and Bear Bachmeier. I believe the Wildcats’ quarterback has what it takes to keep it close, but their defense will have difficulty stopping these two stars. With that being said, Cougars by a touchdown.
12:30 PM PT — ESPN+
Sacred Heart at UMass (1-0)
Location: Warren P. McGuirk Alumni Stadium — Amherst, Massachusetts
Prediction: UMass 42–21
12:30 PM PT — The CW
UTSA (1-0) at Texas State (0-1)
Location: UFCU Stadium — San Marcos, Texas
Prediction: UTSA 27–24
12:30 PM PT — ESPN2
UCF (1-0) at Pittsburgh (1-0)
Location: Acrisure Stadium — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Prediction: Pittsburgh 45–38
For fans who love high-scoring affairs, this is the game for you. This match up features two teams who put up over 50 points in Week 1 as they both cruised to victory. The Pittsburgh quarterback, Mason Heintschel, threw for over 450 yards and seven touchdowns last week. On the other hand, UCF has an established Group of Six transfer who is looking to show he belongs at a Power Four program. Alonza Barnett III led James Madison to a College Football Playoff berth and started his UCF career with a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown. In what should be an exciting shootout, the deciding factors will be which quarterback plays better and whose defense can get stops against tougher competition.
12:30 PM PT — Big Ten Network
Utah State (0-1) at #19 Washington (1-0)
Location: Husky Stadium — Seattle, Washington
Prediction: Washington 42–14
12:30 PM PT — ESPN+
Wagner at James Madison (1-0)
Location: Bridgeforth Stadium — Harrisonburg, Virginia
Prediction: James Madison 38–10
12:30 PM PT — ESPN+
Weber State at Colorado (1-0)
Location: Folsom Field — Boulder, Colorado
Prediction: Colorado 35–3
12:30 PM PT — ABC/Disney+
#12 Alabama (1-0) at Kentucky (1-0)
Location: Kroger Field — Lexington, Kentucky
Prediction: Alabama 35–10
12:45 PM PT — ESPNU
UNLV (1-1) at North Texas (0-1)
Location: DATCU Stadium — Denton, Texas
Prediction: UNLV 27–17
1:00 PM PT — ACC Network
UC Davis at #17 SMU (1-0)
Location: Gerald J. Ford Stadium — University Park, Texas
Prediction: SMU 56–7
1:00 PM PT — Mountain West Network+
Northern Colorado at Wyoming (0-1)
Location: War Memorial Stadium — Laramie, Wyoming
Prediction: Wyoming 31–10
1:00 PM PT — Mountain West Network+
Mercyhurst at New Mexico (1-0)
Location: University Stadium — Albuquerque, New Mexico
Prediction: New Mexico 52–14
1:00 PM PT — ESPN+
Alabama State at Troy (1-0)
Location: Veterans Memorial Stadium — Troy, Alabama
Prediction: Troy 38–10
1:15 PM PT — SEC Network
Delaware (1-0) at Vanderbilt (1-0)
Location: FirstBank Stadium — Nashville, Tennessee
Prediction: Vanderbilt 42–14
2:30 PM PT — SEC Network+
Campbell at Florida (1-0)
Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium — Gainesville, Florida
Prediction: Florida 45–7
3:00 PM PT — ESPN+
Buffalo (1-0) at FIU (0-1)
Location: Pitbull Stadium — Miami, Florida
Prediction: FIU 28–24
3:00 PM PT — USA Network
Memphis (2-0) at Boise State (0-1)
Location: Albertsons Stadium — Boise, Idaho
Prediction: Boise State 31–28
A monster game for all Group of Six hopefuls as two early-season favorites to be the representative collide in Boise. Memphis is off to a hot start this year, while Boise State is coming off a hard-fought loss to Oregon. The Tigers have been able to move the ball effectively, in large part due to transfer Marcus Stokes. If he continues his brilliance, it could be a long day for Boise State, especially if they have not recovered emotionally. However, I expect the Broncos to come out hungry and be aggressive. With Boise State having home-field advantage, revenge on their mind, and their playoff hopes in their hands, the Broncos will win a close one.
3:00 PM PT — ESPN+
Gardner-Webb at Liberty (0-1)
Location: Williams Stadium — Lynchburg, Virginia
Prediction: Liberty 35–17
3:00 PM PT — ESPN+
Jacksonville State (1-1) at Ohio (0-1)
Location: Peden Stadium — Athens, Ohio
Prediction: Ohio 34–28
3:30 PM PT — ESPN+
Monmouth at Western Michigan (0-1)
Location: Waldo Stadium — Kalamazoo, Michigan
Prediction: Western Michigan 45–7
Saturday Evening Slate
4:00 PM PT — ESPN
#18 Tennessee (1-0) at Georgia Tech (0-1)
Location: Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field — Atlanta, Georgia
Prediction: Tennessee 38-14
4:00 PM PT — ESPN+
Southern at #22 Houston (1-0)
Location: TDECU Stadium — Houston, Texas
Prediction: Houston 56-7
4:00 PM PT — SEC Network+
Towson at South Carolina (1-0)
Location: Williams-Brice Stadium — Columbia, South Carolina
Prediction: South Carolina 63-7
4:00 PM PT — ESPN+
Western Carolina at Cincinnati (1-0)
Location: Nippert Stadium — Cincinnati, Ohio
Prediction: Cincinnati 45-3
4:00 PM PT — FS1
Bowling Green (0-1) at Nebraska (1-0)
Location: Memorial Stadium — Lincoln, Nebraska
Prediction: Nebraska 42-14
4:00 PM PT — CBS Sports Network
Southern Utah (0-1) at Colorado State (1-0)
Location: Canvas Stadium — Fort Collins, Colorado
Prediction: Colorado State 38-10
4:00 PM PT — ESPN+
Tulsa (1-0) at Sam Houston (0-1)
Location: Bowers Stadium — Huntsville, Texas
Prediction: Tulsa 35-14
4:00 PM PT — Mountain West Network+
Illinois State at Northern Illinois (0-1)
Location: Huskie Stadium — DeKalb, Illinois
Prediction: Northern Illinois 38-7
4:00 PM PT — ESPN+
South Alabama (1-0) at Tulane (1-0)
Location: Yulman Stadium — New Orleans, Louisiana
Prediction: Tulane 45-10
4:00 PM PT — ESPN+
West Georgia at Arkansas State (1-0)
Location: Centennial Bank Stadium — Jonesboro, Arkansas
Prediction: Arkansas State 38-14
4:00 PM PT — ESPN+
Georgia State (1-0) at Kennesaw State (1-0)
Location: Fifth Third Stadium — Kennesaw, Georgia
Prediction: Kennesaw State 24-21
4:00 PM PT — ESPN+
Middle Tennessee (0-1) at Marshall (0-1)
Location: Joan C. Edwards Stadium — Huntington, West Virginia
Prediction: Marshall 28-17
4:00 PM PT — ESPN+
Lindenwood (1-0) at Missouri State (0-1)
Location: Robert W. Plaster Stadium — Springfield, Missouri
Prediction: Missouri State 24-20
4:15 PM PT — Big Ten Network
San Diego State (1-0) at UCLA (1-0)
Location: Rose Bowl — Pasadena, California
Prediction: UCLA 42-21
4:15 PM PT — Big Ten Network
Western Illinois at Wisconsin (0-1)
Location: Camp Randall Stadium — Madison, Wisconsin
Prediction: Wisconsin 42-14
4:30 PM PT — ABC
#1 Ohio State (1-0) at #4 Texas (1-0)
Location: Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium — Austin, Texas
Prediction: Texas 31-28
The Buckeyes travel to Austin to take on the Longhorns in what is shaping into one of the most anticipated games of the season. Last year, Ohio State was seemingly overwhelming Arch Manning and the Texas roster, but I expect that to be different this year. Texas emphasized adding more talent around their quarterback. These additions will help them in games like this, where the opponent is on a similar talent level. This pick does come with doubts because Ohio State has Jeremiah Smith, who can change the game at a moment’s notice. If he goes off like he did last week, I could look foolish for picking the Longhorns by three.
4:30 PM PT — SEC Network+
Louisiana Tech (1-0) at #8 LSU (1-0)
Location: Tiger Stadium — Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Prediction: LSU 56-10
4:30 PM PT — CBS
#13 Texas Tech (1-0) at Oregon State (0-1)
Location: Reser Stadium — Corvallis, Oregon
Prediction: Texas Tech 42-17
4:30 PM PT — NBC
Iowa State (1-0) at #21 Iowa (1-0)
Location: Kinnick Stadium — Iowa City, Iowa
Prediction: Iowa 34-17
Rivalry games always seem to bring out the best in both teams. This game between bitter rivals, Iowa State and Iowa, has a rich history as they battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy every year. I believe that the Hawkeyes have the edge in multiple facets of the game. They have a more talented roster with more continuity, which is huge when playing a rival early in the year. Though anything can happen in a rivalry game, Iowa State will come up short against their arch rival under first-year Cyclones coach Jimmy Rogers.
4:30 PM PT — ACC Network
Georgia Southern (1-0) at Clemson (0-1)
Location: Memorial Stadium — Clemson, South Carolina
Prediction: Clemson 52-7
4:30 PM PT — ESPNU
Navy (0-1) at Florida Atlantic (1-0)
Location: Flagler Credit Union Stadium — Boca Raton, Florida
Prediction: Navy 42-17
4:30 PM PT — ESPN+
Fordham at Coastal Carolina (1-0)
Location: Brooks Stadium — Conway, South Carolina
Prediction: Coastal Carolina 42-7
4:45 PM PT — ESPN2
Charlotte (1-0) at #9 Ole Miss (1-0)
Location: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium — Oxford, Mississippi
Prediction: Ole Miss 63-7
4:45 PM PT — SEC Network+
Southern Miss (1-0) at Auburn (1-0)
Location: Jordan-Hare Stadium — Auburn, Alabama
Prediction: Auburn 35-17
5:00 PM PT — ESPN+
Prairie View A&M at Baylor (0-1)
Location: McLane Stadium — Waco, Texas
Prediction: Baylor 49-7
5:00 PM PT — ESPN+
Grambling at TCU (0-1)
Location: Amon G. Carter Stadium — Fort Worth, Texas
Prediction: TCU 49-7
6:00 PM PT — Mountain West Network+
Texas Southern at UTEP (0-1)
Location: Sun Bowl — El Paso, Texas
Prediction: UTEP 42-20
6:00 PM PT — Mountain West Network+
Cal Poly at San Jose State (1-0)
Location: CEFCU Stadium — San Jose, California
Prediction: San Jose State 38-14
Saturday Night Slate
7:00 PM PT — FS1
North Dakota State (2-0) at Air Force (1-0)
Location: Falcon Stadium — Colorado Springs, Colorado
Prediction: North Dakota State 34-17
7:15 PM PT — ESPN
Arkansas (1-0) at #20 Utah (1-0)
Location: Rice-Eccles Stadium — Salt Lake City, Utah
Prediction: Utah 38-21
Fans should be prepared to see an intriguing match up between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Utah Utes. It is not often you see teams from the SEC come to the West Coast. In fact, I remember a few years ago when the Gators traveled to Utah and got embarrassed. I expect the Razorbacks to be competitive early and fade in the third or fourth quarter. Utah has an experienced quarterback in Devon Dampier who can control the game or break for a big play when his team needs him. His versatility and the Utes’ running game will wear down the Razorbacks. The excitement stems from two power conference teams being willing to duke it out early in the season and seeing how the two new coaching staffs will handle it.
7:30 PM PT — CBS Sports Network
Sacramento State (1-1) at Fresno State (0-1)
Location: Valley Children’s Stadium — Fresno, California
Prediction: Fresno State 35-24
7:30 PM PT — The CW
Montana State at Nevada (1-0)
Location: Mackay Stadium — Reno, Nevada
Prediction: Nevada 24-21
8:00 PM PT — Big Ten Network
Louisiana (1-0) at #14 USC (2-0)
Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum — Los Angeles, California
Prediction: USC 56-7
9:00 PM PT — Mountain West Network+
New Mexico State (1-0) at Hawai’i (0-2)
Location: Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex — Honolulu, Hawai’i
Prediction: Hawai’i 35-14
