College Football Week 2 Expert Picks, Predictions For Michigan-Oklahoma And More

Will Texas avenge last season’s loss to Ohio State? Can Michigan bounce back against Oklahoma after a shocking and controversial near-upset? Which teams will prove that their Week 1 performance wasn’t a fluke, but a trend to rely on? 

The college football season rolls on, and Week 2’s lineup is looking strong with some big cross-conference games, from Texas-Ohio State to Michigan-Oklahoma to Illinois-Duke and so many more.

So before Week 2 kicks off, we’ve got some picks of the week, along with answers to those questions and more. We’re breaking down our straight-up picks for Week 2 and which matchups to keep a close eye on this weekend.

Let’s get into it. 

When: Friday, 8 p.m. ET (FOX)
Where: David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, Kansas
Line: Missouri -5.5

RJ Young: Missouri
The Tigers have the better quarterback, and their run game is still rather awesome even without Ahmad Hardy in the backfield.

Laken Litman: Missouri
Mizzou takes down Kansas in an old rivalry game as former Ole Miss quarterback Austin Simmons lights up the Jayhawks with another multi-touchdown performance.

Michael Cohen: Missouri
As a new face in a new place, Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons gave the Tigers plenty to be excited about in Week 1 with four touchdowns and only two incompletions. He keeps it rolling against the Jayhawks. 

Ben Portnoy: Missouri
I’m in on Austin Simmons being a difference maker for the Tigers, even with a depleted run game. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz has largely handled business as a favorite during his tenure, and I think he does it again this week.

When: Saturday, noon ET (FOX)
Where: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Line: Oklahoma -5.5

Young: Oklahoma 
The Sooners have the edge at quarterback, wide receiver and defensive line. This could get ugly for Michigan if Bryce Underwood doesn’t show a tremendous leap in development.

Litman: Oklahoma
The biggest question for me is how Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood will look after last week’s near disaster against Western Michigan. You know Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables will put together a defensive game plan that makes it as hard as possible for the young signal-caller to succeed. 

Cohen: Oklahoma
Maybe the Wolverines will bounce back a bit following last week’s controversial win over Western Michigan. But the safer bet is that Oklahoma’s terrific defense can cause even more problems for Bryce Underwood, whose time as the starter feels like it’s dwindling.

Portnoy: Oklahoma
Recency bias has me incredibly down on the Wolverines, but there’s nothing I saw in Saturday’s win (?) over Western Michigan that makes me think they can beat a team of Oklahoma’s caliber. I think the Sooners are a legit dark horse to win the SEC this year, and I love what a healthy John Mateer brings. Give me the Sooners, big.

When: Saturday, noon ET (ESPN)
Where: Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, Oklahoma
Line: Oregon -22.5

Young: Oregon
Oregon is coming off of an embarrassing win, still has one of the best rosters in the sport and is about to play an Oklahoma State team that got beat by Tulsa, the smallest FBS school in the country. Name the number, Ducks.

Litman: Oregon
The Ducks had their “wake-up call” last week vs. Boise State, who could end up being the Group of Six College Football Playoff representative. While Stillwater is a tough place to play, Dan Lanning will have his team ready to go, while the Cowboys are in a transition year.

Cohen: Oregon
There will certainly be a response from Oregon’s defense after the highly-touted unit was gashed by Boise State in a surprisingly close opener. The Ducks should roll against an Oklahoma State team that looked quite rough in an upset loss to Tulsa. 

Portnoy: Oregon
Oregon got a scare from Boise State last week, but there’s no way that’s happening two weeks in a row. Oklahoma State looked atrocious last week in Eric Morris’ debut at Tulsa. I’d be shocked if the Ducks don’t roll in this one.

When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (FOX)
Where: LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, Utah
Line: BYU -7.5

Young: BYU
I trust the BYU defense more than I trust quarterback Noah Fifita and the Arizona offense.

Litman: BYU
Quarterback Bear Bachmeier and the Cougars have to win their first Big 12 game to keep pace with the likes of Texas Tech and Houston, and will take care of business against Arizona. 

Cohen: BYU
This is an important early-season mile marker for BYU in its quest to supplant Texas Tech in the Big 12 hierarchy. A controlled win over Arizona should give the Cougars plenty of confidence at the start of conference play.

Portnoy: BYU
If BYU is really going to challenge for the Big 12 title, this is the kind of game the Cougars need to win. Arizona was much improved last year and Noah Fifita is back, but I think BYU’s talent advantage outweighs that.

When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
Where: Gies Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois
Line: Illinois -5.5

Young: Duke
The defending ACC champs — Duke! — have a bona fide star at running back in Nate Sheppard and the Illinois defense gave up 24 first downs and 194 rushing yards to UAB in its opener.

Litman: Illinois
Quarterback Katin Houser builds on his four-TD performance against UAB in Week 1 against the Darian Mensah-less Duke Blue Devils.

Cohen: Illinois
How popular is Illinois football right now? Illinois sold out Memorial Stadium for this week’s non-conference tilt against Duke. A crowd like that should push head coach Bret Bielema’s squad to a win. 

Portnoy: Illinois
Katin Houser put up huge numbers at East Carolina and his Big Ten return is off to a nice start. I like what Bret Bielema and this staff did with Luke Altmyer and Houser feels like a nice replacement. Duke has some talent, but Illinois is the better team here. 

When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (USA Net)
Where: JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse, New York
Line: Syracuse -3.5

Young: Syracuse
Head coach Fran Brown has his quarterback in Steve Angeli, and his quarterback is healthy. Angeli can be as good as Kyle McCord was at ‘Cuse if he stays healthy, and I like this matchup for a veteran head coach against a rookie one, in Cal’s Tosh Lupoi, coming off a loss and traveling across three time zones.

Litman: Syracuse
An early season classic ACC matchup! Orange quarterback Steve Angeli keeps up momentum from a strong Week 1 performance as Cal falls to 0-2 in the Tosh Lupoi era.

Cohen: Cal
Fool me once (as the Bears did last week), shame on you. Fool me twice (as I back the Bears again this week), shame on me. They should bounce back with a win.

Portnoy: Cal
Tosh Lupoi’s team didn’t exactly help my case for the Golden Bears as potential ACC contenders with their loss to UCLA last week, but I’m riding with the “Calgorithm” again. Fran Brown’s team should be much improved with Steve Angeli, but I think Lupoi’s bunch bounce back after a tough opener.

When: Saturday, 6 p.m. ET (USA Network)
Where: Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho
Line: Boise State -8.5

Young: Boise State
I saw enough from the Broncos to believe they’re one of the two best teams in the Group of Six. Sadly, Memphis is not one of those two teams.

Litman: Boise State
Coming off an impressive performance from Week 1 where they almost knocked off then-No. 2 Oregon in Eugene, the Broncos get into the win column.

Cohen: Boise State
The Broncos played incredibly on the road at Oregon last week to establish themselves as legitimate CFP contenders from the Group of Six. Memphis wants to be viewed in that same category after knocking off UNLV in its season opener. Boise State is a cut above. 

Portnoy: Boise State
I’m rolling with the Broncos until proven otherwise. This team is as experienced as any in the Group of Six, and they looked the part last week at Oregon. Could there be a letdown? Sure, but I think Boise State will be able to run the ball more effectively against Memphis, and that gives the Broncos the edge.

When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (FOX)
Where: DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, Texas
Line: Texas -1.5

Young: Ohio State
The Buckeyes’ weakness is on the offensive line. However, the cheat code exists. Quarterback Julian Sayin doesn’t have to punch up the “Konami code.” Just press four. Jeremiah Smith will beat the game.

Litman: Texas
Arch Manning and the Texas defense aren’t about to let Ohio State beat them a third straight time in less than two years.

Cohen: Ohio State
A year ago, new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia put the clamps on Texas’ offense. This time, new Ohio State offensive coordinator Arthur Smith will unleash a few wrinkles the Longhorns aren’t ready for. The Buckeyes get it done. 

Portnoy: Texas
If not now, when? That’s how I feel about Texas and its national title aspirations. Saturday’s game is a chance to cement the Longhorns as the top team in the country. I’m still skeptical of Arch Manning, but I think the talent drain on Ohio State’s defense shows up in Austin, and the home team gets a major résumé boost.