The second week of college football is upon us and this week fans will be treated to far more high-profile matchups than a week ago. There is no possible way to predict when a seemingly meaningless game could produce a playoff altering upset, but nonetheless, some games are indisputably larger than others. Here are your top games of the week for Week 2.
Game of the Week: No. 6 LSU @ No. 9 Texas
College GameDay will be heading to Austin, Texas as the Texas Long Horns host the LSU Tigers. Last week the PAC 12 had a shot to take down an SEC juggernaut in prime time, and now it’s the Big 12’s turn. These two teams are sitting in the shadows of Alabama and Oklahoma, but an early top 10 win could spark confidence and send the winning team out on a high note heading into conference play. All eyes will be on the quarterbacks, as LSU’s Joe Burrow and Texas’ Sam Ehlinger had very strong Week 1 performances.
No. 12 Texas A&M @ No. 1 Clemson
Right now six of the top twelve ranked teams in the country are from the SEC. Giving all six of those teams such a high status might be a little farfetched, but the Texas A&M Aggies have a chance to justify that status by knocking off the No.1 team in the country on the road. The Tigers, meanwhile, will be looking for a better performance from quarterback Trevor Lawrence who surprisingly struggled against Georgia Tech in week one.
Cincinnati @ No.5 Ohio State
Cincinnati is nowhere remotely close to being a playoff-caliber team, but an upset of Ohio State isn’t totally out of the question. Cincinnati is on the cusp of achieving ranked status in the AP Poll and a win over Ohio State would certainly send them into the top 25. The Buckeyes will be looking to see how Justin Fields performs against the team’s first real opponent. The Georgia transfer was dominant against FAU but will be facing a much tougher defense.
Cal @ No.14 Washington
While it isn’t an exciting matchup on paper, Cal and Washington’s Week 2 matchup is critical to the outcome of the Pac 12 North. The Washington Huskies are looking to repeat as Pac 12 champions while the Cal Golden Bears are simply trying to take a step forward from last season’s 4-5 conference record. Cal has what may be the nation’s best defense (particularly the secondary) but scoring points has been an issue.
No.23 Stanford @ USC
Yes, this is a big game for both teams in regard to their PAC 12 status, but both of these offenses are also looking to make a major statement after the events of Week 1. The Stanford Cardinals squeaked out the win over Northwestern, but their offense was highly suspect.
USC, meanwhile, will be starting true freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis after JT Daniels tore his ACL against Fresno State Week 1. With question marks all over the place, both teams need this win badly.
Miami @ UNC
These are two teams might not be ranked but neither is anyone else in the ACC Coastal. This week two conference matchup will play a critical role in how the division race unfolds. Miami was on the cusp of a Week 1 upset vs. Florida but fell just short while UNC pulled off the upset of the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Tarheels already have a solid win under their belt, but now they need to take the next step in conference play.
No.21 Syracuse @ Maryland
This is the part of the list where I’m out of “critical” games to list off, but I’m nonetheless intrigued by the matchup. Syracuse is one of only two ranked ACC teams (the other being Clemson) and Maryland is coming off a 79-0 victory. The Terrapins won’t be competing in the Big Ten, but they’re a better team than people realize.
Other games to keep an eye on:
Army @ No.7 Michigan
No. 25 Nebraska @ Colorado
