College football is back in full swing. There are always things to watch every week of the season. Here are 5 things to watch in college football week 2.
The biggest game of the week takes place in Austin, Texas. Ohio State travels to take on the Longhorns in a rematch of a game last season. The Buckeyes dominated Ball State in week 1, but this will be their first true test. Julian Sayin is back at quarterback and looks more polished, as he passed for 320 yards and three touchdowns in the opener. Jeremiah Smith continues to be an elite player with two touchdown catches already. Defensively, there are a lot of new faces, but they completely shut down Ball State.
Texas showed off a lot of their new weapons against Texas State in week 1. They won the game; Arch Manning played well and got familiar with his new teammates. Running back Hollywood Smothers rushed for 70 yards, while his teammate Raleek Brown had two touchdowns. Cam Coleman caught two touchdown passes, showing a good connection with Manning. The defense allowed just seven points. Colin Simmons leads the unit that has talent and could make things tough for the Buckeyes.
Oklahoma travels to Ann Arbor to play Michigan in a rematch of a game last season. The Sooners won last year at home and have plenty of key pieces back from that team. Quarterback John Mateer and wide receiver Isaiah Sategna have a nice rapport. Lloyd Avant and Ben McReary gave life to the running game in week 1, but now it will be tested. The defense is expected to be one of the best in the country and they allowed no points to UTEP.
The Wolverines had an eventful opening game, as they nearly lost to Western Michigan before a second was added to the clock and a hail mary was completed to give them the win. Kyle Whittingham has a lot of work to do after his first game in charge. Bryce Underwood isn’t making the right reads at quarterback, the line isn’t getting a lot of push and the defense gave up too much room on the ground. If things don’t turn around quickly, Michigan could be in over their heads against Oklahoma.
BYU won their season-opener against Utah Tech and didn’t really have any issues. Bear Bachmeier got some reps, while LJ Martin saw limited action and was kept fresh. The defense allowed just seven points. The Cougars are expected to compete in the Big 12 and in week 2, they have their first test.
Arizona travels to BYU to play the Cougars. The Wildcats are coming off of a nine-win season and have experienced quarterback Noah Fifita back. The Wildcats defeated Northern Arizona 35-7 in week 1, which was a solid ramp-up game for the team to get ready for BYU. Although Giovanni Richardson had 96 receiving yards in week 1, fans will get the chance to see if Fifita has enough around him, on both sides of the ball, for the Wildcats to make a run in the Big 12.
Tennessee played Furman in week 1, beating the FCS squad 56-9. The Volunteers saw Faizon Brandon get his first start as a true freshman quarterback. He passed for 226 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions in his debut game. The team passed for over 300 yards and rushed for over 300 as well. Tennessee’s defense played solidly and that was without linebacker Arion Carter, who was serving an NCAA suspension.
Georgia Tech lost a close one in week 1 to Colorado. The Yellow Jackets struggled to run the ball, but Alberto Mendoza, Fernando’s brother, looked good. He was 17/23 passing for 237 yards. The defense also did a solid job, holding the Buffaloes to just 14 points. It is unlikely Georgia Tech can pull off the upset, but if they open up the offense a bit, it is possible.
In week 1, Boise State dropped a close game to Oregon. The Broncos are expected to contend for a CFP spot this season as a group-of-six representative. In week 2, they will match up with Memphis, who also has CFP hopes. The Tigers defeated UNLV and Arkansas State in week 0 and week 1, putting them in a solid spot to make a run at the CFP.
The matchup will be at Boise State, where the Broncos will hope to run the ball well, have quarterback Maddux Madsen take care of the ball and have the defense stop the run. Memphis has found a star running back in Jaylin Carter, who has 280 rushing yards and five touchdowns this season. If they can get him going, they have a chance to upset the Broncos on the road.
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