With a fantastic return to College Football proper with week one locked in. we turn our attention to our College Football Preview: Week Two. With some huge games this and Jake going above and beyond with his BIGXII write up, week lets start right now with the B1G 10.

College Football Preview: Week Two – B1G 10 

There are some fantastic out-of-conference games this week for Big Ten teams against some strong Big XII and Pac-12 opponents. Iowa face rivals Iowa State in a battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy that should be a cracker. The Hawkeyes have earned a top 10 ranking in the AP poll and will be determined to climb further next week if they can beat the #9 Cyclones.

Michigan are another team that will want to build on the momentum they built with a convincing win in week 1. They welcome Washington to Ann Arbor who were embarrassed by Montana last week – the Wolverines will be hoping to deepen Huskie wounds. Greg Schiano will expect his Rutgers side to improve to 2-0 but they will need to keep the impressive collective performances coming to beat Syracuse.

How many yards Kenneth Walker III will rack up this week?! He and the Michigan State Spartans get the opportunity to let rip on Youngstown State in one of several one-sided fixtures on paper.

Minnesota will look for a big bounce back win against Miami (Ohio) and Northwestern get a cupcake game vs Indiana State. Purdue fans will be licking their lips at the thought of UConn’s secondary desperately trying to stop David Bell and Penn State should pick up an easy win against Ball State.

Nebraska has a tougher task to overcome Buffalo and will need to bottle up the run game to take command of this one. Wisconsin’s offense will breathe a sigh of relief as they take on Eastern Michigan rather than the stout Penn State defense. Indiana hosts Idaho at Memorial Stadium and after an impressive week 1 Maryland plays Howard.

Game Of The Week

Oregon @ Ohio State

What a treat we have in week 2! Reigning PAC-12 and Big Ten champions going head-to-head with season defining ramifications on the line. The loser can almost certainly wave playoff aspirations goodbye. This is a must watch and I can’t wait!

The potential battle between Oregon edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux and Buckeye OT Thayer Munford could be one for the ages. Both are first-team preseason All-Americans and CJ Stroud will be hoping his mate can keep him protected in the pocket. I say potential battle as Thibodeaux left week 1 in a protective boot and there are concerns he could miss the game through injury. That would be a real shame for everyone (well, maybe not the OSU O-line!)

There are headline acts and future NFL stars everywhere on these rosters – who is going to step up and be the difference maker on Saturday? Tune in to find out.

Written by Jack @JackCDCTT

 

College Football Preview: Week Two –  ACC 

The Friday night game sees North Carolina A&T travel to Duke in a game Duke will want to dominate after the shock loss to Charlotte. The 1-1 Fighting Illini travel to Virginia in a game that Virginia will find stiffer than last week. Will Brennan Armstrong show us more this week?

Georgia Tech will look to bounce back against Kennesaw State who won on opening day. Wake Forest is offered a cup cake as Norfolk State travels to Truist Field. My Hokies are 20 point favourites against Middle Tennessee in a game they should walk by half time. Syracuse welcomes Rutgers in what could be a trap game if The Orange aren’t careful. Except this one to be close. Phil Jurcovic and Boston College travel to UMass in a game they are huge favorites in. Clemson welcomes SC State to Death Valley and we ‘expect’ Clemson to get their first win.

Miami hosts Appalachian State in what could be a sleepy challenge ahead of Michigan State next week. I actually think App State run The Hurricanes close here. Louisville looks to bounce back after the week one loss with and face an easier test against East Kentucky. After a blowout win in week one, NC State travels to Mississippi State and it’s basically a pick’em with The Wolfpack one point dawgs. I really fancy NC State to pull off the upset here.

North Carolina hosts Georgia State and after this one one team will be winless. NC are 20 point favourites so expect Sam Howell and Co to look much better week two. Or if not then there could be huge trouble for Mac Brown. Finally, Florida State won’t want to let the heartbreak loss last week affect them this week. They host Jacksonville State in a game The Noles should win.

Game of the week Pitt @ Tennessee

After a strong week one demolition of UMASS, Pitt has a much harder prospect in week two as they face a faceless Tennessee. The Vols dispatched Bowling Green in a 38-6 win in which both Quarterbacks were used. Although Hooker was used just once the intent to get him involved was there and it will be interesting to see how Joe Milton looks against a formidable D-Line. His pass completion in week one was less than 50% and this Pitt Defence will gobble him up and spit him out if he starts to flounder.

Pitt spread the ball around hugely in their week one win. They used three Quarterbacks, nine different players ran the ball and 11 players made one or more receptions. It will be interesting to see how Kenny Pickett goes about his business and if backed up by a strong Defensive game expect him to be pulled again. If Tennessee is without lead Running Back Tiyon Evans then I expect even more domination from The Tigers. Pitt -3.5 isn’t enough for me as I expect them to win by more than a TD, I’m hammering the -3.5.

Written by Stocks @5yardrush

 

College Football Preview: Week Two – PAC-12 

Week 1 we saw the PAC-12 at its best and it’s worst. 5 out of the 6 teams won their opening games in the South, while Oregon were the only team that picked up a win in the North. Week 2 is a fascinating bunch of games with one in conference match up and the first of UCLAs two bye weeks, after playing in week 0.

All the PAC-12 teams are in action Saturday evening/Sunday morning (BST). The first game is a massive game for Oregon as they travel to Ohio State, where a victory would be an early playoff statement, even in September. After California’s loss to Nevada they will want to bounce back, unfortunately it’s hard to see a victory when they face off against TCU. Colorado meet 6th ranked Texas A&M at Mile High hoping to cause an upset. Both Washington and Washington State need to bounce back from shock defeats in week 1. The Cougars should be no match for Portland State, while the Huskies travel to The Big House to meet Michigan, a win would be a step in the right direction after last weeks embarrassing loss to Montana.

Arizona are still looking to end their losing streak, now at 13 games after Saturdays loss to BYU. Can they stop the streak with a win at home to San Diego State? As mentioned, Brigham Young has already taken a win from one PAC-12 team, can they do it again when they welcome Utah to town? It will be more difficult against a Utah team wanting to keep the pressure on UCLA at the top. Another team in the South wanting to stay undefeated is Arizona State and they, as they welcome UNLV from the Mountain West. Oregon State will round of the week when they welcome Hawaii to Reser Stadium.

Game of the Week – Stanford @ USC

In the first in-conference game of the season, Stanford travel to the Coliseum to take on USC. Both sides suffered very different week 1 outcomes. The Cardinal were outplayed in every area of the pitch when they went down to Kansas State, While USC never looked like losing when beating San Jose State. Looking at last weeks games you would expect this to be a comfortable Trojans win. If you are a regular watcher of the PAC-12, you will know that it doesn’t always work out that way. Stanford will be hurt from Saturdays poor showing, what better way than a shock victory against USC.

Firstly they need to get a QB playing well, they tried Tanner McKee and Jack West against Kansas State, neither taking the opportunity. USC just needs to play defence like they did against San Jose State, they were excellent from front to back. Wide receiver Drake London will want to add to his 137 receiving yards. Kedon Slovis had a solid game, carrying on like that through the season and he could be first round draft pick in 2022. Can Stanford cause an upset? Or will the result go as planned, a USC win.

Written by Jordan Merritt @Jordm87

 

College Football Preview: Week Two – SEC

There are some cupcakes in store for many SEC teams in Week Two of the 2021 college football season. Bookmakers aren’t offering a handicap in home fixtures involving Auburn (v. Alabama State), Alabama (v. Mercer), LSU (v. McNeese) Ole Miss (v. Austin Peay). Georgia are heavy favourites to dispatch UAB in Athens, and Florida can expect their second win in as many weeks at South Florida. You can expect Texas A&M to make light work of Colorado on the road, too.

South Carolina faces a tricky trip to East Carolina, but The Gamecocks should have enough to build on their Week 1 victory over Eastern Illinois. Tennessee and Arkansas have home fixtures in Week 2, but will be underdogs against Pitt and Texas respectively. Vanderbilt are on the road and looking for their first win of the season at Colorado State. It is an all-SEC affair in Lexington, where Kentucky hosts Missouri. Both teams won in Week 1, and will be expecting to make it 2-0 this weekend.

Game of the Week: NC State @ Mississippi State

The visit of NC State will be a good barometer of how far Mike Leach’s Bulldogs have progressed in his second year at the helm. The Wolfpack opened their campaign with a shutout 45-0 victory over USF in Week 1. Mike Leach’s team needed 21 points in the 4th Quarter to sneak past Louisiana Tech (35-34). The Bulldogs will need to be better if they want to get the better of a resurgent North Carolina State program. They are 1-4 against SEC opposition under Dave Doeren.

This meeting in Starkville represents their best chance at a victory over an SEC program since a win over Vanderbilt back in 2016. Week 1 was a bad week for the ACC against SEC opponents, with Miami and Clemson embarrassed against superior opposition. This matchup is set to be a much closer affair. Expect a high-scoring fixture, where home advantage may just swing events in Mississippi State’s favour. A 2-0 start would be the perfect start for a program that won just four games last season.

Written by Tom Scott @5yardcollege

 

College Football Preview: Week Two – BIG XII

Coastal Carolina @ Kansas

The 1-0 Kansas Jayhawks (that’s right) go up against Jamey Chadwell’s 1-0 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers this Friday. The game is being nationally televised on ESPN2 and has all the ingredients to be a disaster for the Jayhawks. Chadwells’ Chanticleers have an explosive offence and smashed The Citadel last week 51-14. Kansas struggled to get past FCS South Dakota in a 17-14 win. We can only hope that Kansas Head Coach Lance Leipold has a few more tricks in his bag.

Oklahoma State @ Tulsa

This in-state match-up should be another formality for the Cowboys. It’s unclear if Sanders will return for this game but Illingsworth should be enough to do the job. FCS UC Davis shocked the Golden Hurricane 19-7 last week. A bounceback in performance should come but Gundy’s team should roll.

TCU @ Cal

The California Golden Bears suffered a loss to G5 Nevada and NFL draft prospect Carson Strong in week one. They surrendered 22 unanswered points in the second and third quarters. This should fill the explosive TCU offence with excitement. QB Max Duggan, RB Zach Evans and WR Quentin Nelson all have the opportunity for big games. TCU should dispose of Cal.

LIU @ WVA

West Virginia should easily bounce back with a win against Long Island University. It should essentially be a glorified practice where QB Jarret Doege can get some more positive reps. Expect to see Neal Brown keep his starters out there for most of the game as he tries to get more playing time for his starters. The losses from last season showed in their week one loss to Maryland.

Western Carolina @ Oklahoma

Whilst Tulane always had a slight chance of an upset against the Sooners in week one prior to the match-up, the Catamounts do not. Expect to see Rattler out there until into the third quarter. Whilst he settled into the game last week, he made some awful decisions Riley will want to work on.

Southern Illinois @ Kansas State

Kleiman’s Wildcats had a really strong win against Stanford in week one. This game will be a chance to prepare for their tough three game stretch against Ok State, Oklahomas and Iowa State. Don’t expect to see much other than securing the win.

Stephen F. Austin @ Texas Tech

Tech came back against a strong G5 Houston programme to grab the win last week. Matt Wells will be happy but still knows there is much to do. This is another game where we shouldn’t expect anything new. The Lumberjacks QB Trae Self is definitely capable, though. The Red Raiders won’t be able to sleepwalk through this one.

Texas @ Arkansas

This was so close to being my game of the week. The atmosphere at Reynolds Razorback Stadium will be raucous. This old Southeastern Conference rivalry hasn’t occurred outside of a bowl game since 2008. You can bet both teams will be hyped for this one. Texas QB Hudson Card looked good against Louisiana, running and passing for scores. Star RB Bijan Robinson looked a class above and we can expect to see the offence run through him once more. Arkansas Head Coach Sam Pittman has his team running through walls for him. This one is going to be good!

Texas Southern @ Baylor

Dave Aranda will just want a solid performance from his Bears after looking no so in week one. Aranda will want to see an improvement from his defence in creating turnovers after none against Texas State. The offence did its job last week and Aranda will be expecting much of the same against the 0-1 Tigers.

Game of the Week Iowa @ Iowa State

In the first time in the 67 year history of the Cy-Hawk Game, both #10 Iowa, and #9 Iowa State are ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll.

Cyclones Head Coach Matt Campbell has never beaten the Hawkeyes. If his team is going to reach what many believe is their true ceiling of a CFP Playoff berth, his team needs to break the streak this weekend.

Iowa dominated what most considered to be a very strong Indiana team in week one, knocking of the #17 ranked Hoosiers 34-6. QB Spencer Petras had a nice touchdown run, but wasn’t asked to do much through the air. Tyler Goodson had a nice day on the ground with 99 yards and a touchdown which came on an explosive 51 yard run.

WR Sam LaPorta played his part with 5-83 and looked solid, but not special. The Hawkeyes will need to step up a level against the Cyclones defence on Saturday. They won’t be able to rely on the defence creating three turnovers, two of which Riley Moss returned for touchdowns.

Bad Weather Ahead?

The Cyclones on the other hand looked sluggish in their 16-10 win against inferior opponent, Northern Iowa. Star RB Breece Hall had 23-69-1, not the sort of stat line we would expect to see. However, I think Campbell wanted to show as little as possible of his best offensive weapon. That same theme carried on throughout the Cyclones’ offence. QB Brock Purdy went 21/23 for 199 yards, whilst WR Xavier Hutchinson caught 7-83. Both what fans would unanimously consider quiet nights for each player.

We have seen this from Iowa State before. They normally come out slow in the first game, last year losing to the same Ragin Cajuns team that Texas beat 38-18. In three of the last two meetings the game has been decided by three points or less. The Cyclones have their sights set on much bigger things than the Cy-Hawk trophy this season. They need to put any thought of that from their minds if they are to break this three year losing streak. The Iowa Hawkeyes love to beat their in-state rival. This one should be an absolute nail-biter.

Written by Jake @dynastybrit

 

College Football Preview: Week Two – Group of Five 

Sun Belt – App State vs. Miami (22)

Miami got steamrolled by Alabama and now gets a date with a tough Sun Belt opponent. Appalachian State is coasting under radars and beat ECU last week with a balanced offensive attack and strong defensive showing. Yeah Miami against ‘Bama should be forgotten and isn’t the Miami we expect, but it certainly may give App State a little confidence boost.

Miami has a strong defensive front that managed ten tackles for loss last week, which could make App State QB Chase Brice uncomfortable. While App State brings a two headed running attack in Nate Noel and Camerun Peoples that hopefully can help carry the offence again and aleve pressure on Brice. Miami should be able to squeeze out the win with D’Eriq King who was backed into a tough spot against Alabama. App State should not be taken lightly despite the Coastal Carolina and Louisiana love there may be a third Sun Belt team to watch.

AAC – East Carolina vs. South Carolina

It’s a battle of Carolinas and although South Carolina enters as the favorite, ECU has an offense that can make the game interesting. South Carolina is coming off a monster game, shutting out Eastern Illinois and dominating with the rushing attack. This without starting running back Kevin Harris. While ECU struggled in a loss to Appalachian State where their running game struggled immensely and App State ran all over them.

ECU’s defence will need to work to shut down a debuting Kevin Harris-led South Carolina run game, while attempting to establish their own. Although ECU may be positioned better in the passing game, they will need to protect Holton Ahlers enough to create. It is a tale of two teams with opposite strengths to produce on offence, which should create an interesting shoot out.

Conference USA – SMU vs. North Texas

SMU gets to start the season off with back to back weeks of being 20 plus point favorites. I know it doesn’t make for amazing football, but Tanner Mordecai needs this time to build rapport with his weapons. Oh boy did he ever get off to a good start last week with seven touchdowns against Abilene Christian.

North Texas showed they don’t just throw the ball, but can establish a nice rushing attack as well with DeAndre Torrey and his 200 yard game against Northwestern State. Ultimately, both defences may have looked good based on level of competition faced. SMU should handle North Texas whole handedly with the number of weapons on the ground and through the air.

MAC – Buffalo vs. Nebraska

Buffalo suffered major losses this past offseason when Lance Leipold left for Kansas and double digit numbers of transfers left as well. They opened with a dominant victory over Wagner in which they put up 69 points. While Nebraska und suffered a tough loss to Illinois in week zero before a bounce back against Fordham.

The two teams are going through growing pains with new coaches and tape is limited especially in Buffalo. Buffalo ran the ball all over the field with Ron Cook and Kevin Marks last week, despite losing Jaret Patterson to the NFL. Nebraska also found success on the ground with Markese Stepp. Both defences are superior to what the teams faced last week, so we shouldn’t see a blowout despite a 13.5 spread for Nebraska. It’s also a good chance for Buffalo to stand up in the MAC.

MW – Arizona vs. San Diego State

The San Diego State defence was strong last week. Forcing three picks when New Mexico State was forced to the air as their defensive front shut down the run. If Arizona is forced to throw lots, SD State could force turnovers. However, Arizona and Gunner Cruz should be far more effective than New Mexico State through the air.

SD States passing was brutal in week one. Jordan Brookshire completed only seven passes for 115 yards and an interception. Arizona should be able to do some work on defence. With more of a focus on stopping the run with an SD State passing game like that. This game will come down to what defence can stand the tallest and put the ball back in their offence’s hands.

Written by Connor @connorten

We hope your team has been covered in this College Football Preview: Week Two. If not then please do not hesitate to contact us @5yardcollege and ask for your team to be included.