August 31, 2025<\/a><\/p>\nFive big gamesNo. 11 Illinois (-2.5) at Duke<\/p>\n
Darian Mensah completed nearly 80 percent of his attempts for 389 yards and three touchdowns in the Blue Devils\u2019 28-point win over Elon last week. Illinois isn\u2019t Elon. The Illini have a veteran secondary, and Duke\u2019s running game is average at best. Illinois controls the clock and the game, and Mensah throws a pair of picks in an 11-point Illinois road win.<\/p>\n
Iowa at No. 16 Iowa State (-2.5)<\/p>\n
The road team has won the Cy-Hawk Trophy in each of the last five meetings (the game was not played in 2020), with Iowa winning six straight in Ames. Mark Gronowski, however, threw for only 44 yards in Iowa\u2019s 34-7 win over Albany last week. That\u2019s not good enough to beat these Cyclones. Rocco Becht throws for 200-plus yards and accounts for three scores as Iowa State covers the spread to make it a two-year winning streak in the series.<\/p>\n
Kansas at Missouri (-6.5)<\/p>\n
The 121st meeting of the Border Showdown \u2014 a series being played for the first time since 2011 \u2014 features a Jayhawks squad that outscored its first two opponents 77-14 with more than 1,000 yards of offense. Jalon Daniels looked good against Fresno State and Wagner. This time, however, he\u2019s facing an SEC defense. Beau Pribula throws for 300-plus yards, accounts for three touchdowns and Missouri covers the spread.<\/p>\n
South Florida at No. 13 Florida (-17.5)<\/p>\n
Alex Golesh\u2019s team had one of the most impressive wins of the opening weekend, cruising past Boise State 34-7 in Tampa. Elusive quarterback Byrum Brown can be a headache to stop and looked good in his first start in 11 months following a leg injury. The only real problem for the Bulls last week was missed tackles (19). DJ Lagway will throw for 250-plus passing yards and account for three TDs, and Florida won\u2019t make the same mistakes Boise did (three fumbles lost) in an 11-point win for the Gators.<\/p>\n
No. 15 Michigan at No. 18 Oklahoma (-2.5)<\/p>\n
Quarterbacks Bryce Underwood and John Mateer didn\u2019t disappoint in their debuts last week. The difference here is that Underwood is set to make his second career start, and Mateer is in his third season in offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle\u2019s system. Underwood puts up 200-plus yards of offense and one score but turns it over twice, while Mateer protects the football (no turnovers), totals 300-plus yards and two scores in a seven-point Oklahoma win.<\/p>\n
Upset alertBaylor at No. 17 SMU (-2.5)<\/p>\n
Auburn\u2019s Jackson Arnold was tough to contain for Baylor\u2019s defense in the opener, and SMU coach Rhett Lashlee\u2019s teams usually know how to run the ball. But the Mustangs have lost 13 straight games to Baylor, and Sawyer Robertson threw for 419 yards and three touchdowns last week. Baylor runs the ball more with Bryson Washington (150-plus rushing yards), controls the clock and wins in Dallas by a touchdown.<\/p>\n
Reader predictions<\/p>\n
First of all, thank you for the more than 100 reader responses last week.<\/p>\n
The best predictions:<\/p>\n
Tom: Tommy Castellanos and Florida State upset Alabama.<\/p>\n
Jack Mastrianni: Ohio State and Texas have only two passing touchdowns combined and defensive lines dominate the game.<\/p>\n
William W.: Texas and Ohio State combine for less than twenty points, and nobody\u2019s happy with how the game went.<\/p>\n
The \u201cnot even close\u201d prediction of the week:<\/p>\n
Trey Rooney: Nebraska, Texas, Alabama, and Clemson all roll with HUGE wins. All cover the spread by 10-plus points.<\/p>\n
Submit your Week 2 predictions below.<\/p>\n
Week 1 report card<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t hit any of my stat stuffers, and I went 6-3 on my weekly selections, with Miami salvaging my rough opening weekend by upsetting Notre Dame.<\/p>\n
\u2022 First off, apologies to Mike Norvell, Gus Malzahn and the new-look Florida State Seminoles. I said Alabama\u2019s Ty Simpson would make Kalen DeBoer look smart, accumulating 275-plus total yards of offense and three touchdowns in a comfortable 21-point Crimson Tide victory. Simpson had 271 yards of offense and threw two touchdowns, but Alabama\u2019s defense got run over by The Gus Bus in a 31-17 defeat.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Secondly, I\u2019d like to send a fruit basket to Brian Kelly, Blake Baker and LSU. I predicted Clemson would roll up more than 400 yards and deliver yet another frustrating season-opening loss to the Tigers from Baton Rouge. Clemson produced just 13 first downs and was outgained 356-261 in a 17-10 LSU victory.<\/p>\n
\u2022 The last game I got wrong was Georgia Tech at Colorado. Instead of throwing a late pick to help the Buffaloes emerge with a win, as I called for, Tech QB Haynes King scored on a 45-yard run with 1:07 left to play to lift the Yellow Jackets to a 27-20 win.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Auburn went on the road and won at Baylor, 38-24, with Jackson Arnold doing most of the damage with his legs instead of his arm. I said Arnold would throw a TD pass to Cam Coleman late to clinch it. It was a 27-yard TD run by Arnold that did it.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Arch Manning didn\u2019t throw for 250-plus passing yards and two touchdowns, and Jeremiah Smith didn\u2019t have eight catches for 110-plus receiving yards and two touchdowns. But Texas and Ohio State played a defensive struggle through the first half as I called for, with the Buckeyes eventually pulling out a 14-7 win.<\/p>\n
\u2022 I predicted Dylan Raiola would have his most prolific day as a passer to lead all FBS quarterbacks in Week 1 with 370 passing yards and three touchdowns, helping Nebraska cover a 6.5-point spread over Cincinnati. Nebraska won, but didn\u2019t cover, and Raiola completed 33 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns \u2014 more yards than LSU\u2019s Garrett Nussmeier and Clemson\u2019s Cade Klubnik but not nearly the most among FBS passers. Baylor\u2019s Sawyer Robertson led all FBS passers with 419 passing yards and three touchdowns in the loss I correctly forecasted to Auburn.<\/p>\n
\u2022 I called for Toledo\u2019s Junior Vandeross III to lead all FBS receivers with 11 catches for 185 yards and two touchdowns in what I expected to be a shootout victory for Kentucky. The Wildcats beat the preseason MAC favorites, 24-16, and Vandeross finished with seven catches for 88 yards and one score. San Jose State\u2019s Danny Scudero led all receivers with 189 yards on nine catches in a 16-14 loss to Central Michigan.<\/p>\n
\u2022 New Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy ran for 100 yards and one touchdown in his debut for the Tigers in a 61-6 blowout victory over Central Arkansas. But he didn\u2019t lead all FBS rushers like I said he would. Troy\u2019s Tae Meadows did with 186 yards and one touchdown on 23 carries in a 38-20 win over Nicholls State.<\/p>\n
(Photo of Rocco Becht: Reese Strickland \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n