College Football Power Rankings: Week 2 Games

Week 2 of the college football season begins Friday and every team ranked in the AP Top-25 is taking the field. These power rankings countdown the best games of Week 2 featuring ranked teams and include betting insights from DraftKings and FanDuel Sportsbooks.

College Football Power Rankings: Week 2 Games

22. Charleston Southern Buccaneers at (18) NC State Wolfpack (OFF)

The Wolfpack failed to cover a 7.5-point spread and didn’t impress during their 21-20 Week 1 win over the East Carolina Pirates. In particular, NC State quarterback Devin Leary completed just 17 of 33 passes for 6.4 yards per attempt. The Buccaneers present a bounce-back opportunity for the Woldpack, but it’ll take more than dismantling an FCS opponent for NC State to begin living up to its preseason hype.

21. Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at (4) Michigan Wolverines (-51.5, 67.5)

Without the late-night tradition of betting on or against Hawaii in the nightcap, it’s tough to find a reason to watch Michigan pummel the inexperienced Rainbow Warriors. After all, Hawaii has lost consecutive games by a combined 85 points, so there’s no surprise the Wolverines are listed as -51.5 favorites at DraftKings.

20. Southern Utah Thunderbirds at (13) Utah Utes (OFF)

Following a heartbreaking loss to the Florida Gators in Week 1, Utah has dropped to 13th in the rankings and any hopes of advancing to the College Football Playoffs might already be squashed. The Thunderbirds are going to take the brunt of that disappointment. 

19. Furman Paladins at (5) Clemson Tigers (OFF)

Clemson starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei has freshman signal caller Cade Klubnik nipping at his heels, and there could be enough garbage time against Furman for Klubnik to further bolster his case for more snaps moving forward. 

18. Samford Bulldogs at (2) Georgia Bulldogs (OFF)

Georgia made one of the larger statements to start the season by rolling the Oregon Ducks 49-3 in Week 1. It was even more impressive when viewed through the lens that Georgia had a record-breaking 15 players selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, and the reigning National Champions didn’t skip a beat.  

17. Central Arkansas Bears at (22) Ole Miss Rebels (OFF)

The Rebels need a strong showing against the Bears in Week 2. Ole Miss ran all over the Troy Trojans during last week’s 28-17 win with 266 yards and 6.0 yards per tote on the ground. However, Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart only threw for 5.7 yards per attempt. The passing attack will need fine-tuning to keep pace with the big boys in the SEC Conference.

16. Akron Zips at (14) Michigan State Spartans (-34.5, 55.5)

It took two fourth-quarter touchdowns for the Spartans to pull away – and cover the spread – against the Western Michigan Broncos last week. Additionally, while junior quarterback Payton Thorne threw for four touchdowns, he also completed just 12 of 24 passes and threw an interception. The Spartans need Thorne to tidy it up before their daunting three-game stretch against the Ohio State Buckeyes, Wisconsin Badgers and Michigan Wolverines in mid-October.

15. Arkansas State Red Wolves at (3) Ohio State Buckeyes (-44.5, 68.5)

All eyes will be on Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud in this one. He entered the season as a consensus favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, but a ho-hum showing against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish last week altered the betting markets for the award. Still, the Buckeyes won despite No. 1 wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba missing the majority of the game with a hamstring injury. Even if Smith-Njigba sits against the Red Wolves, expect Stroud to post monster numbers Saturday. 

14. Kent State Golden Flashes at (7) Oklahoma Sooners (-34.5, 72.5)

The Golden Flashes were dimmed by the Washington Huskies in a 45-20 loss last week, and it won’t be any easier against the Sooners on Saturday. Oklahoma is in a transition year with head coach Brent Venables in his first season running the program, and while his defensive acumen garners the headlines, the offense should run up the score against Kent State. It’s worth adding that this game has the highest total at FanDuel Sportsbook.

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13. Southern Miss Golden Eagles at (15) Miami Hurricanes (-24.5, 51.5)

Unless the Golden Eagles prove they can slow down the Miami rushing attack, this game will be over in a hurry. The Hurricanes utilized four running backs to the tune of 269 rushing yards at 7.9 per tote against the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats last week, after all. The U might actually be “back” with Mario Cristobal leading the program.

12. Marshall Thundering Herd at (8) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-20.5, 51.5)

Imagine covering a -16.5 spread against the fourth-ranked team in the country, and then seeing your own ranking drop three spots? Alas, the Fighting Irish taking the loss out on Marshall shouldn’t surprise.

11. (23) Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Vanderbilt Commodores (+12.5, 65.5)

The Commodores have finished in the basement of the SEC East Division in each of the past three seasons, so opening with consecutive wins this year is probably a mirage. Additionally, Wake Forest starting quarterback Sam Hartman has been cleared to return for Saturday’s matchup after missing the season opener because of Paget-Schroetter syndrome. Hartman threw for 4,222 yards and 39 touchdowns while also adding another 11 rushing scores last season – he’s good. 

10. Washington State Cougars at (19) Wisconsin Badgers (-16.5, 48.5)

Wisconsin held the Illinois State Redbirds out of the end zone and limited them to just 14 first downs and 243 yards last week. The Cougars project to be a tougher opponent, but as long as Badgers quarterback Graham Mertz protects the football, Wisconsin should hold Washington State in check. With a total of 48.5 and the Badgers a 17-point favorite at DraftKings, the sportsbook isn’t expecting a lot of offense from the Cougars. 

9. Appalachian State Mountaineers at (6) Texas A&M Aggies (-18.5, 53.5)

After the Mountaineers and North Carolina Tar Heels scored nine touchdowns in the fourth quarter of their Week 1 matchup, it’ll be exciting to see what Appalachian State brings to the table Saturday against the sixth-ranked Aggies. 

8. Arizona State Sun Devils at (11) Oklahoma State Cowboys (-10.5, 57.5)

While the Cowboys failed to cover their -20.5 spread in Week 1 against the Central Michigan Chippewas, they almost cleared the closing game total of 58.5 on their own during the 58-44 win. The Sun Devils had a strong opener of their own with a 40-3 victory over the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks. The total for this bout opened at 57.5 at FanDuel, so it’s clear the bookmakers are expecting a downtick in offense from both teams. 

7. South Carolina Gamecocks at (16) Arkansas Razorbacks (-8.5, 52.5)

This SEC Conference matchup provides Gamecocks quarterback Spencer Rattler with an opportunity to return to national prominence after losing his starting job with the Oklahoma Sooners last season. On the flip side, Razorbacks quarterback K.J. Jefferson is coming off a four-touchdown showing – three through the air and one on the ground – in Arkansas’ statement Week 1 win over the Cincinnati Bearcats. Jefferson vs. Rattler has the potential to be one of the better quarterback matchups of the week.

6. (25) Houston Cougars at Texas Tech Red Raiders (-2.5, 63.5)

The 25th-ranked Cougars are a slight road underdog against the Red Raiders at DraftKings – and after Houston eked out a 37-35 overtime win against the UTSA Roadrunners last week, head coach Dana Holgorsen and the Cougars are on watch. Losing to Texas Tech could push the Cougars out of the top-25, though rallying to score on six consecutive possessions to erase a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit against the Roadrunners serves as an impressive stand against early-season adversity.  

5. (10) USC Trojans at Stanford Cardinal (+9.5, 66.5)

A road victory against the Cardinal would be another step in the right direction for head coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans, but another offensive explosion would be icing on the cake. USC has playoff aspirations, and the Trojans could climb the rankings again with a blowout win.

4. (24) Tennessee Volunteers at (17) Pittsburgh Panthers (+6.5, 66.5)

Tennessee’s schedule is grueling, so pulling off a road win against the 17th-ranked Panthers will be critical to proving they warrant mention among the top programs in the country. Pittsburgh will need to improve on the ground after rushing for just 76 yards on 1.9 per carry against the West Virginia Mountaineers last week, and if the Panthers can’t keep the Vols’ explosive quarterback Hendon Hooker on the sidelines for prolonged stretches, Tennessee could score in bunches and pull away in a hurry.

3. (9) Baylor Bears at (21) BYU Cougars (-3.5, 53.5)

Buckle up for this bout in Provo. Both teams are loaded with returning talent and coming off dominant Week 1 wins. The Cougars are modest favorites at FanDuel, and pulling off the victory would surely bump them up a few more spots in the rankings. On the other hand, a Baylor road win would shake up the Big 12 futures market. With arguably more at stake than in any game on the Saturday docket, this is a perfect nightcap.

2. (20) Kentucky Wildcats at (12) Florida Gators (-5.5, 52.5)

Florida head coach Billy Napier and quarterback Anthony Richardson have the Gators back on the national radar, and topping the Wildcats on Saturday would make Florida the only team to beat ranked opponents in consecutive games to open the season. Interestingly, Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops will become the program’s winningest coach of all time with the Wildcats next victory. There’s plenty on the line for the SEC East foes.

1. (1) Alabama Crimson Tide at Texas Longhorns (+20.5, 64.5)

Can the Longhorns and head coach Steve Sarkisian put the Crimson Tide on upset watch Saturday? Texas has the talent to hang around, and if the defense can manage a few stops, the Longhorns’ big three of quarterback Quinn Ewers, running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Xavier Worthy might just score enough to give them a puncher’s chance. Still, Alabama hung 55 points on the defending Mountain West Champions without scoring in the fourth quarter last week.  

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