Week 0 more or less ran into Week 1 and it was easy to come up with ten games to watch. Week 2 is more difficult. I narrowed it to eleven and finally dropped the Oklahoma State-Oregon game and kept Kansas State vs Army. Part of the intrigue of the Kansas State game is seeing if the Irish curse strikes them. The last three teams to lose the game in Ireland ended up having dismal seasons. Plus, can Army come back from a double overtime loss to FCS school Tarleton State? In my opinion the three best games this week are Michigan vs Oklahoma, Kansas vs Missouri and Iowa vs Iowa State. After the weekend some teams may find themselves in scrambling mode, but don’t look for the results to shake up the rankings.
Saturday September 6th
Iowa 1-0 vs Iowa State 2-0
FOX 11:00am
It’s 2025, an odd year, meaning the Cy-Hawk Trophy game will be played in Ames. Highlighting the game, Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz needs one more win to pass Ohio State legend Woody Hayes for most wins in the Big Ten. Ferentz is in his 27th season as the head man in Iowa City. While Ferentz is credited for his perpetual success, it’s hard to ignore what Matt Campbell has done at Iowa State, becoming the Cyclones all-time winningest coach in just nine seasons. Iowa has won 13 of the last 20 games and holds an overall record of 47-24. This one will come down to Iowa QB Mark Gronowski and his offensive line. Gronowski only passed for a total of 44 yards in his last outing, meaning if the Cyclones can limit the Hawk’s running game, and Cyclone QB Rocco Becht continues his level of play, Iowa State has a shot at winning this one.
OTC pick: Iowa State 21-20
Baylor 0-1 vs SMU 1-0
CW 11:00am
Baylor lost a hard-fought game to Aubirn last week even though QB Sawyer Robertson had a strong showing passing for 419 yards and three TDs. However, the Bears couldn’t run the ball and only gained 66 yards on the ground. SMU had an easy victory over East Texas A&M, winning 42-13. QB Kevin Jennings threw for 260 yards and 2 TDs, and the Ponies used almost 30 players on defense during the outing. With SMU playing in the ACC Championship game last season and qualifying for the CFP, HC Rhett Lashlee has slowly been building something in Dallas.
OTC Pick: SMU 35-24
Illinois 1-0 vs Duke 1-0
ESPN 11:00
In his first year as Duke HC, Manny Diaz brought in a transfer QB to lead the Blue Devils to a 9-4 record. This season Diaz looks to repeat the magic by bringing in Tulane QB Darin Mensah. In his first outing Mensah struggled in the first half against Elon but came back in the second half going 11/11 and ending up with 389 yards and 3 TDs. Statistically Duke rushed for another 159 yards, and the defense recorded 3 sacks and 10 TFLs with 22 players seeing action. Meanwhile an experienced Illini team overwhelmed Western Illinois 52-3. Luke Altmyer threw for 217 yards and 3 TDs. His top receiver was Hank Beatty who caught 5 balls for 108 yards and a TD. Beatty also returned a punt 69 yards for a TD and in the process broke legend Reg Grange’s 1923 record for punt return yards in a game. The Illini defense held the Leathernecks to less than 200 total yards of offense while recording 5 sacks and 9 TFLs with one take-away. Diaz can’t repeat the magic against a better Illinois team.
OTC pick: Illinois 31-24
Ole Miss 1-0 vs Kentucky 1-0
ABC 2:30pm
The Ole Miss Rebel’s offense looked explosive in their first outing with QB Austin Simmons passing for 341 yards, 2 TDs, and 2 interceptions. RBs Kewan Lacy and Logan Diggs combined for 199 yards and 4 TDs while WR Harrison Wallace had 5 receptions for 130 yards and 1 TD. In their first game Kentucky RBs Dante Dowdell and Seth McGowan rushed for 207 yards and 3 TDs. But QB Zach Caldenza only passed for 85 yards and threw 1 interception. Combined, those stats make this one interesting as Rebel QB Simmons threw 2 interceptions and the defense gave up 191 yards rushing. Magnifying that, Kentucky gave up 270 yards passing and 1 TD, making this game potentially competitive, as one team’s strength is the others weakness. Ole Miss isn’t that weak.
OTC pick: Ole Miss 34-17
Kansas 2-0 vs Missouri 1-0
ESPN2 2:30pm
The Border War picks up again after a 14-year hiatus. This is a storied rivalry with a long bitter history. Going into the meeting Missouri leads the series 56-55-9. Both teams are talented and have potential which gives the meeting even more importance. In his first outing Missouri QB Beau Pribula passed for 283 yards and 2 TDs and rushed 10 times for 65 yards and two TDs. The Tigers scored 61 points while the defense logged 2 sacks, 7 TFLs and scored a TD. Kansas QB Jalon Daniels has thrown for 456 yards and 7 TDs in two games. But it’s the Kansas defense led by new DC D.K. McDonald that has been making noise. The Jayhawks have logged 6 sacks, 21 TFLs, and 3 takeaways while allowing only 90 rushing yards and 269 passing yards in two games. The Jayhawks have outscored their opponents 76-14. There is a reason this game is listed as one of my 3 best for the weekend. Missouri squeaks out a win at home.
OTC pick: Missouri 31-21
UCLA 0-1 vs UNLV 2-0
CBS 2:30pm
There is a storyline here with Tennessee and UCLA swapping QBs. Iamaleava seems to be the most talented, yet he looked dismal in his first outing as a Bruin and is now surrounded with lesser talent. Joey Aguliar, who left Appalachian state for UCLA, and then left with the arrival of Iamaleava, had a banner day last week at Tennessee. Not only does Iamaleava have little to work with, but the Bruins also have trouble stopping teams as they gave up 206 yards passing and 286 yards rushing. UNLV has high expectations but looked unimpressive in their first two outings. HC Dan Mullen’s Rebels given up 644 total yards passing and 315 yards rushing and only scored 76 points to their opponents 54. The Rebels also had 16 penalties for 182 yards in two games. They will have to reverse those numbers to defeat UCLA. It happens.
OTC pick: UNLV 38-24
South Florida 1-0 vs Florida 1-0
SEC 3:15pm
South Florida defeated a ranked Boise State team 34-7 in their opener. While the score was lopsided, the stats were not, as USF had 372 total yards to Bosie State’s 378. The difference in the game was that Boise State lost 3 fumbles, an interception, and was stopped on 4th down three times in USF territory. Meanwhile Florida played Long Island in what was never a game. The Gators defeated the Sharks 55-0, racking up 451 total yards to Long Island’s 86. After USF beat Boise State, your first thought was this might be a game. But that only happens if DJ Lagway and Jaden Baugh don’t play and the Gators give the Bulls multiple gifts.
OTC pick: Florida 38-17
Kansas State 1-1 vs Army 0-1
ESPN 6:00pm
Tarleton State upset Army in double overtime by kicking a 37-yard FG for the win. Army outgained the Texans 411 yards to 344. The difference, while Army QB Dewayne Coleman passed for 129 yards and rushed for another 100 and a TD, he also threw 2 interceptions and RB Hayden Reed lost a fumble. It’s hard to win if you lose the turnover battle. Kansas State lost to Iowa State in Ireland and scored with less than a minute left in the ball game to defeat North Dakota. After two games KSU has scored 59 points and given up 59 points. They’ve totaled 884 yards of offense and given up 667 yards while breaking even in the turnover battle. If the Wildcats continue to let teams stay even, they’ll struggle to win. They turn the corner against the Black Knights.
OTC pick: Kansas State 24-10
Michigan 1-0 vs Oklahoma 1-0
ABC 6:30pm
Freshman Bryce Underwood went 21/31 for 251 yards and 1 TD in his debut as the Wolverine’s QB leading his team to a 34-17 victory. He got help from his offensive line and RB Justin Haynes who rushed for 159 yards and 3 TDs. The Michigan defense did their part as well with 3 sacks, 9 TFLs, and 3 interceptions. Transfer QB John Mateer who followed his offensive coordinator from Washington State to Oklahoma went 30/37 for 392 yards, 3 TDs, and 1 Interception. The Sooners also rushed for 103 yards and 2 TDs. Defensively, the Sooners only allowed Illinois State to gain 151 total yards of offense. Oklahoma is favored to win, but I think Michigan’s men in the trenches will make the difference.
OTC pick: Michigan 24-17
Arizona State 1-0 vs Mississippi State 1-0
ESPN2 6:30pm
Arizona State started off slow last season and they didn’t exactly set the world on fire in their first outing this season. QB Sam Levitt however picked up where he left off, passing for 257 yards, 2 TDs and 1 interception. He also rushed for 73 yards and 2 TDs. If the Sun Devils missed anything it was the tough running of Cam Skattebo. Mississippi State QB Blake Shapen threw for 272 yards, 2 TDs, and 1 interception. The Bulldogs also rushed for 186 yards and 3 TDs. This game will come down to someone’s defense stepping up to the plate. I like Mississippi State at home.
OTC pick: Mississippi State 28-17
Today’s slate of games may not look that enticing, but if you are a true football fan there is plenty to watch.
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