NCAAF Best Bets: College Football Week 2 Predictions

Introduction to Football Friday It's not just a full football Friday here. Because the NFL season has kicked off and we have week one continuing on this Friday night in Sao Paulo, Brazil, or our first full Sunday of the year. It's also a full College Football Week 2 Overview football Friday because it's week number two of the college football campaign in 2024. He's Joe Ranieri. I am Ben Stevens. We get you set for the marquee matchups dotted across the Saturday slate. Joe, did you know there are 75 FBS college football games tomorrow for week number two? It is our largest Saturday of the entirety of the college football season. So be cannot wait. College I football is it's a different kind of sweat Ben. Is it not in the NFL it's a different totally different sweat than what you get on Sunday with the pros. But college is so Texas vs. Michigan Preview unique in its own way that it's a different animal altogether. And I love it. Yes it is. I will see you later in the day for some first quarter and first half updates following college football today on a Saturday slate as well in the marquee matchup in the early window noon eastern time. A big noon kickoff inside the big house, a top ten tilt. It is Texas now ranked third in the country against the reigning national champs, 10th ranked Michigan, a line that is now 7.50, in favor of the team that won a national championship and has 23 straight home wins. No. In favor of the visitors from Austin north of a touchdown, now in favor of the Longhorns with a total at 42.5. Joe, when this line opened up in the summer months, it was Texas. Already a road favorite at three and a half that caught the attention of some after the Longhorns hammer and shut out Colorado State in their opener last week in Austin, 52 to 0, and Michigan seemed to struggle with Fresno Stat0 thanks to an icing pick six from Will Johnson. This line has ballooned. Is it an overreaction or is it the correct movement? Oh, it's a gross overreaction, but it certainly feels like a total setup here, doesn't it, as if the books are just daring you. Go ahead. I dare you to take Michigan here. I want u to take Michigan here. It really does feel that way. But listen, the reality is this is a this is a big spot for Texas. If they are as good as we expect, let's go. I mean, we only have five returning starters on Michigan. One of them was a punter. So this is a different Michigan team that won the national championship a year ago. This is pretty much the same Longhorn teams, only they got more potent somehow on offense. So they should win this game. They should be the favorite in this spot. Having said that, going into the big house spot and Michigan over a touchdown, it's only happened twice since the 90s. I believe. So, and usually it's reserved for teams like Wisconsin or Ohio State that are usually doing that, but not with that defense of Michigan. I think this is a field goal game at best. I have to bite. It's Michigan or pass for me in this one, 42.5 is the total for two really good defenses. Both ranking top 15 in the country a season agoThe maize and Blue still the best. And yeah, Fresno State scored ten points, but it wasn't an easy ten. If the total is correct and it stays around 42, 43, 44, even 45 for Texas to cover by more than a touchdown, that's two scores would require that cover or a touchdown, and a two point conversion is a very, very tall order. Michigan has won 23 straight games at home. I know Davis Warren was not great, earning the starting nod. I know there is quarterback confusion for the Maize and Blue. I expect to see Alex Orji in a more athletic running attack against a Texas defense that did allow Colorado State to have over a 100 yard rusher last week against the Rams, despite the Longhorns pitching the shutout, Michigan has only been an underdog four times in the last three college football seasons since 2021. They are three and one straight up and against the spread. Thr only non cover and loss as a dog to Georgia in the CFP semifinals. Now NC State vs. Tennessee Analysis three years ago, we have two ranked versus ranked matchups on this week to Saturday. The second one Ranieri is in Charlotte. It is NC state taking on Tennessee. Technically a neutral site football game, but it is in Charlotte, not all that far from Raleigh, where the Wolfpack play. The line is also working in favor of the volunteers, now a 9.5. spread against the Wolfpack. 60.5 is the total. What do you like in this matchu? It feels like Josh Heupel and company are going to go in there and do exactly what Western only they do it better because, you know, Josh Heupel loves to hurry up and get on the line of scrimmage and run as many plays as humanly possible, which is exactly what Western Carolina did. And gave NC state all sorts of issues here. I do think points are coming in this game here, Ben. I think with McCall under center at NC state, I think they're going to be able to score some points here. I think Tennessee is going to be able to score. I think this is a good old fashioned shootout between the SEC and the ACC. 61.5 somewhere in that ballpark, I think was the total, and if Tennessee if you like Tennessee, there's no way this thing stays under NC state has won eight plus games in each of the last three full seasons of college football. Dave Doran is consistent as the head coach for the Wolfpack in that three year span, eight and seven against the spread as a dog. Same three year span since Josh Heupel became the head man on Rocky Top starting in 2021, Tennessee is 20 and nine, 20 and nine against the spread Iowa vs. Iowa State Breakdown as the favored side. That's the sixth best cover percentage as a favorite nationally in college football. The last three years. The battle for the Cy-hawk Trophy and the lowest total this week in FBS college football. 35 and a hook is the number for Iowa and Iowa State. The 71st all time meeting between the clones and the Hawkeyes, a three point spread in favor of Iowa inside Kinnick Stadium. Quickly here, Ranieri, what do you like in this matchup over absolute over in this one here what I saw yeah I think this one is gone. I think it's way listen we're playing in Iowa in September. This is not November. There is no reason d company along with the offense now of Iowa, can't put points on the board to get this thing to 40. That's almost blasphemy. However, Iowa did score 40 last week against Illinois State, put up nearly 500 yards of total offense, With a couple of rivalry games in week number two of Colorado vs. Nebraska Rivalry this college football season, there is hate in the Cy-hawk rivalry between Iowa and Iowa State. There is a ton of vitriol in a former Big Eight rivalry between Colorado and Nebraska. The 73rd all time meeting between the Huskers and the Buffs on Saturday night under the lights inside Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska, a 7.5. spread in favor of the Huskers. A total in the upper 50s. These two teams met every year from 48 until 2010, when both departed for new conferences. CU to the Pac 12, Nebraska to the Big Ten. They have met three times since 2018, and Colorado has won all three, including the home opener last year to debut the Deion Sanders era in Boulder. Colorado won big 36 to 14, covering easily as a 2.5. favorite. It's year two for Prime. It's year two for Matt Rhule. What happens on Saturday night in Lincoln? Yeah, I think points are coming here I love Matt Rhule I love Nebran Matt Roll is a guy that comes in and turns programs around right. We saw him do it. Rutgers. We saw him do it there at Baylor. This is what he does. And it's usually always he takes over a organization there and a school that is a hot mess. The first year is miserable. Although when you look at how many losses he had by one score, less than one score last year, he was close. Now he's got the quarterback that he wants. He's got the players and everywhere he's been. Ben year number two has been that year where they take it to another level and I think that's exactly what we're going to get this year from Nebraska at home. Listen who is Colorado stopping? I'm just curious that defense. Did anybody see any defense in fact in that first game for Colorado? No, I think points are coming here. I think ultimately this is a very winnable game for Nebraska. Anit wouldn't shock me if not only do they cover the spread, but they fly over the team total as well. Right now on the FanDuel sports book Ramir Johnson is the only player listed with a rushing yards prop. Not even sure he's going to start the game for you in the backfield. I think it could be Emmett Johnson. Regardless, I would keep an eye on the rushing yards numbers for Nebraska tomorrow against Colorado, a buffs team that has the most star power in college football, perhaps, and two very important positions quarterback and whatever position you want to talk about for Travis Hunter, two top five picks more than likely in the 2025 NFL draft, but the same issues that plagued the Buffaloes last year protecting Sanders, keeping him upright and avoiding hits and stopping the run reared their ugly head against North Dakota State. Now Nebraska has not been a great favorite under Matt Rhule, just 1 in 4 against the spread, 1 in 5 in single score games three and 18 and one score games. The last three years. We'll see if it's a one score game on Clemson vs. App State Predictions Saturday night against the buffs. Can Clemson after getting throttled by Georgia, bounced back in week number two. The home opener in Death Valley for the Tigers against a really good Sunbelt team and a team often known for being the David to many Goliaths. It is app state. It's a 17 point spread. Is Clemson even going to score 17 points? That's my question for Saturday between the Tigers and the mountaineers. Listen, there's no shame in losing to Georgia. But if it was an anomaly then that Clemson offense looks exactly like the version we've seen the last three years, which is putrid, they got dominated in that Georgia game. They totaled 189 yards from scrimmage. I especially given the facte, that, yes, Georgia's reputation on defense is one thing, but that's not a defense loaded with five star guys. Again, this was this is not one of the better, more experienced Georgia fronts. And yet they bulldozed this Clemson team. And you mentioned it there. I think Garrett Riley is in trouble, I think Dabo is in trouble here. I think heads are going to roll. No way am I trusting them to win by more than 17 points. This was an easy bet for me. I took as many points as you're going to give me with App State, who will be around in the fourth quarter in this game. Cade Klubnik is the worst quarterback of the two in this matchup in my estimation. Joey Aguilar for App State seventh most passing yards last year 326. In the opener, albeit against East Tennessee State. We understand that. But also keep an eye when Oregon vs. Boise State and Other Key Matchups the receiving yards props come out on his top target. Caden Robinsonight grabs for 103 yards last week in the mountaineers opener. Does Oregon bounce back the odds starting to expect it. The ducks, a three touchdown favorite against Boise Stat. Oregon won last week, but by only ten against Idaho. Good one in Salt Lake between Utah and Baylor.