Headlined by No. 3 Texas at No. 10 Michigan, college football Week 2 slate should feature plenty of drama. But several other games could keep fans glued to their tablets, phones and TVs.
Here are four underrated games:
Arkansas vs. No. 16 Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State’s College Football Playoff quest begins against SEC foe Arkansas. Because of a dismal 4-8 season for the Razorbacks last year, head coach Sam Pittman is desperate to turn the temperature down on his seat.
“I’m popular now, just the wrong way … I’m hot,” Pittman admitted at SEC media day in July.
Despite the No. 16 Cowboys boasting Heisman candidate Ollie Gordon II, Arkansas held Pine Bluff to just 7 yards rushing in Week 1. Arkansas leads the all-time series 30-15-1, so this could turn into a classic in Stillwater.
No. 23 Georgia Tech vs. Syracuse
Saturday will be Georgia Tech’s first opportunity to prove its win over a seriously overrated Florida State squad was not just the luck of the Irish. The Yellow Jackets are 2-0 for the first time since 2016 and ranked for the first time since 2015.
“If you wanna play 15 games in a season, you better not be peaking at Week 1 or 2,” head coach Brent Key said Tuesday. “No one really cares what you do in September. People care what you do as the season goes on. You’ve gotta continue to build and get stronger as a football team.”
A win over Syracuse would lend serious legitimacy to Georgia Tech’s ranking. On the other hand, the Orange’s schedule past this point offers a potential 9-0 start in a weak ACC. So, a win at home against a ranked team would make them a true dark horse to try and challenge No. 12 Miami for the conference crown.
Iowa State vs. No. 21 Iowa
This rivalry game, which hands out the Cy-Hawk Trophy to the winner, was first played in 1894 with Iowa leading the series 47-23. Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht will be looking for redemption after throwing a game-clinching pick-six in last year’s 20-13 loss to the Hawkeyes.
“I wasn’t down on myself … because I know I’m better than that,” Becht told Cyclone Fanatic’s Rob Gray. “We love this matchup. It’s gonna show who we really are.”
Iowa dropped 41 points on FCS Illinois State in Week 1, but expect the Cyclones to put up a much tougher fight on Saturday after holding North Dakota to just three points in their season opener.
Mississippi State vs. Arizona State
Arizona State has never beaten an SEC team in program history with its last attempt coming in 2015 when it fell 38-17 to Texas A&M. After dropping 48 points on Wyoming in Week 1, Mississippi State will offer stiffer competition. However, Sun Devil head coach Kenny Dillingham hopes the heat and a potential record-setting student attendance in Tempe, Ariz., could prove too much for the Bulldogs.
“I want to have more students that’s ever been at a game,” said Dillingham, per azcentral.com. “Let’s make this the best environment in college football this weekend.”
Mississippi State quarterback Blake Shapen has thrown a touchdown pass in 12 straight games going back to his time with Baylor. That streak could be in danger against ASU’s defense which had a pick-six in Week 1.
