One week older, one week wiser. There weren’t too many big shakeups during the first full week of college football action, though a few schools did teeter on the edge of early season disappointment.
Iowa scored seven points on a field goal and two safeties in a 7-3 home win over South Dakota State. NC State squeezed by East Carolina by one point on the road. Defending Pac-12 champion Utah dropped a close road game to Florida in non-conference play.
The biggest surprise may have been Oregon’s 46-point loss to defending national champion Georgia which dropped them from the AP poll after being ranked 11th entering the week. Week 2 includes some potentially interesting SEC matchups like South Carolina at Arkansas and Kentucky at Florida.
Also, don’t forget about the Top 25 clash in which Baylor travels to Provo, UT to face a ranked BYU team. We will sift through the slate to provide this week’s college football best bets ahead of Week 2.
Tennessee @ Pittsburgh+6.5
Pitt’s tough, season-opening win against West Virginia was just the appetizer for their Week 2 matchup against a ranked Tennessee team that blew out Ball State in Week 1. The Panthers’ win over a much more competitive team, albeit at home, is a great sign for a school that lost a lot of talent from year to year.
The Vols looked great in Week 1 and their offense will once again be dynamic. However, is Tennesse’s defense good enough to lay points on the road to a very good Pitt team?
The fact that the Panthers get another big game at home, and that the line has shifted to them being nearly a touchdown underdog, gives us confidence that Pitt can stay within the 6.5. Take the Panthers!
North Carolina @ Georgia State+7.5
The Heels have looked extremely beatable in their first two victories over Florida A&M and Appalachian State and were lucky to leave Boone with a win on Saturday. They allowed 649 total yards to the Mountaineers, granted while gaining 567 yards themselves.
The Heels seemed vulnerable at times in their season-opener against the Rattlers, who managed just 3 points against Jackson State last week. That alone is enough to make you wonder just how bad UNC’s defense really is.
Georgia State, meanwhile, outrushed the South Carolina Gamecocks 200-79 last week, won the turnover battle, but lost by 21 due to two blocked punts returned for touchdowns. It is worth seeing if UNC can stop the Panther rushing attack and maintain scoring of their own against an underrated defense in Week 2. Take the points!
Arizona State+11 @ Oklahoma State
The Cowboys allowed over 500 total yards to Central Michigan in their first game without defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who left to fill the same position at Ohio State this season. They can still score with anyone, as evidenced by Spencer Sanders’ six touchdown passes, but the defense may be a concern.
Sun Devils quarterback Emory Jones ran for two scores in their Week 1 victory against Northern Arizona and will provide problems for defenses that struggle against mobile QBs. While the Cowboys are likely to win on the field, Arizona State should have enough firepower to keep this game within 11 points and cover the spread in Stillwater.
