2018 Week 2 Preview

Week 1 really wasn’t all that exciting. Don’t get me wrong, I was hyped that college football was back, but the upsets didn’t come like I hoped they might. We did learn that LSU and Virginia Tech are very good and that Texas is, in fact, not back. Bama is still better than everyone else and that you shouldn’t schedule Appalachian State in week one if you are a ranked Big 10 team. Week 2 has a couple interesting games and should definitely provide us some better insights into a lot of teams. The biggest adjustment of the season took place over this last week, let’s find out who succeeded and who didn’t.

Notable Games
2Clemson at Texas A&M
Both of these teams dispatched their week one FCS opponents. The big storyline of this game is Dabo Swinny vs Jimbo Fisher. Fisher made the change to Texas A&M for an insane amount of money but will still probably be unable to get a win against the Clemson Tigers. This will be the first real test for both teams so it is hard to really know what they are going to look like against good competition. I have more faith in Clemson and in Dabo.
I am picking Clemson

3Georgia at 24South Carolina
Much like Clemson and Texas A&M, these two took care of business against their week one FCS opponents. I am interested to see how South Carolina looks against a team as good as Georgia. I was extremely impressed with last year’s Georgia team. They were very young and should be great again this season. Both QBs played last week and looked decent. Jake Bently also looked good for the Gamecocks. This game should tell us a lot about both teams, but I think Georgia is more proven so far.
I am picking Georgia

17USC at 10Stanford
This was a hard one for me to pick. Stanford looked strong against SDSU last week. They were able to hold the Aztecs to just 10 points. On the other hand, Bryce Love only had 29 rushing yards on 18 carries. He will have to have a better day to beat USC. The Trojans ended up with a 43-21 win over UNLV, but it was a very close game until the 4th quarter. USC had to wait for UNLV to tire out before taking control of the game and that is not a good way to beat Stanford. The Cardinal also found a new-ish threat in JJ Arcega-Whiteside. He caught 6 passes for 226 yards and 3TDs. I think USC will struggle to cover both Bryce Love and Arcega-Whiteside in this game, giving Stanford the overall edge.
I am picking Stanford

Kentucky at 25Florida
The nation’s longest winning streak is once again on the line. Florida has beat Kentucky 31 straight times. Last year the Wildcats blew their lead and their chance to end the streak. I do not believe they have nearly as good of a chance this year. Kentucky struggled against Central Michigan last week. They were able to come away with a 15-point win, but I am still concerned about this team. Florida looked good with Dan Mullen at the helm as they beat Charleston Southern. I just think the Gators are better equipped to win this game. I do think Kentucky will make it a bit of a game early on.
I am picking Florida

Iowa State at Iowa
This game has the potential to be interesting. It could also be a blowout. Iowa handled Northern Illinois last week thanks in large part to their defense. Iowa State had to cancel their game against South Dakota State due to weather, so we don’t know anything about them yet. Both are receiving votes in the AP Poll. Iowa State has been sneaky in recently and are coming into this game rested and ready to play. I think Iowa’s defense will be the difference in this one.
I am picking Iowa

California at BYU
I am very interested in this game. BYU beat Arizona last week and might actually be a pretty good team. California beat a North Carolina team that is depleted due to suspensions. Though I didn’t watch either of those games, I think I am more impressed with BYU’s win. It is possible that California is a very, very good team and that Arizona is just really bad. This game should give us some insight into a lot of things. I hope it is a great game.
I am picking BYU

Arkansas at Colorado State
The Razorbacks got a much-needed win last week against FCS Eastern Illinois. Their first few drives didn’t end well, but then Ty Storey came off the bench and did a great job leading the offense. I left at halftime because it was too hot to be outside, but the defense did a great job forcing turnovers and the new North End Zone looked great. This week the Hogs (and I) head all the way to Fort Collins, CO to take on a struggling Colorado State team. The Rams are already 0-2 with losses to Hawaii and Colorado. I expect them to be a little angry and a little desperate in this game. I’m still not sure how much better Arkansas is compared to last season. I am looking forward to crossing off a Mountain West stadium from my list (this is the only stadium Arkansas plays at this season that I haven’t been to). I have faith in the Hogs, but I’m also worried. They need to win this game (and all of their non conference games) to even have a chance at being bowl eligible. And that chance just got much smaller with the way Ole Miss took care of Texas Tech last weekend. Keep an eye out for me when they show the stands in Fort Collins!

Top 25
Arkansas State at 1Alabama
2Clemson at Texas A&M
3Georgia at 24South Carolina
Rutgers at 4Ohio State
New Mexico at 5Wisconsin
UCLA at 6Oklahoma
Alabama State at 7Auburn
Ball State at 8Notre Dame
North Dakota at 9Washington
17USC at 10Stanford
Southeast Louisiana at 11LSU
William & Mary at 12Virginia Tech
13Penn State at Pittsburgh
Youngstown State at 14West Virginia
15Michigan State at Arizona State
16TCU at SMU (Friday)
18Mississippi State at Kansas State
South Carolina State at 19UCF
Connecticut at 20Boise State
Western Michigan at 21Michigan
Savannah State at 22Miami
Portland State at 23Oregon
Kentucky at 25Florida

Other Games
Nevada at Vanderbilt
Arizona at Houston
Duke at Northwestern
Memphis at Navy
Wyoming at Missouri