Week Two CFB Picks

1 Alabama (-20.5) vs Texas 38-17 Alabama

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is going to have his hands full when former boss Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide come to Austin this weekend. The Longhorns have the talent to hang with Alabama for a bit, no doubt. However, this is QB Quinn Ewers’ first big game at the collegiate level and football is so much harder when you’re being chased by Alabama EDGE Will Anderson. The spread is a lot for a hyped up matchup in favor of the road team, but I think Alabama will take care of business and move on to a 2-0 record.

South Carolina vs 16 Arkansas (-8.5) 31-20 Arkansas

Arkansas was far from perfect in their first game, but I was thoroughly impressed by their ability to seal the deal against a pesky Cincinnati team. Opposite of the Razorbacks, South Carolina handled Georgia State, but QB Spencer Rattler didn’t exactly set the world on fire. With Arkansas QB KJ Jefferson looking in mid-season form, I’m calling on the Hogs to get the win.

23 Wake Forest vs Vanderbilt (+13) 33-27 Wake Forest

Vanderbilt hasn’t played the stiffest of competition, but the Commodores are 2-0 and have shown signs of competency. Meanwhile, Wake Forest is expecting the return of QB Sam Hartman this weekend, a surprise given his timetable for return from his non-football related medical condition was lengthy. Above all, it’s awesome that Hartman will be able to play this weekend. There may be some rust with him under center, prompting Vanderbilt to stick around a bit, but I like the Demon Deacons to get the job done.

Marshall vs 8 Notre Dame (-20) 38-12 Notre Dame

Could a hangover be in store for the Fighting Irish after a taxing defeat in Columbus last week? I think not. Marshall isn’t a pushover, but Notre Dame should be able to get back on track this week.

Appalachian State (+18) vs Texas A&M 27-23 Texas A&M

This game has upset written allllllllll over it. App State suffered a gut-wrenching loss at the hands of North Carolina last week, but scored 61 points in the process. Texas A&M pitched a shutout against Sam Houston, as they should against a team of such lesser caliber. Aggies QB Haynes King threw two interceptions last week, which doesn’t help erase my concerns around the position for A&M this season. I don’t think App State has quite enough talent or defensive competence to win at Kyle Field, but they can definitely compete and put up a fight.

24 Tennessee (-6.5) vs 17 Pittsburgh 28-17 Tennessee

I don’t want to call this a lock because playing at Pitt can be challenging, but I really like Tennessee in this one. Tennessee dominated an inferior Ball State team, while Pitt needed some nice bounces to beat a so-so West Virginia team. Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker is a multi-dimensional playmaker, while Pitt QB Kedon Slovis lacks arm talent and consistency. Volunteers for the win!

Washington State (+17.5) vs 19 Wisconsin 26-13 Wisconsin

Last year, Cameron Ward was at FCS Incarnate Word. Now, he’s the starting QB at a power 5 school and his first FBS road game is at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. Ward played sufficiently well in week one, but Washington State, as a whole, was sloppy and barely defeated Idaho. On the other hand, Wisconsin beat the brakes off of Illinois State 38-0. The likelihood of a Washington State upset isn’t great, but the combination of Cam Ward’s dynamism and Wisconsin’s not-so-high-powered offense should keep Wisconsin from covering the -17.5 spread.

25 Houston (+3.5) vs Texas Tech 43-34 Houston

I, uh, don’t get this spread. Yes, Texas Tech blew out Murray State, but it’s Murray State. Meanwhile, Houston had a thrilling 3OT win against UTSA, the C-USA darlings of 2021. It’s hard to know a ton about the trajectory of a team after just one game, but the expectations and projections are much greater for Houston behind QB Clayton Tune. Simply put, I don’t see Texas Tech as a good team in 2022. The game is in Lubbock, but I’m confidently rolling with the Houston Cougars.

Iowa State vs Iowa (-3.5) 16-10 Iowa

Who doesn’t love a good early season rivalry game? Iowa has dominated the CyHawk series, maintaining the trophy since 2015 and leading the all-time series 46-22. Iowa State has lost a ton of NFL talent with QB Brock Purdy, RB Breece Hall, and TE Charlie Kolar departing, but the Cyclones had no issue last week vs Southeastern Missouri. On the other hand, Iowa beat FCS South Dakota State 7-3 via a field goal and two safeties. SDSU is a good FCS program, but it’s fair to say that Iowa was incredibly disappointing last week. With that being said, I’m content putting my faith in Jack Campbell and the Hawkeyes defense to carry Iowa to another low scoring victory.

20 Kentucky vs 12 Florida (-5.5) 34-27 Florida

After a thrilling win over Utah, Florida has no time to rest with rival Kentucky entering the swamp. Kentucky should feel good at QB with Will Levis, but the status of RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. is up in the air after being suspended for the season opener. It will be another week of grinding and exhaustion for the Gators, but it’s a lot less daunting with QB Anthony Richardson playing like an NFL prospect. I’m a believer in Richardson, give me Florida by a touchdown.

10 USC (-9) vs Stanford 41-15 USC

What? Sure, it’s being played at home, but how in the world is Stanford only a single digit underdog. Their roster is probably worse from last year’s three win team, while USC is loaded with star-studded transfers. This seems like a lock, Caleb Williams and the Trojans should slaughter Stanford.

Arizona State vs Oklahoma State (-11.5) 34-20 Oklahoma State

In week one, Arizona State beat down on local foe Northern Arizona, while Oklahoma State outlasted Central Michigan in a shootout. Oklahoma State QB Spencer Sanders looked sharp, accounting for six total TDs last week. If Sanders is playing well, i.e. not turning the ball over and maintaining efficiency, the Cowboys are tough to beat. Running the ball against Oklahoma State is hard, meaning that ASU is going to need QB Emory Jones to make plays with his arm. The Sun Devils can stick around for a few quarters in Boone Pickens Stadium, but I doubt they have enough juice to pull off this upset.

9 Baylor vs 21 BYU (-3) 30-25 BYU

A question to all athletic directors in America, why do you schedule games in Provo? The last time a power five team beat BYU on the road was in August of 2019, when Utah claimed a 30-12 win. Baylor beat BYU in Waco last year, but it’s a new year! BYU QB Jaren Hall is a steady producer and RB Christopher Brooks seems poised to take over as the workhorse for the graduated Tyler Allgeier. I like the upside in Baylor QB Blake Sharpen and think this Bears team can be pretty damn good, but I’m not betting against the chaos within LaVell Edwards Stadium and the BYU Cougars.