Your Week 2 college football viewing guide: The five best games to watch this weekend, plus predictions, upset pick of the week and more

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Sep 10, 2020

We’ve got a fair amount of housekeeping things to tackle at the top of this before digging into the actual Week 2 viewing guide. So let’s get to it.

— This is a free post. And the plan is for this to be a free weekly staple over the course of the fall. This will be a five-game slate this week (and likely next). But starting with Week 4, it'll expand to 10 games once there are more schools playing (and better head-to-head matchups). Once we hit October, I’ll also include weekly power rankings in this post.

— There will be some subscriber-only perks to this, too, though. Along with my write-ups for each of the games, I’ll be posting my predictions — both straight and against the spread. Any reader that is a premium subscriber is able (and encouraged!) to submit their own predictions. I will keep a season-long tally of peoples’ results, and the person with the best marks straight and against the spread will win prizes. I will be keeping standings based on correct picks, not winning percentage, so people who participate from the start (and continue participating over the course of the season), will be rewarded for their persistence. I’ll have a reminder at the bottom, too, but you can send your picks to bagofbell@gmail.com.

— ICYMI: I posted my 1-on-1 interview with U-M grad Mike O’Brien on Wednesday. This was the first in a series of interviews I hope to do this fall in absence of having Michigan football games to break down. I’ve got two other interviews already lined up for future weeks, but if you’re a subscriber and have a wish list of (realistic) guests you’d like me to target, please don’t be shy in e-mailing those suggestions, either.

— There’s a third newsletter forthcoming on Friday. That will be a traditional mailbag and it will be premium. Most non-viewing guides/power rankings posted over the course of football season will be tagged as premium content, so if you’re not yet a premium subscriber, please consider becoming one. There are options as short as one month and as long as one year that can be found at the button below.

And with that, let’s get to the actual content.

Week 2 viewing guide

Five Games to Watch

Unfortunately, the would-be best game of the week has been postponed. SMU vs. TCU would have been a fantastic watch — and in a Friday night primetime slot on FOX, no less. Last year, SMU snapped a 7-game losing streak against its cross-Metroplex rival TCU by posting a 41-38 win over the Horned Frogs. An impressive feat, but even more impressive when you consider the game was on the road.

This year, the rematch was scheduled to be on in Dallas. Then the Big 12 ruled that its conference teams could only play one non-conference game this season and that it had to be at a home venue, so TCU took SMU off its schedule — even though the Mustangs agreed to play the game on the road for the second straight year. But after TCU’s only non-conference matchup against Tennessee Tech went off the books because the Ohio Valley Conference nixed play for the fall, SMU and TCU came to an agreement to play after all.

But that final roller coaster had one final hill, and a COVID outbreak caused TCU to postpone this game last week. The two sides hope to find a way to still play it this season, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

Either way, it’s a bummer we won’t get to see this matchup this week. It’s a pretty thin slate as-is, so this could have provided some much-needed fireworks. But in a vacuum, it’s a really great matchup. A true rivalry game with a fun trophy (an actual iron skillet!), and one of the few P5 vs G5 rivalries where the G5 school has a legitimate chance at winning. I’d go as far as to say I’d probably make SMU a favorite on a neutral field. Shane Buechele is a top-5 QB this fall, and he’s surrounded by a couple very dangerous weapons in WR Reggie Roberson and WR Danny Gray.

La Tech vs. Baylor probably would’ve made the cut, too. The Bears were one of college football’s best stories last fall and still didn’t get the respect they deserved. La Tech’s Justin Henderson is one of the best RBs you probably haven’t heard of. That would’ve been a fun clash — but the Bulldogs had a massive COVID outbreak of their own, leading to this week’s game getting axed.

But enough about games that aren’t happening. Let’s go over my five games most worthy of your time this weekend. All games are on Saturday. All times are Eastern.

5. Louisiana-Lafayette at Iowa State (noon, ESPN)

A couple weeks back, I labeled Iowa State as my pick for the school Michigan fans should feel best about temporarily adopting this fall. So the Cyclones definitely need to make the cut on this week’s list. It’s the lone game involving a non-P5 school on this week’s list, which is both a testament to the watchability of Iowa State games and to the competency of Louisiana-Lafayette’s team. Ragin’ Cajun RB Elijah Mitchell is one of the most dynamic backs in the country. He has combined for more than 2,500 yards rushing/receiving the last two seasons, scoring 33 touchdowns during that span. I still think Iowa State has too much firepower (and is too well-coached) for this to be a legitimate upset-watch situation, but it’s by far the best P5-G5 matchup on this week’s slate.

This is the best major-network matchup to watch in the first window of games Saturday. There’s no need to flip the channel once Gameday is over. Brock Purdy is a blast to watch, and Breece Hall might be the best true sophomore RB in America. Enjoy.

Line: Iowa State -11.5

Prediction: Iowa State 38, Louisiana-Lafayette 21

4. Duke at Notre Dame (2:30 pm, NBC)

This might not be the most exciting 60 minutes of football. But it has to make the list if for no other reason than for morbid curiosity. The first conference game in the history of Notre Dame’s program? How weird is it going to be to see a big ole ACC logo plastered across Notre Dame’s field?

As for the game itself, I think this year’s Duke team is going to be a little less dangerous than some previous versions. David Cutcliffe’s teams had experienced winning seasons in five of the last six seasons heading into last fall before finishing with a disappointing 5-7 record. He must have been too busy reading his press clippings about turning down the Michigan job.

I am curious to see how Chase Brice looks as Duke’s new QB. Brice is the latest in a long line of Clemson QBs that have transferred away from Dabo Swinney’s team, only to immediately find a starting job elsewhere. He’s probably overqualified to be the Duke QB, but he’s still not surrounded by enough skill position talent to really worry Notre Dame.

I expect the Irish — particularly QB Ian Book — to look pretty good. I’ll be curious to see who emerges as Book’s go-to target in the passing game, since most of his top WRs aren’t around this fall. But keep an eye out for Kyren Williams in the backfield. Michigan offered him out of HS despite the fact that he was a three-star prospect due to his “Christian McCaffrey-like skillset.” He didn’t do much as a freshman, but it sounds like he’s earned the first crack at being the Irish’s feature back this fall.

Line: Notre Dame -20

Prediction: Notre Dame 41, Duke 14

3. Syracuse at North Carolina (noon, ACC Network)

If you like offensive snaps and offense in general, this is the game for you. If it was airing on something other than the ACC Network, I probably would have this one higher. Last season, both Syracuse (80.5 snaps/game) and North Carolina (78.3) were two of the nation’s fastest teams. If you’re part of a Dino Babers or Phil Longo offense, your responsibilities consist of snapping the ball, completely the play, sprinting to the line and rinse/lather/repeat.

Syracuse’s star has dimmed a bit since QB Eric Dungey graduated and Tommy DeVito took over as the team’s signal-caller. As the team’s top receiving threat, MSU tranfer Trishton Jackson, is also gone this fall. But Babers-coached teams are never dull, and even though the Orange will be pretty significant underdogs in Saturday’s matchup, there should still be some offensive fireworks.

On North Carolina’s side of the ball, enjoy watching QB Sam Howell. The fact that he able to put up gaudy numbers as a true freshman in a Power 5 conference means the sky’s the limit for his this fall (as well as next fall) now that he’s more familiar with the Tar Heels’ offense and more physically mature. Don’t be surprised to see him throw for 400 yards right out of the gate on Saturday.

Line: North Carolina -23

Prediction: North Carolina 45, Syracuse 24

2. Georgia Tech at Florida State (3:30, abc)

There are very few schools I enjoy watching play college football less than Georgia Tech. And while the games are a little less mucked up now that they’re in the post-Paul Johnson era, it’s still not very aesthetically pleasing.

But before anyone jumps down my throat, yes, I know Florida State hasn’t exactly been a pleasure to watch in recent years, either. Over the last three seasons, the Seminoles are a combined 18-20 — that’s Michigan State territory right there. That spans the Jimbo Fisher era and the 1.5 years that Willie Taggart was in charge of the program. Now East Lansing Florida Edition has a new guy in charge: former Memphis coach Mike Norvell. While I haven’t loved a few of the off-field things that have already happened under Norvell’s watch in Talahasee, it’s hard to argue against Norvell’s ability as an on-field coach. So even though it won’t be a well-oiled machine right out of the gates, it will be interesting to see how noticable of an improvement Florida State has on Saturday.

I’m particularly interested in Texas A&M RB transfer Jashaun Corbin. Norvell has been a miracle worker with RBs, turning Darrell Henderson and Kenneth Gainwell into stars the last few falls in Memphis. Corbin showed a lot of promise early in his career in College Station before being Wally Pipped by Isaiah Spiller. I expect big things from him this fall, and that likely begins with a strong showing against the Yellow Jackets.

Line: Florida State -12.5 (o/u 52)

Prediction: Florida State 31, Georgia Tech 14

1. Clemson at Wake Forest (7:30, abc)

There’s only one opportunity to see a legitimate contender play on Saturday, so this game is going to be my most watchable by default. It certainly doesn’t hurt that it’s in primetime, either.

What sucks is this actually could have been a pretty legit battle, too. At the end of last season, Wake Forest looked like the second best team heading into 2020. But after losing stud QB Jamie Newman to Georgia (and since then, to the NFL) and losing dynamic WR Sage Surratt to him opting out in preparation for the NFL Draft, too, the Demon Deacons’ ceiling has been lowered considerably. Sam Hartman is still a really good QB and I expect Donovan Greene to be one of college football’s most pleasant surprises this fall, but Clemson is Clemson, and I expect this to play out like every other ACC game involving Clemson plays out: a blowout.

I’m mostly curious to see what usage is like for Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne, and if either ends up playing enough snaps this season to really make a case for a Heisman bid. Etienne has been college football’s most explosive back the last two seasons, but he simply doesn’t touch the ball enough to match the gaudy stats that other elite RBs get. That’s mainly because Clemson is usually blowing the opposition out by the middle of the second quarter. But it’ll be interesting to see if either of them — Etienne in particular, since he had the option of entering the draft last offseason — is given a little more garbage time touches to help bolster their stats for Heisman voters who vote more based off national stats than the eye test.

Line: Clemson -33

Prediction: Clemson 45, Wake Forest 24

Upset watch: Arkansas State (+10.5) at Kansas State

Look, it’s a thin slate. There aren’t a lot of enticing upset picks. But for a double-digit underdog, I actually like the potential that an Arkansas State pick could yield for four reasons:

Arkansas State has already played. And its has already played on the road. Sure, the Red Wolves lost by 13 last week, but they were playing a very strong Memphis team that played in the Cotton Bowl last year. Kansas State, on the other hand, is coming in blind. In-game experience is crucial at any point, but especailly this fall.
Arkansas State is one of the best G5 schools in the country. Want to know how many winning seasons the Red Wolves have had the last nine seasons? Nine. Blake Anderson is one of the most underrated coaches in the country. If you’re going to put your faith in an upset pick, there are a lot worse teams you could back than Arkansas State.
Blake Anderson isn’t only a veteran coach for Arkansas State (he’s entering Year 7 leading this program), both of his coordinators were in their same spots last season. The same can’t be said for Kansas State, which will be breaking in a new defensive coordinator after Scottie Hazelton bolted this offseason.
Kansas State is not immune to early season stumbles. The Wildcats have lost early season non-conference games in four of the past seven seasons — three of which have been at home.

Reminder: If you want to participate in the season-long pick’em contest, send your picks for the five games (along with the score prediction so I can award wins straight and against the spread) to bagofbell@gmail.com. The cutoff to get your picks submitted to me is Friday at midnight eastern.