College Football Week 2: Previews and Predictions for the Top 5 Games
There was excitement in Week 1 of the 2014 college football season, but Week 2 will be even better.
The game of the week, as well as the best nonconference game of the 2014 season, will be between Top 10 teams Michigan State and Oregon. Both programs will battle it out in the Pacific Northwest to stay in the running for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
While much of the focus will be on the Ducks and Sparty, Michigan and Notre Dame will play their final game against each other for the foreseeable future. The Wolverines need a big road win to gain momentum after a rough 2013 campaign.
The other two games in the national spotlight will be USC at Stanford, as well as Virginia Tech at Ohio State. Steve Sarkisian and his Trojans will try to make it two straight against the Cardinal, while the Hokies look to earn a win over a ranked nonconference opponent for the first time since 2009.
With a lot of anticipation heading into Week 2, here are the top five games to watch Saturday.
No. 14 USC at No. 13 Stanford
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Saturday, Sept. 6: No. 14 USC at No. 13 Stanford, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
For the second consecutive week, No. 13 will face No. 14. This time it will be on The Farm between Pac-12 foes USC and Stanford. The Trojans upset the Cardinal last year in Los Angeles, 20-17, but they have not won in Palo Alto since 2008.
USC junior quarterback Cody Kessler had a career-high performance last week against Fresno State, throwing for 394 yards and scoring five total touchdowns. Kessler is expected to play Saturday, after a minor toe procedure.
The new uptempo offense under Steve Sarkisian ran a school and Pac-12 record of 105 plays last week. The uptempo offensive scheme could present problems for the Stanford defense, but the Cardinal seemed to do well against a similar style of offense in Oregon the past two seasons.
Kessler will rely on junior running back Javorius Allen, who rushed for 133 yards and one touchdown against Fresno State, to be a playmaker in the backfield, while junior Nelson Agholor and freshman Juju Smith will need to make plays in the passing game.
On the other hand, Stanford will look to senior quarterback Kevin Hogan to lead a Cardinal offense that scored 45 points against FCS opponent UC Davis with the help of a receiving corps led by Ty Montgomery (77 yards, one TD). Hogan will need the receiving corps to step up because the USC defensive front could affect the production of the backfield of Barry Sanders and Kelsey Young. USC star defensive end Leonard Williams, who recorded seven tackles and one interception last week, will likely be the main threat to the Cardinal offensive line.
Both teams have solid quarterback play and talented defenses as well. In the last four seasons, the games between the Trojans and Cardinal have been decided by an average of five points, which means the country is likely in for another tight matchup.
With Stanford students not back to school yet, the Trojans could avoid a more hostile environment. It doesn't mean David Shaw’s squad won’t be ready, though, as Stanford will take down USC for the fifth time in six years in a defensive game.
Prediction: Stanford 24, USC 20
No. 7 Michigan State at No. 3 Oregon
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Saturday, Sept. 6: No. 7 Michigan State at No. 3 Oregon, 6:30 p.m. ET, Fox
It’s hard to beat a Top 10 matchup in Week 2 of the season, which pits speed against hard-nosed football. Oregon will host a dangerous Michigan State squad that proved last season it could beat the best of the Pac-12, when it defeated Stanford 24-20 in the Rose Bowl. Sparty will be the highest-ranked opponent to visit Eugene since the Ducks pounded No. 4 USC at home, 47-20, in 2009.
The major matchup in this highly anticipated nonconference game will be Oregon’s explosive offense against a physical Michigan State defense. Junior quarterback Marcus Mariota passed for 267 yards and three touchdowns in the season opener over FCS opponent South Dakota, but he will have his hands full against defensive end Shilique Calhoun and linebacker Taiwan Jones.
The Duck offense has struggled in recent years against defenses that have controlled the line of scrimmage and shut down the rushing attack. Mariota will look to redshirt freshman Darren Carrington and 6’5" sophomore Dwayne Stanford as his main targets in the pass game. Running back Byron Marshall can be used in the pass game as well, but he must make an impact on the ground.
Connor Cook had a solid performance, despite taking a low hit from a defender last Friday against FCS opponent Jacksonville State. Cook was 12-of-13 for 285 yards and three touchdowns, while wide receiver Tony Lippett recorded 167 yards and two touchdowns. Much like Stanford, the Michigan State offense has the ability to slow the game down and pull off long scoring drives to wear down the Duck defense.
It would be surprising if Oregon managed to go on a scoring spree against Michigan State in a hostile Autzen Stadium on Saturday. Both teams have talent on both sides of the ball, but it comes down to a few key factors.
The Ducks must establish a run game and find a way to put points on the scoreboard. Sparty needs to slow the game down by getting small chunks of yardage at a time on offense and dominating the line of scrimmage on defense.
It will be a battle until the very end, but Mark Helfrich’s squad will find a way to earn a big win and get its ninth consecutive home win.
Prediction: Oregon 31, Michigan State 27
Michigan at No. 16 Notre Dame
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Saturday, Sept. 6: Michigan at No. 16 Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC
It will be the end of an era—for the time being at least—between two rivals who have faced off since 1887. Michigan currently leads Notre Dame in the series 24-16-1 and has won four of the last five meetings.
The unranked Wolverines head to South Bend hoping to make a statement after manhandling Appalachian State in their season opener, 52-14. Quarterback Devin Gardner had an impressive performance against the Fighting Irish last season, passing for 294 yards, rushing for 82 yards and scoring five total touchdowns. This year, though, Gardner won’t have the same talent in the receiving corps, putting potential All-American 6'5" wide receiver Devin Funchess in charge of making big plays and causing problems for the Notre Dame secondary.
The main focus will be on starting quarterback Everett Golson, who had a strong showing in his first game back against Rice, passing for 295 yards and scoring five total touchdowns. The ability for Golson to make plays outside the pocket with his legs will be key to Notre Dame’s success on offense. He’ll be up against a Michigan defense consisting of All-Big 12 cornerback Blake Countess and highly touted freshman safety Jabrill Peppers, whom Brady Hoke mentioned is expected to play.
The Notre Dame defense continues to take a hit with the loss of junior cornerback KeiVarae Russell, senior defensive end Ishaq Williams, senior linebacker Kendall Moore and senior safety Eilar Hardy, because of the academic dishonesty issue.
The victor will need to win the turnover battle and avoid making costly mistakes. Expect another intense matchup that will come down to key plays in the fourth quarter. In the end, Michigan finds a way to get the job done and gets a much-needed victory.
Prediction: Michigan 34, Notre Dame 28
BYU at Texas
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Saturday, Sept. 6: BYU at Texas, 7:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1
This was the game in the 2013 season that made Longhorns nation question how much longer then-head coach Mack Brown would be at Texas. Dual-threat BYU quarterback Taysom Hill rushed for an astounding 259 yards and three touchdowns in a 40-21 win.
First-year head coach Charlie Strong will get his first real test when BYU comes to town. Texas handled North Texas 38-7 in Week 1, but there are questions heading into Saturday’s game. David Ash lasted one game before getting concussion-like symptoms again. With Ash potentially needing to hang his cleats up for good, the starting quarterback job would go to sophomore Tyrone Swoops. He had limited playing time last season backing up Case McCoy and Ash.
Another issue Strong must face is the loss of center Dominic Espinosa, who suffered a broken ankle against North Texas, as well as the suspensions of offensive tackles Desmond Harrison and Kennedy Estelle. The Longhorns offense will be forced to rely on its run game consisting of Malcolm Brown and Johnathan Gray, despite being thin up front.
BYU had a convincing 35-10 road win over UConn on Aug. 29 and will hope to run over the Texas defense again. The Cougars' offensive success against Texas will depend on Hill making big plays with his legs. The Texas defense, though, should be better this time around under new defensive coordinator Vance Bedford.
Even though BYU dominated Texas last season, this should be a completely different game. The Longhorns have questions on offense, but the defense should be able to contain Hill better this time. In a matchup where 61 points were scored last year, this should be a low-scoring affair.
Prediction: Texas 20, BYU 17
Virginia Tech at No. 8 Ohio State
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Saturday, Sept. 6: Virginia Tech at No. 8 Ohio State, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
If Braxton Miller was starting, the Buckeyes would have been a clear favorite over Virginia Tech. Now there could be a more defensive matchup in “The Shoe” on Saturday night.
Ohio State managed to pull away from a scrappy Navy squad in the fourth quarter to win 34-17. Freshman J.T. Barrett completed 12 of 15 passes for two touchdowns and one interception in his debut under center. He will face better competition this week, though, and will look to playmakers in Devin Smith and Dontre Wilson in the pass game. Ezekiel Elliott will also need to be more physical and get tough yardage in key 3rd-and-short situations.
Frank Beamer’s Hokies played better offensively with Texas Tech transfer Michael Brewer as the new starting quarterback in a 34-9 victory over FCS opponent William and Mary in the season opener. Brewer must be able to get the ball to his receivers to have any success offensively. A major task for the the Hokies offense will be fending off one of the best defensive fronts in the nation, which includes senior defensive tackle Michael Bennett.
Virginia Tech is heavily underrated with a talented defense and will play Ohio State tough. In the first matchup ever between these two programs, the Buckeyes will squeak out a close win to keep their chances alive for a College Football Playoff berth.
Prediction: Ohio State 28, Virginia Tech 20
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