College Football Rankings 2015: Week 2 Standings, Schedule and Predictions
College football is back, and if last week was any indication, the 2015 season should be chock-full of drama.
Whether it was true freshmen asserting themselves with aplomb, consensus title contenders living up to expectations or top-25 teams getting pushed by underdogs, intrigue abounded.
And thankfully, Week 2 doesn't project to be any different.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
But before making some predictions and breaking down a few of the weekend's most compelling storylines, here's a glimpse at an updated look at the national pecking order:
| 1 | Ohio State | Hawaii |
| 2 | Alabama | Middle Tennessee |
| 3 | TCU | Stephen F. Austin |
| 4 | Baylor | Lamar |
| 5 | Michigan State | Oregon |
| 6 | Oregon | Michigan State |
| 7 | Auburn | Jacksonville State |
| 8 | Notre Dame | Virginia |
| 9 | USC | Idaho |
| 10 | Georgia | Vanderbilt |
| 11 | Clemson | Appalachian State |
| 12 | Florida State | South Florida |
| 13 | UCLA | UNLV |
| 14 | LSU | Mississippi State |
| 15 | Texas A&M | Ball State |
| 16 | Georgia Tech | Tulane |
| 17 | Ole Miss | Fresno State |
| 18 | Oklahoma | Tennessee |
| 19 | Arkansas | Toledo |
| 20 | Missouri | Arkansas State |
| 21 | Tennessee | Oklahoma |
| 22 | Mississippi State | LSU |
| 23 | Arizona | Nevada |
| 24 | Utah | Utah State |
| 25 | Boise State | BYU |
As the action gets set to heat up, here's a look at when you can catch the biggest games of the weekend:
| Notre Dame | Virginia | 3:30 p.m. | Saturday, Sept. 12 |
| Oklahoma | Tennessee | 6 p.m. | Saturday, Sept. 12 |
| Oregon | Michigan State | 8 p.m. | Saturday, Sept. 12 |
| Mississippi State | LSU | 9:15 p.m. | Saturday, Sept. 12 |
| Boise State | BYU | 10:15 p.m. | Saturday, Sept. 12 |
| UCLA | UNLV | 10:30 p.m. | Saturday, Sept. 12 |
Week 2 Predictions
Michigan State Survives Oregon's Lethal Offense
Michigan State will be out for revenge after falling to Oregon, 46-27, a year ago, and if recent history is any indication, the Spartans should be favored to down the high-powered Ducks.
With the matchup slated to descend on East Lansing, it's important to note that Michigan State has won 13 of its last 14 games at home. The lone loss came against Ohio State last November.
However, Michigan State hasn't hosted a game of this magnitude in nearly five decades, according to ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg:
Quarterbacks Vernon Adams and Connor Cook will dominate discussion after leading their teams to 61 and 37 points, respectively, last week, but defensive efficiency may very well dictate which side departs with a victory.
"We have to expect the unexpected," Spartans defensive end Shilique Calhoun said, according to USA Today's Paul Myerberg. "But they're still going to be that fast-tempo team with a quarterback that can create and wide receivers that are going to make plays."
Familiarity with Oregon's scheme dating back to last year's battle should aid the Spartans' confidence, but Adams and Co. won't be denied entirely.
Fresh off a 61-point outburst against Eastern Washington, Oregon proved it isn't ready to skip a beat even if Adams is still adjusting to life in the Ducks' spread offense.
A shootout should be in order, but Michigan State gets the slight edge with a more reliable defense and raucous home crowd at its disposal.
LSU Opens With a Close Win in Starkville
LSU's Week 1 hype was dampened by a weather-related cancellation against McNeese State, but energy should build at a rapid pace in advance of the Tigers' Week 2 SEC clash with the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Although Les Miles' squad had to retreat to the locker room while rain and lightning pelted Baton Rouge at a furious pace, his offense will be ready to go for its season opener in enemy territory.
Buoyed by running back Leonard Fournette, LSU has a chance to impose its will early and often against a Bulldogs defense that's still establishing an identity.
That much was evident in Mississippi State's 34-16 win over Southern Miss last weekend.
"The Golden Eagles gained only 102 yards rushing but were effective at times," the Times-Picayune's Trey Iles wrote. "Running back Ito Smith carried for 69 yards on just eight carries, an 8.6 yard per carry average. LSU running back Leonard Fournette probably can't wait to get to Starkville after seeing Smith run free."
However, LSU is essentially operating with a fresh face at quarterback, as Brandon Harris gets set to take the reins in a hostile environment without much experience under his belt.
Harris' first start came last season at Auburn, when he completed 3 of 14 passes for 58 yards while rushing for 36 yards in a 41-7 loss. And without a tuneup against McNeese State to help boost the sophomore's confidence, Harris' play could wind up deciding Saturday's showdown.
Matched up against a seasoned signal-caller like Dak Prescott, who's looking to rattle off a second-straight win against the Tigers, LSU's offense will need to be firing on all cylinders in order to avoid an 0-1 start.
The task at hand won't be easy, but with a running back who can set the tempo and a defense that finished last season ranked eighth in total defense, LSU is the pick to eke out a close victory.
Josh Rosen's Heisman Hype Continues to Build
Josh Rosen made his UCLA debut last Saturday against Virginia, but you wouldn't have known it based on the true freshman's domination of the Cavaliers' defense.
In the 34-16 win, Rosen completed 28 of 35 passes for 351 yards and three touchdowns while posting a QBR of 90.8, per ESPN.com.
Some picture-perfect ball placement on a second-quarter touchdown pass to wide receiver Thomas Duarte was the highlight of Rosen's stellar debut:
Throws like those thrust the 18-year-old into esteemed territory right away, as UCLAFootball's Instagram noted:
"I did not see a deer in the headlights look with him at all," UCLA head coach Jim Mora told reporters following the win, according to ESPN.com's Kyle Bonagura. "I didn’t think that I would, either. I didn’t know how he’d perform, but I didn’t get the feeling that it was going to be too big for him. He was very in the moment -- before the game, [Friday] night, during the game. He’s a mature young man and he handled it well."
Now Rosen will be tasked with keeping the hype train rolling as the Bruins get set for a road tilt with UNLV (0-1). But if Week 1 was any indication, that shouldn't be an issue.
The Rebels enter Week 2's meeting fresh off a 38-30 loss to Northern Illinois that saw Tony Sanchez's side surrender 545 total yards, including 360 through the air.
If the Huskies approached 400 yards, UCLA's vaunted aerial attack should have no problem topping that number with Rosen ready to drop dimes all over Sin City.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
