College Football Rankings 2019: Week 2 Standings, Schedule and Predictions

Clemson's smallest margin of victory from its championship-winning season occurred against Texas A&M. 

The Aggies almost pulled off the upset on home soil last September, but now they face a more daunting task by heading to Clemson Saturday. 

The SEC versus ACC clash is one of two matchups involving ranked foes in Week 2, with LSU visiting Texas in the other. 

The rest of the weekend slate features four ranked squads going on the road to take on unranked foes, including Stanford squaring off with USC at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Week 2 Standings

AP Top 25

1. Clemson (1-0)

2. Alabama (1-0) 

3. Georgia (1-0) 

4. Oklahoma (1-0) 

5. Ohio State (1-0) 

6. LSU (1-0) 

7. Michigan (1-0) 

8. Notre Dame (1-0) 

9. Texas (1-0) 

10. Auburn (1-0) 

11. Florida (1-0) 

12. Texas A&M (1-0) 

13. Utah (1-0) 

14. Washington (1-0) 

15. Penn State (1-0) 

16. Oregon (0-1) 

17. Wisconsin (1-0) 

18. UCF (1-0) 

19. Michigan State (1-0)

20. Iowa (1-0) 

21. Syracuse (1-0) 

22. Washington State (1-0)

23. Stanford (1-0) 

24. Boise State (1-0) 

T25. Iowa State (1-0) 

T25. Nebraska (1-0) 

Week 2 Schedule and Predictions

All Times ET. 

Predicted winners in bold.

Friday, September 6

Marshall at No. 24 Boise State (9 p.m., ESPN2) 

Saturday, September 7

Cincinnati at No. 5 Ohio State (Noon, ABC) 

Army at No. 7 Michigan (Noon, Fox) 

Rutgers at No. 20 Iowa (Noon, FS1) 

No. 21 Syracuse at Maryland (Noon, ESPN) 

Northern Illinois at No. 13 Utah (1 p.m., Pac-12 Network) 

No. 12 Texas A&M at No. 1 Clemson (3:30 p.m., ABC) 

Central Michigan at No. 17 Wisconsin (3:30 p.m., BTN) 

No. 25 Nebraska at Colorado (3:30 p.m., Fox) 

New Mexico State at No. 2 Alabama (4 p.m., SEC Network) 

Murray State at No. 3 Georgia (4 p.m., ESPN2) 

Northern Colorado at No. 22 Washington State (5 p.m.) 

South Dakota at No. 4 Oklahoma (7 p.m.) 

No. 18 UCF at Florida Atlantic (7 p.m., CBS Sports Network) 

No. 6 LSU at No. 9 Texas (7:30 p.m., ABC) 

Tulane at No. 10 Auburn (7:30 p.m., ESPN2) 

UT Martin at No. 11 Florida (7:30 p.m., ESPNU) 

Buffalo at No. 15 Penn State (7:30 p.m., Fox) 

Nevada at No. 16 Oregon (7:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network) 

Western Michigan at No. 19 Michigan State (7:30 p.m., BTN) 

California at No. 14 Washington (10:30 p.m., FS1) 

No. 23 Stanford at USC (10:30 p.m., ESPN) 

Predictions

Clemson 42, Texas A&M 24

Sam Craft/Associated Press

Clemson was dominant in all but one of its home games in 2018. 

Syracuse was the only side that pushed the Tigers, and one of the main components of that game was an injury suffered by quarterback Trevor Lawrence. 

After the Orange's upset bid fell short, Lawrence and Co. won their final four home games by an average of 36.25 points. 

That form reared its head in Week 1, as the Tigers racked up a 52-14 victory over Georgia Tech. 

Texas A&M received a glimpse of the star sophomore a year ago, as he went 5-for-9 with 93 passing yards and a touchdown in a game in which Kelly Bryant received the majority of snaps. 

This time around, the Aggies face a Heisman Trophy favorite who is on the fast track to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. 

Jimbo Fisher's side conceded 73 points to Clemson and Alabama in 2018, and it is coming off the concession of 219 total yards to Texas State. 

Not only does the Aggies defense have to stop Lawrence and Travis Etienne on multiple possessions, their offense has to navigate against a Clemson defense that forced four turnovers in Week 1. 

Junior quarterback Kellen Mond threw for 430 yards and three scores at Kyle Field a year ago, but his totals dipped a bit on the road. 

Mond averaged 250.3 yards on his travels in SEC play, but he had four touchdowns and a quartet of interceptions in those contests. 

If he produces similar numbers, the Aggies could be in a bind with a small margin of error on the road. 

LSU 27, Texas 17

Michael Democker/Associated Press

Both LSU and Texas could bolster their playoff resumes with a victory at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. 

After scoring 55 points versus Georgia Southern, the Tigers have to prove their new offense works against a high-profile opponent. 

In Week 1, Joe Burrow went 23-for-27 with 278 yards and five touchdowns. In 2018, the senior had one game over 300 passing yards and did not record over three scoring throws. 

On Tuesday, Texas defensive back Brandon Jones compared LSU's offense to one the Longhorns typically see in the Big 12, per Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger. 

Sam Ehlinger led Tom Herman's team to 45 points in the opener against Louisiana Tech, so there is a chance a high-scoring affair breaks out.

But the more reasonable outcome is a final in the 20s, with both defenses taking center stage on occasion. 

LSU's Grant Delpit and Texas' Caden Sterns are two of the secondary talents expected to disrupt the rhythm of the opposing quarterbacks. 

The Tigers conceded 98 yards in Week 1 compared to Texas' 413, so the Longhorns have to prove on defense that they are capable of limiting a team's gains. 

If LSU's defense produces at a similar rate Saturday, it will be the difference-maker. If that occurs, Ed Orgeron's team will position itself nicely for results from a grueling SEC schedule. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com