College Football Picks Week 2: Top 25 Rankings, Schedule, Odds and Predictions

Steve Sarkisian's debut as Texas Longhorns head coach went as well as it could. 

In Week 2, Sarkisian faces a more difficult test on the road against the Arkansas Razorbacks. 

Although Texas is the ranked team in the matchup, it is only favored by 6.5 points for the trip to Fayetteville, Arkansas. 

Texas has the capabilities to cover the spread with ease if it performs as well on the defensive side of the ball as it did against the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns in Week 1. 

Texas halted Louisiana's rushing attack last week, and Arkansas used its ground game to pound through the Rice Owls defense in its first game. 

The Miami Hurricanes experienced the exact opposite start of Texas and Arkansas, but they should be in position to bounce back in Week 2 against the Appalachian State Mountaineers. 

App State is one of the best Group of Five teams in the FBS, but it could face a tough challenge against a talented and motivated Miami team. 

Week 2 CFB Schedule

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook; Predictions against the spread in bold. 

Friday, September 10

Kansas at No. 17 Coastal Carolina (-25) (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

Saturday, September 11

No. 12 Oregon at No. 3 Ohio State (-14.5) (Noon ET, Fox)

Alabama State at No. 25 Auburn (N/A) (Noon ET, SEC Network)

No. 13 Florida (-29) at South Florida (1 p.m. ET, ABC)

Middle Tennessee at No. 19 Virginia Tech (-20.5) (2 p.m. ET, ACC Network Extra)

Toledo at No. 8 Notre Dame (-16.5) (2:30 p.m. ET, Peacock)

UAB at No. 2 Georgia (-24.5) (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

No. 5 Texas A&M (-17) vs. Colorado (3:30 p.m. ET, Fox)

Murray State at No. 7 Cincinnati (N/A) (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

Ball State at No. 11 Penn State (-23) (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1)

Mercer at No. 1 Alabama (N/A) (4 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

No. 10 Iowa at No. 9 Iowa State (-4.5) (4:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

South Carolina State at No. 6 Clemson (N/A) (5 p.m. ET, ACC Network)

Western Carolina at No. 4 Oklahoma (N/A) (7 p.m. ET)

No. 15 Texas (-6.5) at Arkansas (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Eastern Michigan at No. 18 Wisconsin (-26) (7 p.m. ET, FS1)

Appalachian State at No. 22 Miami (-9) (7 p.m. ET, ESPNU)

Austin Peay at No. 20 Ole Miss (N/A) (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

Georgia State at No. 24 North Carolina (-25.5) (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN3)

No. 21 Utah (-7) at BYU (10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Stanford at No. 14 USC (-17) (10:30 p.m. ET, Fox)

UNLV at No. 23 Arizona State (-33.5) (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

No. 15 Texas (-6.5) at Arkansas

Eric Gay/Associated Press

Most of the Week 1 attention paid to Texas was on its offense. 

Hudson Card passed his first test as a starting quarterback by going 14-for-21 with 224 passing yards and a pair of touchdown passes. 

Card's transition into the starting role has been made easier by the presence of running back Bijan Robinson, who had 103 yards and a touchdown in the opener. 

The ground game on both sides of the ball will be the key to Texas' success against Arkansas on Saturday night. 

The Longhorns held Louisiana to 76 rushing yards in the 38-18 win. Arkansas used 245 rushing yards to beat Rice by three touchdowns. 

If Texas limits the production of KJ Jefferson and Trelon Smith, the Razorbacks will be forced to find success through the air. 

Jefferson went 12-for-21 with 128 yards, one touchdown and one interception against Rice. Those are not numbers that convince you he can beat Texas through the air if need be. 

As long as the Longhorns contain the ground production of Jefferson and Smith, they should produce enough stops to set up Card with favorable field position.

If Card carves up the Arkansas defense and Robinson turns in another 100-yard showing, Sarkisian will be sitting at 2-0 overall and against the spread in his debut season. 

Appalachian State at No. 22 Miami (-9)

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

Miami has all the motivation in the world to bounce back in Week 2. 

The Hurricanes were embarrassed on the national stage by Alabama, and they need to show their real quality during a run of four straight home games against weaker opposition.

Appalachian State is no slouch, but the Hurricanes are expected to beat the Sun Belt team in south Florida by double figures. 

The Mountaineers held the East Carolina Pirates to 19 points in Week 1, but they allowed 381 total yards and let the AAC side sneak back into the contest in the fourth quarter. 

Look for D'Eriq King and the Miami passing attack to exploit the part of the App State defense that conceded the most yards. 

King can also beat the App State defense with his feet, but it may take some time for him to feel fully comfortable in that part of the game in his recovery from a torn ACL. 

Oklahoma transfer Charleston Rambo could be the breakout star of the game. He caught the most passes of any Miami wide receiver in Week 1, and he can hurt the App State secondary over the top with his speed. 

The visitors are at a disadvantage at quarterback due to talent and games against the other team. Chase Brice, who had stops at Clemson and Duke, played Miami in 2020 when he was at Duke. 

Miami is aware of the App State quarterback's tendencies, and that should help with its pass-rushing strategy. 

Brice has arguably better weapons to work with at App State than at Duke, including running back Camerun Peoples, but the running back could be slowed down by a hungry Miami defense. 

If Miami bounces back in the proper manner, it could go on a winning run since it has to leave south Florida once between now and October 30.

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