College Football Week 2 Picks Simulation from Whatifsports.com

Each Monday, WhatIfSports.com's NCAA college football simulation engine can provide you with game predictions for every D-1 FBS game that upcoming week. The college football simulation engine generates detailed information for each game, including each team's chance of winning (win%) and the average points scored for both teams. Make sure to share the college football information you gain here with your friends by either checking out our NCAA football widgets on the WhatIf To Go page or by clicking on the social networking share bar at the top and bottom of this article.

Check out our 2011 College Football Season-to-Date page to follow our accuracy and for Upsets of the Week, available on Wednesdays.

The statistical inputs to the thousands of college football simulations are based on rigorous analysis of each team's roster, depth charts and statistically-based player rankings. Roster modifications are made in cases of injury or suspension and those players are removed from their team's game simulation for that week.

Game of the Week: Notre Dame at Michigan

Coaches always talk about trying to find lightning in a bottle when speaking about their players. It turns out that a few college football teams wished those bolts of energy were confined to a bottle last weekend. The Iowa Hawkeyes, the West Virginia Mountaineers, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Michigan Wolverines were all impacted by nasty weather. The Wolverines and the Mountaineers had to call their games due to lightning. Both schools won their abbreviated contests.

The same can't be said of Notre Dame.

The Irish, ranked 16th heading into week one, fell to the South Florida Bulls in South Bend following a few rain/lightning delays. With no time to sulk, Notre Dame must now focus their attention on Michigan. The first night game ever at the Big House is the first of two WhatIfSports.com college football games of the week.

In Ann Arbor last Saturday, all eyes were on Heisman hopeful Denard Robinson and what his feet would do against the Western Michigan Broncos. The answer was: nothing much. Adapting to new Michigan head coach Brady Hoke's pro-set offense, it was redshirt sophomore running back Fitzgerald Toussaint and, yes, the Michigan defense, that pushed the Broncos into a deep hole.

Toussaint rushed for 80 yards on 11 carries, while the defense managed to force two turnovers that immediately led to six points each.

In South Bend, Brian Kelly proved that the human face can turn a shade of red not previously thought possible. What caused Kelly's Irish blood to boil was underwhelming quarterback play from Dayne Crist (Tommy Rees relieved him) and five turnovers that muted over 500 yards of Notre Dame offense.

We simulated the Irish versus Wolverines week-two matchup 101 times and the Irish came out ahead 57.4 percent of the time by an average score of 31-29.

Game of the Week: BYU at Texas

Like Michigan, our second game of the week features a program we've grown accustomed to seeing atop the polls, but remains unranked to start the 2011 season.

Amid rumors of eventually jumping to the Pac-12 with Oklahoma, Mack Brown's Texas Longhorns punched the Rice Owls in the mouth to win their season opener 34-9. They got it done mainly on the ground with 229 rush yards. Malcolm Brown led the way with 85 yards on 16 carries. The Longhorns' defense held the Owls to 224 total yards of offense.

For the first time since 1988, or when Ty Detmer was behind center, Texas will play the Brigham Young Cougars this week. The Cougars scored 14 unanswered fourth quarter points against the Mississippi Rebels to rally and win 14-13 on Saturday. The Cougars' defense helped keep them in the game, holding the Rebels' offense to 64 yards on the ground and 144 through the air. Mississippi's second turnover, a fumble in the fourth quarter, was returned for a touchdown by BYU for what wound up being the game-winning score.

We simulated Texas versus BYU week-two matchup 101 times and the Longhorns came out ahead 57.4 percent of the time by an average score of 26-22.

College Football Week 2
Matchup	Win%	Avg Score
Wofford Terriers	5.0	7	Boxscore
@ Clemson Tigers	95.0	54
Charleston Southern Buccaneers	5.0	7	Boxscore
@ Florida State Seminoles	95.0	61
Rutgers Scarlet Knights	15.8	18	Boxscore
@ North Carolina Tar Heels	84.2	31
North Carolina State Wolfpack	80.7	33	Boxscore
@ Wake Forest Demon Deacons	19.3	22
Stanford Cardinal	95.0	44	Boxscore
@ Duke Blue Devils	5.0	16
Maine Black Bears	5.0	8	Boxscore
@ Pittsburgh Panthers	95.0	58
Ball State Cardinals	5.0	9	Boxscore
@ South Florida Bulls	95.0	35
Rhode Island Rams	5.0	7	Boxscore
@ Syracuse Orange	95.0	50
Norfolk State Spartans	5.0	6	Boxscore
@ West Virginia Mountaineers	95.0	58
FIU Golden Panthers	21.8	20	Boxscore
@ Louisville Cardinals	78.2	30
Eastern Illinois Panthers	5.0	9	Boxscore
@ Northwestern Wildcats	95.0	54
South Dakota State Jackrabbits	5.0	9	Boxscore
@ Illinois Fighting Illini	95.0	46
Florida Atlantic Owls	5.0	12	Boxscore
@ Michigan State Spartans	95.0	44
New Mexico State Aggies	6.9	11	Boxscore
@ Minnesota Golden Gophers	93.1	30
Oregon State Beavers	8.9	18	Boxscore
@ Wisconsin Badgers	91.1	36
Fresno State Bulldogs	11.4	17	Boxscore
@ Nebraska Cornhuskers	88.6	33
Toledo Rockets	14.9	18	Boxscore
@ Ohio State Buckeyes	85.1	34
Notre Dame Fighting Irish	57.4	31	Boxscore
@ Michigan Wolverines	42.6	29
Virginia Cavaliers	59.9	27	Boxscore
@ Indiana Hoosiers	40.1	23
Alabama Crimson Tide	76.7	30	Boxscore
@ Penn State Nittany Lions	23.3	20
Nicholls Colonels	5.0	8	Boxscore
@ Western Michigan Broncos	95.0	46
Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs	5.0	8	Boxscore
@ Ohio Bobcats	95.0	44
Morgan State Bears	5.0	7	Boxscore
@ Bowling Green Falcons	95.0	35
Stony Brook Seawolves	5.0	7	Boxscore
@ Buffalo Bulls	95.0	38
Alabama State Hornets	7.9	10	Boxscore
@ Eastern Michigan Eagles	92.1	29
Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns	36.1	18	Boxscore
@ Kent State Golden Flashes	63.9	23
Temple Owls	95.0	35	Boxscore
@ Akron Zips	5.0	11
San Jose State Spartans	5.0	16	Boxscore
@ UCLA Bruins	95.0	33
Nevada Wolf Pack	5.9	24	Boxscore
@ Oregon Ducks	94.1	43
UNLV Rebels	17.8	19	Boxscore
@ Washington State Cougars	82.2	30
Missouri Tigers	51.5	26	Boxscore
@ Arizona State Sun Devils	48.5	25
Utah Utes	58.9	30	Boxscore
@ USC Trojans	41.1	28
California Golden Bears	62.4	23	Boxscore
@ Colorado Buffaloes	37.6	21
Hawaii Warriors	63.4	32	Boxscore
@ Washington Huskies	36.6	27
UAB Blazers	5.0	17	Boxscore
@ Florida Gators	95.0	36
Southern Illinois Salukis	5.0	8	Boxscore
@ Mississippi Rebels	95.0	49
Northwestern State Demons	5.0	6	Boxscore
@ LSU Tigers	95.0	60
Central Michigan Chippewas	31.7	20	Boxscore
@ Kentucky Wildcats	68.3	25
South Carolina Gamecocks	42.6	27	Boxscore
@ Georgia Bulldogs	57.4	29
Cincinnati Bearcats	62.4	27	Boxscore
@ Tennessee Volunteers	37.6	25
Mississippi State Bulldogs	67.3	31	Boxscore
@ Auburn Tigers	32.7	25
Connecticut Huskies	77.2	27	Boxscore
@ Vanderbilt Commodores	22.8	17
Weber State Wildcats	5.0	8	Boxscore
@ Utah State Aggies	95.0	44
North Dakota Fighting Sioux	5.0	9	Boxscore
@ Idaho Vandals	95.0	38
Central Arkansas Bears	5.0	7	Boxscore
@ Louisiana Tech Bulldogs	95.0	46
San Diego State Aztecs	83.2	32	Boxscore
@ Army Black Knights	16.8	16
Arizona Wildcats	40.6	28	Boxscore
@ Oklahoma State Cowboys	59.4	32
Brigham Young Cougars	42.6	22	Boxscore
@ Texas Longhorns	57.4	26
Iowa Hawkeyes	89.1	29	Boxscore
@ Iowa State Cyclones	10.9	15
Northern Illinois Huskies	94.1	39	Boxscore
@ Kansas Jayhawks	5.9	17
UTEP Miners	10.9	18	Boxscore
@ Southern Methodist Mustangs	89.1	38
Boston College Eagles	44.6	24	Boxscore
@ UCF Knights	55.4	27
Virginia Tech Hokies	85.1	36	Boxscore
@ East Carolina Pirates	14.9	24
Southern Miss Golden Eagles	86.1	38	Boxscore
@ Marshall Thundering Herd	13.9	21
Tulsa Golden Hurricane	88.6	36	Boxscore
@ Tulane Green Wave	11.4	23
Purdue Boilermakers	91.1	34	Boxscore
@ Rice Owls	8.9	16
Northern Colorado Bears	5.0	7	Boxscore
@ Colorado State Rams	95.0	38
Texas State Bobcats	5.0	7	Boxscore
@ Wyoming Cowboys	95.0	31
TCU Horned Frogs	85.1	34	Boxscore
@ Air Force Falcons	14.9	19
Arkansas Razorbacks	95.0	43	Boxscore
@ New Mexico Lobos	5.0	10
Grambling State Tigers	5.0	6	Boxscore
@ Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks	95.0	42
Memphis Tigers	12.9	17	Boxscore
@ Arkansas State Red Wolves	87.1	34
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets	72.3	27	Boxscore
@ Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders	27.7	18
Houston Cougars	86.1	38	Boxscore
@ North Texas Mean Green	13.9	24
Navy Midshipmen	87.1	35	Boxscore
@ Western Kentucky Hilltoppers	12.9	18