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It's now onto Week 2 in college football after an unforgettable Week 1 that saw plenty of surprises and upsets. Week 2 is set to be even more jam-packed.
In Week 1, there were seven notable matchups that we suggested, with two games featuring Top-25 teams facing off against one another. For Week 2, there'll once again be two on the schedule. So, let's look at some of the best games ahead for this weekend.
No. 3 Texas @ No. 10 Michigan
College football Week 2 starts off in a big way with the Longhorns traveling to The Big House to face Michigan for only the second time in history.
This Noon Eastern game has massive implications for the College Football Playoff, though it won't affect either team's respective conference standings. These two could have met in last year's national championship game if not for Washington upsetting Texas in the Sugar Bowl semifinal. This will be the first big test for both teams in the early 2024 season. It will be interesting to see how Texas handles the confines of Michigan Stadium in what should be an electric atmosphere.
Texas had no problems with Colorado State, beating the Rams 52-0. But Michigan definitely looked a little sluggish offensively against Fresno State.
Iowa State @ No. 21 Iowa
This in-state rivalry has been a one-sided series for most of its lifetime. Over the last eight meetings between these two teams, the Hawkeyes have won seven, with the Cyclones finding their last win back in 2022. However, in four of those games, they've been decided by seven points or less, including last year's 20-13 Iowa victory.
Iowa State is hoping they can build off their 21-3 Week 1 victory over North Dakota, where Iowa blanked Illinois State 40-0.
Usually, these rivalry games are scheduled for the last week in November, but this is a rare matchup between bitter in-state rivals in early September.
No. 14 Tennessee @ No. 24 NC State in Charlotte, North Carolina
This is still a battle of Top 25 teams — but just barely. NC State didn't quite resemble a Top 25 team in Week 1. Going into the fourth quarter, the Wolfpack had just a three-point lead over Western Carolina, an FCS team. Meanwhile, Tennessee was manhandling the Catamounts' SoCon rival in Chattanooga, nearly putting a 70-burger on the Mocs.
It’s a shame this isn’t at one of these teams' respective home fields, as this will be at yet another neutral site, though it's just 161 miles from NC State's Carter-Finley Stadium.
We'll see if last week was just a fluke for the Wolfpack, who are set to face a newly revamped Volunteers offense led by new starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava.
Appalachian State @ No. 25 Clemson
Appalachian State lives forever in the lore of college football after creating one of the biggest upsets in history over No. 5 Michigan in 2007. The Mountaineers are constantly on the radar of teams they face, as they should be with Clemson this weekend.
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Now an FBS team and member of the Sun Belt, the Mountaineers are four-time consecutive conference title winners, their last in 2019. Dating back to 2015, Appalachian State has won nine or more games in all but one season during that stretch, when they went 6-6 back in 2022. They're 3-3 over the last three seasons against ranked opponents, with their last win against a ranked Power 4 conference member back in 2022 when they beat No. 6 Texas A&M.
On Saturday in Death Valley, they'll face a reeling No. 25 Clemson football team that needs to respond in a big way after being throttled by Georgia last week. The Tigers scored just three points against the Bulldogs and need a massive bounce-back game to ease the tension surrounding coach Dabo Swinney and the program.
Colorado @ Nebraska
This Week 2 college football game feels like it should be a battle of ranked opponents. However, it could be a matchup that leads to a Top 25 ranking for the winner. Colorado is coming off a rather narrow escape against North Dakota State at home, while Nebraska opened with a decisive win over UTEP in Lincoln.
Make no mistake about this game — it has major implications for the potential trajectory of each team for the rest of the season. Both programs have been riddled with poor on-field play for decades and are in need of a return to relevance. Each program believes they have the pieces in place to do that, led by their second-year head coaches, Deion Sanders and Matt Rhule.
Last year's matchup was the second game under Coach Prime. The win for him and the Buffaloes continued to put them in the spotlight. It was the second of their opening three-game winning streak. The quarterback play in this one could be tremendous as Colorado's Shedeur Sanders faces off against talented Nebraska freshman Dylan Raiola.
Boise State @ No. 7 Oregon
Last week against FCS opponent Idaho, it ended up being a lot tougher for Oregon than it should have been. Then the No. 3 team in the country, the Ducks allowed Idaho to come within three points late in the fourth quarter. In the end, the projected powerful Ducks offense only put up 24 points on 487 yards of total offense on the Vandals, beating them by 10.
Oregon's showing had them drop all the way to No. 7 in the AP Poll going into Week 2. Now it's on to Boise State, who the Ducks have never beaten in their three meetings.
The Broncos are coming off a 56-45 victory over Georgia Southern, where running back Ashton Jeanty ran for 267 yards and six touchdowns.
These are some of the most anticipated matchups in Week 2, and they could all have a major impact on how the season unfolds.
