2026 College Football Watch Guide – Week 2

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You could say it’s true, the (Big) House always wins.

Week 1 had a little bit of everything for everybody. Huge blowouts? Yep. Nailbiter endings that came down to the wire? It had those too. Games played in semidarkness with no stadium clocks, PA system, or coach-QB communication? A little strange, but sure.

Speaking of stadium clocks, the one thing that resonated more than anything was the controversy surrounding the end of Western Michigan-Michigan game, where the Wolverines avoided a stunning upset after being granted a miracle second Hail Mary attempt after time expired.

Forget a last second victory, this was an extra second victory.

Initial reactions by most was rage as the NBC broadcast clearly showed the first pass clearly still in the air, untouched, with no time left on the clock. Conspiracy theories and conference favoritism accusations ran rampant. How could the replay booth get it so obviously wrong? The Big Ten must be tipping the scales in favor of one of their biggest brands. It also didn’t help that it took them hours before releasing an official statement in ominous, pulp horror novel style, that did not address why NBC’s clock, the point of truth for the rest of the country, was somehow wrong.

As I understand it, there was no “secret clock” only replay had access to. The stadium clock was the official time, on which replay and NBC had separate cameras trained on. The problem stems from the fact that replay and NBC were using different video feeds, and the NBC’s was just slightly ahead the replay booth’s. When replay used their feed, not the one millions at home saw, that’s where the confusion and uproar started. FOX Sports Rules Analyst Mike Pereira explained the problem with this on The Joel Klatt Show on Monday.

Despite the leaps in technology used to sync broadcasts, replay, and stadium clocks to one single point of truth, variances as small as hundredths of a second can add up over the course of a game. If separate feeds have to be used, how do we stop this from happening again? Pereira’s idea is good one. Another I’ve heard is using some sort of visual element in stadiums for when a clock expires, like the red lights surrounding the shot clock in basketball. On Wednesday, the Big Ten also announced that beginning this weekend it will be opening access to replay reviews, similar to what the ACC and Big XII already do.

All of these measures will be considered too little, too late for those who watched an apparent robbery in broad stadium light late Saturday evening.

Enough about clocks. Week 1 was as eventful as they come. Let’s see what’s up next in week 2.

Thursday, September 10and Friday, September 11

The #23 Missouri @ Kansas Border War headlines the weeknight games. Both teams easily dispatched FCS opponents last week, each scoring 50+ to boot. But this game is obviously a step up for both programs and it could be closer than you might think. Rivalries are funny things, even ones that haven’t been played to frequently recently.

It’s a step up for the Scarlet Knights too, with Rutgers @ Boston College giving them an opportunity to flush an embarrassing week 1 loss to UMass. Rutgers QB Dylan Lonergan tossed three interceptions and the defense gave up 37 points to the Minutemen. Can he and the Scarlet Knights bounce back or are they bound for 0-2 in the young season?

Saturday, September 12

#11 Oklahoma @ Michigan will be week 2’s premier hate watch. Despite the Wolverines having absolutely no hand in the clock fiasco last week that won’t stop America from still blaming them, and wanting to see them fall in more ways than just out of the AP poll. Bryce Underwood was underwhelming, going only 12/22 for a single TD and a pick against the Broncos. So disappointing was Underwood, Kyle Whittingham suggested that his days as the starter may be numbered if he doesn’t improve. A tall task against the nation’s #11 team.

#12 Alabama @ Kentucky gives the Wildcats their first opportunity to defeat the Tide in Lexington since 1997. QB Kenny Minchey tossed four touchdowns last week against Youngstown State. Normally an Alabama-Kentucky game wouldn’t jump out, at the time of this writing Alabama is only favored by 10.5.

I’m also surprised by the line of Mississippi State @ Minnesota, where the Bulldogs are .5 point road favorites over the Gophers. MSU quarterback Kamario Taylor stood out in their opener, but I think Minnesota will be better than many think this year. Drake Lindsey is a solid QB, and running back Darius Taylor is a strong runner with 3 TDs of his own last week.

Of course Iowa State @ #21 Iowa makes the watch guide. Both teams dominated in their openers so we still don’t have a solid picture of how they’ll do against P4 competition. And damn it, we still don’t know who’ll be Iowa’s longtime starter. Will one be decided Saturday night? Maybe finding out will be reason enough to tune in.

One game that doesn’t need much excuse to draw your attention is #1 Ohio State @ #4 Texas. Both teams have national championship aspirations and the Buckeyes have won the last two meetings. Last year’s meeting was an ugly 14-7 affair but one in which Ohio State always felt in control. It feels like Texas has to get over the Buckeye bump before they can break their title drought. This is the type of game you normally look forward to deep into the playoff bracket. It’s a treat to get it in week 2.

Which games are you most looking forward to this weekend?

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