Predicting Big Ten college football scores in Week 2: Michigan, Ohio State with pivotal games
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Week 2 of the college football slate will feature two powerhouse matchups. At Noon ET, Michigan will host Oklahoma, which was expected to be a top-15 showdown, until the Wolverines’ collapse last weekend.
And then at 7:30 p.m. ET, Ohio State travels to Texas for a top-five matchup. We are going to preview both of those games, along with Iowa’s rivalry game, and then predict the final scores for the rest of the Big Ten slate.
MORE: 3 biggest takeaways from new AP Top 25 college football rankings after Week 1
No. 11 Oklahoma vs. Michigan
Rutgers’ loss to UMass was bad, but Michigan’s performance against Western Michigan was dreadful last weekend, and the Wolverines eked their way to a 13-12 win on a successful second Hail Mary attempt. Now, QB Bryce Underwood is under a lot of fire, and he needs to produce.
But it’s not going to be easy this weekend as the Wolverines host Oklahoma. The Sooners got the best of Michigan last year, when the game was in Norman, and the Wolverines want to avenge the loss.
It’s hard to believe Michigan is actually that bad, as we saw last weekend, but it’s also hard to believe the Wolverines can fix so many issues in a short period of time. Look for Michigan to play better, but one too many mistakes haunt the Wolverines.
Final score: Oklahoma 24, Michigan 20
Iowa State vs. No. 21 Iowa
The Cy-Hawk is in Kinnick this season, and the Hawkeyes are a tough team to beat there. However, Iowa has a new QB and it was Hank Brown who drew the start. He didn’t do anything impressive, throwing for 129 yards and a score, but he managed the game like a true Iowa QB.
It was Iowa’s run game and defense that did the trick. In its 40-0 win over Northern Illinois, Kamari Moulton had 183 yards and two scores on the ground.
As for Iowa State, it’s a new squad. Matt Campbell is at Penn State, along with his top players. Arkansas State transfer Jaylen Raynor is the new QB and he could cause some fits as a dual-threat signal-caller, but Iowa’s defense is too good.
Final score: Iowa 20, Iowa State 7
No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 4 Texas
It was a defensive battle last season in Columbus between Ohio State and Texas. But that was last season, and by now, both offenses are much better than when they saw each other in Ohio. Arch Manning appears to have turned a corner, but we are going to really find out this weekend.
The Buckeyes have a lot of new faces on the defensive side of the ball, but it’s still Ohio State. Julian Sayin has a fantastic group of WRs around him, and freshman Legend Bey is someone to watch out for on Saturday.
This game could come down to who has the ball last, and with it being in Austin, Texas has a slight edge.
Final score: Texas 27, Ohio State 24
The rest of the games will be quick-hitter style
- Boston College 20, Rutgers 13
- No. 5 Indiana 56, Howard 6
- No. 6 Oregon 41, Oklahoma State 20 — read preview on Big 12 scores
- No. 16 Penn State 34, Temple 14
- Wake Forest 27, Purdue 24
- No. 19 Washington 34, Utah State 9
- Minnesota 27, Mississippi State 24
- Illinois 24, Duke 10 — read preview on ACC scores
- Michigan State 31, Eastern Michigan 10
- Maryland 41, UConn 27
- Nebraska 49, Bowling Green 3
- UCLA 38, San Diego State 21
- Wisconsin 35, Western Illinois 10
- No. 14 USC 45, Louisiana 10
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