What to watch: College football Week 2 viewer's guide

Week 2 is here and it’s time for one of the biggest games of the year.

Sure, a lot will happen over the following 11 weeks of the regular season. But we’re certain that No. 1 Ohio State’s visit to No. 4 Texas will play a massive role in how the rest of the season plays out.

After the two teams met in Week 1 a year ago, Ohio State’s 14-7 win over Texas was key in the Longhorns missing the playoff.

Will Saturday night’s rematch end up as the game of the regular season? There’s a real chance.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the second official weekend of the 2026 season.

No. 11 Oklahoma at Michigan

If this game was in Norman, we can only imagine the one-second jokes that Oklahoma fans would have for Michigan after its incredulous win over Western Michigan in Week 1. Alas, this game is the second of the home-and-home between the two programs and is in Ann Arbor.

Let’s not have any late-game replays concerning the clock.

The game has lost some of its luster already given the way that Michigan played against the Broncos. AP voters smartly dropped Michigan from No. 16 in the preseason poll to out of the top 25 entirely after the offense’s struggles.

Things went so poorly for Michigan QB Bryce Underwood that coach Kyle Whittingham wasn’t exactly effusive in backing him as the team’s starting quarterback for the foreseeable future. Underwood had 170 yards passing against WMU. Seventy-five of those yards came on two completions on Michigan’s game-winning drive.

The pressure is officially on Underwood to show why he was such a coveted recruit. You could excuse a lot of his growing pains in 2025 as he was a true freshman starter. But he’s had a whole offseason in the offensive system implemented by Whittingham and offensive coordinator Jason Beck and looked a lot like he did as a passer last season.

As Michigan struggled in Week 1, Oklahoma had no issues with UTEP. The Sooners won 51-0 and allowed fewer than 200 total yards on 56 offensive plays while forcing two fumbles. The defense also forced four sacks and had 10 tackles for loss. If Michigan has any chance of winning this game, the offense has to be miles better than it was in the season opener.

Arizona at No. 15 BYU

Arizona’s defense brought the pressure in Week 1 against Northern Arizona. The Wildcats had five sacks and 11 tackles for loss in the 35-7 win. Is that a sign of things to come against the Cougars?

Texas Tech and BYU are the two favorites to make the Big 12 title game, but Arizona is one of the teams right behind them and will be right in the mix with a win. In 2025, BYU needed two overtimes to escape with a 33-27 win after QB Bear Bachmeier’s game-winning TD run.

The Cougars easily beat Utah Tech 63-7 in Week 1 and were able to give the team’s backfield depth a chance at some playing time. Eleven different players had at least one carry for BYU and five different players scored a touchdown. Bachmeier was 16-of-20 for 198 yards and three touchdowns along with a rushing touchdown in his limited work before giving way to Treyson Bourguet.

Bachmeier’s sophomore leap as a passer will determine what BYU’s ceiling is in 2026. A big game against an Arizona defense that may not be afraid to blitz him will be a sign of that growth.

No. 12 Alabama at Kentucky

It’s the third straight season Kentucky has hosted an SEC opponent in Week 2. Can the Wildcats avoid going 0-3 in those games?

There’s real optimism for a competitive season under new coach Will Stein. Kentucky beat Youngstown State 45-13 in Week 1 after jumping out to a 28-0 lead. Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey had the best game of his career as he was 18-of-27 passing for 301 yards and four touchdowns. It was Minchey’s first career start after he eventually chose the Wildcats following an initial commitment to Nebraska.

The highlight of Alabama’s win over East Carolina might have been the run game’s resurgence instead of the solid starting debut by redshirt freshman Keelon Russell. The Crimson Tide rushed for five touchdowns and had 227 yards on 48 carries against East Carolina. Alabama didn’t rush for more than 212 yards against an FBS opponent in 2025 and that effort against Louisiana-Monroe was the only time the Tide had more than 158 yards on the ground in those 14 games.

Russell was the team’s leading rusher in Week 1 with 13 carries for 86 yards. He brings an element that Ty Simpson simply didn’t provide in 2025. Maybe the secret to a productive run game in the Kalen DeBoer era is a mobile quarterback?

No. 18 Tennessee at Georgia Tech

The Yellow Jackets are staring at an 0-2 start after a disastrous clock management sequence led to a 14-13 loss to Colorado in Week 1.

Georgia Tech simply snapped the ball too fast too often on its final drive when it kicked a field goal for a 13-7 lead. Had the Yellow Jackets been more pragmatic with the football, Colorado’s chances of a game-winning drive would have been a whole lot slimmer. Instead, the Buffaloes got the ball back with 1:40 to go and even had a timeout in their pocket.

Admittedly, it was the first start since high school for Indiana transfer QB Alberto Mendoza. But that’s not all on him, either. He should have gotten a lot more help from the coaching staff to slow the game down in the final minutes.

Tennessee had no issues with FCS-level Furman in its opener as true freshman Faizon Brandon threw for three scores and rushed for two others. The Georgia Tech defense is going to be a far tougher test, and it’s also a good opportunity for Brandon in what could be a loud road environment. Another great performance will have Tennessee fans incredibly optimistic ahead of Texas’ visit in Week 4.

No. 1 Ohio State at No. 4 Texas

We’re confident that this year’s iteration of Ohio State vs. Texas will have more than 21 combined points.

Last year’s game featured two inexperienced quarterbacks with massive expectations entering the season. As each faced a talented defense on the other side of the line of scrimmage, it was clear that coaches Ryan Day and Steve Sarkisian were conservative with their game plans. Arch Manning was 17-of-30 passing for 170 yards and a TD and an interception while Julian Sayin was 13-of-20 for 126 yards and a TD.

There’s a decent chance that one or both QBs could top that combined passing yardage Saturday night. Especially as Manning is surrounded by more playmakers.

This is the type of game that Texas overhauled its offense for. Auburn transfer WR Cam Coleman caught two TDs from Manning in the Week 1 blowout of Texas State, while RB Hollywood Smothers averaged seven yards a carry and RB Raleek Brown rushed for two scores. It was also massive that OT Trevor Goosby’s fall camp knee injury wasn’t serious; he was on the field for the Week 1 win.

The Longhorns also revamped their secondary in an effort to improve a pass defense that allowed 234 yards a game in 2025. How does it slow down Jeremiah Smith? He had eight catches for 151 yards and two scores in the first half of Ohio State’s win over Ball State. And perhaps most importantly, Devin McCuin showed that he can be a solid complementary option with six catches for 97 yards and a score. After he had 65 catches for 726 yards and eight TDs for UTSA in 2025, McCuin could be the prime beneficiary of all the attention that opponents will devote to stopping Smith.

Other games to watch

No. 23 Missouri (-5.5) at Kansas (8 p.m. ET Friday, Fox): The second game of this home-and-home series between the longtime rivals is the last scheduled game before 2031. Missouri won the first meeting since leaving the Big 12 a season ago and both teams put up easy wins against overmatched FCS opponents in Week 1.

Arizona State at No. 10 Texas A&M (-14.5) (Noon ET, ABC): Arizona State QB Cutter Boley threw for 387 yards against Morgan State in Week 1. Things will be a lot tougher against the Aggies’ defense. A&M had a straightforward season-opening victory against Missouri State and a convincing win over Kenny Dillingham’s team will show that the Aggies are an SEC contender again.

No. 6 Oregon (-22.5) at Oklahoma State (Noon ET, ESPN): The Cowboys are already in dangerous territory after a Week 1 loss to Tulsa. Oregon beat Oklahoma State 69-3 in 2025 and while we’re confident that things won’t be as bad for OSU in 2026, the ingredients are there for another blowout.

Mississippi State at Minnesota (-1.5) (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS): This is a sneakily good game in the middle of the day, especially if you want to take a look at two quarterbacks who might not be flying under the radar for much longer. Minnesota QB Drake Lindsey is getting noticed in NFL circles, and MSU’s Kamario Taylor showed off his immense talent in the Bulldogs’ Week 1 win.

Duke at Illinois (-6) (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1): The Illini blew out the Blue Devils 45-19 in 2025 but both of these teams are quite different, especially offensively. Duke’s Nate Sheppard rushed 35 times for 227 yards in a Week 1 win over Tulane, while former Michigan State QB Katin Houser was 13-of-17 passing for 182 yards and three scores in Illinois’ win over UAB.

Arkansas at No. 20 Utah (-12.5) (10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): The Morgan Scalley era started off with an easy win in Week 1 as Utah dominated Idaho. QBs Devon Dampier and Byrd Ficklin combined for five passing TDs and over 10 yards an attempt. It’s a big test for new Arkansas coach Ryan Silverfield as he hopes to revive a program that went winless in SEC play in 2025.