Week 1 was fun, wasn't it? We got to see some bluebloods implode, a few upsets of ranked teams, the spin move to end all spin moves, a Hail Mary and a possibly NSFW marching band performance. College football is BACK!
Week 2 brings us ... distressingly few marquee games, but there's definitely enough on the slate to keep you occupied throughout the weekend. The NFL's back, so it's not the five-day extravaganza we saw on college football's opening weekend, but the good news is all the action's packed into three days now.
Here's the full schedule for the weekend, complete with viewing options, links to our many excellent team blogs and the best choices for your college football experience.
(Thursday and Friday removed, for your convenience.)
South Florida
(11) Florida State
Jacksonville State
(6) Auburn
Oregon State
Michigan
Connecticut
Kansas State
Illinois
Bowling Green
Maryland
Louisville
Buffalo
Penn State
Purdue
Wisconsin
Wake Forest
Syracuse
(12) Clemson
Boston College
Colorado
Washington
UTEP
Texas Tech
West Virginia
Hawaii
(1) Ohio State
Minnesota
(3) TCU
Washington State
Rutgers
(15) Georgia Tech
(9) Notre Dame
Virginia
Virginia Tech
(10) Georgia
Vanderbilt
(17) Mississippi
(2) Alabama
(18) Arkansas
Northwestern
Iowa
Iowa State
Cal
(19) Oklahoma
(23) Tennessee
Duke
North Carolina
NC State
Pittsburgh
(22) Arizona
(16) Texas A&M
(21) Missouri
Florida
Kansas
Oklahoma State
(4) Baylor
Kentucky
South Carolina
(8) USC
(7) Oregon
(5) Michigan State
Nebraska
Texas
Indiana
Cincinnati
(14) LSU
(25) Mississippi State
(20) Boise State
BYU
(13) UCLA
Stanford
Arizona State
Early shift
Best option: Houston at Louisville, ESPN3
Spread: Louisville -13.5
Both teams impressed in their own ways in Week 1, considering the competition. Houston started the Tom Herman era with an easy 52-24 win against FCS Tennessee Tech. Louisville lost by a touchdown to No. 6 Auburn, and picked off Tigers quarterback Jeremy Johnson three times in the process.
Quarterback Greg Ward Jr. averaged 10.2 yards per attempt, ran for 101 yards and scored three total touchdowns. He seems like the perfect fit for the Herman offense, and Saturday will be a much bigger test for both of them.
Plan B: Oregon State at Michigan, ABC
The only other game between power schools in this time slot is Wake Forest at Syracuse. Michigan's a pretty heavy favorite here, but this will certainly be better than that.
Keep it in mind: Bowling Green at Maryland, BTN
Bowling Green might have the most fun (and explosive) offense in the country, and doesn't appear to be able to defend the run. That might be the only thing Maryland can do on offense this season, so expect an explosive game, with an over/under set at 70 points.
In case of emergency: Buffalo at Penn State, ESPN2
An exciting new coach with a history of success and unprecedented achievement at his former school, and also James Franklin!
Middle shift:
Best option: No. 9 Notre Dame at Virginia, ABC
Spread: Notre Dame -12.5
Texas's defense didn't do much to stop Notre Dame's attack ... maybe Virginia's well? The Cavaliers have one of the best young defensive backs in the country in Quin Blanding, and the quite good UVA secondary will be faced with one of Week 1's brightest stars in Notre Dame QB Malik Zaire.
Plan B: Washington State at Rutgers, ESPN2/ESPNU
Yes, Washington State lost to a bad FCS team, but Rutgers lost four defensive backs from the two-deep in one arrest. Against a Mike Leach offense, that's potentially terrifying.
Keep it in mind: Iowa at Iowa State, FOX
In case of emergency: Minnesota at Colorado State, CBS Sports Network
Hey, Minnesota looked pretty good against TCU! Colorado State hung 65 on an FCS team! This could be interesting, sure!
Late shift:
Best option: No. 7 Oregon at No. 5 Michigan State, ABC
Spread: Michigan State -4
The sparse early slate is almost made up for by a late top-10 matchup, a rematch of last year's fun game in Eugene. The Ducks won that one with a late comeback, but this is an appealing style matchup that should produce another entertaining affair.
Plan B: No. 19 Oklahoma at No. 23 Tennessee, ESPN
These teams combined for 100 points against MAC competition in Week 1 and hold high hopes as dark horse contenders in tough conference. Going to be a rough weekend for one fan base!
Keep it in mind: No. 14 LSU at No. 25 Mississippi State, ESPN
This isn't the only SEC game, but we chose to ignore Georgia at Vanderbilt and Kentucky at South Carolina at for various safety reasons. All seven teams in the SEC West appear to be division contenders at least to some extent, but the candidacies of these two teams are particularly dicey. LSU's quarterback issues and Mississippi State's run defense will be tested, and someone's surely ending up near (or in) the top 10.
In case of emergency: No. 20 Boise State at BYU, ESPN2
Boise looked back like its old self against Washington, while BYU's backup blue-chip quarterback threw a Hail Mary to beat Nebraska. This is probably one of the best non-power matchups all season, and it's worth staying up for. Trust us!
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