CFB: Week 2 Preview
Week 1 of the College Football season was one of the most talked about ever, as No. 1 Alabama defeated Deondre Francois and No. 4 Florida State, No. 8 Michigan ran all over No. 14 Florida, UCLA came back from down 44-10 against Texas A&M, and No. 24 Tennessee slipped by Georgia Tech in double overtime.
Week 2 of the College Football season is on the horizon, and our College Football Staff, are back with another edition of our Weekly Preview. Charles Post, Chase Zayac, Blake Stoll, and Chinedum Wejinya came together to release a Top-25 Rankings, teams that Just Missed the Cut, Heisman Standings, and much more!
*Maximum of 100 Points*
Top-25 Rankings:
1. Alabama (1-0) - 100 Pts.
2. Ohio State (1-0) - 96 Pts.
3. Clemson (1-0) - 89 Pts.
4. Oklahoma (1-0) - 84 Pts.
5. Penn State (1-0) - 84 Pts.
6. USC (1-0) - 83 Pts.
7. Michigan (1-0) - 77 Pts.
8. Washington (1-0) - 73 Pts.
9. LSU (1-0) - 67 Pts.
10. Florida State (0-1) - 66 Pts.
11. Wisconsin (1-0) - 66 Pts.
12. Oklahoma State (1-0) - 58 Pts.
13. Auburn (1-0) - 50 Pts.
14. Stanford (1-0) - 47 Pts.
15. Georgia (1-0) - 43 Pts.
16. Louisville (1-0) - 40 Pts.
17. Miami (1-0) - 40 Pts.
18. Virginia Tech (1-0) - 31 Pts.
19. Kansas State (1-0) - 26 Pts.
20. South Florida (2-0) - 25 Pts.
21. Florida (0-1) - 17 Pts.
22. Tennessee (1-0) - 17 Pts.
23. Washington State (1-0) - 15 Pts.
24. TCU (1-0) - 6 Pts.
25. Utah (1-0) - 4 Pts.
Just Missed the Cut:
26. UCLA (1-0) - 3 Pts.
27. Texas Tech (1-0) - 2 Pts.
28. Pittsburgh (1-0) - 1 Pt.
29. South Carolina (1-0) - 1 Pt.
30. Michigan State (1-0) - 1 Pt.
Charles Post:
Cincinnati @ No. 7 Michigan
San Jose State @ Texas
No. 13 Auburn @ No. 3 Clemson
East Carolina @ West Virginia
No. 16 Louisville @ North Carolina
No. 20 South Florida @ Connecticut
Pittsburgh @ No. 5 Penn State
No. 15 Georgia @ Notre Dame
No. 4 Oklahoma @ No. 2 Ohio State
No. 14 Stanford @ No. 6 USC
Week 1 Record: 9-1.
Chase Zayac:
Cincinnati @ No. 7 Michigan
San Jose State @ Texas
No. 13 Auburn @ No. 3 Clemson
East Carolina @ West Virginia
No. 16 Louisville @ North Carolina
No. 20 South Florida @ Connecticut
Pittsburgh @ No. 5 Penn State
No. 15 Georgia @ Notre Dame
No. 4 Oklahoma @ No. 2 Ohio State
No. 14 Stanford @ No. 6 USC
Week 1 Record: 8-2.
Blake Stoll:
Cincinnati @ No. 7 Michigan
San Jose State @ Texas
No. 13 Auburn @ No. 3 Clemson
East Carolina @ West Virginia
No. 16 Louisville @ North Carolina
No. 20 South Florida @ Connecticut
Pittsburgh @ No. 5 Penn State
No. 15 Georgia @ Notre Dame
No. 4 Oklahoma @ No. 2 Ohio State
No. 14 Stanford @ No. 6 USC
Week 1 Record: 9-1.
Chinedum Wejinya:
Cincinnati @ No. 7 Michigan
San Jose State @ Texas
No. 13 Auburn @ No. 3 Clemson
East Carolina @ West Virginia
No. 16 Louisville @ North Carolina
No. 20 South Florida @ Connecticut
Pittsburgh @ No. 5 Penn State
No. 15 Georgia @ Notre Dame
No. 4 Oklahoma @ No. 2 Ohio State
No. 14 Stanford @ No. 6 USC
Week 1 Record: 7-3.
1. Will Michigan's defense allow more than 200 total yards vs. Cincinnati?
Post: No. 7 Michigan only allowed 192 yards of total offense in Week 1 against No. 21 Florida, including a stunning 11 (!) rushing yards on 27 carries. Meanwhile, Cincinnati only grabbed 248 yards against lowly Austin Peay. I think the Wolverines will give up more than 200 yards, but will run away from the Bearcats by at least 20 points.
Zayac: No, Michigan's defense was stellar against Florida and will feed off the momentum at home.
Stoll: No. Last week vs. Florida, the Michigan Wolverines allowed 192 yards. Cincinnati does not have a powerful offense. If Michigan can keep from making mental mistakes, it will be a shutout allowing less that 150 yards.
Wejinya: No, No. 7 Michigan will not allow more than 200 yards vs. Cincinnati. The Wolverines only gave up 192 yards against a ranked Florida team, and I don't see them giving up any more than that when facing the Bearcats in Week 2, at the Big House.
2. Who is the difference maker in Oklahoma vs. Ohio State?
Post: When No. 2 Ohio State and No. 4 Oklahoma faced off in 2016, the Buckeyes went on the road and pulled away, 45-24, to move to 3-0. We know what we're going to get from J.T. Barrett, Baker Mayfield, and J.K. Dobbins, but the uncertainty comes from the Ohio State WR-corps and the Oklahoma DB-group. Last season, Ohio State's Noah Brown, Curtis Samuel, and Dontre Wilson combined for 111 yards and four touchdowns. If the Bucks want to win again, it'll have to be from Parris Campbell, Terry McLaurin, and Johnnie Dixon.
Zayac: Baker Mayfield. If he plays how a Heisman contender should, Oklahoma wins.
Stoll: A Top-5 matchup for the second week in a row. Man I love college football. In this throwdown, we have multiple Heisman candidates who will showcase their talents. Oklahoma has Baker Mayfield who is an outstanding quarterback and will carry the team. With that being said, I believe that J.K. Dobbins will be the headline on Sunday morning. Dobbins carried the ball 29 times and racked up 181 yards against Indiana. The Buckeyes' big line will create opportunities for Dobbins to take over the game late.
Wejinya: No. 2 Ohio State started slow against Indiana in Week 1, before pulling away for a 49-21 victory, including over 100 yards from WR Parris Campbell. No. 4 Oklahoma's Bakery Mayfield looked as sharp as can be against UTEP, going 19-20. However, the Ohio State wide receivers will be the key in their upcoming matchup in Week 2.
3. Which team is on upset alert, and why: Clemson, Georgia, or USC?
Post: No. 3 Clemson won't have as easy of a time in Week 2 as they did against Kent State. but being at home, I feel comfortable taking the Tigers. No. 6 USC looked sluggish for the first three quarters against Western Michigan, before pulling away, and I think No. 14 Stanford will give them a run for their money, but Sam Darnold will stave off the Cardinal. However, No. 15 Georgia must go on the road at Notre Dame with Jacob Eason coming off of an injury. I'm not saying the Bulldogs are going to lose, but they should be a tad worried.
Zayac: USC is after a dismal performance at home against a P.J. Fleck-less Western Michigan team.
Stoll: Clemson and USC will have tough games vs. Auburn and Stanford, respectively, but Georgia is on the hot seat as they travel to Notre Dame. Although Appalachian State is known for putting up a fight in Week 1 against tough opponents, the Bulldogs should’ve done better. Aside from that, Georgia’s starting quarterback, Jacob Eason, left the game last week with a knee injury and will most likely not play against the Fighting Irish. This leaves the offense in the hands of freshman Jake Fromm. He showed potential vs. App State but the Irish defense will be a difficult task for him which leaves Georgia on upset alert.
Wejinya: No. 15 Georgia, because Notre Dame is looking for something to help boost their confidence for them to try to go undefeated this season. Georgia is coming off of a home win against Appalachian State, while Notre Dame defeated Temple.
*Maximum of 20 Points*
Heisman Standings:
1. Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma QB) - 19 Pts.
2. Saquon Barkley (Penn State) - 10 Pts.
3. Lamar Jackson (Louisville QB) - 9 Pts.
4. Josh Rosen (UCLA QB) - 6 Pts.
5. J.T. Barrett (Ohio State QB) - 5 Pts.
College Football Playoff Picks:
Photo Credit: Land of 10 & Sporting News.
