Week 2 of the college football season may not feature as many top-notch games as week 1 did, but several Big Ten teams will square off against power conference opponents, while Ohio State continues its national championship defense with a game against Grambling State
Here are some of the week’s top matchups:
Iowa Vs. No. 16 Iowa State (Noon, Fox): The Cyclones and Hawkeyes will renew their in-state rivalry on Saturday in a game that could have College Football Playoff implications. While the Hawkeyes struggled in the first half of their season-opening clash against Albany, the Cyclones were picking up their second of the season with a dominant 55-7 triumph last week against South Dakota. Iowa State, which defeated Kansas State in week zero, is led by redshirt junior quarterback Rocco Becht. Becht started all 14 games for the Cyclones last year and helped lead the offense to a respectable 55th finish in total offense. Becht finished the season with a 59.4 completion percentage, 3,505 passing yards and 33 total touchdowns.
Despite an ugly start, the Hawkeyes ended up defeating Albany 34-7, and with former South Dakota State quarterback Mark Gronowski leading the way, the team hopes to have a productive offense this year. Last season, the Hawkeyes ranked just 77th in total offense, but with the Jack Rabbits, Gronowski was an FCS All-American.
If Gronowski plays well enough against Iowa State, the Hawkeyes’ defense, which ranked 17th in the country last year in total defense, allowing just 177 yards per game, could be stingy enough to give the team the win.
No. 11 Illinois vs. Duke (Noon, ESPN): No. 11-ranked Illinois will face its first test in 2026 when it travels to North Carolina to take on a strong Duke side coming off a 9-4 season last year.
The Fighting Illini returned 18 starters from a 2024 team that won 10 games last year, leading many in the media to predict they would be a playoff contender this season.
Illinois, led by former Ole Miss transfer quarterback Luke Altmyer, got off to a strong start in week one with a dominant 52-3 win over Western Illinois.
The Fighting Illini didn’t finish 2024 in the top-60 in either total offense or total defense, but they finished the season 5-1 in one-score games to go 10-3.
Like Illinois, Duke finished the regular season at 9-3 and is hopeful to make a run at the playoffs under second-year head coach Manny Diaz. The Blue Devils overcame a mediocre first-half to defeat Elon 45-17 in week one. Former Tulane star quarterback Darian Mensah will hope to help improve a Duke offense that finished 2024 No. 58 in total offense. Mensah played well in week 1 and threw for 389 yards and 3 touchdowns but will face stiffer competition this week against a veteran Illinois defense.
No. 15 Michigan vs. No. 18 Oklahoma (7:30 p.m., ABC): The only ranked matchup of the week will feature two of the sport’s biggest brands. Although Michigan and Oklahoma are coming off disappointing 2024 seasons, both teams are projected to improve this season. In 2024, the Sooners’ strength was on the defensive side of the ball, where they gave up 318.2 yards per game to rank 19th in total defense. However, Oklahoma’s offense was one of the worst units in the country and ended the season averaging 331 yards per game to rank 113th in total offense.
The Sooners aimed to fix their issues offensively by adding former Washington State quarterback John Matteer out of the transfer portal. Matteer had a solid week 1 performance in the team’s 35-3 win over Illinois State. In that game, Matteer threw for 397 yards and 3 touchdowns while completing 81.1 percent of his passes.
Michigan had a similarly poor season offensively in 2024. The Wolverines, who struggled all year to find consistency with their passing attack, only totaled 286.2 yards per game last year, the 129th-best mark in the country.
The Wolverines also added a talented quarterback to their roster over the offseason. Former No. 1 overall recruit and true freshman signal caller Bryce Underwood proved he is ready to make an impact on Michigan’s offense in his team’s 34-17 win over New Mexico in week one, when he threw for 251 yards and a touchdown.
Against the Lobos, the Wolverines didn’t look as sharp defensively as they did a year ago, when they finished the season 10th in total defense. Instead, Michigan allowed New Mexico to score 17 points and gain 267 yards.
Other notable games on the schedule include:
Baylor vs. No. 17 SMU (Noon, The CW Network)
No. 20 Ole Miss vs. Kentucky (3:30 p.m., ABC)
Oklahoma State vs. No. 6 Oregon (3:30 p.m., CBS)
Kansas vs. Missouri (3:30 p.m., ESPN 2)
South Florida vs. Florida (4:15 p.m., SEC Network)
Arizona State vs. Mississippi State (7:30 p.m., ESPN2)
Boston College vs. Michigan State (7:30 p.m., NBC)
