Football

Around the nation: Your guide to Week 2 in college football

By Justin Mattingly

Check out the games for some of the ranked teams around the nation.

Utah (1-0) vs. BYU (1-0)

The Holy War. It’s a Utah thing. There’s Utah, the state’s second-largest public school, against Brigham Young, the most prominent Mormon institution in the country. The two teams have been playing this game since the 1800s. Come Saturday, BYU will be looking for revenge from last year’s crushing bowl loss to the Utes.

Game time: Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
TV: Fox
Betting line: Utah -3

No. 5 Michigan (1-0) vs. Central Florida (1-0)



Michigan scored 63 points in Week 1 — tied for the fifth-most among FBS schools. Freshman running back Chris Evans has quickly emerged as a popular target in Jim Harbaugh’s offense. There is a bright spot for Central Florida: The Knights have already won more games this year than they did last.

Game time: Saturday at noon
TV: ABC
Betting line: Michigan -35.5

No. 1 Alabama (1-0) vs. Western Kentucky (1-0)

Despite a quarterback controversy, Alabama cruised to a win over then-No. 20 USC in Week 1. Western Kentucky is coming off an impressive win of its own — over conference foe Rice. The Hilltoppers averaged just over 9 yards per play in that game but will now face an Alabama defense that’s regarded as the best in the country.

Game time: Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN2
Betting line: Alabama -28.5

No. 6 Houston (1-0) vs. Lamar (0-1)

Houston grabbed the national spotlight and moved up to No. 6 in the AP poll after a 33-23 win over Oklahoma. The Cougars have now won consecutive games against top 10 teams dating back to last year. Lamar isn’t a top 10 team.

Game time: Saturday at noon
TV: ESPN3
Betting line: OddsShark.com does not have any odds posted for the game.

No. 4 Ohio State (1-0) vs. Tulsa (1-0)

The show is J.T. Barrett’s and Barrett’s alone now. And he didn’t disappoint in Week 1. Barrett was named the Big Ten offensive player of the week after leading Ohio State to a 77-10 win over Bowling Green. He accounted for seven touchdowns, an OSU record, and threw for a career high 349 yards. Tulsa’s next.

Game time: Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
TV: ABC
Betting line: Ohio State -29

Three statistical quick hits from Week 1

1. Even with the departure of star quarterback Keenan Reynolds, the Navy offense is thriving. It averaged 9.48 yards per play in Week 1, tops in the FBS.

2. On the other side, Baylor’s defense was in complete shutdown mode in Week 1, giving up just 1.32 yards per play against Northwestern State.

3. Syracuse ran 81 plays in Week 1, a speed Orange fans haven’t seen in recent years. But 28 schools were faster, including Missouri, which led the country with 100 plays.





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