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The opening week of the 2021 college football season has been eventful … to say the least. Week 2 should set the tone for the remainder of the season, especially for the Pac-12, which has all of its ranked teams competing in high-profile matches across the country.
The Oregon No.12 kicks off the festivities in the day’s flagship game when he kicks off at noon ET at Ohio State’s No.3. Utah’s No.21 will revisit the Holy War at BYU in the evening with USC’s No.14 welcoming Stanford in a nightcap. In between, Colorado hosts Texas A&M No.5, while Iowa State No.9 hosts Iowa No.10 for the latest edition of the Cy-Hawk game. The Texas No.15 will also renew his Southwestern Conference rivalry when he visits Arkansas.
While winning is all that matters for the standings, we do care whether these teams will cover their gaps. Be sure to stick with CBS Sports throughout the day for college football coverage, from the opening kickoff Saturday to the final whistle. Let’s take a look at our expert picks for the second full Saturday of the season.
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook | Every hour is
No. 12 Oregon to No. 3 Ohio State
Latest odds:
Ohio State Buckeyes -14.5
Noon | Fox, fuboTV (Try for free) – The hook is scary, but I’m expecting a big performance from the Buckeyes. They struggled for a while last week, but it was the first game of the season and it was on the road. Back home with a game under their belt, the offense won’t take so long to find a rhythm. And Oregon just isn’t explosive enough offensively to keep up the pace for the 60 minutes. Prediction: Ohio State (-14.5) – Tom Fornelli
# 5 Texas A&M in Colorado
Latest odds:
Texas A&M Aggies U17
3:30 p.m. | Fox, fuboTV (Try for free) – Bettors give Texas A&M too much credit here. While I think the Aggies will win, it won’t be a high scoring affair. I have enough confidence in the Colorado defense to at least keep it near the fourth quarter. At this point, expect Texas A&M to play ground football just to get out of there. The odds of TAMU coach Jimbo Fisher opening things up on the road with a quarterback making his second start is equal to the odds of Bishop Sycamore winning a state high school football championship. Prediction: Colorado (+16) – Barrett Sallee
No. 10 Iowa to No. 9 Iowa State
Latest odds:
Iowa State Cyclones -4.5
4.30 p.m. | ABC, fuboTV (Try for free) – Iowa State has struggled in every Cy-Hawk game since Matt Campbell arrived in Ames, Iowa… but the results have been close. The last two encounters at Ames have been decided by three points or less, including the one-point heartbreak in 2019 caused by a failed punt. Eventually the streak has to end – and I think it will be this year. However, Iowa State’s last three wins over Iowa were all three points. If Las Vegas wants to give us some extra cushion points, I’ll gladly take it. Prediction: Iowa (+4.5) – Shehan Jeyarajah
What college football picks can you confidently make in Week 2, and which favorites will be hit hard? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread – all from a proven computer model that has grossed over $ 3,500 in profit over the past five+ seasons – and find out.
# 15 from Texas to Arkansas
Latest odds:
Texas Longhorns -7
19h | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free) – Arkansas would love nothing more than a win over a ranked opponent who also happens to be a historic rival. With both teams returning nine starters combined on the offensive line, this game will be decided outside the hash marks. I’ve seen enough Bijan Robinson to know that Texas will hit explosive plays, even against a solid back end from Arkansas. Can KJ Jefferson and Arkansas counter the play with explosive plays? I am skeptical. Prediction: Texas (-6.5) – Shehan Jeyarajah
# 21 Utah at BYU
Latest odds:
Utah Utes -7
10:15 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free) – I’m not in love with choice, but it’s hard to go against the Utes given their dominance in the series lately. In addition, this is not the same Cougars team that posted an 11-1 record last season. Some of those results were inflated thanks to a more manageable schedule that BYU typically plays (forced by the pandemic) and part of it is due to everything BYU has lost. Right now I have a higher level of confidence in the Utes so this is where I would put my money. Prediction: Utah (-7.5) – Tom Fornelli
Stanford at USC # 14
Latest odds:
USC -17 Trojans
10:30 p.m. | Fox, fuboTV (Try for free) –USC covered a 14.5-point lead against a strong San Jose State team last week without looking elite. The Trojans used a stifling run defense and a big fourth quarter to create a split. With Stanford allowing just 344 total yards in the loss to Kansas State, expect this to be a less marked game. While USC are expected to win, the Cardinal are a well-trained team and appear to have a competent defense. That should be enough to prevent USC from pulling out. Prediction: Stanford (+17.5) –David Cobb
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