College Football Week 2 Preview: Big Ten-SEC Showdown, Group of 6 Clashes, and Rivalry Renewals
The debate over which conference reigns supreme—the Big Ten or the SEC—reached a fever pitch this offseason. For nearly two decades, the SEC demanded judgment by its national titles. By that standard, the Big Ten holds the current edge, having captured the last three championships with three different programs. Yet the 2026 AP Top 25 tells a different story: the SEC places seven teams in the top 12 and eleven in the top 22. Last season, three Big Ten squads rated higher than the best SEC team per SP+, but seven Big Ten teams also fell below the worst SEC team. The Big Ten is top-heavy with dead weight; the SEC is a parity machine producing endless close games, a slew of College Football Playoff contenders, and—for the past two years—no genuinely elite team.
Week 2 settles the argument temporarily with a de facto three-game Big Ten-SEC Challenge: No. 11 Oklahoma at Michigan at noon, Mississippi State at Minnesota at 3:30 p.m., and the primetime headliner, No. 1 Ohio State at No. 4 Texas at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC. It’s a best-of-three for bragging rights, but the slate doesn’t stop there. Old-school rivalries (Missouri at Kansas, Iowa State at Iowa), a high-stakes Group of 6 matchup (Memphis at Boise State), massive early conference tests for No. 12 Alabama and No. 15 BYU, and a slate of Big 12 prove-it games round out a loaded, narrative-heavy weekend.
The Big Ten-SEC Challenge: Three Games, Two Conferences, One Narrative
This trio is nicely balanced. The Big Ten enjoys home-field advantage in two games, yet the SEC team is favored in two. SP+ projections give the SEC a 64% chance of winning at least two of three. The SEC teams need these victories more, however, facing a gauntlet of difficult schedules ahead. Based on current SP+ ratings, the SEC owns 10 of the 11 toughest full-season schedules and 14 of the top 17. The median SP+ strength-of-schedule ranking in the SEC is 9.5. In the Big Ten, Michigan’s schedule ranks sixth, followed by twelve more teams between 12th and 30th. The move to nine conference games—a necessary step to creating more big-game inventory—has only widened the scheduling gap.
Texas will face five more current SP+ top-15 teams after Saturday; the Longhorns’ strength of schedule ranks second nationally behind only Arkansas, while Oklahoma’s sits fourth. (Ohio State’s checks in at a solid 12th.) A 1-1 start could be damaging considering what lies ahead.
No. 1 Ohio State at No. 4 Texas (7:30 p.m., ABC)
Stars alone don’t make a team, but in the preseason CFB Player Rank, these two programs combined for six of the top-15 players in the country. Ohio State boasts WR Jeremiah Smith (No. 1) and QB Julian Sayin (No. 8). Texas counters with DE Colin Simmons (No. 3), LT Trevor Goosby (No. 12), QB Arch Manning (No. 13), and WR Cam Coleman (No. 15).
Aside from Simmons, every star looked the part in comfortable Week 1 wins. Sayin threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns; Smith caught eight passes for 151 yards and two scores. Manning leaned on Coleman and returnee Ryan Wingo for 305 yards and four touchdowns against one interception. Smith’s first touchdown might have been the most casually brilliant play of the weekend:
In a millisecond, Smith caught a deflected ball, switched it to his other hand and then basically showed it off to the ref and the crowd as he was going to ground.
His and Sayin’s excellence—plus a lovely debut from UTSA transfer receiver Devin McCuin—distracted from a run game that managed just 46 yards on the first 16 non-sack carries before Bo Jackson broke a long one. Texas’ ground attack showed similar results in reverse: Hollywood Smothers’ first carry gained 45 yards, but the next 20 carries for Smothers and Raleek Brown netted only 61.
Defense defined last season’s meeting, and with both units undergoing significant change, the better defense may carry this one. Ohio State returns only three starters, but edge rusher Kenyatta Jackson Jr., corner Jermaine Mathews Jr., and safety Jaylen McClain anchor an excellent pass defense, while freshman nickel Jay Timmons was dynamite against Ball State. Texas’ changes were more voluntary. Despite a four-year average defensive SP+ ranking of 13.8, Steve Sarkisian replaced coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski with veteran Will Muschamp and added three key transfers: linebackers Rasheem Biles and Justin Cryer and corner Bo Mascoe. Biles was great against Texas State, recording a run stop, a forced fumble, and an interception, but the Longhorns surrendered 225 first-half yards before settling in. Texas’ defense was easily the shakiest unit here—but that was last week. The season starts Saturday. This is the first of 20 regular-season games between teams currently in the SP+ top 15.
Current line: Horns -1.5 | SP+ projection: Buckeyes by 2.0 | FPI projection: Horns by 3.4
No. 11 Oklahoma at Michigan (Noon, Fox)
Only one team fell out of the AP Top 25 this week: the 1-0 Michigan Wolverines, who dropped 12 spots after a win that sure didn’t feel like one. Their offense vanished for 55 minutes against Western Michigan, and former blue-chip quarterback Bryce Underwood looked lost. Head coach Kyle Whittingham didn’t offer a roaring defense of Underwood, saying, “He’s our QB right now. It’s not something that’s infinite. At some point, we’ve got to turn a corner, and we’ve got to see improvement.”
Talented teams have historically responded with vigor to Week 1 duds. That’s possible for Michigan, especially because the defense was mostly excellent, allowing 3.3 yards per play and only two drives over 30 yards. If the Wolverines can stifle Oklahoma’s offense, they won’t need much offensive competence to pull the upset. But as good as WMU’s defense looked, OU’s is better. So is the Sooners’ offense, even if the run game’s improvement remains unproven. Quarterback John Mateer looked sharp against UTEP, distributing to Isaiah Sategna III and newcomers Trell Harris and tight end Rocky Beers, but primary backs Lloyd Avant and Xavier Robinson gained a merely decent 109 yards on 22 carries. Running lanes will be far more cluttered in Ann Arbor.
Current line: OU -5.5 | SP+ projection: OU by 7.0 | FPI projection: OU by 5.0
Mississippi State at Minnesota (3:30 p.m., CBS)
Will Michigan-Oklahoma be intense, physical, and important? Absolutely. Will it be aesthetically pleasing? Lord, no. That’s fine, because Mississippi State-Minnesota probably won’t be as important, but it could be a blast from a styles-make-fights perspective. Minnesota is a fixture near the top of defensive SP+ rankings—the Gophers have landed in the defensive SP+ top 15 for four of the past seven seasons and currently sit 20th. Mississippi State, meanwhile, fields one of the most tantalizing young quarterbacks in the country.
Sophomore Kamario Taylor is an eye-popping athlete who threw for 354 yards and four touchdowns, plus a 26-yard touchdown run, against UL Monroe. ULM’s defense isn’t good, but the Bulldogs averaged 9.7 yards per play, carving through the Warhawks as if they were a low-level FCS opponent. Minnesota carved up its own low-level FCS foe, beating Eastern Illinois 59-7 behind a 19-for-24 performance from Drake Lindsey and a pair of punt-return scores (and 98 receiving yards) from Javon Tracy. As undercard matchups go, this one should be a blast.
Current line: Minnesota -1.5 | SP+ projection: Minnesota by 2.7 | FPI projection: MSU by 3.4
Two Pivotal Games in the Group of 6 Race
The hunt for the Group of 6’s automatic College Football Playoff bid is a fun race to track early. The stakes were obvious when Memphis visited UNLV in Week 0, and it was clear what big power-conference wins might have meant for teams like Western Michigan or Boise State last weekend (both fell short). Week 2 raises the stakes further. Memphis heads west again, this time to face Boise State—a potential tiebreaker if both finish with similar records. A second Memphis road win would make the Tigers’ résumé tough to beat. There’s a second fascinating game, too: after bolting to 2-0 and blowing out two-time CUSA title game participant Jacksonville State, FBS newcomer North Dakota State could burnish its résumé with a win in its first Mountain West game.
Memphis at Boise State (6 p.m., USA)
In the 12-year CFP era, Memphis and Boise State have combined to finish as the highest-ranked mid-major team just three times. They might be the two most consistently solid programs in the Group of 6, combining for nine ranked finishes and 12 seasons of double-digit wins in that span. The first meeting of this home-and-home, a 35-32 Memphis win featuring a 17-point comeback in 2023, was dynamite. This will make a great quad-box complement for Ohio State-Texas.
Memphis has been excellent thus far, beating UNLV with disruptive defense—Southern Miss transfers J’Mond Tapp and Elijah Kinsler have been phenomenal—and then outrunning Arkansas State with big plays. Marcus Stokes averaged over 15 yards per completion against the Red Wolves, and Jaylin Carter and Manny Covey averaged 8.4 yards per carry. Boise State gave up five gains of 39-plus yards to Oregon, but the Broncos still had the ball with a chance to tie late thanks to a reasonably efficient run game, capitalizing on mistakes, and brilliant third-down defense. They’re experienced and resilient, but an 0-2 start would be very hard to overcome. They need this one desperately.
Current line: BSU -8.5 | SP+ projection: BSU by 5.6 | FPI projection: BSU by 9.7
North Dakota State at Air Force (10 p.m., FS1)
After four straight seasons in the defensive SP+ top 30, Air Force slipped to 76th in 2024, then 101st last year. The Falcons ranked 129th in yards allowed per carry (excluding sacks), and now they face one of the burliest run games in college football. The NDSU trio of hyper-efficient DJ Scott and big-play backs Myles Mitchell and Nyeoti Punni has combined for 64 carries and 319 yards in two wins, while quarterback Nathan Hayes is completing efficient passes to veterans Mekhi Collins and Jackson Williams and explosive ones to West Virginia transfer Jordan McCants.
Both teams desperately want to control the ball, and Air Force could spoil NDSU’s plans with a healthy option-based dose of quarterback Liam Szarka and senior fullback Owen Allen. On Saturday night, we’ll learn if NDSU is in store for a simply nice first FBS season or if the Bison are a genuine CFP threat right out of the gate.
Current line: NDSU -2.5 | SP+ projection: Air Force by 1.0 | FPI projection: NDSU by 3.7
Two Huge Early Conference Games
We’re still a couple of weeks from full conference immersion, but Week 2 offers a chance to ease in with a couple of potential midafternoon doozies.
Arizona at No. 15 BYU (3:30 p.m., Fox)
Last October, these teams put on a fantastic show. Arizona (4-1) used a 24-0 run to seize control and led 5-0 BYU into the final five minutes, but freshman Bear Bachmeier’s short touchdown with 19 seconds left forced overtime, and another Bachmeier score eventually won it. Eleven months later, Bachmeier remains unbeaten in his career against teams not named Texas Tech, while Noah Fifita and Arizona have won six of their past seven. Both teams thumped their buy-game opponents last week, but their seasons begin in earnest Saturday.
Two rebuilt units could decide this one: BYU’s receiving corps vs. Arizona’s secondary. Both were fine last week. BYU got second-quarter catches of 26 and 33 yards from freshman Legend Glasker, while Oregon transfer Kyler Kasper led the way with four receptions. Arizona’s DBs were supported by a ferocious pass rush (six sacks, including 2.5 from ace Chase Kennedy), though corners Jay’Vion Cole and Dwight Bootle II allowed 3-for-6 passing for 62 yards in primary coverage. If BYU can protect Bachmeier, the Cougars should have the edge—but that’s easier said than done.
Current line: BYU -7.5 | SP+ projection: BYU by 6.7 | FPI projection: BYU by 10.2
No. 12 Alabama at Kentucky (3:30 p.m., ABC)
Alabama provided positive, if partial, answers to a legion of questions last week while blowing out East Carolina. Five-star redshirt sophomore Keelon Russell threw for 256 yards, rushed for 90 (not including one sack), and got solid help from his skill corps (aside from a couple of early drops from star receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams). The Bama defense was as good as expected.
Russell’s first road start could be much tougher. Will Stein’s Kentucky held Youngstown State—probably the best FCS offense in the country—to just 4.0 yards per play before garbage time, and Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey threw for 301 yards and four touchdowns in an easy win. The Wildcats might struggle against the Bama defense, but they will challenge Russell and Co. SEC coaches may have put too much of a premium on SEC experience in portal recruiting this offseason, but Stein grabbed specific guys who looked excellent against YSU, especially safety Jordan Castell (Florida) and edge rusher Ahmad Breaux (LSU). This extremely SEC lineup will tell us a lot about Bama’s SEC prospects.
Current line: Bama -10.5 | SP+ projection: Bama by 9.0 | FPI projection: Bama by 14.5
The Big 12’s Big Week
Though BYU-Arizona is the headliner, much of the rest of the Big 12 will have opportunities for exciting nonconference wins.
No. 23 Missouri at Kansas (Friday, 8 p.m., Fox)
In 1997, as a freshman at Mizzou, my first official football road trip was to Lawrence to watch the Tigers’ Corby Jones suffer one of the worst games of his life in a 15-7 loss. Two years later, I watched an even worse Tigers performance in a 21-0 shutout. When Mizzou won an overtime thriller there in 2001, I retired from Lawrence football trips. Sure enough, Mizzou hasn’t won in Lawrence since—granted, the Tigers are a mere 0-2 in that span, as the rivalry moved to Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium in 2007 (producing a series of classics) and the Tigers moved to the SEC in 2012—but it has been a while. The idea of a new Mizzou QB getting his first big test in Lawrence is terrifying for Tiger fans of a certain age.
Austin Simmons was nearly perfect in Missouri’s opener against UAPB, but the Tigers’ run game was shakier than expected without either star back Ahmad Hardy or left tackle Cayden Green. Green returns, but running back Jamal Roberts needs a good performance to keep Simmons out of obvious passing situations. Meanwhile, Kansas quarterback Isaiah Marshall looked scary with his arm and legs against the Long Island Sharks, rushing for 49 yards on seven carries and completing passes of 46 and 47 yards. If the Jayhawks can pressure Simmons and get big plays from Marshall, an upset is very much within reach.
Current line: Mizzou -5.5 | SP+ projection: Mizzou by 2.9 | FPI projection: Mizzou by 4.6
Iowa State at No. 21 Iowa (Saturday, 7:30 p.m., NBC)
The battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy has become one of the sport’s most reliably messy (in a good way) rivalry games: over the past eight contests, the average margin of victory has been just 4.8 points. ISU has won three of the past four, but the Cyclones are almost starting from scratch in Jimmy Rogers’ first season. They started well enough against Southeast Missouri State, but Iowa outgained Northern Illinois by a ridiculous 507-120 margin and outrushed the Huskies 289-7. On paper, Rogers’ first Cy-Hawk could be a struggle—but that’s only if this rivalry makes sense for once.
Current line: Iowa -14 | SP+ projection: Iowa by 17.4 | FPI projection: Iowa by 14.5
Other Notable Big 12 Matchups
- Arizona State at Texas A&M: Kentucky transfer Cutter Boley got off on the right foot as ASU’s starting QB, going 21-for-27 for 387 yards and six TDs against Morgan State. The competition ramps up Saturday: Texas A&M allowed just 67 total yards against Missouri State. The Aggies’ offense needs sharpening, but we’ll find out how high ASU’s offensive upside is in College Station. Current line: A&M -14.5 | SP+: A&M by 17.7 | FPI: A&M by 17.4
- Arkansas at No. 20 Utah (10:15 p.m., ESPN): Utah is the only Big 12 team on this list that is favored. The Utes made the most of their buy game with Idaho, racking up 633 yards in a 52-point win. Arkansas dominated North Alabama as well but gave up six TFLs and three turnovers in a mere 17-point win. That sloppiness won’t fly in what should be a fantastic Saturday night atmosphere in Salt Lake. Current line: Utah -12.5 | SP+: Utah by 12.2 | FPI: Utah by 12.8
- UCF at Pitt (3:30 p.m., ESPN2): UCF was heavily favored against Bethune-Cookman on Thursday, but leading 28-0 after 16 minutes and cruising 73-6 is tidy work. The transfer backfield of Alonza Barnett III (James Madison) and Duke Watson (Louisville) looked incredibly dangerous. Pitt, however, was even more impressive, getting seven touchdowns and a Week 1 Heisman runner-up performance from Mason Heintschel while stomping Miami (Ohio) 59-14. The Panthers looked top-10 caliber, but let’s see if they can keep that up with a step up in competition. Current line: Pitt -7 | SP+: Pitt by 6.7 | FPI: Pitt by 9.6
Week 2 Chaos Superfecta
We’re once again using this space to will chaos into existence, looking at four carefully curated games with pretty big point spreads and mashing them together into a much more upset-friendly number. Last week’s FCS-themed superfecta scored a pair of wins—Tarleton State over Bowling Green and Idaho State over Utah State—so let’s try to start the year 2-for-2! According to SP+, there’s only a 39% chance that Alabama (71% win probability at Kentucky), Utah (78% vs. Arkansas), Clemson (80% vs. Georgia Southern), and Texas A&M (87% against Arizona State) all win Saturday. Let’s take down a favorite!
Week 2 Playlist: More Games You Should Watch
Here are additional games to pay attention to if you want to get the absolute most out of the weekend, from both information and entertainment perspectives.
Friday Evening
Rutgers at Boston College (7:30 p.m., ESPN2). Only one of these teams will start 0-2! Both have interesting stories at QB. Rutgers will start sophomore AJ Surace, who looked solid late in the embarrassing loss to UMass; his primary job should be throwing to star receiver KJ Duff on every damn snap. BC, meanwhile, got decent output from D-II transfer Mason McKenzie, who threw for 223 yards and carried a heavy rushing load in the Eagles’ loss to Cincinnati. Current line: BC -3.5 | SP+: RU by 1.3 | FPI: BC by 4.2
Early Saturday
No. 6 Oregon at Oklahoma State (Noon, ESPN). Tulsa has a pretty good defensive front, but if Oklahoma State couldn’t keep pressure off Drew Mestemaker in last week’s loss to the Golden Hurricane, it will probably be a long afternoon against Oregon. The Ducks were sloppy for a bit against Boise State, but they’ll be sharper in their road opener. Current line: Oregon -23.5 | SP+: Oregon by 20.3 | FPI: Oregon by 22.0
No. 16 Penn State at Temple (Noon, ESPN2). Along with Oregon and Texas Tech, Penn State is one of three ranked road teams favored by at least three touchdowns. Over the past 20 years, road favorites of at least 21 points are a cool 418-24. Most losses came later in the year in conference play. The last time a team lost one this early was when Virginia Tech fell to Old Dominion in 2019. Current line: PSU -23.5 | SP+: PSU by 22.2 | FPI: PSU by 23.7
Old Dominion at Virginia Tech (Noon, The CW). The first and last games of Brent Pry’s head coaching tenure in Blacksburg were losses to ODU, and these in-state rivals have split their past six meetings. James Franklin’s first Tech team looked great bullying VMI last week, and ODU wasn’t incredibly inspiring against Norfolk State. But the Monarchs don’t have to search for belief; they pretty clearly know they can win at Lane Stadium. Current line: Hokies -19.5 | SP+: Hokies by 21.0 | FPI: Hokies by 18.4
Washington State at Kansas State (Noon, TNT). Wazzu put up a solid fight in Sunday’s Apple Cup but was done in by offensive inefficiency and the elusiveness of Washington QB Demond Williams Jr. Now the Cougars travel to Manhattan to face another seasoned dual-threat—senior Avery Johnson—and a defense with plenty of confidence after allowing 18 net passing yards against Nicholls. Wazzu’s defense could gum things up, but can the Cougs score enough? Current line: K-State -18.5 | SP+: K-State by 18.9 | FPI: K-State by 17.2
Saturday Afternoon
Duke at Illinois (3:30 p.m., FS1). Both teams looked half-awesome last week. Illinois averaged 7.7 yards per play against UAB and scored TDs on five of seven drives, and Duke’s defense held Tulane to a field goal and a meager 30% success rate. The other two units? Uninspiring. Illinois couldn’t get the ball away from UAB and gave up 413 yards, and Duke also had a 30% success rate and scored just 17. But one half-team will be 2-0! Current line: Illinois -6 | SP+: Illinois by 3.4 | FPI: Illinois by 3.9
UNLV at North Texas (3:45 p.m., ESPNU). UNLV has already lost a toss-up game to Memphis and beaten Hawaii on the islands, and now the Rebels go to Denton to face a Mean Green team that annoyed Indiana for about 45 minutes. Jackson Arnold is just scraping by as the Rebels’ quarterback—they haven’t topped 21 points yet, and though he took only one sack against Hawaii (after six against Memphis), he also went just 8-for-18. UNLV’s ambitions require better from him. Current line: UNLV -3 | SP+: UNLV by 13.0 | FPI: UNLV by 6.4
California at Syracuse (3:30 p.m., ACCN). Syracuse obliterated New Hampshire so badly that the Orange’s SP+ rating rose more than any other power conference team’s; Cal, meanwhile, was so disappointing against UCLA that the Bears’ rating fell more than anyone’s outside of ACC mates Clemson and Stanford. Steve Angeli and the Orange look to back up their newfound awesomeness, and Cal needs to rebound before the season spirals away. Current line: Syracuse -3.5 | SP+: Syracuse by 8.7 | FPI: Syracuse by 11.6
Robert Morris at Akron (3:30 p.m., ESPN+). Are fans better playcallers than coaches? Let’s find out! Current line: Akron -27.5 | SP+: Akron by 15.4 | FPI: Akron by 23.5
Saturday Evening
No. 18 Tennessee at Georgia Tech (7 p.m., ESPN). Georgia Tech was mostly fine against Colorado, but the Yellow Jackets went 0-for-3 in the red zone, missed a pair of field goals, and lost in the last minute. They limited Colorado quarterback Julian Lewis, however; can they do the same with Tennessee freshman Faizon Brandon? His debut against Furman was about as clean as possible. Current line: Vols -12.5 | SP+: Vols by 15.6 | FPI: Vols by 10.0
San Diego State at UCLA (7:15 p.m., BTN). I loved the transfer class Bob Chesney brought with him to UCLA, but I still expected UCLA-Cal to be a toss-up. Whoops. The Bruins harassed Cal’s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, rushed for 277 yards, and laid the hammer down late. Now comes an SDSU team that won a strange, sloppy game over Portland State and has some experienced offensive pieces. What does UCLA do with actual expectations? Current line: UCLA -12.5 | SP+: UCLA by 8.6 | FPI: UCLA by 6.1
No. 13 Texas Tech at Oregon State (7:30 p.m., CBS). Another huge road favorite, Texas Tech sleepwalked against Abilene Christian, racing to a 14-0 lead but then forgetting to really pull away. If that Red Raiders team makes the trip to Corvallis, the spread’s way too big. Oregon State threw the ball all over Houston last week and could turn this into an uncomfortable track meet. Texas Tech needs to take its A-game west. Current line: Tech -26.5 | SP+: Tech by 23.2 | FPI: Tech by 23.5
Georgia Southern at Clemson (7:30 p.m., ACCN). We have experience watching Clemson rebound from terrible Week 1 performances. The Tigers did it well in 2023 and 2024, scoring 60-plus points both times, and ended up with solid seasons. But last year, they played poorly against Troy, then quickly resumed losing. Veteran QB Max Johnson and Georgia Southern are capable of pulling a surprise if Clemson doesn’t pull a 2023-24. (In the end, I’m not sure how surprising that would be.) Current line: Clemson -20.5 | SP+: Clemson by 13.5 | FPI: Clemson by 17.2
Late Saturday
Louisiana at No. 14 USC (11 p.m., BTN). It’s frustrating watching USC start with three straight buy games, knowing the Trojans won’t be playing Notre Dame later on. But they’ve handled their business: Jayden Maiava was 48-for-54 passing for 635 yards and five scores in two easy wins. Louisiana quarterback Lunch Winfield is a fun dual-threat, and the Cajuns’ defense handled Lamar just fine last week, but, well, Lamar isn’t USC. Current line: USC -30.5 | SP+: USC by 25.9 | FPI: USC by 29.4
Montana State at Nevada (10:30 p.m., The CW). Montana State is the best team in the FCS and, similar to NDSU, would threaten to become an immediate contender in the Mountain West. But holy smokes, Nevada looked good against Western Kentucky last week. The Wolf Pack rushed for 323 yards against the Hilltoppers, and if they’re capable of matching that Saturday night, even the best FCS team might not be able to keep up. Current line: MSU -3.5 | SP+: MSU by 3.4 | FPI: Nevada by 3.0
Smaller-School Showcase
Let’s once again save a shoutout for the glorious lower levels of the sport. Here are four games you should track.
FCS: No. 16 William & Mary at No. 8 Lehigh (2 p.m., ESPN+)
After narrow wins over preseason top-10 Villanova and DeSean Jackson’s Delaware State, William & Mary takes its unbeaten record to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to face a rampant Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks used a 21-0 start to pace an easy win over Holy Cross, then used a 38-0 run to torch Georgetown. Running back Luke Yoder and linebacker Aidan Williams are dynamite. The Tribe must raise their game to get to 3-0. SP+ projection: Lehigh by 15.7
D-III: No. 1 North Central at No. 10 Wartburg (2 p.m., local streaming)
After stomping No. 2 Bethel, North Central will search for a challenge in Iowa. Wartburg is 47-5 since the start of 2022 and nearly upset North Central in the 2023 playoffs. But the top-ranked Cardinals’ passing game is ridiculous: Garret Wilson threw for 325 yards and four touchdowns last week, and half of that went to David Ballard III (160 yards, two TDs). SP+ projection: North Central by 13.1
D-II: No. 13 Slippery Rock at East Stroudsburg (6:35 p.m., local streaming)
Time for some PSACtion! The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference has three of the 10 best teams in Division II, per SP+, plus eight more unbeatens. Slippery Rock is a constant threat, but East Stroudsburg is 2-0 and looking for its first PSAC title game trip since 1983. Can a great run game drive a slight upset? SP+ projection: The Rock by 2.2
D-II: No. 1 Ferris State at No. 9 Central Washington (9 p.m., FloCollege)
Ferris State, the two-time defending D-II champ, has dominated its first two opponents—including preseason top-five Pittsburg State—and star quarterback Wyatt Bower is averaging 9.9 yards per pass and 7.7 yards per run. Central Washington nearly took down a solid FCS team in Cal Poly last week, though, and this is a pretty long trip West. SP+ projection: Ferris by 17.5
