Week 2 College Football Best Bets, Predictions and Picks from Wes Reynolds:
Here are my Week 2 college football best bets:
San Jose State +37 at Texas
Texas began the season at No. 1 and looked like a proper top-ranked team on one side of the ball, holding No. 3 Ohio State to just 203 yards of total offense. The Longhorns were able to run the ball with some success but struggled on third down (5/14), and Arch Manning was not able to make the plays in the passing game that are necessary to win a big-boy game on the road.
This week, Texas gets San Jose State, who lost outright as two-touchdown home favorites to Central Michigan.
The Spartans went -3 in the turnover battle despite outgaining the Chippewas. San Jose State kicker Denis Lynch also missed a 33-yard field goal that would have given his team the lead with 1:16 to go.
Obviously, Texas will have an easier time of it this week. However, they could be a little banged up and hungover from such a physical battle in Columbus. This is not as easy a spot as one would think. Conventional wisdom says, “Well, Texas is going to be really mad and take it out on poor San Jose State.” That could be the case, but it is priced into the number.
Kennesaw State at Indiana Over 52
Both teams were involved in low-scoring games last week as Kennesaw State nearly pulled off an upset at Wake Forest, losing 10-9, as 18.5-point underdogs. Meanwhile, Indiana scored only 20 points on six goal-to-go trips in a 27-14 victory vs. Old Dominion.
Curt Cignetti referred to the Hoosiers’ performance as a “pedestrian win at best.”.Indiana put up over 500 yards (502) and ran for 309 on the ground but could not score in the red zone. New QB Fernando Mendoza (18/31, 193 yards, 1 rushing TD) was also just ok in his Indiana debut.
Indiana’s offense should be much sharper this time around, and Kennesaw State ran the second-fastest tempo off any FBS team last week despite just scoring nine points.
Kennesaw State is led at QB by former Hoosier Dexter Williams II. Williams is a good athlete and a good runner, but the accuracy (12/33; 36.4% last week) leaves a lot to be desired.
Indiana’s team total at anything under 45 is also worth a look here as the Hoosiers should get more drives with Kennesaw running tempo.
UAB at Navy Over 59
UAB rallied from a double-digit deficit last week to defeat FCS Alabama State, 52-42. However, the Blazers gave up 514 yards to the Hornets and now go to Annapolis to face Navy, who ran for 464 yards on the ground last week in a 52-7 victory over VMI.
Trent Dilfer’s Blazers should be able to throw on a Midshipmen club that replaces its entire secondary.
Navy put up 41 points and 452 yards at UAB last year and should do about the same with Blake Horvath in his second season at QB running Drew Cronic’s offense.
South Alabama +11 vs. Tulane
Tulane picked off Northwestern QB Preston Stone four times and won the turnover battle 5-0 en route to a dominant 22-3 victory. Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall revealed after the game that Northwestern had apparently denied Tulane’s request to wear their road white uniforms in memory of the 2005 season where Tulane had to play all 12 of its games on the road after Hurricane Katrina. The Friday before last Saturday’s game was the 20th anniversary of Katrina’s landfall in New Orleans.
Last week was obviously emotional for Tulane and next week’s game vs. Duke will also be emotional in a different way. Not only does Tulane host another Power 4 opponent at home, but they also will face their old QB Darian Mensah, who was 9-4 as Tulane’s starter last year before transferring to Durham.
This week, the Wave roll in to Mobile to face South Alabama in a big-time Po’ Boy sandwich spot.
South Alabama went +3 in the turnover margin to defeat FCS Morgan State 38-21.
The Jaguars have a new starting QB this season since Gio Lopez transferred to North Carolina. Bishop Davenport led USA to victory in Cramton Bowl in his first start with 356 yards of total offense against Western Michigan. This will obviously be a tougher test against a Tulane team that is an AAC title contender, but Tulane might get caught a bit sleepy here.
Virginia Tech -125 ML vs. Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt’s crazy 2024 season that included an upset over No. 1 Alabama, road wins at Kentucky and Auburn, achieving its first Top 25 ranking and winning its first bowl game since 2013, started with an upset as two-touchdown underdogs over Virginia Tech in last year’s opener. The Hokies had no answer for dual-threat QB Diego Pavia. However, the Hokies defense has already shown dramatic improvement from last year despite falling to a 24-11 defeat vs. South Carolina last Sunday.
Virginia Tech was right in the game until the fourth quarter, when South Carolina scored on a punt return to put the game out of reach. The Hokies did hold South Carolina to just 119 yards on 37 carries, and the front seven looked substantially quicker than last year’s group.
Losing to the son of the program’s most legendary coach certainly did not do much to cool the hot seat in Blacksburg for Brent Pry. This is one that he has got to have.
Hokies RB Terion Stewart, a Bowling Green transfer, also should be making his season debut this week.
Crank up the “Enter Sandman” in Blacksburg.
BEST OF THE REST
Troy +32 at Clemson
UL Monroe +35.5 at Alabama
Similar principles to San Jose State at Texas. Two big home favorites here off tough losses in their openers that “should” take out frustrations on inferior opponents. Only difference here is that these two both have notable games on deck—Clemson ACC opener at Georgia Tech and Alabama hosting Wisconsin.
Duke +3 vs. Illinois
Cincinnati -22.5 vs. Bowling Green
Arkansas State/Arkansas OVER 63
USC Team Total OVER 44.5 vs. Georgia Southern
For more college football Week 2 best bets and analysis, visit the College Football Week 2 hub, exclusively on VSiN.
