There are no Top 25 showdowns. Some decent games are on tap, including a few rivalries, but don't expect to be tied to your La-Z-Boy all day Saturday. Let's get to the picks!
2016 BENched PTF Record: 9-3 (.750 win %)
*Rankings below reflect the AP Top 25Saturday
Penn State at Pittsburgh (Line: Pittsburgh -4.5)
Pitt-Penn State Rivalry (Penn State leads 50-42-4)
This rivalry is finally renewed after a 16-year hiatus. Neither team is coming off impressive wins in the first week, as the Nittany Lions beat Kent State 33-13 and the Panthers knocked off Villanova 28-7. James Conner's return was heart-warming. He scored two touchdowns in his first action since taking on and defeating cancer. Should be a dandy to kickoff the day. Despite the game being played in Pittsburgh and in an NFL stadium, the crowd should be pro-Penn State and the atmosphere tremendous.
Pittsburgh 23, Penn State 17
Troy at No. 2 Clemson (Line: Clemson -36)
For the third straight game, Clemson takes on an opponent from the state of Alabama. For the second straight week, the Tigers face off against a former Clemson defensive coordinator. Returning to the friendly confines of Death Valley for the first time in five games, Clemson aims to get its offense rolling against a scrappy, but overwhelmed bunch from Troy. This may be closer than the 36-point spread, but it won't be close enough to be worrisome for Tiger fans.
Clemson 38, Troy 17
Kentucky at Florida (Line: Florida -16.5)
The Gators led UMass 10-7 in the fourth quarter before pulling away 24-7, while the Wildcats blew a 35-10 halftime lead and lost to Southern Miss 44-35. Florida has a 29-game win streak over Kentucky, a streak that likely won't be broken this season in The Swamp.
Florida 28, Kentucky 10
South Carolina at Mississippi State (Line: Mississippi State -7)
The Gamecocks opened the Will Muschamp era with a 13-10 win over Vanderbilt. South Carolina trailed 10-0 at halftime, but Perry Orth found some rhythm in the second half, enough to pick up the road win. Meanwhile, Mississippi State was left searching for answers after blowing a 20-7 lead against South Alabama, then missing a short field goal late that led to a 21-20 win for the Jaguars. The Bulldogs being a seven-point favorite is either telling that Vegas still believes in the Bulldogs, or what they think of the Gamecocks.
Mississippi State 27, South Carolina 17
Arkansas at No. 15 TCU (Line: TCU -7.5)
This one will have eyes all over it. TCU was slow out of the gate against South Dakota State, ultimately winning 59-41. Kenny Hill seemed to grasp the Horned Frog offense, passing for 439 yards and two touchdowns, and rushing for three more scores. Arkansas struggled to put away Louisiana Tech, needing a fourth quarter TD to win 21-20. Expect the Hogs to stick with their ground and pound approach. If they get too far behind early on, it could be tough trying to play catch-up with the high-flying Frogs.
TCU 44, Arkansas 27
Iowa State at No. 16 Iowa (Line: Iowa -15)
Battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy (Iowa leads 41-22)
Iowa returned a lot from the 2015 squad that went undefeated in the regular season, but faltered in the Big Ten Championship Game and the Rose Bowl. The Hawkeyes have another easy schedule that should allow them to win double-digit games again. Iowa State on the other hand is breaking in a new coach, as Matt Campbell made his way to Ames from Toledo. His debut was forgettable, though. The Cyclones fell to Northern Iowa in Week 1. A rivalry game can always produce an interesting result, but the only thing interesting about this one will be seeing the trophy on the field.
Iowa 40, Iowa State 17
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| BYU quarterback Taysom Hill is back for one more season. Hill looks to lead his Cougars to a big win at Utah in the Holy War. (Photo courtesy USA Today Sports) |
Holy War (Utah leads 58-34-4)
It's not on the level of Alabama-Auburn, Ohio State-Michigan or Oklahoma-Texas, but there is no love lost between BYU and Utah. The Utes rolled out to a 35-0 lead on BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl in December before holding on for a 35-28 win. Fresh off a shutout of Southern Utah, the Utes aim for their second win over BYU in three games. BYU opened the season with an 18-16 win over Arizona at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale to kick off the Kalani Sitake era. Taysom Hill is back for the Cougars and that's a good thing for college football fans. Hill's mobility and toughness could lead BYU to an upset here. In fact, I'll pick it.
BYU 23, Utah 20
North Carolina at Illinois (Line: North Carolina -7.5)
The Tar Heels fell flat after holding a 10-point lead on Georgia in Atlanta, ultimately being run over by Nick Chubb. Good news, UNC fans, Illinois does not have a Chubb on the roster, or anything like him for that matter. Lovie Smith led the Fighting Illini to a 52-3 whooping over Murray State. North Carolina presents a different challenge with offensive weapons all over the field including running back Elijah Hood. Last year, Hood had 129 yards and a TD run in a 48-14 Tar Heel win over Illinois in Chapel Hill. Something tells me he has a big day in Champaign.
North Carolina 37, Illinois 24
Virginia Tech vs. No. 17 Tennessee (Line: Tennessee -11) - at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tenn.
Over 150,000 folks will pack Bristol Motor Speedway for the most anticipated, but too far away to see from the stands game in college football history. Bristol, Tenn., splits the two campuses and this game has been in the works for years. Tennessee looked ugly in its season opener against Appalachian State, earning a come-from-behind 20-13 win in overtime. The Hokies struggled early in their opener against Liberty, but topped the Flames 36-13. Tennessee, on paper, has more talent. There could be many storylines out of this one, including the amount of fans, the noise level or lack of, the sight lines, the depth perception of the players, etc. Still, the Vols probably get it done.
Tennessee 24, Virginia Tech 13
Texas Tech at Arizona State (Line: Arizona State -2.5)
The first of many late night starts that are actually pretty good games comes to us from Tempe, Ariz. Patrick Mahomes might be the best under-the-radar quarterback in college football. Most people expect the Red Raiders QBs to have huge stats because of the system. Mahomes, however, possesses a power arm, accuracy and mobility that sets him apart from previous Texas Tech signal callers. Arizona State also has a high-flying offense, so expect a lot of points in this one.
Texas Tech 45, Arizona State 38
Washington State at Boise State (Line: Boise State -10.5)
Mike Leach and his band of pirates, er, Cougars head to The Blue" for the home opener for Boise State. Luke Falk, like Mahomes an unheralded but very good quarterback, will try to duplicate the 2015 season in which he threw for over 4500 yards and 38 TDs to just eight interceptions. The Cougars also lost to an FCS school to open that season, but went on to win nine games and defeated Miami in the Sun Bowl. Boise State has a force at running back, though. Jeremy McNichols leads the Broncos offense and could be trouble for Washington State, which gave up 45 points to Eastern Washington.
Boise State 52, Washington State 31
Cal at San Diego State (Line: San Diego State -7)
San Diego State is a sleeper pick for the top Group of 5 team to emerge unscathed. A touchdown favorite, the Aztecs are hoping to upend a Cal team who have already had an interesting start to the season. The Bears scored 51 points to beat Hawai'i in the opener two weeks ago in Australia, but spent the last week overcoming jet-lag. Now, they head south to take on a team looking for a season-defining win.
San Diego State 41, Cal 31
Virginia at No. 24 Oregon (Line: Oregon -24.5)
This late-nighter won't be pretty. FCS Richmond took down Virginia last week and Oregon looks to be as potent on offense as ever. The Ducks don't have a Marcus Mariota, but they do have Royce Freeman, the best running back you haven't heard of yet. You can head to bed at halftime of this one, if the game isn't already out of hand by then.
Oregon 63, Virginia 10
-BtW
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