For Week Two, a number of high-profile college football matchups take place around the country.
Here are some of the games to watch for this weekend:
Arizona at Houston
Saturday, 11 a.m., ABC
Neither team is ranked, and both showed plenty of Week One flaws, but that shouldn’t stop Houston and Arizona from serving as one of Saturday’s most interesting spectacles. Both teams feature talented Heisman candidates in the nation. Under center for the Wildcats is junior quarterback Khalil Tate, who shattered a single-game FBS quarterback record with 327 rushing yards last October. While Tate is scrambling around the pocket, he’ll hope to avoid the Cougars’ dominant defensive tackle Ed Oliver. Oliver silenced the Rice backfield with 13 tackles in a 45-27 road win last weekend. Houston stormed out of Tucson with a 19-16 victory last September, but points should be more plentiful in the rematch.
No. 3 Georgia at No. 24 South Carolina
Saturday, 2:30 p.m., CBS
SEC league play kicks off in Week Two with a matchup that has great impact on the SEC East race. Georgia, aiming to overcome its heartbreak last January, needs to topple an underrated South Carolina program that attained the 9-win mark a year ago. The Gamecocks offense rolled through Coastal Carolina in Week One with the deadly connection of quarterback Jake Bentley and wide receiver Deebo Samuel. Georgia’s marquee defense can’t afford to let the two establish an efficient passing game if it wants to pull off a significant win in Columbia, South Carolina. Head coach Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs intend to pull off their fourth-straight victory over their rivals north of the border.
No. 2 Clemson at Texas A&M
Saturday, 6 p.m., ESPN
The College GameDay crew is accompanying the 12th Man on Saturday morning in preparation of Jimbo Fisher’s first test as an Aggie. Fisher is one of the few collegiate coaches to find success against Clemson, faring 5-3 against the Tigers while at Florida State. Clemson, on track for a fourth-straight playoff appearance, returns a litany of stars including Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence on a stacked defensive line. Even in its home environment of Kyle Field, Texas A&M’s offensive line must remain error free in order for the offense to function. But it is September, the month in which the Aggies own a 22-3 record since joining the SEC.
No. 17 USC at No. 10 Stanford
Saturday, 7:30 p.m., FOX
Running back Bryce Love, the reigning Heisman runner-up, struggled in his opener on The Farm last Friday night. But despite his 29-yard outing, Stanford’s offense celebrated the new potential Heisman candidate. Senior wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside torched San Diego State’s defense for 226 receiving yards and three touchdowns in a decisive victory, utilizing magnificent strength to haul in 50-50 throws from K.J. Costello. Love and Arcega-Whiteside are talented weapons, but USC’s defense managed to withstand strong performances from both in a 42-24 decision last September. The Trojans now lack Sam Darnold, so redshirt freshman quarterback JT Daniels must adjust to the big stage in his second start for the intense Pac-12 showdown.
No. 15 Michigan State at Arizona State
Saturday, 9:45 p.m., ESPN
What’s more thrilling than #Pac12AfterDark? Arizona State pulverized UTSA in Herm Edwards’ first game coaching at the college ranks, silencing several question marks that surrounded Edwards’ qualifications. Meanwhile, in East Lansing, Michigan State left more uncertainty, requiring a late fourth quarter touchdown to knock off Utah State on Friday, 38-31. The Sun Devils’ 6-foot-4-inch junior wideout N’Keal Harry, who had two touchdowns on 140 yards receiving, could cause problems for the Spartans’ pass defense that allowed 319 yards a week ago. Mark Dantonio’s team can’t afford to experience similar struggles when they travel to the desert in Week Two.
