2026 College Football Picks: Week Two

Raleek Brown, Texas

📊 THE RECORD

🏆 PICKS 6-3 | ⚡ UPSETS 0–0 | 🐕 SUPERDOGS 0–2 | 🔒 LOCKS 1–0 

(1) Ohio State Buckeyes @ (4) Texas Longhorns

📍 Austin, TX

🏈 Texas -1.5 | O/U 49.5

For the third straight season, two of the sport's Goliaths will collide, this time in Austin. The top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes have won the previous two meetings, and will look for the trifecta against a Texas team on the hunt for a signature victory. Both are fresh off blowout wins over Group of Five foes, with the Longhorns entering as slight favorites in their home stadium.

The Texas offense struggled mightily in last year's defeat, as Matt Patricia drew up a tremendous gameplan his Buckeye debut. This Longhorn offense has a different feel this year, at least on paper. Arch Manning seems to be getting more comfortable by the passing week, and it helps that Texas has invested so much around him. Cam Coleman is perhaps the most purely talented wide out in the country, and big things are expected of the backfield duo of Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown. That backfield combo was sorely missing in last year's loss, where the Longhorns lacked any explosiveness and were not able to stretch the field horizontally. That left them trying to work in between the tackles against a fearsome Buckeye front, and the lack of success showed. Another element that was missing last year was the quarterback run game, with Arch. It's easy to forget the 2024 season since it felt so long ago, but we first saw Arch in a Longhorn uniform mainly in designed quarterback run packages in the red zone. We didn't see it as often last season, and it did feel like an element of the Longhorn offense was missing. They are going to have to be creative in moving the ball against a talented Ohio State defense, and it does feel like there is going to be opportunities here. Opening things up horizontally could also set up Coleman in a way this offense needs if they want to find the big play down the field. 

Speaking of struggling offenses, Ohio State didn't exactly have a highlight reel day in last year's win over the Longhorns. They managed just 203 yards of total offense, managing just 77 yards on the ground - just 2.3 yards per carry. Something tells me that is going to change here, as Bo Jackson is the type of weapon that can change things, and he didn't receive a single carry in last year's matchup. Ja'Kobi Jackson could also factor in, as the former Florida transfer matched the sophomore in yardage in the opener against Ball State. For all the criticism around the hire of new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, he earned a reputation for himself in the pros for finding ways to set up the ground game with jumbo packages and heavy sets. It may not always be pretty, but it should help the Buckeyes control the line of scrimmage in the way they need to if they want to come out victorious. That's not to sell short an aerial attack that features perhaps the nation's top QB-WR combo in Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith. The Longhorns found a way to contain Smith, but we've seen countless times how the junior superstar can take over games. New Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp has had the entire offseason to devise a gameplan to contain Smith, but there are also plenty of new pieces in the secondary. Beyond Smith, I am watching to see who emerges in this Ohio State receiver room, which no longer has Carnell Tate. UTSA transfer Devin McCuin feasted in the opener, and looks he could be the Robin to Smith's Batman. That's a terrifying thought for the rest of the Big Ten, and for the Longhorns in this one.

Beating any team three straight years is not an easy feat in today's modern college football with how much rosters can turn over yearly, an few teams are investing in their roster quite the way Texas is. The Longhorns also get the favorable homefield advantage, so it's no surprise to see them as the favorite. But, the pick for me is super simple - I just trust Ohio State more. The program under Ryan Day has a clear, established identity. They reload as well as anybody in the country. And I'm not sure there's anyone that can match what they feature at the skill positions, including the Longhorns. This will be a battle, but I think the Buckeyes make enough plays to secure a signature win early on in the year.

The Pick: Ohio State, 34 Texas, 27

(11) Oklahoma Sooners @ Michigan Wolverines

📍 Ann Arbor, MI

🏈 Oklahoma -5.5 | O/U 43.5

Michigan's last second win over Western Michigan in the opener will go down as one of the most controversial results in recent memory, perhaps even in college football history. But the reality is that it says "1-0" in the W-L column, and they have to move forward against the 11th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners pummeled UTEP in their opener, 51-0, and know there is very little margin for error on their schedule the rest of the way if they are to return to the College Football Playoff. A total of five ranked opponents awaits, so a win here will set the tune for the entire fall in Norman.

It's hard to take too much away from Oklahoma's season-opening win, but Sooner fans have to be encouraged how crisp the offense looked. Quarterback John Mateer looked in command from the opening snap and spread the ball around to a variety of playmakers. The offensive line played well, which one would expect, and the game was effectively over by halftime. Yet, if there is still one thing Sooner fans have to still be cautious about, it's the ground game. This unit struggled mightily the entirety of 2025, and you saw it in big games when Mateer looked like he was pressing to make up for it. They did tally 170 yards against the Miners but given their massive size advantage, I think it's fair to want even more. 4.4 yards per carry in a game like this doesn't answer any major questions, and the question remains: who is the go-to guy? Lloyd Avant was the leading carrier in the opener, but it will be interesting to see how the Sooners handle the split against a team like Michigan. The Wolverines' 2026 defense doesn't quite feel like its at the level we've seen previously, but this still a group that is going to get into the backfield and make every yard a battle. John Henry Daley looked to be the big name heading into the year given his track record at Utah, but we saw others shine in the opener, namely linebacker Troy Bowles and Dom Nichols off the edge. This is a Michigan defense that is going to play to look like a typical Jay Hill defense - disciplined, hungry, and just tough. I think the Sooners have a much more difficult matchup here than an average fan may realize.

For so much of the offseason, the buzz around Michigan centered on Bryce Underwood. Was the former No. 1 recruit in the nation primed for a sophomore breakout? Was new offensive coordinator Jason Beck going to unlock something special? The results in the opener were ... not encouraging. Underwood threw for 170 yards (a big chunk of it on the final play) and led the team in rushing, but there was no rhythm to the offense. Underwood looked overwhelmed and indecisive, and now he's facing perhaps the country's best defense in Oklahoma. Michigan will adjust and the quarterback run game is an important element to his offense, but what is to dissuade the Sooners from stacking eight to the box and forcing Underwood to beat them? The sophomore is going to have to make some throws and stretch the field enough vertically to open things up, or they are going to be suffocated. I will also say, the entire offense deserved blame for the opener, not just Underwood. The offensive line looked downright mediocre and a program that has long relied on the power run could not get anything going. Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter is way too good of a combination in the backfield not see more success. Whether it's mixing up packages or just being patient enough, Michigan needs to figure out a way to get something, anything, going on the ground.

As bad as Michigan looked in the opener, I think this ends up being a tight game. We always overreact to the season opener, and this was the first game for a new staff against a genuinely good Western Michigan team. They match up well with the Sooners and this has the feels of a defensive slugfest to me. Oklahoma is still the smarter pick just given they have less questions as things stand today, but I would not be surprised if this game is not decided until late in the fourth.

The Pick: Oklahoma, 21 Michigan, 13

Arizona State Sun Devils @ (10) Texas A&M Aggies

📍 College Station, TX

🏈 A&M -14.5 | O/U 50.5

Both Arizona State and Texas A&M clobbered weak opponents in their respective season openers - now the real fun begins. The Sun Devils are primed for an upset on the road, while A&M is hoping to avoid the type of loss that could threaten their College Football Playoff chances. It's a fun non-conference game, and an interesting coaching duel between two guys with opposing styles. Kenny Dillingham is an elite offensive mind who is loud and confident in everything he does. Mike Elko made a name for himself with tremendous defenses, and he's a quieter, calmer presence. One of them will add another "W" to their coaching record some Saturday afternoon.

The Aggies cruised to a 50-0 win in the opener against Missouri State, with the offense going over 500 yards for the day. It felt like it was just business as usual for the Aggies, as Marcel Reed was smart and accurate with the ball, the ground game moved effectively, and the duo of Isaiah Horton and Mario Craver made things happen on the outside. The more interesting aspect of the win to me, was just how shockingly good the defense. Sure, it's a Group of Five school that is probably not going to win a lot of football games this fall. But, allowing just 67 yards?! Four total first downs? This is an A&M defense that doesn't have the star power of other SEC teams at face value, but they're incredibly well-coached and reliable at every level. They have to be thrilled about the opportunity for what they can do against a power conference foe in front of the home crowd at Kyle Field. Arizona State quarterback Cutter Boley had a big showing in the first week - against Morgan State. This is an entirely different animal, and Boley is still a young quarterback. I figure the Aggies are going to throw a lot of different looks at him, and you better believe they're going to be blitzing heavily early on. I'm watching to see if any of these names on the back-end really start to shine beyond Myles Davis at safety. A&M has become a bit of an NFL factory up front, but if this secondary lives up to their ceiling, this is an incredibly dangerous team in the SEC.

The Sun Devil season-opening win was such a mismatch, the two teams used a reduced clock down the stretch in the fourth quarter. Needless to say, it's hard to have a great sense of where they're at as they head on the road to College Station. Boley looked good and while he is still young, he's no stranger to SEC football. He played two seasons at Kentucky, including throwing for over 2,000 yards last season with the Wildcats. The thing is, his performance in those games left a lot to be desired. Boley can make some great throws and there is no doubting his potential, but turnovers and decision-making have been such a problem for him. Dillingham tends to get the most out of his quarterbacks - just look at Jeff Sims last year - but I am interested to see how this relationship evolves over the course of the season. Three different Sun Devil pass-catchers went over 100 yards, and the staff is excited about what the duo of Omarion Miller and Reed Harris is going to look like. I am curious to see what the ground game looks like, as the position battle at running back was a major storyline heading into the fall. Kyson Brown and Jason Brown Jr. both saw the majority of the action and will likely be the top two options but again, how much can we take away from the opener? It does feel like Arizona State is going to need some balance this fall if they are to be successful. A defensive front with the size and physicality of A&M is not an easy task to start the year off with, so look for them to potentially look to stretch things horizontally to try and steal some yardage. 

This has potential to be a fun one, and Arizona State is never afraid of an upset opportunity. Dillingham will have his team prepared, but it's still a team breaking in plenty of new faces going into one of the toughest environments in college football. The old Texas A&M may lose this game, but I have a lot of faith in Elko. I think they're able to fend off the Sun Devils behind a stellar defensive showing.

The Pick: Texas A&M, 38 Arizona State, 21

Other Picks

Arizona Wildcats @ (#15) BYU Cougars -- A very good Big 12 matchup is being a bit overlooked given the strong Week Two slate. Will the BYU defense be ready for Noah Fifita given it's just the second game for new defensive coordinator Kelly Poppinga? With how dominant their offense looked in the opener, they may not need it to be great.

The Pick: BYU, 42 Arizona, 31

(#18) Tennessee Volunteers @ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets -- A heartbreaking loss for Georgia Tech in the opener, and it doesn't get easier with the Tennessee Volunteers coming to town. Faizon Brandon may start to look like a freshman quarterback at one point, but I think he has a chance to shred a porous Yellow Jacket secondary.

The Pick: Tennessee, 35 Georgia Tech, 20

Iowa State Cyclones @ (#21) Iowa Hawkeyes -- The Cy-Hawk rivalry is always a tough one to predict, a game that always seems to head down to the wire. Iowa inspired a lot of confidence in Week One, albeit against a bad Northern Illinois team. With Tony Diaz on the outside, there may actually be a passing game in Iowa City.

The Pick: Iowa, 24 Iowa State, 14

Upset: Kansas Jayhawks vs. (23) Missouri Tigers -- Rivalry games can always get a bit weird, especially when they're on a Friday night. A Missouri offense without Ahmad Hardy still gives me pause, and I'm higher on this Kansas team than most.

The Pick: Kansas, 28 Missouri, 24

Lock of the Week: Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (-7) vs. New Mexico State Aggies -- It's been a less than stellar start to the season for Hawaii, as they were blown out by UNLV one week after losing to Stanford. Yet, I still think this is a better team than we've seen so far on the year, and they get New Mexico State at home.

The Pick: Hawaii, 31 New Mexico State, 17

Double Lock of the Week: Oregon Ducks (-23) @ Oklahoma State Cowboys -- Eric Morris is probably going to figure it out here at Oklahoma State, but a bad showing in the opener has me worried about this team's 2026 fortunes. Meanwhile, Oregon started off slow, albeit against a very good Boise State team. I think they silence some of the detractors that came out of the woodwork with a blowout win here.

The Pick: Oregon, 49 Oklahoma State, 14