NCAAF best bets: College football Week 2 picks and preview

Week 2 of the college football season is here. There are more than a few intriguing matchups on the slate, starting with a heavyweight battle between Texas and Michigan at the Big House. Let's break down Texas-Michigan and the other big games this weekend with our previews and bets to target.

No. 3 Texas Longhorns @ No. 10 Michigan Wolverines, Noon ET, Saturday

The biggest matchup of the Week 2 slate is going down in Ann Arbor, as Texas will travel to unfamiliar territory to take on the reigning national champions. The Longhorns dismantled Colorado State in Week 1, 52-0, to get their season off on the right foot. Quinn Ewers looked sharp with 260 passing yards and three touchdowns, while the defense held the Rams to just 74 passing yards in the game.

Michigan didn't look as impressive in its 30-10 win against Fresno State. The passing game was nonexistent with Davis Warren running the show, and star running back Donovan Edwards managed only 27 rushing yards on 11 carries. The Wolverines might not have the offensive talent to keep up in this game, so they're going to slow it down and muck it up with their elite defense as much as possible.

The bet to make: First half under 20.5 (+102 FanDuel )

Iowa State Cyclones @ No. 21 Iowa Hawkeyes, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday

The battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy is one of the best rivalry games of the season, and that should be no different this year. The story of this matchup will be Iowa's new-look defense under first-year offensive coordinator Tim Lester. The Hawkeyes put up 492 yards of offense and 40 points against Illinois State in Week 1. No, that's not a typo.

Iowa State scored only 21 points against North Dakota last week, but that total is a bit misleading. Despite getting dominated in time of possession, the Cyclones did whatever they wanted on offense while averaging 7.4 yards per play. This could be a higher-scoring affair than we're used to seeing between these two teams.

The bet to make: Over 35.5 (-108 DraftKings )

No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers vs. No. 24 NC State Wolfpack, 7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday

College football fans, meet Nico Iamaleava. We may not be able to pronounce his name, but we know he's the real deal. In Week 1, Iamaleava went off for 314 yards on 22-28 passing and three touchdowns against Chattanooga. Dylan Sampson also added 124 yards and three scores on the ground, so this Volunteers offense looks to be one of the most explosive in the country already.

North Carolina State didn't look as good in its Week 1 win against Western Carolina, and the defense allowed the Catamounts to average 6.1 yards per play and outscore them, 21-17, through three quarters. Veteran quarterback transfer Grayson McCall turned it on in the second half as has a heck of a weapon on the outside in Kevin Concepcion.

The bet to make: Over 60.5 (-106 FD )

Colorado Buffaloes @ Nebraska Cornhuskers, 7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday

This isn't the biggest game in Week 2, but it might be the most fun. Colorado escaped an upset bid against North Dakota State in Week 1 thanks to Shedeur Sanders's 445 yards and four touchdowns and Travis Hunter's three scores through the air. As explosive as this passing attack is, though, the defense is just as bad at giving up big plays.

Nebraska looks to have a strong quarterback in Dylan Raiola, who threw for 238 yards and two touchdowns against UTEP. This offense can be just as explosive as Colorado's in this matchup, and we trust the Cornhuskers defense to actually get some stops and force turnovers.

The bet to make: Nebraska -7 (-115 DK )

Boise State Broncos @ Oregon Ducks, 10 p.m. ET, Saturday

Oregon had one of the most puzzling performances in Week 1. The Ducks put up 487 yards of offense while Heisman favorite Dillon Gabriel threw for 380 yards and two scores, but they managed only 24 points in a narrow win against FCS Idaho. We're chalking that up to early-season rust and some uncharacteristic red-zone mistakes.

Oregon should be able to light up the scoreboard against Boise State, which gave up 461 yards and 45 points to Georgia Southern last week. The Broncos put up 56 points of their own thanks to star running back Ashton Jeanty's 267 yards and six (yes, six!) touchdowns on the ground. Jeanty is a force to be reckoned with, but the Ducks are going to sell out and stop the run out of the gates.

The bet to make: Oregon -11.5 (-110 FD )