If you thought we'd be easing into the 2022 season, well, college football had a different story in mind. The second full weekend brought a welcome deluge of upsets and close finishes.
Good luck following that Saturday of action, Week 3.
Nevertheless, we move forward. B/R's expert team—Max Escarpio, David Kenyon, Adam Kramer, Kerry Miller, Morgan Moriarty and Brad Shepard—is looking ahead to this mid-September slate, covering key topics of the weekend and offering some predictions.
Will Texas A&M recover from its loss to Appalachian State and topple visiting Miami? Can BYU snag a second successive marquee win? What should we expect from Nebraska after firing Scott Frost? That and more coming your way.
Which Top 25 Team Is on the Highest Upset Alert?
Max Escarpio
The Auburn Tigers aren’t the powerhouse threat that they used to be, but they’re currently 2-0 with wins over Mercer and San Jose State with victories coming in front of their rowdy home crowd at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Now, they're set to welcome their biggest test yet as 22nd-ranked Penn State—a team that's had trouble finding its offensive rhythm in recent years—comes to town on Saturday.
Yes, the Nittany Lions have played some great football in the first two weeks of the season, and much of that success has to do with running back Nick Singleton. Auburn's offense hasn't found its stroke, but the defense has played phenomenally against the run, albeit against lower-level opposition.
It'll take an exceptional showing from the Tigers defense to put Auburn in a position to win, but it's possible. Penn State deserves to be the favorite heading into this game, but the environment it's walking into is never easy for the visiting team.
Morgan Moriarty
There are a number of intriguing options to choose from this week, but I am going to have to go with No. 16 North Carolina State here. The Wolfpack should have lost to East Carolina in Week 1, but the Pirates missed a game-tying extra point that allowed NC State escape with the victory.
NC State now plays a 2-0 Texas Tech team that knocked off a ranked team last week, defeating then-No. 25 Houston in double overtime. New Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire made history with the win, becoming just the second Tech head coach to beat an AP Top 25 team in his first game against a ranked opponent.
I like the way Red Raiders quarterback Donovan Smith has been playing through two weeks. He's thrown for 571 yards and six touchdowns, though he did toss three picks against Houston last week. Still, NC State's defense currently ranks 43rd nationally in passing defense, giving up 190.5 yards in the air per game. Tech, meanwhile, currently boasts the top-ranked passing offense in the country, averaging 411.5 yards per game.
It's tough to play on the road, but I like the way this Texas Tech team has looked to begin the season.
What's the Best Matchup Outside the Top 25?
The funniest matchup (unless you're a Fighting Irish fan) is certainly 0-2 Notre Dame vs. 2-0 California.
But as far as best matchup is concerned, am I out of my mind to say Kansas at Houston?
The Jayhawks are leading the nation in scoring, which doesn't even sound right for basketball, let alone football. But for the first time in a long time, they've found someone that works at quarterback: Jalon Daniels.
The dual-threat QB took over as the starter late last season, pacing the Jayhawks to 37.7 points over their final three games. Everyone took notice of Kansas for a moment when it upset Texas, but not many realized how competent the Jayhawks' offense had become. And, so far, it looks like that has more than carried over through the offseason.
Listen, I'm not trying to anoint Kansas as a Big 12 title contender or even as a serious threat to reach a bowl game for what would be the first time since 2008. But if it can win at Houston—one of the best Group of Five teams even with last week's loss at Texas Tech—I might be willing to change my tune on the bowl-eligibility front.