College Football Top 25 Matchups and 2026 Week 2 Preview and Picks

Preview and picks for Week 2 of the College Football season

Week 2 of the college football season often sees some significant line adjustments based on Week 1 results. That includes Top 25 action when Oklahoma travels to tackle Michigan in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines were a slight favorite heading into the season, but Michigan is now a +5.5 point underdog and even hit +6 at select top online sportsbooks. The Wolverines miracle in Michigan and controversial Hail Mary TD allowed Michigan (-28) to escape 13-12 over Western Michigan, but the Wolverines fell out of the Top 25 after opening the seaosn at No. 16. 

More Week 2 Top 25 action below with Power 4 teams leading the way from the Big Ten and SEC as No. 1 Ohio State tackles No. 2 Texas in Austin along with key games in the Big 12 and ACC.

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Top 25 Games and Week 2 Odds

Betting lines and college football odds from BetOnline and top online sportsbooks refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on props and live betting. Point spread on favorites plus game totals. All times ET. 

Check back by Friday each week and my updates on X as Fairways Forecast adds Picks and Opinions with select analysis, stats and information you can bet on. 

Thurs, Sept. 10

- Florida A&M at No. 7 Miami (NL) | 8 p.m. | ACC Network

Fri, Sept. 11

- Villanova at No. 24 Louisville (NL) | 7 p.m. | ACC Network
- Norfolk State at No. 25 Virginia (NL) | 7 p.m. | ACCNX
- No. 23 Missouri (-5) at Kansas, 50.5 | 8 p.m. | FOX 

Sat, Sept. 12 

- No. 1 Ohio State at No. 4 Texas (-1.5), total 45.5 | 7:30 p.m. | ABC 
- Western Kentucky at No. 2 Georgia (-39), 53.5 | 12:45 p.m. | SECN 
- Rice at No. 3 Notre Dame (-44.5), 55.5 | 3:30 p.m. | NBC
- Howard at No. 5 Indiana (NL) | 12 p.m. | BTN
- No. 6 Oregon (-22.5) at Oklahoma State, 58 | 12 p.m. | ESPN 
- Louisiana Tech at No. 8 LSU (32.5), 55.5 | 7:30 p.m. | SECN
- Charlotte at No. 9 Ole Miss (NL) | 7:45 p.m. | ESPN2
- Arizona State at No. 10 Texas A&M (| 12 p.m. | ABC
- No. 11 Oklahoma (-5.5) at Michigan, 43.5 | 12 p.m. | FOX 
- No. 12 Alabama (-10) at Kentucky, 49.5 | 3:30 p.m. |
- No. 13 Texas Tech (-26.5) at Oregon State, 53.5 | 7:30 p.m. | CBS ABC/Disney+
- Louisiana at No. 14 Southern Cal (USC), -30.5, 59.5 | 11 p.m. | Big Ten Network
- Arizona at No. 15 BYU (-7.5), 48 | 3:30 p.m. | FOX
- No. 16 Penn State (-24) at Temple, 49.5 | 12 p.m. | ESPN2
- UC Davis at No. 17 SMU (NL) | 4 p.m. | ACCNX
- No. 18 Tennessee (-12.5) at Georgia Tech, 55 | 7 p.m. | ESPN
- Utah State at No. 19 Washington (-26.5), 56 | 3:30 p.m. | BTN
- Arkansas at No. 20 Utah (-11.5), 54.5 | 10:15 p.m. | ESPN
- Iowa State at No. 21 Iowa (-14, 40.5) | 7:30 p.m. | NBC
- Southern at No. 22 Houston (NL) | 7 p.m. | ESPN+

Others receiving votes: Boise State 86, Florida 83, Michigan 69, Arizona 33, Memphis 23, South Carolina 19, Western Michigan 12, Pittsburgh 11, Navy 10, UCLA 7, Virginia Tech 6, Illinois 6, James Madison 4, Minnesota 4, Colorado 3, Auburn 2, Arizona State 2, Vanderbilt 2

Ohio State got 46 first place votes followed by Indiana (8), LSU (5), Notre Dame (4), Oregon (3), Texas (2) and Miami (1). 

Notable line and total adjustments from opener:
- Texas/Ohio State total 48.5 to 45.5
- Oregon/OSU total 58 to 57 
- Notre Dame/Rice total 53.5 to 55.5
- Alabama -9 to -10 at Kentucky
- BYU/AZ total 50.5 to 48
- TT/OSU total 51 to 53.5 

Other games of interest

- Mississippi State (-1) at Minnesota, total 55.5 
- Duke at Illinois (-6), 51
- Central Florida (UCF) at Pittsburgh (-7), 57.5
- UNLV (-3.5) at North Texas, 57
- South Florida at Army (-3.5), 46.5
- Old Dominion at Virginia Tech (-19.5), 50.5
- Memphis at Boise State (-8.5), 55
- San Diego State at UCLA (-11.5), 55 
- Bowling Green at Nebraska (-28.5), 51.5
- North Dakota State (-2) at Air Force, 47.5
- Navy (-4.5) at Florida Atlantic, 59.5
- New Mexico State at Hawaii (-9), 50.5 

Stats, Strategies and ATS Notes 

As I mentioned in Week 1 Top 25 report, where our posted opinions on games sucked, teams with a 2/1 rushing yards advantage over an opponent in game are 79% ATS the past five years and 78% ATS in 2025. That's from a sample size of more than 300 games per season. This season those power rushing teams are 13-3 ATS, including 10-2 ATS in Week 1. I'm only including FBS vs. FBS matchups. West Virginia (281-52) was one of those teams in Week 1 that dominated the ground game while building a 24-0 halftime lead, but failed to cover the spread in a 31-24 victory. LSU and new coach Lane Kiffin kicked in the teeth of Clemson and kept pounding the Tigers with a 309-40 rushing edge while also piling up 335 passing yards. Ohio State also rushed (237) and passed (435) for huge yardage against an inferior Ball State team to win 56-3 and cover the 50.5 point spread. Alabama and Iowa were the two other 200+ run/pass yards teams who won and covered in Week 1 while Houston won but failed to cover as a 200+ run/pass team with a -2 turnover margin. 

Teams that both rushed and passed for 200+ yards in a game this season are 4-2 ATS, 77% ATS the past 5 season and 80% ATS over the past 3 seasons with more than 150 games per season in which a team both runs and passes for 200+ yards per game as strong and balanced offenses that are more efficient.

SEC teams were undefeated in Week 1 while Big Ten and Big 12 teams suffered two non-conference losses and the ACC four non-conf losses. Rutgers lost as a 29.5 point favorite at home to UMASS. Wisconsin's 41-13 loss to Notre Dame (-21) was misleading as the Badgers were only out-gained 350-294 but suffered a pick-6 TD by the Irish.  

Select Week 2 Top 25 Matchups and Picks 

One early opinion and I'll post picks by Friday as I research and handicap more stats, matchups and information you can bet on while still delivering more Top 25 coverage. 

Ohio State at Texas - early Opinion on Texas, who is up from -1 to -1.5 and a pick 'em at the start of the season. The Longhorns are 19-1 SU at home since the start of the 2023 season with their only loss to No. 5 Georgia before Arch Manning became the starting quarterback. 

Friday update: 

Week 1 Grades and Adjustments 

Plenty of overreactions to Week 1 results, and it’s adjusted in the betting lines for Week 2. Sure adjustments need to be made in power ratings and pricing, and downgrades for certain on Big Ten teams like Rutgers and Michigan following beyond poor performances. 

But one September result should not completely redefine fans or bettors thoughts about a team. There is an emotional bingo ball amount attached to each team’s opponent on their schedule. If you broke it down based on a 100 scale over 12 games, Michigan might attach a 4 to playing Western Michigan, and 16 to Ohio State on emotion and importance of the game. Same with Rutgers vs. UMASS following their shocking loss last week as a 29.5-point home favorite. Both the Scarlet Knights and Wolverines may have been looking ahead to this week’s matchups more, and we’ll find out how resilient they are and if they can rebound and recover as a team. Both betting lines have adjusted between 7-9 points from what would have been the line prior to Week 1 games. 

Rutgers (+3) has another weaker opponent, albeit a Power 4 team to tackle on the road at Boston College Friday night. Late post and we’ll Lean Rutgers way.  Michigan (+4.5) is home at the Big House again in Ann Arbor against a top 15 team from the SEC in Oklahoma. Clemson and NC State had the worst Game Grade averages in Week 1 followed by Rutgers, per Pick Six Previews weekly updates. The best Week 1 Game Grade averages were LSU, Notre Dame, Virginia, Miami, Alabama, Texas and Penn State in big margin wins and covers. 

Just one matchup between Top 25 teams in Week 2, and it’s a big one No. 1 Ohio State at No. 4 Texas. Not a good schedule of games overall with 16 FBS vs FBS contests. Michigan fell out of the Top 25 following their poor performance in Week 1. 

Top 25 Opinions 

Texas (-1) and Over 49.5 OSU/Texas
Olahoma (-4.5) at Michigan
Arizona +7.5 at BYU
AZ/BYU Under 48.5 (lean, big move down)
Arkansas/Utah Under 55.5 

Check the wind Saturday night in Salt Lake City, where Arkansas should struggle to move the ball again after failures last week vs. weaker North Alabama team and full turnover on the ‘Hogs offensive line. Arkansas rushed 49 times for 148 yards in a 31-14 non-cover win over weaker FCS No. Alabama team. 

Oklahoma at Michigan. I still have an opinion on Oklahoma, and the line has dipped to Sooners -4.5 at top online sportsbook BetOnline. If you read my Big Ten preview, you know I was down on Michigan this season, playing their season wins Under and also bet against them last week taking Western Michigan (+28) in a 13-12 miracle Michigan win. I also bet on Oklahoma in last year’s matchup vs. Michigan that also saw an adjusted price on Oklahoma in the Sooners 24-13 win. But bumbling bro QB Bryce Underwood struggled badly against the Sooners strong defense in defeat, and also against the three other top teams and defenses on the Wolverines schedule last season. This is simply a bet on the better team and trusting what I see, believe and stronger matchups for the Sooners with plenty of questions to be answered by the Wolverines and a fragile emotional state. Going against a Sooners top defense and coach Venables is not a recipe to a bounce back, but rather more mistakes, turnovers and troubles QB Underwood and Big Blue. 

Non-top 25 games I bet and a Pick on Army, who is available at -3 at select online sportsbooks over South Florida. The Black Knights from West Point rolled up 569 rushing yards in a 59-3 beatdown of FCS Bryant last week averaging 10.0 yards per rush with six different players scoring rushing touchdowns. Confident Army will outrush So. Florida by at least a 2/1 margin, and those teams with such rushing edge in a game are 10-2 ATS this season (FBS vs FBS) and 79% ATS the past five years. South Florida (USF) was outgained 381-209 last week by Florida International, averaging just 3.7 yards per play. But the Bulls managed to win 19-9 thanks to creating 3 turnovers. Not as fortunate this week vs. Army. 

Non-Top 25 Picks and Opinions 

Picks
- Army (-3 or 3.5) vs. USF 

Opinions
-  North Texas (+3.5) vs. UNLV
- So. Miss / Auburn Over 56.5 (total up)

North Texas showed better than expected last week despite losing 51-13 at Indiana. The Mean Green actually outrushed and outgained the Hoosiers. UNLV is in a very difficult travel spot off the (misleading) win at Hawaii and now traveling again to take on the Mean Green north of Dallas. 

Auburn and So. Miss both played at top 10 pace of play last week. Tigers have a projected big rush advantage. 

You can bet on it.

FairwayJay is a leading sports betting industry analyst, handicapper, content creator, reporter and credentialed media member based in Las Vegas. He's been covering major sports including college football and NFL plus golf from a betting perspective for more than two decades. FairwayJay is also on the scene for NHL and major sports and poker events plus industry conferences and college football media days. Follow @FairwayJay on X and OSGA for more betting insight and information you can bet on.