Ohio State. Texas.
After the Buckeyes held home-field advantage against the Longhorns last year, Ohio State will now attempt the same feat down in Austin.
We’ve got picks for that game plus more in our final 6 College Football Predictions for Week 2’s Evening Slate on Saturday, September 12.
College Football Predictions
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our college football betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7:30 PM | |
  | 7 PM | |
| 7 PM | |
  | 7 PM | |
  | 7 PM | |
  | 7:45 PM | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAF Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Ohio State vs. Texas Best Bet
There are no discernible weaknesses on either roster, as both Ohio State and Texas return quarterbacks from last season's showdown.
Both offenses have weapons on the outside that will dominate cornerbacks in the NFL: Jeremiah Smith and Cam Coleman.
PFF grading differs from each Week 1, as the Buckeyes were better in run blocking and creating a pass rush. However, the Longhorns had much better scores in run defense and tackling to go along with a score of fifth nationally in pass blocking.
Texas dominated on the ground in Columbus a season ago. Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown should give the Longhorns better options compared to Quintrevion Wisner and CJ Baxter in 2025.
Smothers has a career yards-after-first-contact number above four yards, producing 50 yards after contact on 10 carries against Texas State last week. Brown, meanwhile, tallied 55 missed tackles forced at Arizona State, something that needs to be in play against the Buckeyes.
Ohio State had a much slower afternoon in getting the running game going, as Bo Jackson exceeded five yards on a carry just once in the first half. Ja'Kobi Jackson also failed to create a rush over five yards in the first half against Ball State.
The numbers look different for Ohio State when taking out the biggest explosive play from each of the Jackson backs. Without the longest explosive rush in the final totals, Ohio State's top two options combined for just 52 yards on 15 carries.
The Longhorns are the pick based on a more elusive ground attack that should create yards after first contact.
Expect Will Muschamp to continue calling a Havoc-first defense with bracket coverage on Smith.
Along with the Buckeyes facing an elite aerial attack and ground game, Arch Manning comes in as a more proven weapon on designed carries compared to Julian Sayin.
Check out more of Collin's handicapping here:
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Pick: Texas ML (-125 or Better)
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Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech Best Bet
By Stuckey
I absolutely hated this Georgia Tech team coming into the season. Not only did I fade the Yellow Jackets in Week 1, but I also loved their win total under.
I just thought the market wasn't properly accounting for the offseason losses, primarily offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner and quarterback Haynes King.
Yet, even after downgrading the Yellow Jackets following their Week 1 loss to Colorado, I'm still at just +10 after adjusting for a very good situational spot.
Not only is this a primo buy-low opportunity on Tech (which thrives in the underdog role under Brent Key), but it also has a few extra days of rest/prep after opening up the season on a Thursday.
That's important for a roster that had to deal with so much turnover and brought in a new starting quarterback from the portal in Alberto Mendoza, who now at least has a start under his belt.
I'd expect the Ramblin' Wreck to run him more in this spot to open up the run game for Malachi Hosley and Justice Haynes, who simply could not get going against the Buffs.
While the trench play was worrisome for Tech and Julian Lewis left some points on the board with some bad quarterback play, it was still a coin-flip game if you look at post-game win expectancy, which also doesn't include a defensive touchdown that got erroneously taken off the board for the Yellow Jackets.
It's reasonable to expect a better effort in the second game with many new pieces and brand new coordinators.
Tennessee basically played to expectations in the opener against an FCS school, but I'm not sure how much we can take from a home game against a severely overmatched opponent in Furman.
This will still mark the first career road start (and first against real competition) for freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon. While super talented, he's still extremely inexperienced.
Ultimately, I just believe this is too much of an overreaction based on the results last week.
Plus, I'd expect Georgia Tech to grind this game to a halt, which it tends to do as an underdog in order to limit the number of possessions, which makes the points a bit more intriguing.
Check out some of Stuckey's late-night situational spots here
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Pick: Georgia Tech +11.5 or Better
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Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech Best Bet
By Doug Ziefel
Justice Haynes led Georgia Tech with 64 yards on 19 carries in the Week 1 loss to Colorado, but most of that total came on the Yellow Jackets' opening drive before Colorado's front shut the run game down for the rest of the night. Backfield partner Malachi Hosley fared even worse (14 yards on 6 carries), and Georgia Tech finished with just 56 rushing yards as a team. A jarring drop from the 320 yards it ran for against this same Colorado defense a year ago.
It's worth noting that Haynes' track record actually goes the other way. At Michigan last season, he cleared 65.5 rushing yards in six of his seven games, riding a 7.1 yards-per-carry average that made him one of the most explosive backs in the country before a foot injury ended his year.
The disconnect between that résumé and his Georgia Tech debut comes down to circumstance, not talent. He is working behind a shakier offensive line that allowed 3 sacks and posted a 0% run-stuff rate as a unit, and he's sharing carries in a three-man rotation with Hosley and Trelain Maddox rather than operating as a clear workhorse as he did at Michigan.
That context doesn't get any easier in Week 2. Georgia Tech hosts a ranked Tennessee team whose Jim Knowles-led defense piled up 13 tackles for loss and 7 sacks in its own opener, with All-SEC linebacker Arion Carter back from suspension to anchor the front. Tennessee is an 11.5-point favorite, and if Georgia Tech falls behind early, that only pulls the offense further away from the run.
Between the timeshare, the shaky offensive line, and a Tennessee front that looks like a legitimate step up from Colorado's, last week's diminished output looks more like the new baseline than an outlier.
Pick: Justice Haynes Under 71.5 Rushing Yards
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Towson vs. South Carolina Best Bet
By Joshua Nunn
This line opened with South Carolina as a 45.5-point favorite with a total set at 54.5. Money has come in on Towson, moving this number down to South Carolina -43.5. The first-half number is South Carolina -24.5, and that's the direction I'm going to go with.
The Gamecocks scored on every possession last week outside of the first one, and the offense really figured out its rhythm against Kent State.
One thing we didn't see last week was the pace that offensive coordinator Kendall Briles wants to run with, and I could see a concerted effort to ramp up the tempo in the first half of this one.
Towson faced 73 rushing plays last week and surrendered 506 yards on the ground against Navy. Maine also ran the ball a ton against this front, which has to be gassed after the game last week.
I can envision the pace really being an issue for Towson, which should surrender plenty of yards and points in this game.
I was impressed with South Carolina’s situational execution on third down and in the red zone. Plenty of teams across the country failed to execute last week, but the Gamecocks were buttoned up and looked sharp.
With the offensive personnel and situational play calling we saw last week, if that's mirrored, South Carolina will score plenty of points early and often.
Towson is going to throw the ball early in this game, as it did against Navy. I don't believe the offensive line will hold up, and I don't trust the primary Towson receivers — Jarvis Jones and Aaron Enterline — to burn the South Carolina defense the way they were able to against Navy.
The offensive line will also not hold up as well, and I expect sacks and negative plays to disrupt Towson drives.
South Carolina has a bit more motivation to bury the Tigers early and get the backups some reps in the second half.
With an SEC league game on deck, I think we see a full go from the offensive side in the first half, lock down defense from the South Carolina starting platoon, and an extensive lead at the half before South Carolina cruises in the second half.
I'm laying the 1H number here.
Pick: South Carolina 1H -25 or Better
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Georgia State vs. Kennesaw State Best Bet
By Kyle Hunter
Kennesaw State coasted to a 47-0 win over West Georgia in Week 1, while Georgia State beat North Carolina A&T, 59-10. These two games against weak FCS opponents told us very little about either team.
I don’t trust Kennesaw State quarterback Rickie Collins to consistently make good decisions. Collins posted six big-time throws and 15 turnover-worthy plays for Syracuse last season with a horrific PFF grade of 48.1.
Kennesaw State’s offense scored 47 points last week, but Collins had an average depth of target of just 4.7 yards. Collins is likely to make some bad decisions with the football, and that could lead to short fields or free points for Georgia State at any time.
On the other side, Georgia State quarterback Cameran Brown is extremely underrated. He had a 13:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio last season to go along with a 79.1 PFF rating.
The Panthers have all sorts of defensive issues, but their offense is actually pretty good. Head coach Dell McGee believes the offensive line is the strongest unit on the entire team this season. They don’t have any stars in the backfield, but they have a lot of depth.
Kennesaw State lost five defensive backs from last season, so it'll be hard for the Owls to hold their defensive level from a year ago. The pass rush is clearly weaker, and that alone will make the secondary look worse this season.
Georgia State is the more talented team according to the 247Sports team talent composite. I think the Panthers have a real shot to win, and I like their chances of succeeding on offense.
Pick: Georgia State TT Over 22 or Better
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Southern Miss vs. Auburn Best Bet
This game triggered one of our Action PRO Betting Systems, powered by Evan Abrams:
Unfamiliar Blowout Overs No Wind is a college football system that identifies high-scoring potential in non-conference games where large mismatches and calm weather create ideal conditions for offense.
During the regular season, when the home team is favored by more than 30 points, the talent gap often produces quick scoring opportunities and little resistance from the underdog.
The lack of conference familiarity further benefits the stronger team, as defensive preparation is weaker and big plays become more likely.
With the closing total set below 60, the market is not fully pricing in the offensive potential of these lopsided matchups.
Calm conditions with wind speeds under 10 MPH remove one of the biggest obstacles to scoring, making passing and kicking more efficient.
These factors combine to create a profile where the over consistently cashes as favorites pile on points and weaker opponents contribute through late scoring once the game is out of reach.
Games that fit this system this season are already 3-1 to the Over.
Pick: Over 57 or Better
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