We’ve got a great slate for Week 2 of the college football season with some marquee matchups on the schedule.
It was a 2-1 start for our team totals selections a week ago. This week, I have picks for Georgia State vs. Kennesaw State, Southern Miss vs. Auburn and South Alabama vs. Tulane.
Let's dive into our NCAAF picks and college football predictions for this week's team totals.
Georgia State vs Kennesaw State Team Total Pick
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 Team Total Over 21.5
Confidence Rating: A-
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Southern Miss vs Auburn Team Total Pick
Auburn snuck away with a 17-16 win over Baylor last weekend.
While it certainly wasn’t a good performance from the offense, head coach Alex Golesh and offensive coordinator Joel Gordon were adamant that this week is important for the offense moving forward.
Auburn was moving at warp speed last week, using only 20.3 seconds between plays. That would've been the single fastest tempo of any team in the country last season.
We know Golesh and company will continue to force the issue as far as pace.
Importantly, Blake Anderson and Southern Miss are fast-paced as well. I suspect Southern Miss will finish the season in the top 15 or 20 nationally in tempo. There are going to be a ton of possessions in this game.
Baylor paid up for an improved defensive line, and it gave Auburn quite a bit of trouble. Southern Miss won’t be able to provide anything close to that level of resistance on defense.
The Southern Miss coaching staff called its defensive line “a work in progress” before the season started. That certainly doesn’t sound like a ringing endorsement.
I expect Southern Miss to be one of the worst defenses in the entire country this season. This is a real opportunity for Auburn to go out and show that its offense can get the job done.
Auburn's Byrum Brown is a supremely talented quarterback, and this is a great chance for him to shine.
I like the running back combination of Jeremiah Cobb and Bryson Washington as well. Even with the offense largely struggling, wide receiver Keshaun Singleton was a bright spot against Baylor as well.
Expect a high-tempo game all the way, with Auburn gashing the Southern Miss defense throughout.
Pick: Auburn Team Total Over 44.5
Confidence Rating: B
South Alabama vs. Tulane Team Total Pick
Tulane lost to Duke, 17-3, last weekend, gaining only 258 total yards of offense in the process. The Green Wave committed 15 penalties, which put them in a lot of third-and-long situations.
Tulane switched quarterbacks from Zeon Chriss-Gremillion to Kadin Semonza during the game, and he'll start in this one as well. I think Semonza is the better option, but whoever starts at quarterback doesn’t have an easy job.
Tulane is much weaker on the offensive front this season. Duke isn’t a particularly strong defensive front, but it still racked up seven tackles for a loss against this Tulane offense.
The Green Wave want to run the football a lot, but they no longer have a top line to run behind. I think they can have some success against South Alabama, but this line is asking them to do a lot more than just have some successful drives.
South Alabama isn’t particularly strong defensively, but I think the addition of Todd Orlando as its defensive coordinator will help this unit. Orlando has this group playing more aggressively.
On offense, I expect South Alabama to move pretty slowly and try to shorten the game.
Tulane isn’t the same team it's been over the last few years, and I'll fade its offense here in Week 2.
Pick: Tulane Team Total Under 30.5
Confidence Rating: B-
