College Football Point Spreads: Week 2 Odds

So what did we learn from Week 1 of the college football season? That defending national champion Alabama is absolutely loaded again but, that fellow SEC teams Tennessee and LSU were perhaps overrated. Ditto for Big 12 power Oklahoma. Now, the Tigers and Sooners have zero wiggle room to get a shot at the College Football Playoff. Not a great schedule in Week 2 but here are five games to watch and their Sports Interaction NCAA football odds.
Matchups on Saturday unless noted.

NCAA Football Picks and Odds: Week 1

No. 15 Louisville at Syracuse

Friday, 8 p.m. ET
Point spread: Cardinals -14.5; total: 65
NCAAF pick: Louisville and over

If perhaps you aren’t fan of the ACC, you might not have known who Louisville sophomore quarterback Lamar Jackson was. Now you do, and he’s legitimate Heisman candidate after a monster opening game. Jackson is now +1000 on NCAA football odds to win the Heisman after accounting for eight touchdowns in just one half of action in Louisville’s 70-14 rout of Charlotte. Jackson threw for six scores, tying the school record, and rushed for two. Those eight TDs tied the ACC record set by Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd in 2012.

Jackson was just the second player in the past 20 years in the FBS with at least six passing scores and two rushing TDs in the same game. Jackson totaled 405 yards of offense before sitting out after intermission. Syracuse has a new head coach in Dino Babers, and the Orange are going to play up-tempo offense under him. They routed Colgate 33-7 in their opener. QB Eric Dungey was 34-for-40 for 355 yards and two touchdowns. Louisville beat visiting Syracuse 41-17 last year. Jackson was out injured. Dungey was 15 of 30 for 158 yards and two interceptions and rushed 13 times for 45 yards.

Western Kentucky at No. 1 Alabama

3:30 p.m. ET
Point spread: Tide -28.5; total: 58
NCAAF pick: WKU and under

Could this be a potential letdown game for Alabama after thoroughly embarrassing No. 20 Southern Cal 52-6 on Saturday in Arlington, Texas? A star was born in that game in Alabama freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts, who threw for 118 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for two more scores. Alabama hadn’t beaten a Top-20 team that big since a 61-6 defeat of Syracuse in the 1953 Orange Bowl.

It was USC’s worst loss since 1966 and the first time it was held without a touchdown in a game since 1997. There’s another reason this could be a bit of a trap game for Alabama because it visits Ole Miss, which has beaten the Crimson Tide each of the past two years, in Week 3. Western Kentucky is no pushover as it won the Conference USA title in 2015. The Hilltoppers opened the season with a 46-14 win over Rice.

Kentucky at No. 25 Florida

3:30 p.m.. ET
Point spread: Gators -16.5; total: 47.5
NCAAF pick: Florida and under

The longest active winning streak by one school over another in college football? That would be Florida’s 29-game winning streak over Kentucky. But the Wildcats nearly won each of the past two seasons. Neither the Wildcats nor Gators played well in Week 1. Florida was a 36.5-point favourite against UMass but won just 24-7. Former walk-on Luke Del Rio threw two touchdown passes in his first career start. It was UF’s 27th straight season-opening win, also the nation’s longest active streak. Kentucky lost at home to Southern Miss 44-35, allowing 34 unanswered points after leading 35-10. UK coach Mark Stoops is really on the hot seat now.

Nevada at No. 21 Notre Dame

3:30 p.m. ET
Point spread: Irish -27; total; 60.5
NCAAF pick: Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish now have no margin for error to reach the College Football Playoff, either, after losing 50-47 in double overtime at Texas on Sunday night. That’s the same Texas team that was blown out in South Bend last year in Week 1, 38-3, managing just 163 total yards. The Irish lost top receiver Torii Hunter Jr. on Sunday to a concussion so his status is up in the air for this game.

He had four catches for 37 yards and a score vs. Texas. Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly hasn’t announced his starting QB yet but it’s pretty clearly going to be DeShone Kizer. He threw for 215 yards and five touchdowns, while running for another score against the Horns. Meanwhile, Malik Zaire threw for just 23 yards. Nevada opened with a 30-27 overtime win over Cal Poly. The Wolf Pack are coached by former Notre Dame assistant Brian Polian.

Virginia Tech vs. No. 14 Tennessee

8 p.m. ET
Point spread: Volunteers -11; total: 52
NCAAF pick: Tennessee and under

This game is being held at Bristol Motor Speedway and will set an NCAA record for attendance, somewhere north of 150,000 fans. Tennessee nearly was the biggest upset victim of Week 1, escaping at home against Appalachian State, 20-13 in overtime. The Vols were really fortunate to win that game as they were able to recover two crucial fumbles of their own doing, including the overtime touchdown. The Mountaineers led by 10 at halftime. Under new coach Justin Fuente, the Hokies opened with a 36-13 win over Liberty. Virginia Tech quarterback Jerod Evans threw for 221 yards and four touchdowns. Tech and Tennessee haven’t played a regular-season game since 1937.