Sports
Week 2 College Football Betting Guide: Ohio State-Texas Showdown Headlines Slate
By Tom Fornelli
College football's second week arrives with plenty of intrigue, from marquee matchups to underdog opportunities. Before diving into picks, it's worth addressing the officiating controversy from Week 1, when Western Michigan lost to Michigan 13-12 amid confusion over game clock management that few viewers understood. Rather than viewing this as a conspiracy favoring Michigan, the incident highlights a broader need for transparency in replay reviews across all conferences. The ACC has already implemented fully transparent review processes, and the Big Ten announced it will follow suit. Given the financial stakes involved in college football through broadcasting and betting partnerships, all leagues should adopt similar transparency measures to maintain integrity and public trust.
After a 3-3 start to the betting column last week, this week's picks aim to build on lessons learned.
In the marquee matchup, No. 1 Ohio State travels to No. 4 Texas. Historically, top-ranked AP teams that are underdogs have gone 0-5 both straight up and against the spread over the past decade, but this trend carries less weight than Texas coach Steve Sarkisian's track record against elite competition. Since taking over in 2021, Sarkisian is 5-9 both straight up and against the spread against top-10 teams, ranking 20th among 60 programs with at least five such games in that span—still above the .282 average win rate for that group. Ohio State, meanwhile, boasts a 12-8 record against top-10 opponents since 2021, trailing only Georgia among all programs. While Texas possesses significant talent and home-field advantage in Austin, Ohio State has proven more reliable in high-stakes matchups, including victories over Texas in each of the past two seasons. The pick: Ohio State +1.5.
No. 11 Oklahoma visits Michigan in another significant contest. Despite Michigan's offensive struggles in a narrow win over Western Michigan last week, the Wolverines' defense performed well despite fatigue from extended time on the field. Oklahoma's defense ranks among the nation's best, and quarterback John Mateer frequently contributes through the run game—a similar approach may be seen from Michigan's Bryce Underwood. With two strong defensive units and offenses potentially leaning on ground games, this matchup projects as lower-scoring. The pick: Under 43.5.
For the Lock of the Week, Washington State faces Kansas State. Despite Washington State's 24-10 loss to Washington in the Apple Cup appearing competitive, Washington's own struggles—not Washington State's strength—kept the score close. Kansas State, fresh off a 71-3 victory over Nicholls, should provide a more consistent offensive performance under coach Collin Klein, while avoiding the penalty issues that plagued Washington's defense. The pick: Kansas State -17.5.
In the Rebound of the Week, Southern Miss visits Auburn. Auburn's season-opening 17-point performance against Baylor disappointed under new coach Hugh Freeze's replacement Alex Golesh, with quarterback Byrum Brown committing three turnovers. Southern Miss, however, lost most of its roster when former coach Charles Huff departed for Memphis, leaving the Eagles with the least returning production nationally despite a 49-3 win over Alcorn State. Auburn should look sharper this week. The pick: Auburn Team Total Over 44.5.
For the Under of the Week, Memphis travels to Boise State. Both programs showcased impressive defensive line play in their respective Week 1 contests—Boise State against Oregon and Memphis in two prior games—suggesting a defensive battle that could limit scoring for both potential Group of Six playoff contenders. The pick: Under 54.5.
Finally, the Upset of the Week features Wake Forest at Purdue. While Wake Forest coach Jake Dickert built a strong program last season, Purdue showed marked improvement in a season-opening win over Indiana State, particularly in run defense. The current line appears to undervalue Purdue's progress. The pick: Purdue (+128).