What an opening weekend it was.
While few true upsets occurred, a hectic Labor Day weekend delivered a power outage at Florida State, a blowout of Clemson on the Bayou by LSU and a head-scratching game clock discrepancy that led Michigan to a last-second win over Western Michigan.
Alabama also made quick work of East Carolina. As the Crimson Tide embarks on its earliest SEC game since 2007, here are my picks for Week 2.
No. 1 Ohio State at No. 4 Texas: Sept. 12, 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC
The Buckeyes and Longhorns will meet again in one of the most anticipated regular-season clashes in recent memory since opening the 2025 season with a No. 1 vs. No. 3 showdown in Columbus. This time, two of the sport’s biggest brands will battle under the lights in Austin.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning opened his season with a 305-yard performance on 20-of-27 passing, along with four touchdowns and an interception in a 59-7 win over Texas State last week. He struggled against Ohio State’s defense last year in his debut as the Longhorns’ starter, completing 17 of 30 pass attempts and tossing an interception.
The Buckeyes are again expected to deploy one of the nation’s top defenses, which could again limit Manning. I expect both teams to dominate defensively, but not to the degree of last year’s 14-7 result in favor of Ohio State.
The Longhorns brought in Auburn transfer wide receiver Cam Coleman in January, and I would expect him and fellow receiver Ryan Wingo to give the Buckeyes trouble along the outside. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day shrugged off concerns that his defensive backs could have trouble with the duo, however.
“They get a chance on both sides — when you look at their receivers and how dynamic they are — they get to go against that in practice every day,” Day said. “It’s not going to be this huge jump of talent that you can’t catch up to early in the game.”
Under the lights in the Lone Star State, I am rolling with Manning and Texas to avenge last year’s loss and make a statement.
Prediction: No. 4 Texas 24, No. 1 Ohio State 20
No. 11 Oklahoma at Michigan: Sept. 12, 11 a.m. CT on FOX
Michigan controversially enters this game unbeaten after an officials’ review added one second to the game clock, resulting in a game-winning Wolverines touchdown on a Hail Mary, despite the NBC broadcast displaying that time had expired on an unsuccessful Hail Mary attempt from the Wolverines’ sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood the play before.
Amid the controversy comes a daunting task: defending home turf against a College Football Playoff contender and Heisman hopeful in No. 11 Oklahoma and quarterback John Mateer. Underwood has yet to live up to the pricey billing at Michigan thus far, and I believe that will continue against a formidable Sooners defensive front.
“He’s our QB right now,” head coach Kyle Whittingham said of Underwood. “It’s not something that’s infinite. At some point, we’ve got to turn a corner, and we’ve got to see improvement, as we’ve got to do with a bunch of stuff. We’ve got to see improvement out of the coaches. It’s not just on Bryce, and it’s not just Bryce’s job that is not absolutely set in concrete. Nobody’s is.”
I expect Mateer and Oklahoma to roll early and cruise to a two-score victory over the Wolverines, despite the rowdy atmosphere of Michigan Stadium.
Prediction: No. 11 Oklahoma 27, Michigan 14
No. 12 Alabama at Kentucky: Sept. 12, 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC
Kentucky fans have circled this game for months.
Alabama’s SEC opener shapes up similarly to several games it dropped in head coach Kalen DeBoer’s first two seasons, as it is facing an unranked opponent in the Wildcats on the road, again as a double-digit favorite. That recipe was one for disaster for the Crimson Tide across DeBoer’s first 14 games at the helm, including a stunning loss at Vanderbilt in 2024 and a season-opening upset at Florida State last season.
Factor in that Saturday marks the first SEC game of a new era for Kentucky under head coach Will Stein, and this game appears even more like one the Crimson Tide could fall flat in. The timing of this game also sets up a slugfest as both teams will deploy quarterbacks in just their second career starts.
“We have to make this the loudest game in the history of Kentucky football,” Stein said. “That’s my goal for our fans. The loudest it has ever been. And we need them to be at their best. I want people in the stands for pregame. Let’s have 65,000 watching us warm up.”
Alabama showed last season that it learned from its mistakes against the unranked with an escape in Columbia. But with an overhauled offense and sophomore quarterback Keelon Russell not yet a finished product, those demons may haunt the Crimson Tide on Saturday.
Still, I think Alabama pulls away from Kentucky late on, as Russell showcases his elite ability after plays break down and wills the Crimson Tide to a 2-0 start.
Prediction: No. 12 Alabama 30, Kentucky 21
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