Week 2 College Football: Games That Could Impact The National Championship Race

Week one of the college football season was crazy, with national title contenders Texas Christian University (TCU), Louisiana State University (LSU) and Clemson University dropping their first games of the season. With a full slate of games, there’s plenty of potential for more fireworks heading into week two. Here are the games with the most potential to greatly impact the national championship race. 

1. Texas At Alabama

The University of Alabama Alabama is favored by seven points, but many experts agree that this is one of the best teams the University of Texas at Austin has fielded over the past decade. 

Alabama is ranked No. 3 in the latest AP Top 25 poll, with Texas not far behind at No. 11. The winner of this matchup will score a big-time early-season win. The loser will miss out on a chance to make a statement. 

If you’re only going to watch one week-two college football game, let this be the one. Consider it the main attraction. 

2. Utah At Baylor

On the surface, this game doesn’t have much hype. The University of Utah is ranked No. 12, and Baylor University dropped its opener to an undermanned Texas State team. However, as you dig deeper, there are some serious long-term implications at stake.

Baylor is attempting to avoid an 0-2 start while Utah looks to build on the momentum of its week one win over the University of Florida. The Utes, at +6000, are a dark horse to win the national title. With one of the most difficult remaining schedules in college football, an undefeated record would all but ensure a spot in the college football playoffs. 

3. Texas A&M University At University Of Miami (Florida)

Both of these teams are looking to reestablish themselves among college football royalty. Texas A&M is a four-point road favorite against a Miami team that comfortably beat Miami (Ohio) 38-3 in its opener.

Much the same as Utah, Texas A&M and Miami are underdogs in the race to the national championship game. Texas A&M’s odds of winning the title sit at +5000, with Miami checking in at +150000. 

This game is a good early-season test for both teams. The winner will shoot up the rankings and better position itself for a late-season run. 

Other Games Of Interest

The three games above are most likely to impact the national championship race, but there’s a handful of others to keep an eye on:

• Vanderbilt University at Wake Forest University -11.5 
• Ball State University at University of Georgia -42 
• University of Notre Dame at North Carolina State University +7.5 
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln at University Colorado -3 
• University of Iowa at Iowa State University +4 
• University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) at Tulane University +6 
• University of Cincinnati at University of Pittsburgh -8 
• University of Oregon at Texas Tech University +6.5 
• University of Wisconsin-Madison at Washington State University +4
• Oklahoma State University at Arizona State University +3.5