College Football Picks: Expert Predictions For Texas-Michigan, Colorado-Nebraska, Tennessee-N.C. State & More

Week 2 of the college football season features a massive game in Ann Arbor, a neutral site showdown in Charlotte and a revenge game for the highest-profile coach in the game.

No. 3 Texas will visit Michigan as road favorites in what will be a statement game for both teams. A Texas win will show that it isn’t intimidated on the road, while a Michigan win will indicate that last week’s offensive woes were a one-off. 

Elsewhere, No. 14 Tennessee and NC State will square off in a key SEC-ACC showdown, and Nebraska will look to get revenge against Colorado coach Deion Sanders. 

How will it shake out? Here are the picks from Trey Wallace and Barrett Sallee. Keep in mind that the "wild card" pick is worth two points rather than one. As you can tell below, Trey has the upper hand following week one of action. 

Wallace: 2-2 straight up, 2-2 against the spread (3 points)

Sallee: 2-2 straight up, 2-2 against the spread (2 points)

No. 3 Texas at No. 10 Michigan (+7.5)

Wallace: Oh boy, I've had this game circled on the calendar for a while. Given that Michigan is having to replace so many studs from the national championship winning team, this could turn into an offensive expo for Quinn Ewers and Isaiah Bond. If Texas could go into Tuscaloosa last season and beat up on Alabama, I don't see Michigan intimidating this group, at all. But, I think we get a close game until the fourth quarter, and the Wolverines add a touchdown to cover the spread. Michigan (+7.5)

AUSTIN, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 04: Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns leads the team to the field before the game against the Kansas State Wildcats at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on November 04, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Sallee: Texas is not only going to cover, it’s going to win this game by double-digits. The last thing that Michigan coach Sherrone Moore wants to do is get into any kind of shootout, and he’s going to get a diet version of one on Saturday. Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers will hit a few big plays in the passing game, and the Wolverines duo of Davis Warren and Alex Orji won’t be able to keep up.

No. 14 Tennessee vs. No. 24 NC State in Charlotte (+8.5)

Wallace: This will be the coming-out party for Nick Iamaleava agaisnt the Wolfpack. While I know that Grayson McCall is a good quarterback, he doesn't have the playmakers like Tennessee does on offense. And, while only playing a low-number of snaps last week, I would imagine James Pearce is going to make life miserable for the NC State offensive line. This just feels like one of those games where the second half gets out of the hand. I'm taking Tennessee to cover the spread in Charlotte. 

Tennessee Volunteers QB Nico Iamaleava stiff arms a Iowa Hawkeyes defender in the Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. (Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports)

Sallee: I don’t trust Wolfpack quarterback Grayson McCall at all. He’s way too streaky and will have problems staying upright against a top-tier front seven like Tennessee boasts.On the flip side, the dynamic duo of quarterback Nico Iamaleava and running back Dylan Sampson will put on a show in one of the key out-of-conference matchups of the season.

Colorado at Nebraska (-7.5)

Wallace: Well, I came to Lincoln for a reason, and that was to see this quarterback duel between Sanders and Railola. This one has the makings of a premier Big 12 offensive slugfest. I don't know how much defense is going to be played, especially from Colorado, which makes me nervous about this line. I expect both coaches to come out swinging, and this comes down to the fourth quarter. At the end, Shedeur Sanders connects with Travis Hunter to grab the win, and cover the spread, adding to the Deion Sanders craziness. 

BOULDER, COLORADO - AUGUST 29: Head coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes runs onto the field prior to the game against the North Dakota State Bison at Folsom Field on August 29, 2024 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)

Sallee: The battle of former Big 12 rivals is going to be one of the most fascinating games of the year, as Cornhuskers freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola will look to feast on a Buffaloes defense that is a sieve. That will put pressure on Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and wide receiver Travis Hunter to keep up - something that they have done a pretty good job of despite no help from the offensive line. That will happen again, but not enough for Colorado to get the win. Take Nebraska to win, but grab the points.

Wild card games

Arkansas @ 16 Oklahoma State (8.5)

Wallace: Alright, I'll be honest. I went back and forth between this game, and Mississippi State vs. Arizona State. But, there's something about this Bobby Petrino offense with quarterback Taylen Green running it. I know what we saw last week against APBU, but this Razorback team looked like they were shot out of a cannon on offense. Now, Cowboys RB Ollie Gordon is going to get his, because he's that good. But, I think Arkansas scores late in the game, and covers the 8.5 points. This will be a fun one in Stillwater. 

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 29: Head coach Gus Malzahn of the UCF Knights  reacts during the first half of a game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at FBC Mortgage Stadium on October 29, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

 Sam Houston at UCF (-22)

Sallee: Full disclosure - I’m going to ride with UCF early and often as my wild card as long as public bettors continue to overlook Gus Malzahn’s squad. These Knights are dangerous, and they’ll show it yet again in what should be a 30+ point blowout. Running back RJ Harvey is one of the best running backs in the country, and he’ll have a field day alongside quarterback K.J. Jefferson.

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There you have it, our weekly predictions for the bigggest games of the weekend, at least on paper. The best part about this slate is that it will be a nice triple-header of college football. So, sit back, enjoy, and make sure to wrap yourself a nice parlay from these picks. 

Let's have a good weekend!