Week 2 is here, and that means a better understanding of teams across the nation, creating more potential betting value.
I'm breaking down five top spots for Week 2, including picks, odds and predictions for Oregon vs. Texas Tech and more.
Dive in below and get set for another great week of football.
BJ Cunningham's College Football Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that Action Network senior writer Collin Wilson is targeting from Saturday's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
| 12 p.m. | Under 51 | |
| 12 p.m. | Ball State +43.5 | |
| 3:30 p.m. | Iowa -3.5 | |
| 7 p.m. | Texas Tech +6.5 | |
| 7:30 p.m. | Mississippi State -9 | |
No. 10 Notre Dame vs. NC State
Saturday, Sep 912:00pm ETABC
Notre Dame looks to move to 3-0 on the season when it takes on NC State in Ra leigh on Saturday.
Sam Hartman has taken South Bend by storm in his first two games and now has Irish fans thinking about the College Football Playoff. However, I think we need to pump the brakes given the competition they've faced.
After playing Navy and Tennessee State, this will be Notre Dame's first big test before it squares off against Ohio State in Week 4.
NC State had a real lackluster performance on the road at UConn, coming away with a 24-14 win. The Wolfpack are coming off an 8-5 season, which was a disappointment given the hype surrounding them going into the season.
They have to replace quite a bit of production on both sides of the ball, so it may take a bit for them to find their stride.
Let's dive into the odds for Notre Dame vs. NC State and find a betting pick and prediction in this college football betting preview on Saturday, Sept. 7.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Hartman has put up two outstanding games against Navy and Tennessee State. He's gone 33-for-41 for 445 yards and six touchdowns. So, as you can imagine, his PFF passing grade sits at a staggering 91.2 through two games.
Hartman has been one of the best quarterbacks in college football for a few years now after putting up fantastic numbers for Wake Forest. In his ti me in Winston-Salem, Hartman posted an 87.5 PFF passing grade, averaged 8.5 yards per attempt and had 70 big-time throws in three seasons.
The question with Hartman isn't so much about his talent but rather about how he would perform changing schools and offensive systems. But so far, that hasn't been an issue.
However, once he faces a decent secondary, things may not be as easy as they've been for him so far.
Coming into the season, Notre Dame returned just one of its top four pass-catchers from last season and lost one of the nation's best tight ends in Michael Mayer.
The good news for Hartman is he has a great offensive line in front of him with two NFL-caliber tackles.
The Notre Dame defense gave up a lot of chunk plays last year, but it was one of the best teams at preventing teams from scoring once they had the opportunity. The Irish finished last season fifth in the country in Finishing Drives and will have eight starters retu rning.
They're stacked at linebacker with their top three players coming back. Plus, head coach Marcus Freeman added transfers on the defensive line and in the secondary to help maintain the level of production they had last season.
NC State Wolfpack
NC State is going to have a lot of new faces on the offensive side of the ball, and one of them is a familiar one in Virginia transfer Brennan Armstrong.
Armstrong is one of the most fascinating quarterbacks in college football because of the variance he plays with.
Two years ago, he was one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the country, putting up a PFF passing grade of 90.9 with 35 big-time thro ws while also averaging 7.6 yards per carry on the ground.
But last season, he changed offensive systems and played behind a terrible offensive line that put him under pressure on 40.4% of dropbacks. As a result, his PFF passing grade dropped all the way down to 56.7 and he averaged only 6.6 yards per attempt.
For Armstrong to be successful, it's pretty clear he needs a good offensive line in front of him -'or at least one that doesn't put him under duress on over 40% of his dropbacks.
Only two starters and 63 starts came back on an offensive line that was 31st in terms of PFF pass-blocking grade.
Armstrong found himself under pressure on 37.8% of his dropbacks against UConn, so it may be another long season if that holds up.
It doesn't help that NC State lost three of its top four pass-catchers as well.
The Wolfpack couldn't run the ball to save their lives last season. They averaged just 3.3 yards per carry while ranking 116th in EPA/Rush and 111th in Offensive Line Yards.
They do return their top back in Jordan Houston, but with only two starters back on the offensive line, it's hard to see them being effective against a solid Notre Dame front seven.
The Wolfpack defense is going to have to replace some production. They lost five of their top six tacklers from on a unit that was one of the best in the nation against the run and ranked inside the top five in Defensive Line Yards, Stuff Rate and rushing explosiveness.
The defensive line should maintain the same type of production after adding some high-value transfers, but the linebacking room and secondary took big hits, so it may be a long day against Hartman.
Notre Dame vs. NC State
Betting Pick & Prediction
Hartman could not have played better in his first two games. However, this is going to be a much better defense, and it's one he's struggled against in the past.
NC State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson has somewhat had Hartman's number, as the quarterback has thrown six interceptions and held an average PFF passing grade of 73.1 in those three meetings.
The Wolfpack aren't going to be able to run the ball, so it's up to Armstrong to beat a good Notre Dame secondary through the air. The good news for Armstrong is he's back with his old offensive coordinator from Virginia, Robert Anae.
But if he's going to constantly be under pressure, he's not going to be effective.
I only have 45.2 points projected for this game, so I like the value on under 51 points and would play it down 49.
Pick: Under 51 (Play to 49)Bet the Under Instantly With FanDuel QuickSlip!
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Ball State vs. No. 1 Georgia
Saturday, Sep 912:00pm ETSEC NetworkBall State +43.5
Georgia looks to extend its win streak to 19 games when it takes on Ball State in Athens on Saturday.
Ball State opened up its season against another SEC foe in Kentucky in Week 1. The Cardinals looked like they were going to cover until this happened:
Just a reminder that if you need to let it out after a bad beat like Ball State (+25.5), we've got you covered ??
?? (959) BAD-BEATpic.twitter.com/MXcGHeBags
– Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) September 2, 2023
The Cards are projected to be a mid-level MAC team. While they're almost assuredly not going to win this game, they do have some talent that could help them cover.
Georgia took care of business in its opening game against Tennessee Martin, 41-7, but failed to cover as 50-point favorites.
The Bulldogs have one of the easiest schedules in the SEC, and they legitimately may not be tested until Nov. 18 when they travel to Knoxville to take on Tennessee.
They have South Carolina on deck, so it's all about about getting past Ball State on Saturday.
Ball State Cardinals
Ball State lost its opener to Kentucky, 44-14, an d we saw two different quarterbacks in Texas State transfer Layne Hatcher and true freshman Kadin Semonza.
At the time of writing, Mike Neu has not named a starter and has said both quarterbacks – along with rushing threat Kiael Kelly – will see action against Georgia.
Ball State head coach Mike Neu said the starting QB decision for Saturday's game at Georgia will be made later this week, but true freshman Kadin Semonza will play. Semonza took over for Layne Hatcher vs. Kentucky. Kiael Kelly should continue to have a role as a rushing threat.
– College Football QB Newsletter (@GunslingerBuzz) September 5, 2023
He hasn't named a starter because Semonza was slinging it after he took over for Hatcher, going 15-of-20 for 166 yards and a touchdown. However, whoever sees action is going to struggle against one of the best secondaries in the nati on.
Ball State really struggled to run the ball against Kentucky, averaging just 1.8 yards per carry.
The unit should improve, though, as Neu landed first-team All-MAC running back Marquez Cooper from Kent State in the offseason.
Cooper stands at just 5-foot-7 but is incredibly difficult to tackle. He forced 81 missed tackles and had 43 runs over 10 yards last season. Both of those numbers were good enough to rank top-10 in the country.
Marquez Cooper (@quez__15) makes it a 50 ??! He takes it 36 yards to the house to make it 52-40 with 7:17 to go in the 4th on ESPN2 !#FlashFAST? | #BeTheAlpha?? pic.twitter.com/ZYPNtGC1T1
– Kent State Football (@KentStFootball) November 4, 2021
The Ball State defense did a great job limiting big plays and defending in its own territory last year. The Cardinals ranked 12th in explosiveness allowed and 41s t in Finishing Drives Allowed.
They return seven starters, with the majority coming back in their front seven. The main problem is that their secondary could get torched in this game.
Georgia Bulldogs
What more can you say about Georgia other than it's now the bes t program in the country?
There are some new faces on the offensive side of the ball, as Stetson Bennett has finally moved onto the NFL. That means last year's backup, Carson Beck, will take over as the starting quarterback.
Beck was close to perfect in mop-up duty last season, going 26-of-35 for 310 yards and four touchdowns. He wasn't a top-tier recruit coming out of high school as a four-star prospect and the fifth-ranked pro-style quarterback.
He put up a solid performance against Tennessee Martin, but there are a few concerning signs. He went just 3-of-12 on throws over 10 yards and put up a PFF passing grade of just 68.8, which you'd expect to be better considering he was pressured on only three of his 35 dropbacks against an FCS defense.
Georgia's top running back, Daijun Edwards, missed the opener, but at the time of writing, it looks like he's probable to play in this game.
Edwards was a beast last season, averaging 5.5 yards per carry in tandem with Kenny McIntosh. With Edwards being the lead back now, he should be able to flourish, but I wouldn't be surprised if Kirby Smart limits his carries.
The Georgia defense was incredible last season outside of one game against Ohio State. The Bulldogs finished top-10 in Success Rate Allowed, Finishing Drives Allowed and EPA/Play Allowed.
They return seven starters and four of their top five tacklers from last season, so they'll once again be among the nation's best.
Ball State vs Georgia
Betting Pick & Prediction
Ball State's final score against Kentucky was a tad misleading, and the Cardinals really should have covered. But Kentucky simply took advantage of its scoring opportunities while Ball State didn't.
The Cardinals had six drives end inside Kentucky's 40-yard line, but they came away with only seven points.
Image via CFBData.
The Cardinals are at least capable of moving the ball on an SEC defense. They may not be able to do it against Georgia's starters, but once the backups come in, they should have a great shot here to cover.
Plus, Smart hasn't been great at covering as a huge favorite.
I only have Georgia projected as a -37.8 favorite, so I like the value on Ball State at +43.5 and would play it down to +42.
Pick: Ball State +43.5 (Play to +42)Bet Ball Sta te Instantly With FanDuel QuickSlip!
Iowa vs. Iowa State
Saturday, Sep 93:30pm ETFOXIowa -3.5
The battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy takes place in Ames this year, as the Iowa Hawkeyes battle the Iowa Stat e Cyclones.
Iowa started out hot before the offense went back to what we've seen over the past few seasons. It beat Utah State, 24-14, but it was hardly an impressive victory.
The Hawkeyes lost this game to Iowa State last season because of extremely poor offensive play, and that unit can't get going again, Iowa State may make it two in a row.
It's unfortunate, but all of the news with Iowa State is happening off the field. Quarterback Hunter Dekkers, along with a couple of other players, have either been suspended or are awaiting a decision from the NCAA for gambling violations.
The Cyclones won their opening game against Northern Iowa, 30-9, which is a positive. But it's going to be really hard for them to get to a bowl game if they're going to be without their starting quarterback for the duration of the season.
Let's take a look at the odds and find a pick and prediction for Iowa vs. Iowa State in the college football b etting preview in Saturday, Sept. 9.
Iowa Hawkeyes
Cade McNamara was perfectly fine in the opener, but he's dealing with a quad injury that he admitted this week is going to keep him limited. He went 17-for-29 for 161 yards and two touchdowns with a PFF passer rating of 74.5 in the win over Utah State.
The level of improvement on the offensive line is the main thing that matters for the Hawkeyes.
Last season, Iowa was very inexperienced, and it fielded one of the worst offensive lines in Kirk Ferentz's tenure as head coach. Iowa finished 126th in PFF pass-blocking grade and 54th in PFF run-blocking grade, despite Iowa typically being among the nation's elite at developing offensive linemen.
McNamara was pressured on 16.1% of his dropbacks against Utah State, which is an improvement for the Iowa offensive line.
Iowa's defense was historically strong last year, as the Hawkeyes finished seco nd in EPA/Play Allowed, third in Finishing Drives and allowed just 4.1 yards per play, which was the best in the nation.
They played a fantastic game against Utah State in the opener, holding the Aggies to just 4.6 yards per play and just 14 points on their five trips inside the 40-yard line.
There was a potential void at linebacker after Jack Campbell and Seth Benson departed, but the Hawkeyes brought in Virginia middle linebacker Nick Jackson – who has compiled over 300 tackles in his career – to help fill that.
The secondary was a huge strength for the Hawkeyes last season, ranking inside the top five in EPA/Pass Allowed, Passing Success Rate Allowed and PFF coverage grade.
The secondary loses two key starters, but Cooper DeJean and Quinn Schulte are back. Plus, five-star recruit Xavier Nwankpa is now a full-time starter and picked off a pass in Week 1, so there really shouldn't be a steep drop-off in this unit.
I owa State Cyclones
The Cyclones' final score against Northern Iowa is a bit misleading. Iowa State actually got outgained by the Panthers and had fewer trips inside the 40-yard line than UNI.
The difference was Iowa State capitalized on theirs, and Northern Iowa didn't.
Image via CFBData
With Dekkers out of the lineup, starting quarterback duties fell to redshirt freshman Rocco Becht. Becht didn't attempt many passes, as Iowa State handed the ball off on 27 of its 45 plays on offense. He finished 10-of-13 for 113 yards and two touchdowns, but it was pretty clear Iowa State didn't want to show anything to Iowa on film.
Iowa State lost Xavier Hutchinson at wide receiver after he caught over 100 balls last season but returned the next three pass-catchers and added Eastern Kentucky transfer Jayden Higgins.