We are on to Week 2 of the 2025 College Football season. Coaches often say that the most improvement that a team makes is between Week 1 and Week 2. Most teams are not playing conference games just yet, but we do have an SEC game on tap this week.

Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rebels travel to Kentucky to take on the Wildcats, who fell to 4-8 last year. The Rebels wound up 10-3 with two losses on the road and one loss at home to … Kentucky!

There are always some surprises early in the College Football season. Both Florida State and Miami surprised everyone in Week 1. Who will it be this week? A number of ranked teams are in action and there are some interesting Power 4 conference matchups. Michigan of the Big Ten, for example, is at Oklahoma, now in the SEC.

Once again, the Scores & State college football experts are here to bring you the best previews, picks, and predictions for college football Week 2. Keep it tuned to Scores & Stats all season long. You will find the best analysis and insight in the industry from now until the CFB National Championship game in January. Let’s move on to Week 2!

College Football Week 2 Schedule

College Football Week 2 Odds

Keep an eye on the latest College Football odds from the top online betting sites and monitor how the lines change throughout the week.

Most games during Week 2 are non-conference matchups. Only a handful of conference games will take place this week. Often, Power 4 conference teams will also schedule Group of 5 or even FCS teams early in the season.

For example, Alabama will host UL-Monroe of the Sun Belt Conference on Saturday night. In the afternoon, Tennessee plays host to in-state East Tennessee State. The Buccaneers play in the Southern Conference in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

Make sure you check ScoresandStats top handicappers each week of the college football season. They can help you understand how to approach some of these big point spreads and game totals.

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College Football Week 2 Predictions

Let’s take a look at the featured College Football Week 2 games and make our NCAAF picks for each game.

Iowa Hawkeyes @ Iowa State Cyclones Odds

It’s the Cy-Hawk rivalry and one of the fiercest in-state college football rivalries in existence. Every year in Week 2, Iowa meets Iowa State. They’ve met 71 times and Iowa holds the upper hand in the series with a 47-24 record.

Iowa has won seven of the last nine games in the series, but Iowa State, under head coach Matt Campbell, has won two of the last three. The common theme in the most recent three games in the series is defense. Those last three games ended with final combined scores of 17, 33, and 39.

Iowa Hawkeyes @ Iowa State Cyclones Predictions

Iowa returns five starters on both sides of the ball, but they will have to break in a new quarterback. Mark Gronowski, a Walter Payton Award winner and a two-time FCS national championship game MVP. He will lead a Hawkeyes offense that found a way to score points last year under new offensive coordinator Tim Lester.

The Cyclones return QB Rocco Becht (6,690 yards, 48 TDs in two seasons) and most of its offensive line. They added WR Chase Sewell in the transfer portal and the defense returns six starters. ISU is now 2-0 after wins over No. 17 Kansas State and FCS power South Dakota.

The Cyclones went 6-1 SU and 4-3 ATS at home last season. Iowa beat FCS Albany 34-7 in Week 1 as Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz tied Woody Hayes for most career victories (205) by a Big Ten coach. QB Mark Gronowski, who won two national championships at South Dakota State, did throw for a touchdown and run for one.

This game will come down to defense and running the football. It’s hard to pass up the home team at the key number. Remember, the Cyclones won two of the last three in this series. Also worth noting, the Over has cashed in 10 of Iowa’s last 14 games.

Bet: Iowa State -162, Iowa State -3 (-105), Over 41.5 (-110)

Baylor Bears @ SMU Mustangs Odds

These two schools are separated by about 95 miles and haven’t played each other since 2016. The Bears won that one 40-13, but times have changed and SMU is now an ACC member coming off an 11-3 season and a trip to the ACC title game.

Baylor has won 12 straight against SMU dating back to 1989 before the Bears were in the Big 12. Remember, the Mustangs came back from the NCAA’s Death Penalty in 1989. Over the past three seasons under head coach Rhett Lashlee, the Mustangs are 29-12 with a trip to the national playoffs last season.

Baylor Bears @ SMU Mustangs Predictions

SMU has the advantage of playing at home and they will once again be in the thick of the ACC race. The only issue is that they have to replace 9 starters on one of the best defenses in the country last year. Last week, they looked solid in a 42-13 win over East Texas A&M.

The Mustangs defense returned two interceptions for touchdowns and QB Kevin Jennings went 22-for-30 for 260 yards and two touchdowns. Baylor lost its season opener at home to Auburn. Bears QB Sawyer Robertson threw for 419 yards and three touchdowns, but the Baylor defense got manhandled by an Auburn running game that totaled 307 yards.

The SMU offense should be able to roll up points on the Bears. It was the defense that had some question marks. The Mustangs will have to find a way to slow down Robertson, but expect a lot of points in this one. The total has gone up four points since opening at 60.5.

With the line at 6.5, the Bears took a lot of action and that has the number down to SMU -3. At the key number and at home, it’s the Mustangs.

Bet: SMU -166, SMU -3 (-115), Over 64.5 (-115)

Mississippi Rebels @ Kentucky Wildcats Odds

As mentioned earlier, Kentucky pulled off a huge SEC upset last season when they went to Oxford and beat the Rebels 20-17 on their home turf. Ole Miss has ruled this series historically with a record of 29-13-1. The Rebels won in 2022, 2020, and in 2017. All three games were decided by a field goal or less.

Prior to last year, Kentucky last beat Ole Miss in 2011. That game was in Lexington and the Wildcats won 30-13. If Kentucky is going to have a shot at winning a second straight, they will have to hope that transfer QB Zach Calzada comes through. Only three starters return on offense.

Ole Miss is in the same boat. They have just two returning starters on each side of the ball. Kiffin went to the transfer portal to pick up a few receivers and lefty Austin Simmons will take over at quarterback.

Mississippi Rebels @ Kentucky Wildcats Predictions

With the game in Lexington, you can bet Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops will have his team jacked up and ready to pull the upset. The Wildcats have won each of the last two at home against Ole Miss.

It’s defense that wins games for Kentucky. The Wildcats were top 35 in pass defense and scoring (22.1 ppg) last season. In their first game last week, the Wildcats held Toledo to 59 yards rushing, but Ole Miss isn’t Toledo. The Rebels put up 295 rushing yards on Group of 5 Georgia State last week and Simmons went 20-for-31 for 341 yards and three touchdowns.

The bigger issue will be Kentucky’s offense. Calzada was just 10-for-23 for 85 yards against Toledo. The Wildcats were actually outgained by the Rockets offense and Kentucky committed two turnovers. Do that against Ole Miss and this could be ugly.

Bet: ML pass, Ole Miss -10 (-112), Under 51.5 (-110)

Kansas Jayhawks @ Missouri Tigers Odds

The Border War is back! These two teams played each other 120 times since 1891, but the rivalry ended when the two teams went their separate directions in conference realignment. The Jayhawks and Tigers haven’t played since 2011. Missouri won five of the last six in the series.

Missouri went 10-3 last season with all three losses – Texas A&M, Alabama, and South Carolina – on the road in the SEC. The Tigers were very good on defense last season ranking in the top 25 in opponent total yards per game and opponent points per game (20.38).

Kansas regressed a little in 2024, finishing 5-7 overall. However, the Jayhawks did win four of their last six games. They also covered five of those final six games last year. Head coach Lance Leipold only returns three starters on each side of the ball.

Kansas Jayhawks @ Missouri Tigers Predictions

Missouri is the early favorite to win this one primarily because of what should be an elite defense. Seven starters return to one of the best units in the country in 2024. Not only that, but the Tigers brought in six players in the transfer portal that were starters at other FBS schools in 2024.

Kansas is off to a strong start in 2025. They beat Fresno State 31-7 in Week 0 and took care of FCS Wagner 46-7 last week. The Jayhawks running game went Over 200 yards in each game and the defense has been a surprise. This is, however, a Missouri offense that tuned up for this game by putting up 560 yards of offense on Central Arkansas in a 61-6 win.

QB Beau Pribula, the transfer from Penn State, leads the Tigers offense. He went 23-for-28 for 283 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s victory. Ahmad Hardy carried 10 times for 100 yards and a touchdown as Missouri ran for 219 yards.

These are two very good offenses that can run the ball. Both quarterbacks are dual-threat guys who can beat you with their arms or their legs. The Tigers do have the more accomplished and more experienced defense. That’s the edge.

Bet: Missouri -220, Kansas +6 (-110), Over 50.5 (-110)

Michigan Wolverines @ Oklahoma Sooners Odds

Michigan looks to return to the Big Ten title race in 2025. They went 8-5 last season, 5-4 in Big Ten Play. The Wolverines started the season with four wins in five games, but a midseason stretch of losses to Washington, Illinois, Oregon, and Indiana left Michigan out of any playoff contention. The Wolverines avoid Penn State and Oregon in Big Ten play and get rival Ohio State at home this year.

This one will be a test. Oklahoma had similar results to Michigan last season. The Sooners finished 6-7, something the program isn’t used to and the offense was horrendous. The Sooners had a three-game midseason stretch where they scored 3, 9, and 14 points. Oklahoma averaged just 24 points per game, 92nd in the FBS last season.

These two teams have played exactly once in the history of college football. The Sooners beat the Wolverines in the 1976 Orange Bowl.

Michigan Wolverines @ Oklahoma Sooners Predictions

The Sooners are favored with the game at home in Norman. Both teams will break in new quarterbacks, but the edge goes to Oklahoma. John Mateer transferred in from Washington State after leading the nation in combined passing and rushing touchdowns with 44.

He started off 2025 with a bang as he completed 30-of-37 passes for 392 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for a score as Oklahoma beat Illinois State 35-3. On the other side, it’s highly touted freshman Bryce Underwood for Michigan. He could someday be a Heisman Trophy candidate. Underwood went 21-of-31 for 251 yards and a touchdown in his debut, a 34-17 win over New Mexico.

Michigan was just 1-3 in true away games last season. The Sooners return six defensive starters from last year. Michigan will be more of a test than Illinois State. Interestingly, the line on this game has jumped from Oklahoma -2.5 all the way to the Sooners -6. Underwood will have a tougher time against a much better defense in Week 2.

Bet: ML pass, Oklahoma -6 (-110), Under 46.5 (-110)

Boston College Eagles @ Michigan State Spartans Odds

Boston College and Michigan State have only met seven times. One of those happened to be last season in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Eagles head coach Bill O’Brien and Boston College recorded a 23-19 win in Week 4 last year. It was part of BC’s 4-1 start in 2024.

The Eagles would go on to finish 7-6 and play in the Pinstripe Bowl. O’Brien benched QB Thomas Castellanos late last season and was forced to make a decision at the position. He went with Alabama transfer Dylan Lonergan over Grayson James, who started the final few games last season.

In a Week 1 win over Fordham, Lonergan went 26-for-34 for 268 yards and four touchdowns. James also played and managed to go a perfect 5-for-5 for 190 yards and a touchdown. The BC passing game looked strong in a 66-10 victory.

Michigan State finished 5-7 last year, losing four of its last five games. QB Aidan Chiles returns and he finished 12th in passing yards per game in the Big Ten last year. He’ll have three other starters back on an offense that was 123rd in scoring last year averaging just 19.33 points per game. As a result, the Spartans went 4-8 ATS and failed to cover in each of their last five games last season.

Boston College Eagles @ Michigan State Spartans Predictions

The Spartans should be much improved in head coach Jonathan Smith’s second season. Smith’s teams are usually built around a strong running game and they picked up RB Elijah Tau-Tolliver in the transfer portal. They also have returning experience on the offensive line. That experience led to 181 rushing yards last week in a season-opening win over Western Michigan. Chiles also played well in Week 1, going 17-of-23 for 155 yards and a touchdown.

Michigan State has the advantage in playing at home. It is a revenge spot too as the Eagles beat MSU on their home turf last year. BC has the better passing game. MSU has the better running game and both defenses are solid. With the Spartans getting the hook at 3.5, roll with the Spartans in what should be a close, low-scoring game.

Bet: Michigan State -162, Michigan State -3.5 (-102), Under 46.5 (-110)

Arizona State Sun Devils @ Mississippi State Bulldogs Odds

Head coach Jeff Lebby is hoping for better results in 2025. Mississippi State went 2-10 last season, 0-8 in the SEC and the two wins were against FCS Eastern Kentucky and Group of 5 UMass.

Arizona State (11-3, 7-2) won the Big 12 Conference title a year ago. They return a ton of talent from last year, including Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year QB Sam Leavitt. Seven starters on offense return, including Leavitt, Big 12 Newcomer of the Year WR Jordyn Tyson, and four starters on the offensive line.

Nine starters return to the Sun Devils defense. Arizona State was well-balanced and finished among the top 40 teams in the country in scoring offense, scoring defense, total offense, and total defense.

These two teams have played just twice. One of those meetings came last season. Arizona State scored its first-ever win over an SEC program with a 30-23 win in Week 2 of the 2024 season.

Arizona State Sun Devils @ Mississippi State Bulldogs Predictions

Mississippi State would surely love some payback for that loss last year. They’ll be at home, but that might not give the Bulldogs an advantage. Their two wins last year did come at home, but they lost all four SEC home games last year. The Bulldogs were 1-3 ATS in those four games.

Nothing will change if the Bulldogs defense doesn’t change. They were the worst in the SEC and 125th in the nation in total defense last year. They’ll get five starters back and bring in a number of transfers. So far, so good. The Bulldogs held Southern Miss to 303 total yards in their 34-17 season-opening win.

QB Blake Shapen had a solid day going 26-for-34 for 270 yards and a touchdown. The Bulldogs also ran for 188 yards. This week, the competition will be much tougher against an Arizona State team that will challenge for another Big 12 title.

Mississippi State will have to deal with an explosive ASU offense. The Sun Devils won’t have star RB Cam Skattebo, who is now in the NFL. Don’t worry, though, Arizona State plugged in Kyson Brown, Skattebo’s backup, Raleek Brown, who was hurt most of last year and transfer Kanye Udoh who ran for over 1,100 yards at Army last season. Kyson Brown had 73 yards rushing on seven carries in a win over Northern Arizona last week.

The big difference is the ASU defense. The Sun Devils held NAU to just 89 yards rushing last week and 27 of those came on a run by Kenveon Stone in a meaningless drive at the end of the game. The better defense prevails here. ASU has covered seven of its last eight games and eight of its last 11 on the road.

Bet: ML pass, Arizona State -7 (-110), Under 58.5 (-110)

Stanford Cardinal @ BYU Cougars Odds

One of the more pleasant surprises in 2024 was the resurgence of BYU as a potential playoff team. The Cougars won their first nine games of the season before losses to Kansas and Arizona State derailed their playoff hopes. BYU still finished 11-2 and 7-2 in the Big 12.

Stanford underwent some upheaval in the offseason as head coach Troy Taylor was fired amidst some controversy. The school then brought in former All-American QB Andrew Luck as the program’s general manager. Then, the Cardinal hired long-time NFL head coach Frank Reich as the interim coach for the 2025 season.

The Cardinal went 3-9 last season. The offense was bad. Stanford averaged 22.8 points per game, which was 108th in the nation. The defense was even worse – 33.7 points per game allowed, 118th nationally.

That’s why the Cardinal went 4-7-1 ATS in 2024.These two teams have only played each other twice in college football history. Stanford won both games, but they were back in 2003 and 2004. Times have changed and the Cougars got off to a hot start in 2025 while the Cardinal picked up where they left off.

Stanford Cardinal @ BYU Cougars Predictions

BYU’s defense was its calling card last season, finishing in the top 20 in points allowed (19.6 ppg) and total yards per game (308.8 ypg). The Cougars only return three starters, but they brought in transfer DT Keanu Tanuvasa to anchor the defensive line.

In their season opener, BYU held FCS Portland State to a total of just 53 yards. The Cardinal did run the ball for 188 yards in their season-opening loss to Hawaii, but the passing game was awful. QB Ben Gulbranson went 15-for-30 for 109 yards.

While the Cougars did lose QB Jake Retzlaff, that might not be a huge issue as freshman Bear Bachmeier threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more in the season opener. Then, there’s the whole BYU at home thing.

At night, at home, the Cougars are almost unbeatable. Since 2020, the Cougars have won all but one night game at home in Provo over the last five seasons. While that’s likely to happen again, the 18.5 is a bit of an overreaction. Expect Reich and Stanford to be improved since the Week 0 loss.

Bet: ML pass, Stanford +18.5 (-115), Over 46.5 (-115)

Best College Football Week 2 Bets

Each week throughout the 2025 NCAAF season, the ScoresandStats college football experts put their heads together and come up with their best bets. Of the 7 to 10 games previewed each week, our handicappers will pick two or three of the bets they feel most confident in. Week 2’s best bets are as follows:

• Baylor @ SMU Over 64.5
• Michigan @ Oklahoma (-6)
• Ole Miss (-10) @ Kentucky

The scoreboard operator will be busy at SMU on Saturday. Both of these offenses can light it up with experienced veteran quarterbacks leading the charge. Sawyer Robertson threw for 419 yards and three touchdowns in the Bears loss to Auburn last week. Kevin Jennings went 22-for-30 for 260 yards and two scores in SMU’s Week 1 win. This game total opened around 60 and has been bet up as points are expected.

Oklahoma looked very good on offense in Week 1. Last year, the Sooners offense was its weak spot. Not in 2025. QB John Mateer is a real deal and he showed it last week with four total touchdowns, three passing and one on the ground.

Michigan QB Bryce Underwood was solid at home in his opener, but he’ll face a much tougher task in Week 2 at Oklahoma. Sooners head coach Brent Venables will dial it up for the youngster. This line moved from Oklahoma -2.5 all the way to -6. That’s telling us something.

Finally, Ole Miss is going to exact some revenge on the Wildcats when they head to Kentucky on Saturday. The Rebels got off to a great start in 2025 with a 63-7 pounding of Georgia State. QB Austin Simmons threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns, the Rebels ran for 295 yards, and the defense held the Panthers to 260 total yards. Kentucky won last year in Oxford and it’s payback time.

If interested, you can package these College Football Week 2 picks into a three-leg parlay or you can check out our other College Football parlay picks of the week.