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. 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.

With Iowa State playing at home – the Cyclones went 6-1 SU and 4-3 ATS – it’s hard to pass up on the team with the more experienced quarterbacks and more pieces on its defense. As mentioned, the Cyclones won two of the last three in this series.

Bet: Iowa State -125, Iowa State -1.5 (-110), Under 45.5 (-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.

The Mustangs have a game against an FCS opponent under the belt. Baylor played Auburn. The Bears also have a returning starting quarterback in Sawyer Robertson who was one of the best in the nation last year.

Kevin Jennings returns at quarterback for SMU and the offense should continue to roll up points. It’s the defense that could be a problem. There should be plenty of points in this one. That’s why the line opened at 60.5.

Bet: ML Pass, Baylor +6.5 (-115), Over 60.5 (-110)

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). If they can keep this one close as they have over the past four games in the series, anything can happen.

Bet: Kentucky Wildcats (NA)

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.

That defense combined with a Kansas offense that returns just three starters will make it tough on the Jayhawks. Kansas had a rough start to the season last year, losing five of its first six games. The defense returns just three starters and they are all on the defensive line. That could be trouble

Bet: Missouri -220, Missouri -6.5 (-110), Over 51.5 (-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.

Michigan will start a highly touted freshman, Bryce Underwood, at quarterback. He could someday be a Heisman Trophy candidate. The Wolverines also only have three returning starters on offense. They are all linemen, which is a plus for Michigan, since the offense is built around a powerful running game.

Unfortunately, it’s going to take Underwood some time to get dialed in to FBS play at a high level. Michigan was only 1-3 in true away games last season. Quarterback and six returning defensive starters give Oklahoma the advantage.

Bet: Oklahoma -137, Oklahoma -2.5 (-110), Under 50.5 (-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 now has a decision to make. Go with Grayson James who started in place of Castellanos or move on to Alabama transfer Dylan Lonergan.

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.

Chiles will have to be better, but the Eagles lack of continuity on offense and breaking in a new quarterback gives the Spartan an advantage playing at home. The Eagles will start the season with FCS Fordham while MSU plays in-state Western Michigan. That should help prepare the Spartans for this Saturday night showdown.

Bet: Michigan State Spartans (NA)

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.

Against an offense as talented as ASU’s, whoever Mississippi State brought in probably doesn’t matter. The Sun Devils won’t have star RB Cam Skattebo, who is now in the NFL. Don’t worry, though, ASU can plug 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.

Bet: Arizona State Sun Devils (NA)

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 worst – 33.7 points per game allowed, 118th nationally. That’s why the Cardinal went 4-7-1 ATS in 2024.

Stanford Cardinal @ BYU Cougars Predictions

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 return QB Jake Retzlaff to an offense that should be even better in 2025.

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.

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. Stanford will be rebuilding while the Cougars will be looking to capture a Big 12 title.

Bet: BYU Cougars (NA)

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:

• Iowa @ Iowa State Under 45.5
• Baylor (+6.5) @ SMU
• Michigan @ Oklahoma (-137)

The Cy-Hawk rivalry has been a great one recently. Both programs have enjoyed success recently. The Cyclones played for the Big 12 title last year. Iowa finally figured out how to put more points in the end zone last season. Still, this is a defensive battle, year in and year out. The last three games in the series have averaged just under 30 combined points per game.

Don’t sleep on Baylor. They were tested in Week 1 and have plenty of offense to keep up with SMU. The Mustangs have to rebuild their defense and the Bears can keep this one close.

Oklahoma has the advantage of playing at home in what will likely end up as a defensive battle. The Sooners also have the advantage with an experienced FBS QB – John Mateer. The Sooners win at home.