Fans across the country were thrilled last weekend to officially welcome college football back to their television screens every Saturday, and they were rewarded for their patience after a long offseason with a massive slate of games featuring several marquee matchups.
For as great as week one was though, unfortunately week two — at least on paper — does not even come close to living up to the hype. Alabama and Auburn each face cupcake opponents in ULM and Ball State respectively, but even outside of this state, it’s an ugly looking group of games.
That doesn’t mean there are no games worth watching though, so here are three that are at the very least worth keeping an eye on when Saturday comes along.
Here are the three games you need to be paying attention to this Saturday:
#11 Illinois @ Duke
11:00 a.m. CST
Illinois entered the season garnering a lot of hype as a team with some of the most returning talent in the entire country led by former Ole Miss backup quarterback Luke Altmyer, perhaps among the most underrated gunslingers around. Former Arkansas and Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema has his best team yet, and some think the Fighting Illini have a real shot in the Big 10.
This is their first major test to see how realistic that is, and Duke — even though unranked — has a dynamic signal caller of their own in high profile Tulane transfer quarterback Darian Mensah. Illinois is favored over the Blue Devils by less than a field goal.
#20 Ole Miss @ Kentucky
2:30 p.m. CST
On paper, there’s not a lot of juice in this matchup, however the Wildcats did go into Oxford last season and defeat a very talented Rebels team, a result which ultimately kept them out of the College Football Playoff. Ole Miss is a different looking team than they were a year ago, but new quarterback Austin Simmons is looking to right the wrongs of last year and get his team into the playoff.
Kentucky is led by former Texas A&M and Auburn quarterback Zach Calzada and is expected to be one of the weaker teams in the conference, but perhaps the Wildcats have another trick up their sleeve for the Rebels once again.
#15 Michigan @ #18 Oklahoma
6:30 p.m. CST
This is the biggest game on the docket by far, and it’s a wonderful matchup.
Quarterbacks will be the story here with Washington State star transfer John Mateer trying to prove he’s worth the hype he’s received for the Sooners not to mention freshman sensation Bryce Underwood doing the same for Michigan.
Underwood made headlines last recruiting cycle with the biggest NIL deal ever given to an incoming recruit to get him to commit to the Wolverines, and he made an impressive debut last week in his first start as a true freshman.
This is a whole new test for Underwood though on the road against a good defense, and whether he can perform under the lights will be a major indicator as to whether Michigan is for real or not in 2025.
It may not be the best slate of games in week two, but there are certainly some interesting things that make it worth tuning into.
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.
