2022 College Football Best Games of the Week: Week 2
College Football is back and in a big way. The opening week of the College Football season got off to an electric start, highlighted by a Georgia beatdown of Oregon, Florida upsetting Utah, that UNC-App State game and so much more. We brought you our Week 1 games of the week, and we will keep the series going, looking at the must-see games for Week 2 of the season. There are a lot of great games this week, but here are five that you can’t miss.
Honorable Mention: No. 25 Houston vs. Texas Tech, Iowa vs. Iowa State
5) No. 9 Baylor at No. 21 BYU
- When/Where: 10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Line: BYU -3.5
BYU is a resounding 21-4 over the past two seasons, and they may face their biggest test during this stretch in the Baylor Bears. Christopher Brooks and Jaren Hall exploded last week in the Cougars’ win over South Florida, and they will look to keep the momentum going. For Baylor, it is important they get the passing game going early. Quarterback Blake Shapen looked good last week in their 69-10 win over Albany, playing well until he was pulled with the game in hand. If Baylor can get the big plays going early, it could be a long night for a solid BYU defense.
4) No. 20 Kentucky at No. 12 Florida
- When/Where: 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Line: Florida -5
Last week’s win over then-No. 7 Utah was Florida’s first victory over a top-10 team since November of 2020. First-year head coach Billy Napier’s squad could not have gotten off to a better start. Quarterback Anthony Richardson was the biggest star last week, playing incredibly well to help propel his team to the upset. He will now go into a duel with Kentucky quarterback Will Levis. Levis threw for over 300 yards last week in a win against Miami-Ohio, but this will be a massive test for the potential first-round pick in next year’s NFL Draft. Will he rise to the occasion, or will the Anthony Richardson show keep on rolling?
3) No. 10 USC at Stanford
- When/Where: 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC
- Line: USC -8.5
This game makes our list of best games of the week because this will be new head coach Lincoln Riley‘s first conference game, against a team USC tends to have issues with as of late. The Caleb Williams era got off to a great start, as the Oklahoma transfer went 19-for-22, 249 yards and two touchdowns in the opener, but also added 68 yards on the ground. David Shaw, the Stanford head coach, always has his team ready when the Trojans comes to town, which could spell trouble for Riley’s squad. Since 2014, Stanford is 5-2 against USC, even defeating the Trojans 42-28 last season.
2) No. 24 Tennessee at No. 17 Pittsburgh
- When/Where: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
- Line: Tennessee -6.5
*** Just want to mention, if you are a betting person, this Tennessee line is crazy. Pittsburgh not only should be less than 6.5 dogs but maybe should be favored to win. That’s all. ***
One of the biggest storylines coming into the 2022 college football season was Hendon Hooker and the Tennessee Volunteers. Hooker has scouts both buzzing and scratching their heads, as no one really knows what to make of the senior quarterback. He didn’t play too bad last week against Ball State, albeit it was Ball State, after all. No offense. He goes up against a solid defense in Pittsburgh. USC transfer Kedon Slovis had his moments last week for the Panthers in their Backyard Brawl victory over West Virginia, ending the night throwing 16-for-24 for 308 yards and a TD. Both quarterbacks will be tested in this matchup. Will Tennessee finally win a marquee ranked game, or will they falter yet again and let Pittsburgh continue their quest for a potential CFP berth?
Our Game of the Week) No. 1 Alabama at Texas
- When/Where: 12:00 p.m. ET, FOX
- Line: Alabama -20.5
Our college football best game of the week has the makings of a classic … or a complete blowout. The No. 1 ranked team in the country, Alabama, looked just as dominant as ever last week, blowing out Utah State 55-0. While the offense was fantastic for the Crimson Tide, I think the defense looked even better. Keep in mind this was Utah State, but Alabama held the Aggies to seven first downs and just 136 total yards of offense. That stat is insane.
The Texas Longhorns are still looking for a signature win under Steve Sarkisian. The former Alabama offensive coordinator will be looking to pull off an all-time upset for sure. 2021 prized recruit Quinn Ewers looked good last week against Louisiana-Monroe, going 16-for-24 for 225 yards and two touchdowns, but at times looked like the young quarterback he is. What a feather in the cap it would be for Ewers, Sarkisian and the Longhorns to knock off the No. 1 team in the land. If David beats Goliath Saturday, maybe Texas is actually back.
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