Which conference is better, the Big Ten or SEC? I got asked that question more than ever this offseason, and I patented a pretty consistent response: For nearly 20 years, the SEC demanded that you judge it by its titles, and by that standard the Big Ten is clearly superior — it has won the past three, after all, and with three different teams. If that’s all that matters, crown the Big Ten.

Of course, in the current AP top 25, the SEC also has seven of the top-12 teams and 11 of the top 22. Last year, three Big Ten teams were better than the best SEC team per SP+, but seven Big Ten teams were also worse than the worst SEC team. The Big Ten is a top-heavy league with quite a bit of dead weight, though the SEC is a parity-heavy league that produces endless close games, loads of CFP contenders and, for the past couple of years, no genuinely elite teams.

This can be a pretty fun debate because you see whatever answer you want, but we’ll all have the same temporary answer Saturday night because Week 2 is basically giving us a three-game Big Ten-SEC Challenge: No. 11 Oklahoma at Michigan to start the day, followed by a Mississippi State-Minnesota interlude and the Saturday evening headliner, No. 1 Ohio State at No. 4 Texas.

It’s a best-of-three for bragging rights! And it’s not all that Week 2 has to offer. We also get old-school rivalry games (Missouri at Kansas, Iowa State at Iowa), a high-stakes Group of 6 matchup (Memphis at Boise State), huge early-season conference tests for two top-15 teams (Alabama and BYU) and several other Big 12 prove-it games.

Here’s everything you need to follow in a loaded and narratives-heavy Week 2.

The Big Ten-SEC Challenge

This is a nicely balanced set of three games. The Big Ten has home-field advantage in two, but the SEC team is favored in two. Per SP+ projections, there’s a 64% chance that the SEC wins at least two of three. The SEC teams definitely need wins more, though, because of general conference insecurity and many more challenges await.

Based on this week’s SP+ ratings, the SEC has 10 of the hardest 11 full-season schedules and 14 of the top 17. The median SP+ SOS ranking in the SEC is 9.5. In the Big Ten, Michigan’s schedule ranks sixth, followed by 12 more teams between 12th and 30th. Because the middle and bottom of the SEC are so much stronger, and because the league just moved to nine conference games — a necessary step to feeling like a conference (and creating more big-game inventory) — the difference is still pretty stark.

Texas will face five more current SP+ top-15 teams after the Ohio State game Saturday night; the Longhorns’ SOS ranks second behind Arkansas, while Oklahoma’s comes in at fourth. (Ohio State’s, for what it’s worth, is a solid 12th.) A 1-1 start could be pretty damaging, considering what’s still to come.

No. 1 Ohio State at No. 4 Texas (7:30 p.m., ABC)

Stars alone don’t a team make, but in our preseason CFB Player Rank, Ohio State and Texas combined to have six of the top-15 players in the country. Ohio State had WR Jeremiah Smith (No. 1) and QB Julian Sayin (No. 8), while Texas boasted DE Colin Simmons (No. 3), LT Trevor Goosby (No. 12), QB Arch Manning (No. 13) and WR Cam Coleman (No. 15).

Aside from perhaps Simmons, everyone looked the part in comfortable Week 1 wins. Sayin went for 320 yards and three TDs, and Smith caught eight balls for 151 yards and two of the scores. Manning, meanwhile, leaned on Coleman and returnee Ryan Wingo to throw for 305 yards and four TDs (and one interception).

Smith’s first touchdown might have been the most casually brilliant play of the weekend.

In a millisecond, Smith caught a deflected ball, switched it to his other hand and then basically showed it off to the ref and the crowd as he was going to ground. His and Sayin’s excellence — plus a lovely debut from UTSA transfer receiver Devin McCuin — distracted from a run game that produced just 46 yards in the first 16 non-sack carries before Bo Jackson broke a long one.

Texas’ run game had similar results, only in reverse: Hollywood Smothers’ first carry gained 45 yards, but the next 20 for Smothers and Raleek Brown picked up just 61.

Defense defined last season’s game, and with both of these units taking on significant change this offseason, the better defense might carry this one. Ohio State returns only three starters, but edge rusher Kenyatta Jackson Jr., corner Jermaine Mathews Jr. and safety Jaylen McClain should all remain parts of an excellent pass defense, and freshman nickel Jay Timmons was dynamite against Ball State.

Texas’ changes were more voluntary. Despite an average defensive SP+ ranking of 13.8 over the past four seasons, Steve Sarkisian replaced defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski with veteran Will Muschamp. Sarkisian added three key transfers as well: linebackers Rasheem Biles and Justin Cryer and corner Bo Mascoe. Biles was great against Texas State, recording a run stop, a forced fumble and an interception, but the Longhorns gave up 225 first-half yards before settling in.

Texas’ defense was easily the shakiest unit here, but that was last week. The season starts Saturday. This is the first of 20 regular-season games between teams currently in the SP+ top 15. Let’s get it on.

Current line: Horns -1.5 | SP+ projection: Buckeyes by 2.0 | FPI projection: Horns by 3.4

No. 11 Oklahoma at Michigan (noon, Fox)

Only one team fell out of the AP top 25 this week: Your 1-0 Michigan Wolverines, who dropped 12 spots after what was technically a win but sure didn’t feel like one. Their offense disappeared for most of 55 minutes against Western Michigan, and former blue-chip quarterback Bryce Underwood couldn’t have looked more lost. Head coach Kyle Whittingham didn’t exactly offer a roaring defense of Underwood, saying, “He’s our QB right now. It’s not something that’s infinite. At some point, we’ve got to turn a corner, and we’ve got to see improvement.”

Through the years, talented teams have responded with vigor to Week 1 duds. Maybe that’s possible with Michigan, especially because the defense was mostly excellent, allowing 3.3 yards per play and only two drives over 30 yards. If the Wolverines can keep Oklahoma’s offense in check, they wouldn’t need that much offensive competence to pull an upset.

As good as WMU’s defense looked, however, OU’s is better. So is the Sooners’ offense, even if we don’t yet know if Oklahoma’s run game has improved from last season. Quarterback John Mateer looked great against UTEP, throwing to Isaiah Sategna III and newcomers Trell Harris and tight end Rocky Beers, but primary backs Lloyd Avant and Xavier Robinson gained merely decent 109 yards in 22 carries and will likely find the running lanes far more cluttered in Ann Arbor.

Current line: OU -5.5 | SP+ projection: OU by 7.0 | FPI projection: OU by 5.0

Mississippi State at Minnesota (3:30 p.m., CBS)

Will Michigan-Oklahoma be intense, physical and important? Absolutely. Will it be aesthetically pleasing? Lord, no.

That’s fine because while Mississippi State-Minnesota probably won’t be as important, it could be fun as hell from a styles-make-fights perspective. Minnesota is generally a fixture near the top of the defensive SP+ rankings — the Gophers have been in the defensive SP+ top 15 for four of the past seven seasons and are currently 20th — and Mississippi State has one of the most tantalizing young quarterbacks in the country.

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Kamario Taylor on how MS State’s unified offense can be a threat soon

Sophomore Kamario Taylor is an eye-popping athlete who threw for 354 yards and four touchdowns, plus a 26-yard touchdown run, against UL Monroe. ULM’s defense isn’t good, but the Bulldogs averaged 9.7 yards per play, carving through the Warhawks as if they were a low-level FCS opponent.

Minnesota, meanwhile, carved up a low-level FCS opponent, beating Eastern Illinois 59-7 behind a 19-for-24 performance from Drake Lindsey and a pair of punt return scores (and 98 receiving yards) from Javon Tracy. As far as undercard matchups go, this one should be a blast.

Current line: Minnesota -1.5 | SP+ projection: Minnesota by 2.7 | FPI projection: MSU by 3.4

Two pivotal games in the Group of 6

I generally try to focus as little as possible on the College Football Playoff early in the season, but I will make an exception for the hunt for the Group of 6’s automatic bid. It’s a fun race to track. The stakes were obvious when Memphis visited UNLV in Week 0, and it was clear what it might have meant for teams such as Western Michigan or Boise State to score big power-conference wins last weekend. (Both fell short, obviously.)

Week 2 has even higher stakes. Memphis heads west again, this time to face Boise State. It could serve as an obvious tiebreaker if both teams finish with the same record, and if Memphis scores another road win, that will make the Tigers’ potential résumé tough to beat.

There’s a second fascinating game this week as well, though. After bolting to 2-0 and blowing out two-time CUSA title game participant Jacksonville State, FBS newcomer North Dakota State could burnish its résumé with a win in its first Mountain West game.

Memphis at Boise State (6 p.m., USA)

It’s almost confusing to realize that, in the 12-year CFP era, Memphis and Boise State have combined to finish as the highest-ranked mid-major team just three times. They might be the two most consistently solid programs in the Group of 6, having combined for nine ranked finishes and 12 seasons of double-digit wins in that span. I love that they’re playing a home-and-home, and the first matchup in the series, a 35-32 Memphis win that featured a 17-point comeback in 2023, was dynamite. This will make a great quad-box complement for Ohio State-Texas.

Memphis has been excellent thus far, beating UNLV with disruptive defense — Southern Miss transfers J’Mond Tapp and Elijah Kinsler have been phenomenal — and then outrunning Arkansas State with big plays. Marcus Stokes averaged over 15 yards per completion against the Red Wolves, and Jaylin Carter and Manny Covey averaged 8.4 yards per carry.

Boise State gave up five gains of 39 yards or more to Oregon, but the Broncos still had the ball with a chance to tie late because of a reasonably efficient run game, capitalizing on mistakes and brilliant third-down defense. They’re experienced and resilient, but an 0-2 start would be very hard to overcome. They need this one desperately.

Current line: BSU -8.5 | SP+ projection: BSU by 5.6 | FPI projection: BSU by 9.7

North Dakota State at Air Force (10 p.m., FS1)

After four straight seasons of ranking in the defensive SP+ top 30, Air Force slipped to 76th in 2024, then 101st last year. The Falcons ranked 129th in yards allowed per carry (not including sacks), and now they face one of the burliest run games in college football. The NDSU trio of the hyper-efficient DJ Scott and big-play backs Myles Mitchell and Nyeoti Punni has combined for 64 carries and 319 yards in two wins, and quarterback Nathan Hayes is completing efficient passes to veterans Mekhi Collins and Jackson Williams and explosive ones to West Virginia transfer Jordan McCants.

Both of these teams desperately want to control the ball, and Air Force could spoil NDSU’s plans with a healthy option-based dose of quarterback Liam Szarka and senior fullback Owen Allen. On Saturday night, we’ll learn if NDSU is in store for a simply nice first season in FBS or if the Bison are a genuine CFP threat right out of the gate.

Current line: NDSU -2.5 | SP+ projection: Air Force by 1.0 | FPI projection: NDSU by 3.7

Two huge early conference games

We’re still a couple of weeks from the true immersion point of conference play, but Week 2 gives us a chance to ease in with a couple of potential midafternoon doozies.

Arizona at No. 15 BYU (3:30 p.m., Fox)

Last October, these teams put on a fantastic show. Arizona (4-1) used a 24-0 run to seize control and led 5-0 BYU into the final five minutes, but freshman Bear Bachmeier’s short touchdown with 19 seconds left forced overtime, and another Bachmeier score eventually won it.

Eleven months later, Bachmeier remains unbeaten in his career against teams not named Texas Tech, while Noah Fifita and Arizona have won six of their past seven. Both teams thumped their buy-game opponents last week, but their seasons begin in earnest Saturday afternoon.

Two rebuilt units could decide this one: BYU’s receiving corps vs. Arizona’s secondary. Both were fine last week. BYU got second-quarter catches of 26 and 33 yards from freshman Legend Glasker, while Oregon transfer Kyler Kasper led the way with four receptions. Arizona’s DBs, meanwhile, were supported by a ferocious pass rush (six sacks, including 2.5 from ace Chase Kennedy), though corners Jay’Vion Cole and Dwight Bootle II allowed 3-for-6 passing for 62 yards in primary coverage. If BYU can protect Bachmeier, the Cougars should have the edge, but that’s easier said than done.

Current line: BYU -7.5 | SP+ projection: BYU by 6.7 | FPI projection: BYU by 10.2

No. 12 Alabama at Kentucky (3:30 p.m., ABC)

Alabama provided positive, if partial, answers to a legion of questions last week while blowing out East Carolina. Five-star redshirt sophomore Keelon Russell threw for 256 yards, rushed for 90 (not including one sack) and got solid help from his skill corps (aside from a couple of early drops from star receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams). The Bama defense was as good as expected, too.

Russell’s first road start could be much tougher. Will Stein’s Kentucky held Youngstown State, probably the best FCS offense in the country, to just 4.0 yards per play before garbage time, and Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey threw for 301 yards and four touchdowns in an easy win.

The Wildcats might struggle against the Bama defense, but they will challenge Russell and Co. I felt like SEC coaches put too much of a premium on SEC experience in their portal recruiting this offseason, but I love the specific guys whom Stein grabbed, especially safety Jordan Castell (Florida) and edge rusher Ahmad Breaux (LSU). They looked excellent against YSU. This extremely SEC lineup will tell us a lot about Bama’s SEC prospects.

Current line: Bama -10.5 | SP+ projection: Bama by 9.0 | FPI projection: Bama by 14.5

The Big 12’s big week

Though BYU-Arizona is the headliner, much of the rest of the Big 12 will have opportunities for exciting nonconference wins.

No. 23 Missouri at Kansas (Friday, 8 p.m., Fox)

In 1997, as a freshman at Mizzou, my first official football road trip was to Lawrence to watch the Tigers’ Corby Jones suffer one of the worst games of his life in a 15-7 loss. Two years later, I watched an even worse Tigers performance in a 21-0 shutout. When Mizzou won an overtime thriller there in 2001, I retired from Lawrence football trips. I understood that the odds of me enjoying another experience there weren’t great.

Sure enough, Mizzou hasn’t won in Lawrence since. Granted, the Tigers are a mere 0-2 in that span — the rivalry moved to Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium in 2007 (and produced a series of classics), and the Tigers moved to the SEC in 2012 — but it has been a while. And the idea of a new Mizzou QB getting his first big test in Lawrence is terrifying for Tiger fans of a certain age.

Austin Simmons was nearly perfect in Missouri’s opener against UAPB, but the Tigers’ run game was shakier than expected without either star back Ahmad Hardy or left tackle Cayden Green. Green returns, but running back Jamal Roberts needs a good performance to keep Simmons out of obvious passing situations. Meanwhile, Kansas quarterback Isaiah Marshall looked scary with his arm and legs against the Long Island Sharks, rushing for 49 yards in seven carries and completing passes of 46 and 47 yards. If the Jayhawks can pressure Simmons and get some big plays out of Marshall, an upset is very much within reach.

Current line: Mizzou -5.5 | SP+ projection: Mizzou by 2.9 | FPI projection: Mizzou by 4.6

Iowa State at No. 21 Iowa (Saturday, 7:30 p.m., NBC)

The battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy has become one of the sport’s most reliably messy (in a good way) rivalry games: Over the past eight contests, the average margin of victory has been just 4.8 points. ISU has won three of the past four, but the Cyclones are almost starting from scratch in Jimmy Rogers’ first season. They started well enough against Southeast Missouri State, but Iowa outgained Northern Illinois by a ridiculous 507-120 margin and outrushed the Huskies 289-7.

On paper, Rogers’ first Cy-Hawk could be a struggle, but that’s only if this rivalry makes sense for once.

Current line: Iowa -14 | SP+ projection: Iowa by 17.4 | FPI projection: Iowa by 14.5

Kentucky transfer Cutter Boley got off on the right foot as Arizona State’s starting QB, going 21-for-27 for 387 yards and six TDs against Morgan State. The level of competition ramps up just a bit on Saturday: Texas A&M allowed just 67 total yards against Missouri State. The Aggies’ offense needs some sharpening, but we should find out how high ASU’s offensive upside is in College Station.

Current line: A&M -14.5 | SP+ projection: A&M by 17.7 | FPI projection: A&M by 17.4

Arkansas at No. 20 Utah (Saturday, 10:15 p.m., ESPN)

Utah is the only Big 12 team on this list that is favored, and the Utes made the most of their buy game with Idaho, racking up 633 yards in a 52-point win. Arkansas dominated North Alabama as well but gave up six TFLs and three turnovers in a mere 17-point win. That sloppiness will not fly in what should be a fantastic Saturday night atmosphere in Salt Lake.

Current line: Utah -12.5 | SP+ projection: Utah by 12.2 | FPI projection: Utah by 12.8

UCF at Pitt (Saturday, 3:30 p.m., ESPN2)

UCF was heavily favored against Bethune-Cookman Wildcats on Thursday, but leading 28-0 after 16 minutes and cruising 73-6 is tidy work. The transfer backfield of Alonza Barnett III (James Madison) and Duke Watson (Louisville) looked incredibly dangerous.

Pitt, however, was even more impressive, getting seven touchdowns and a Week 1 Heisman runner-up performance from Mason Heintschel while stomping Miami (Ohio) 59-14. The Panthers looked top-10 caliber, but let’s see if they can keep that up with a step up in competition.

Current line: Pitt -7 | SP+ projection: Pitt by 6.7 | FPI projection: Pitt by 9.6

Week 2 chaos superfecta

We’re, once again, using this space to will chaos into existence, looking at four carefully curated games with pretty big point spreads and mashing them together into a much more upset-friendly number. Last week’s FCS-themed superfecta scored a pair of wins — Tarleton State over Bowling Green and Idaho State over Utah State — so let’s try to start the year 2-for-2!

According to SP+, there’s only a 39% chance that Alabama (71% win probability at Kentucky), Utah (78% vs. Arkansas), Clemson (80% vs. Georgia Southern) and Texas A&M (87% against Arizona State) all win Saturday. Let’s take down a favorite!

Week 2 playlist

Here are some more games you should pay attention to if you want to get the absolute most out of the weekend, from both information and entertainment perspectives.

Friday evening

Rutgers at Boston College (7:30 p.m., ESPN2). Only one of these teams will start 0-2! For all of their early deficiencies, both have interesting stories at QB. Rutgers will start sophomore AJ Surace, who looked solid late in the embarrassing loss to UMass; his primary job should be throwing to star receiver KJ Duff on every damn snap. BC, meanwhile, got decent output from D-II transfer Mason McKenzie, who threw for 223 yards and carried a heavy rushing load in the Eagles’ loss to Cincinnati.

Current line: BC -3.5 | SP+ projection: RU by 1.3 | FPI projection: BC by 4.2

Early Saturday

No. 6 Oregon at Oklahoma State (noon, ESPN). I was kind and didn’t include this one in the Big 12 Tests section above. Tulsa has a pretty good defensive front, but if Oklahoma State couldn’t keep pressure off Drew Mestemaker in last week’s loss to the Golden Hurricane, it will probably be a long afternoon against Oregon. The Ducks were sloppy for a bit against Boise State, but I’m betting they’ll be sharper in their road opener.

Current line: Oregon -23.5 | SP+ projection: Oregon by 20.3 | FPI projection: Oregon by 22.0

No. 16 Penn State at Temple (noon, ESPN2). Along with Oregon and Texas Tech, Penn State is one of three ranked road teams favored by at least three touchdowns. Over the past 20 years, road favorites of at least 21 points are a cool 418-24. Most of the losses were later in the year in conference play, too. The last time a team lost one of these games this early in the season was when Virginia Tech fell to Old Dominion in 2019. HEY, SPEAKING OF WHICH…

Current line: PSU -23.5 | SP+ projection: PSU by 22.2 | FPI projection: PSU by 23.7

Old Dominion at Virginia Tech (noon, The CW). The first and last games of Brent Pry’s head coaching tenure in Blacksburg were losses to ODU, and these in-state rivals have split their past six meetings. James Franklin’s first Tech team looked great in bullying VMI last week, and ODU wasn’t incredibly inspiring against Norfolk State. But the Monarchs don’t have to search for belief in this one; they pretty clearly know they can win at Lane Stadium.

Current line: Hokies -19.5 | SP+ projection: Hokies by 21.0 | FPI projection: Hokies by 18.4

Washington State at Kansas State (noon, TNT). Wazzu put up a solid fight in Sunday’s Apple Cup but was eventually done in by offensive inefficiency and the elusiveness of Washington QB Demond Williams Jr. Now, the Cougars travel to Manhattan to face another seasoned dual-threat — senior Avery Johnson — and a defense that has plenty of confidence after allowing 18 net passing yards against Nicholls. Wazzu’s defense could gum things up, but can the Cougs score enough?

Current line: K-State -18.5 | SP+ projection: K-State by 18.9 | FPI projection: K-State by 17.2

Saturday afternoon

Duke at Illinois (3:30 p.m., FS1). Both of these teams looked half-awesome last week. Illinois averaged 7.7 yards per play against UAB and scored TDs on five of seven drives, and Duke’s defense held Tulane to a field goal and a meager 30% success rate. The other two units? Uninspiring. Illinois couldn’t get the ball away from UAB and gave up 413 yards, and Duke also had a 30% success rate and scored just 17. But one half-team will be 2-0!

Current line: Illinois -6 | SP+ projection: Illinois by 3.4 | FPI projection: Illinois by 3.9

UNLV at North Texas (3:45 p.m., ESPNU). UNLV has already lost a toss-up game to Memphis and beaten Hawaii on the islands, and now the Rebels go to Denton to face a Mean Green team that annoyed Indiana for about 45 minutes. Jackson Arnold is just scraping by as the Rebels’ quarterback — they haven’t topped 21 points yet, and though he took only one sack against Hawaii (after six against Memphis), he also went just 8-for-18. UNLV’s ambitions require better from him.

Current line: UNLV -3 | SP+ projection: UNLV by 13.0 | FPI projection: UNLV by 6.4

California at Syracuse (3:30 p.m., ACCN). Syracuse obliterated New Hampshire so badly that the Orange’s SP+ rating rose more than any other power conference team’s; Cal, meanwhile, was so disappointing against UCLA that the Bears’ rating fell more than anyone’s outside of ACC mates Clemson and Stanford. Steve Angeli and the Orange look to back up their newfound awesomeness, and Cal needs to rebound before the season spirals away.

Current line: Syracuse -3.5 | SP+ projection: Syracuse by 8.7 | FPI projection: Syracuse by 11.6

Robert Morris at Akron (3:30 p.m., ESPN+). Are fans better playcallers than coaches? Let’s find out!

Current line: Akron -27.5 | SP+ projection: Akron by 15.4 | FPI projection: Akron by 23.5

Saturday evening

No. 18 Tennessee at Georgia Tech (7 p.m., ESPN). Georgia Tech was mostly fine against Colorado, but the Yellow Jackets went 0-for-3 in the red zone, missed a pair of field goals and lost in the last minute. They limited Colorado quarterback Julian Lewis, however; can they do the same with Tennessee freshman Faizon Brandon? His debut against Furman was about as clean as possible.

Current line: Vols -12.5 | SP+ projection: Vols by 15.6 | FPI projection: Vols by 10.0

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Tennessee’s Matthews details benefit of Pope’s unique training method

San Diego State at UCLA (7:15 p.m., BTN). I loved the transfer class Bob Chesney brought with him to UCLA, but I still expected UCLA-Cal to be a toss-up. Whoops. The Bruins harassed Cal’s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, rushed for 277 yards and laid the hammer down late. Now comes an SDSU team that won a strange, sloppy game over Portland State and has some experienced offensive pieces. What does UCLA do with actual expectations?

Current line: UCLA -12.5 | SP+ projection: UCLA by 8.6 | FPI projection: UCLA by 6.1

No. 13 Texas Tech at Oregon State (7:30 p.m., CBS). Another huge road favorite, Texas Tech sleepwalked against Abilene Christian, racing to a 14-0 lead but then forgetting to really pull away. If that Red Raiders team makes the trip to Corvallis, the spread’s way too big. Oregon State threw the ball all over Houston last week and could turn this into an uncomfortable track meet. Texas Tech needs to take its A-game west.

Current line: Tech -26.5 | SP+ projection: Tech by 23.2 | FPI projection: Tech by 23.5

Georgia Southern at Clemson (7:30 p.m., ACCN). We have experience watching Clemson rebound from terrible Week 1 performances. The Tigers did it well in 2023 and 2024, scoring 60-plus points both times, and ended up with solid seasons. But last year, they played poorly against Troy, then quickly resumed losing. Veteran QB Max Johnson and Georgia Southern are capable of pulling a surprise if Clemson doesn’t pull a 2023-24. (In the end, I’m not sure how surprising that would be.)

Current line: Clemson -20.5 | SP+ projection: Clemson by 13.5 | FPI projection: Clemson by 17.2

Late Saturday

Louisiana at No. 14 USC (11 p.m., BTN). I won’t lie: It’s frustrating watching USC start with three straight buy games, knowing the Trojans won’t be playing Notre Dame later on. But they have handled their business: Jayden Maiava was 48-for-54 passing for 635 yards and five scores in two easy wins. Louisiana quarterback Lunch Winfield is a fun dual-threat, and the Cajuns’ defense handled Lamar just fine last week, but, well, Lamar isn’t USC.

Current line: USC -30.5 | SP+ projection: USC by 25.9 | FPI projection: USC by 29.4

Montana State at Nevada (10:30 p.m., The CW). Montana State is the best team in the FCS and, similar to NDSU, would threaten to become an immediate contender in the Mountain West. But holy smokes, Nevada looked good against Western Kentucky last week. The Wolf Pack rushed for 323 yards against the Hilltoppers, and if they’re capable of matching that Saturday night, even the best FCS team might not be able to keep up.

Current line: MSU -3.5 | SP+ projection: MSU by 3.4 | FPI projection: Nevada by 3.0

Smaller-school showcase

Let’s, once again, save a shoutout for the glorious lower levels of the sport. Here are four games you should track.

FCS: No. 16 William & Mary at No. 8 Lehigh (2 p.m., ESPN+). After narrow wins over preseason top-10 Villanova and DeSean Jackson’s Delaware State, William & Mary takes its unbeaten record to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to face a rampant Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks used a 21-0 start to pace an easy win over Holy Cross, then used a 38-0 run to torch Georgetown. Running back Luke Yoder and linebacker Aidan Williams are dynamite. The Tribe must raise their game to get to 3-0.

SP+ projection: Lehigh by 15.7

D-III: No. 1 North Central at No. 10 Wartburg (2 p.m., local streaming). After stomping No. 2 Bethel, North Central will search for a challenge in Iowa. Wartburg is 47-5 since the start of 2022 and nearly upset North Central in the 2023 playoffs. But the top-ranked Cardinals’ passing game is ridiculous: Garret Wilson threw for 325 yards and four touchdowns last week, and half of that went to David Ballard III (160 yards, two TDs).

SP+ projection: North Central by 13.1

D-II: No. 13 Slippery Rock at East Stroudsburg (6:35 p.m., local streaming). Time for some PSACtion! The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference has three of the 10 best teams in Division II, per SP+, plus eight more unbeatens. Slippery Rock is a constant threat, but East Stroudsburg is 2-0 and looking for its first PSAC title game trip since 1983. Can a great run game drive a slight upset?

SP+ projection: The Rock by 2.2

D-II: No. 1 Ferris State at No. 9 Central Washington (9 p.m., FloCollege). Ferris State, the two-time defending D-II champ, has dominated its first two opponents — including preseason top-five Pittsburg State — and star quarterback Wyatt Bower is averaging 9.9 yards per pass and 7.7 yards per run. Central Washington nearly took down a solid FCS team in Cal Poly last week, though, and this is a pretty long trip West.

SP+ projection: Ferris by 17.5