Week 2 Predictions – 2024
Last Week: Everything started for the Buckeyes as we would have expected. A bit vanilla to start, some flashes of greatness sprinkled in but in the end, a dominating 52-6 victory over Akron and OSU once again starts a season off with a victory. Our weekly staff predictions were also strong to start the season. No one was perfect like Coach Corso was with his picks 1st week but Vaughn, Andy, John and Steven were all 4-1 to set the pace for the rest of us.
This Week’s Games: Ohio State stays in the MAC for the second straight week. They welcome to Columbus Western Michigan and plan to give them the same treatment they served up to the Zips. Can WMU find any more of a hint of success against the high-caliber Buckeyes? …. The big game of the week will be Texas going to the Big House to play the B1G defending Champs. Michigan is in the news for all the wrong reasons right now, can they focus enough on the field of play to keep their winning ways? …. Tennessee and North Carolina State square off in match-up that may place the winner on a path to the playoffs. Do either of these teams have what takes to stay on that freeway? …. Boise State will try to make a name for themselves again as they take Oregon. Will the Ducks make quick work of them and put them in their place? …. The circus act game this week will be Colorado heading Nebraska. Can Coach Prime Time pull off another upset victory?
Buckeye Greats: As in the past, we will continue to include former Buckeye players in our prediction fun and we are thrilled to have Vaughn Broadnax back with us as a regular participant for the tenth straight year.
Here we go with our Week 2 Picks – Good Luck to All – Gregg
Western Michigan @ (2)Ohio State
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU-RB 1980-83): Western Michigan comes into Ohio Stadium after possibly colluding with those cheaters up north to provide access to their sidelines for a common opponent. It is my hope that our coaching staff lowers the boom this weekend. Buckeyes lasso the Cowboys 54-10.
Andy: Ohio State has a pretty easy 2nd week game here. This is another tune up game for the most part, but Western Michigan did play Wisconsin pretty tough last week so perhaps they’re better than most of the MAC. I still anticipate the Bucks using this game to help get their offensive line and linebackers more vital experience as it is truly needed. I expect another big win for OSU where they can hopefully get a lot of their second string guys a bunch of needed snaps early. Ohio State 42 Western Michigan 10
Cory: It was a slow start for Ohio State in their win over Akron last week, but the Buckeyes got on track in the second. New quarterback Will Howard, in particular, was pretty bad in the first half as he had a sub-50 percent completion percentage. Howard did much better in the second half, and it helped that the receivers started catching passes. The other concern was the offensive line still looked inconsistent. There were new starters at LG, C, and RG, and it does take time for a new line to gel. That said, this was against Akron and the Buckeyes simply should have done better. This week the Buckeyes turn their attention to Western Michigan. The Broncos opened the season with a 28-14 loss to Wisconsin, and will fall to 0-2 after this. Western Michigan was effective at running the ball against Wisconsin so the Buckeyes will need to shut that down. Otherwise, they look to be a pretty one-dimensional team. Ohio State 45, Western Michigan 13
Dave: Ohio State 42 Western Michigan 7
Gregg: If you listen to Chip Kelly talk this week, you would think they had a disappointing game in Week 1 and yet they put up 45 of the 52 points scored. I think we can expect an even stronger performance each week throughout the non-conference schedule. Will Howard looked very sharp and this should be another opportunity for him to perfect his timing with his receivers and play calling process. I would like to see more from the running game and offensive line. The defense should once again dominate the opponent and not be credited for a quality win for a few more weeks. But a win it will be and the Buckeyes will head to an early season off-week with a 2-0 record. Ohio State 66 Western Michigan 3
Joe-S-U: OSU
John: Western gave Wisconsin a scare in week one. The Bucks are simply better than the Badgers. The general consensus is that teams improve the most from week one to week two. If that’s true, then this one should get ugly early. Coach Day was not happy with the slow start the offense had against Akron, so look for Osu to try to jump on Bronco’s early. If that happens, hide the children. Ohio State 63 Western Michigan 6
Josh: Ohio State will be under the lights for this game, and the energy will be much greater for this one, and I anticipate that the Buckeyes will score on their first four possessions. Will Howard will pass for 3 touchdowns and over 250 yards, while TreVeyon Henderson and Judkins combine for over 200 yards on the ground, knowing that the run game is something both Day and Chip Kelly want to make a strength for this offense. The Silver Bullets will step up again, forcing 2 turnovers, and holding the Broncos under 200 yards of total offense. The second team should be in the game going into the third quarter, and Ohio State coasts to a 2-0 record entering their bye week. Ohio State 56 – Western Michigan 6
Steven: Hopefully, we’ll see a little more juice and creativity from the run game this week. I’m sure the entire package won’t be revealed, but there has to be an emphasis on getting the offensive line playing together and actually opening holes for Henderson and Judkins. WMU lost to a pretty lackluster Wisconsin team last week. Let’s see if the Broncos have improved since then. I’m not holding my breath. The only question is a matter of how much… OSU 49-10.
Trout: I think this will be a bit more of a challenge for the Buckeyes, but that’s not saying much. Ohio State should still win comfortably. Western Michigan is definitely a step up from Akron, but they are still not close to the level of Ohio State. I think Howard will have another solid game, and I could see both Henderson and Judkins getting close to the 100 yard mark. Ohio State wins with little resistance. (Ohio State, 45-10)
Final Score: Ohio State 56 Western Michigan 0
(3)Texas @ (10)Michigan
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU-RB 1980-83): Texas by “fitty”! Texas flushes the Wolverweasels down the Big House toilet bowl 42-10.
Andy: If anybody watched the Fresno State game last week, Michigan won but not convincingly. The Wolverines offensive line is terrible, they can’t pass block and they struggled a ton to run block. What is worse for Michigan is they don’t have any receivers or a quarterback. The Wolverines only threw for 121 yards despite playing against a significantly less talented team. Michigan is going to need their defense to be even better than it was last year if they want to win these big matchups. I think Texas is a legit title contender this year. Quinn Ewers is one of the best players in the country and to top it off the Texas defense is legit, especially in the front seven. Michigan’s offense is going to struggle and I think Texas wins this one. Texas 27 Michigan 6
Cory: If all you saw from Michigan’s opening-week win over Fresno State was the final score of 30-10 you’d assume the Wolverines cruised to victory. In fact, it was quite the opposite. The Bulldogs cut Michigan’s lead to 16-10 with just 10 minutes left in the game before the Wolverines eventually took control. New quarterback Davis Warren threw for just 118 yards with an average of 4.7 yards per attempt, which is terrible, and running back Donovan Edwards averaged 2.5 yards per carry. It is fun to hate on Michigan around here, but being honest that team is better than this performance. The problem is this week they have to host No. 3 Texas, and the Longhorns looked terrific against Colorado State last week. I think this game will be closer than most are predicting, but ultimately the Longhorn offense will carry them to a big road win. Texas 31, Michigan 17
Dave: Texas 28 Michigan 21
Gregg: Imagine a team that is barely a .500 team and then goes to the playoffs a couple years in a row, and wins a National Championship. Then they are only ranked 9th the next season in the pre-season polls. Wins 30-10 the first week and yet drops in the polls. I think they drop even further this week. None of that is the surprising part. It is still utterly amazing how the fans STILL think they did not cheat. I crossed over the line long time ago thinking the Michigan program took it all way to far. But even if you did not believe it yourself, just watch the Cade Stover video about the Tight End screen play and it remove all doubt. Hook’em Horns. Maybe we can have the perfect pair of wins where both Texas and Nebraska win and we don’t have to hear about Michigan and Colorado the rest of the year. Expect a strong game from Ewers and a big shout out from him saying “This was for you Buckeyes, your turn to beat them now”. The only question will be how long the coaching staff of this team lasts. Texas 45 Michigan 17
Joe-S-U: Texas
John: While I like what I’ve seen from Will Howard, this is an “oh, hat might have been” game with Ewers now entrenched as the QB1 for the Longhorns. Contrast that to the dumpster fire the Cheater’s have at the position. Michigan’s D will have to play lights out just to keep this one close, as I don’t see U of M sore many points. Texas 28 Michigan 10
Josh: This game is the national game of the week, two blue-bloods battling it out in the second week of the season, and a match-up that could have been the National Championship game last season if Texas was able to get past Washington. Michigan struggled in their opening game against Fresno State, which was close leading into the 4th quarter, before scoring a late touchdown to win by 10 points, but in no thanks to EA College Football 25 cover athlete Donovan Edwards, who was held in check this game. Texas looked great despite their running back depth challenges this offseason, and have some good receivers around Quinn Ewers, former Buckeye, who still refers to the Wolverines as “That Team Up North.” I think this one will be a close game to start, both teams will be relying on their defenses heavily. As a football fan, I hoped this was a late game, but glad as a Buckeye that I can see this game before going to the Ohio State game later on. I think Texas will get the win on the road. Texas 24 – Michigan 14
Steven: It has been good to see Michigan and head coach Sherrone Moore uphold the values passed on by former coach Harbaugh. Michigan has, post-Connor Stallions, reverted back to being kinda mediocre, and coach Moore has honored his predecessor by carrying on Harbaugh’s penchant for picking his nose on national television. Texas comes into the Big House looking like a machine. If Texas QB Quinn Ewers left Columbus with anything after his year with the Buckeyes, I sincerely hope it is a deep hatred of the Wolverines. Don’t let up, guys. Texas 42-20.
Trout: I think Michigan is in for a rude awakening. It’s clear they are not the same team they were last year. It looks like they’ve taken a step back. Although I don’t know how good the Longhorns will be, I still think they’re better than the Wolverines. Ewers is a far better quarterback than whoever Michigan puts out. And That’s with just experience alone. I can see Michigan keeping it close for a little while, but then Texas will start pulling away in the second half. Texas beats Michigan by a few scores. (Texas 35-17)
Final Score: Texas 31 Michigan 12
(14)Tennessee @ (24)North Carolina State
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU-RB 1980-83): Tennessee thrashes the Wolfpack 37-10.
Andy: NC State is a chippy team that was underrated last year only losing 4 games all of which were to ranked teams. Head coach Dave Doeren has a tough team that has got some key transfers in the portal like former Ohio State receiver Noah Rogers. Despite that I love the way Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel has built his team to contend with the big boys in college football. It starts with star quarterback Nico Iamaleava who was a former five star who completed over 78% of his passes and throwing 3 touchdowns in week 1. Tennessee has a lot of good players and is built for frankly tougher competition than NC State. Tennessee 34 NC State 14
Cory: While a lot of eyeballs are going to be on the Texas-Michigan game, this matchup between Tennessee and North Carolina State might be more entertaining. Tennessee may have just found another quarterback in Nico Iamaleava, who completed 22 of 28 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns last week against Chattanooga. Not to be outdone, North Carolina State has one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in college football – Grayson McCall. If that name sounds familiar, he is the guy who put Coastal Carolina into the spotlight the last few years. The concern for this matchup is that the Wolfpack is they don’t defend the pass well, and that’s what the Volunteers do best. I expect a fun, high-scoring game in this one but Tennessee will win. Tennessee 42, North Carolina State 31
Dave: Tennessee 32 North Carolina State 18
Gregg: For some reason, these two universities saw the potential of their match-up as something big. So they moved it off the Fairgrounds in Raleigh to the Panthers stadium in Charlotte. I am going to take the Over on this, both in the points AND excitement factor. Could be a track meet and a fun game for only being week two. Expectations are high for the Wolfpack this year, and both have great QB’s that will probably only get better as the season moves forward. Strap on your seat belts and enjoy the ride because we are going to see more games like this all season long. But for today, I will go with the Vols today, I think top to bottom, they may be a bit deeper on both sides of the ball. Tennessee 48 North Carolina State 35
Joe-S-U: Tennessee
John: Tennessee 35 NC State 24
Josh: This is a good early season match up for both teams. Tennessee will be breaking in their new quarterback Nico Iamaleave, and the experience of Grayson McCall could be an X-factor for the Wolfpack. This is a “neutral site game” in Charlotte, NC, so if this were in Raleigh, I would have given NC State a little more edge, but I think that the Volunteers will have their hands full, more so than their week 1 opponent in Chattanooga. I see this game being a high scoring game and will come down to who has it last. I like the Vols in this one, but NC State could be a threat in the ACC. Tennessee 38 – NC State 35.
Steven: QB Grayson McCall, the former Wizard of Coastal Carolina, has chosen to spend his 6th year of eligibility 180 miles north in Raleigh. Last week in his first as a member of the Wolfpack, McCall was OK, but not as efficient as he had been with the Chanticleers. Tennessee’s QB, Nico Iamaleava, was stellar in the Vol’s game against Chattanooga, completing nearly 79% of his passes. After one game, the stats between the Wolfpack and the Vols are very similar, but Tennessee’s defense might be what tilts the field to their favor. Tennessee runs away in the second half 31-21.
Trout: I think Tennessee wins, but it’ll be closer than people think. I am not a believer in the Volunteers. They had a really good season 2 years ago, but fell back to Earth last year. And I know they just put up close to 70 points last week, but they just seem like a mirage. They just beat up on a smaller school. I still think Tennessee is the better team out of the two, but I don’t think it’s by much. I can see the Wolfpack giving them a game up to the end. Tennessee wins by a narrow margin. (Tennessee, 27-24)
Final Score: Tennessee 51 NC State 10
(28)Boise State @ (7)Oregon
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU-RB 1980-83): Boise State keeps it close against Oregon, but looses a tough one 31-28.
Andy: Boise State came out swinging in week one against Georgia Southern, running for over 370 yards and throwing for another 280 yards. Running back Ashton Jeanty ran for 267 yards and 6 touchdowns by himself. Unfortunately for Boise State they also gave up 45 points to Georgia Southern. It will be interesting to watch them play against a tough Ducks defense, but the true matchup will be watching the Boise State defensive line against the Ducks offensive line which struggled a lot against Montana State. Despite the struggles I expect Oregon to play better this week. Oregon 31 Boise State 20
Cory: It’s only one game, but, wow, Oregon looked really bad. The Ducks only held a three-point until a few minutes left in the game at home against Idaho. No disrespect to the Vandals, but that should not happen. Oregon could not run the ball at all – the Ducks averaged just 2.9 yards per carry. They cannot continue to be that one dimensional going forward. I do expect Oregon to win this game, but Boise State will not make it easy for them. The Broncos fired on all cylinders in their season-opening win over Georgia Southern. Going into Autzen is going to be a challenge for Boise State’s offense, so I expect Oregon to pull ahead in the second half to a win. Oregon 28, Boise State 17
Dave: Oregon 36 Boise State 14
Gregg: Boise State is 3-0 versus the Ducks all-time. The boys from the blue field are going to win a few games this year but not this week. Oregon wants to make some adjustments and improvements from last week. They are playing the long game. Oregon 42 Boise State 10
Joe-S-U: Oregon
John: Oregon struggled a little in week one. This game should tell if that was just jitters or if there is reason to be concerned in Eugene. Boise State is no pushover, in spite of being 21 point underdogs. I like the Ducks to win, but the Bronco’s to keep it closer than the spread. Oregon 38 Boisie State 24
Josh: If you walked away thinking Oregon looked like one of the best teams in the Big Ten this weekend, you must be drinking some Nike Kool-aid. They put up a lot of yardage, but struggled against Idaho in week 1 in a game which should have been more of a blowout. Boise State is looking like they could be the best Group of 6 team in the country, especially after the game Ashton Jeanty had with 6 touchdowns on the ground. I think that is the Bronco’s best strategy going into this game is to try and play keep away from Oregon as much as they can. I think this game is close in the beginning, but Dan Lanning finds his adjustments in the second half, and keeps the Ducks undefeated. Oregon 35 – Boise State 24.
Steven: Boise State has never lost to Oregon. (3-0). This year’s matchup against the Ducks will be tougher than last week’s tilt where RB Ashton Jeanty exploded for 267 yards and 6 touchdowns against Georgia Southern. With Jeanty coming at them, Oregon will need to not only be stiff against the run, but the Ducks will need to establish their own run game. Last week against the vaunted Vandals of Idaho, Oregon ball carriers tallied a mere 107 yards on 37 carries. While BSU’s offense looks to be dangerous, their defense is abysmal. The Broncos needed every bit of Jeanty’s 6 TD day to bring home a win. BSU gave up 461 yards of offense and 45 points to the Georgia Southern Eagles, (not Georgia, Georgia Southern). Both defenses need to improve, but Oregon should be a lot closer to where they want to be. Ducks 45-33.
Trout: Although I didn’t believe the preseason hype, I think the Ducks are better than what they showed last week. They should be able to beat the Broncos by a few scores. If they don’t, it might be a concern for their playoff future. Boise State is usually a good mid-major team, so it shouldn’t be a walk in the park for the Ducks, but on paper, they are better in all aspects of the game. I can see the game being closer than Oregon wants it to start with. And then slowly the Ducks pull away to win by a few scores. Oregon wins, and gets some of their momentum back. (Oregon, 44-20)
Final Score: Oregon 37 Boise State 34
(45)Colorado @ (31)Nebraska
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU-RB 1980-83): Colorado will have to bring their best defense to confuse Nebraska’s freshman quarterback. If not, they have to elevate their running game to compete against the Cornhuskers. I think not. Nebraska beats Colorado 35-28.
Andy: Colorado has three elite players. Travis Hunter, Sheduer Sanders and Jimmy Horn jr. Outside of that they have a really weak roster who has a terrible defense, a terrible offensive line and questionable special teams. Deion Sanders has built his program all around hype and no substance. Nebraska’s head coach Matt Rhule is the opposite, he has built a team on defense and a balanced offense with a solid offensive line. UTEP could only manage 200 yards of total offense and gave up nearly 500 to the Huskers with 5 star true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola throwing for nearly 300 yards and 2 touchdowns. He looked very good throwing the deep ball and I think Colorado has no way to slow down Nebraska and this game will turn into an offensive shootout. Nebraska 42 Colorado 38
Cory: The old rivalry continues when Colorado travels to Nebraska this week. The big question is: Are either of these teams for real? Colorado has continued to make a bunch of changes under head coach Deion Sanders, but are they working out? The Buffaloes scraped by a win over North Dakota State last week. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders was terrific, as usual, but a big concern for Colorado continues to be the offensive line. Sanders had to make a bunch of plays last week on his own, and Colorado only managed 59 rushing yards. Yikes. Nebraska, on the other hand, may be finally finding their footing under second-year head coach Matt Rhule. The Cornhuskers started true freshman Dylan Raiola at quarterback, and the former Ohio State-commit did not disappoint as he threw for 238 yards and two touchdowns in the win over UTEP. Colorado has the two best players on the field in Shedeur Sanders and WR/CB Travis Hunter, but I think Nebraska plays better in the trenches. I am calling for Nebraska to pull out a close win. Nebraska 31, Colorado 28
Dave: Nebraska 28 Colorado 14
Gregg: At one time this would have been a Big 8 Match-up. Both teams left the conference for greener pastures. This year Colorado has come back to the Big 8, which is now the Big 12, even though it has 16 teams. Nebraska moved to the Big 10 (with 18 teams) and has yet to find the levels of success they had all those years in Big 8/12. Does this have any bearing on this game, no but it just continues to show you this is no longer your dad’s college football. As I mentioned previously, I expect Nebraska to win, hopefully shutting down the Buffalo Hype wagon. Go Huskers! Nebraska 40 Colorado 35
Joe-S-U: Nebraska
John: The shine is falling off Coach Prime, and the ‘Husker’s look to be much improved this year. Nebraska 31 Colorado 21
Josh: An old-school Big 12 matchup, pre-2012, but this game should be an interesting showdown. The key will be if Nebraska has an answer to contain Travis Hunter and Shadeur Sanders, who both had big numbers against North Dakota State last week, but Nebraska has inexperience where is matters most. Matt Rhule has a track record of being a QB expert, so it will be interesting to see how much he puts on Dylan Raiola if the game goes back and forth. I think the Buffaloes win this game to keep their buzz up, but mostly because I don’t think Nebraska is a competitor just yet. Colorado 42 – Nebraska 35.
Steven: Is Nebraska’s Freshman QB Dylan Raiola for real? Can the Husker defense contain Colorado’s Shadeur Sanders? I’m really not sure what to make of the Huskers this year. They blew out UTEP last week, which is not a great measuring stick. Colorado beat what is believed to be a very good North Dakota State team. Colorado’s offense is the real deal. Their defense is a work in progress. Matt Rhule’s Husker team is a work in progress on both sides of the ball, but Raiola could push them into unfamiliar territory, back into the top 25. I really don’t buy into the Coach Prime hype machine, because for all of Dieon’s bluster, his team had a lot of flash last year but couldn’t maintain the momentum. With a year of head coaching behind him, and given his team has had that year to gel, I see the Buffaloes as about a year ahead of where Rhule’s team is now. Between Shadeur Sanders and Mr. Everything, Travis Hunter, there’s legit top end talent on the Colorado side of the ball. Again, Nebraska seems about a year away from matching that talent. Buffs in a close one 28-20.
Trout: I feel like I have to go with the Cornhuskers on this one. I don’t think either team will be very good this year, but after watching Colorado last week, I just don’t have faith in Coach Prime’s team. Sanders and Hunter are the only players with any NFL potential. The rest of the team just seems so undisciplined and over their heads. Also, the unearned sense of arrogance has put me off this team. A team that went 4-8 last year thinks they are Saban era Alabama. Nebraska isn’t great, but it does seem Matt Rule might have them going in the right direction. However, that’s hard to tell at this point. I think the game is close. Potentially won with a last second field goal. The Cornhuskers pull off the win and serve the Buffalo their first loss of the season. (Nebraska, 21-19)