Week 2 Preview: Statements will be made
Week 1 was fun, but things start getting serious in Week 2. After spreading out the action over five days last weekend, we will get a full card on Saturday with some jam-packed action on the Saturday after Labor Day.
With three ranked matchups and some more conference matchups, things could start getting serious. Meanwhile, hot seats are starting to heat up in some places. KSR is here to get you gassed up for another college football Saturday.
Let’s dive in as the football sprint is off and running.
The Slate
— Louisville at UCF (7:30 ET Friday, ESPN2)
— Boise State at New Mexico (9:00 Friday, CBS Sports Network)
— No. 23 Wake Forest at Vanderbilt (Noon, SEC Network)
— North Carolina at Georgia State (Noon, ESPNU)
— No. 1 Alabama at Texas (Noon, FOX)
— Duke at Northwestern (Noon, Fox Sports 1)
— South Carolina at No. 16 Arkansas (Noon, ESPN)
— UTSA at Army (Noon, CBS Sports Network)
— Appalachian State at No. 6 Texas A&M (3:30, ESPN2)
— Colorado at Air Force (3:30, CBS)
— No. 24 Tennessee at No. 17 Pittsburgh (3:30, ABC)
— Washington State at No. 19 Wisconsin (3:30, FOX)
— Iowa State at Iowa (4:00, Big Ten Network)
— No. 25 Houston at Texas Tech (4:00, Fox Sports 1)
— Virginia at Illinois (4:00, ESPNU)
— Kansas at West Virginia (6:00, ESPN+)
— No. 20 Kentucky at No. 12 Florida (7:00, ESPN)
— Arizona State at No. 11 Oklahoma State (7:30, ESPN2)
— No. 10 USC at Stanford (7:30, ABC)
— Boston College at Virginia Tech (8:00, ACC Network)
— No. 9 Baylor at No. 21 BYU (10:15, ESPN)
— Oregon State at Fresno State (10:30, CBS Sports Network)
— Mississippi State at Arizona (11:00, Fox Sports 1)
Gambling corner
Last week was a rough week for Luckett’s Locks, but it’s a long season and we’re back to the drawing board this week with multiple after-dark plays. Over at “Pick 3”, the syndicate is attempting to bounce back after a losing weekend.
Let’s get these tickets to the window.
Measuring stick for Texas
Alabama is going to win the football game in Austin. The only question is by how much.
We all know that Bama is a national title contender as quarterback Bryce Young and EDGE Will Anderson are two elite players leading a pair of top-five units. Even against Texas, Nick Saban’s squad will have a significant talent advantage and that will eventually show up on Saturday afternoon.
What we will all be looking to see is how quarterback Quinn Ewers plays on this stage and if Texas is ready to take a step forward in year two under Steve Sarkisian.
Things fell apart last season in Austin as the Longhorns had some big-time culture issues. Texas inked another top-10 recruiting class and landed former No. 1 recruit Ewers via transfer, but there are still toughness and commitment questions surrounding this program that has a lot of cooks in the kitchen.
Recruiting is going very well for Sarkisian, but wins need to follow. When Texas transitions to the SEC, the burnt orange will have to get past the machines that both Saban and Kirby Smart will have. Saturday will tell us just how close the Horns are in a one-game scenario where depth shouldn’t be an issue early in the season.
Scott Satterfield’s heat is warming up
The Louisville-Syracuse game did not get much national attention last week, but the result was one of the most significant in the first week of the season.
In a near must-win spot, Scott Satterfield’s team, which is loaded with seniors, dropped an egg and was housed by a Syracuse team that many projected to finish last in the ACC Atlantic. The defense missed a ton of tackles, and Malik Cunningham played one of the worst games of his career in a 31-7 loss.
After building up a ton of momentum in the offseason thanks to some strong recruiting results, most of that is out the window now. The Cards face the toughest schedule in program history this season, and that continues on Friday with a road trip to UCF. One week later, UofL will host a hot Florida State team off a bye in their home opener.
An 0-3 start is on the table with upcoming road trips to Boston College and Virginia to begin October. A 2-4 start could be a safe bet. If Satterfield cannot get this turned around quickly, things could get ugly quickly in the Derby City.
A coaching change could be coming at Louisville. Friday’s game in Orlando is significant for the former App State head coach.
Statement opportunity for Tennessee
After a 7-6 season, Tennessee picked up right where the offense left off last year in an impressive win over Ball State. The Vols put up 59 points showing efficiency and explosiveness in both the run and pass game while the defense forced some takeaways to turn a close game into a blowout fast.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh had to grind out a rivalry win against West Virginia at home that took some fourth quarter heroics.
The Panthers are transitioning to a new offense with USC transfer Kedon Slovis at quarterback and Frank Cignetti Jr. now calling plays. Pat Narduzzi wants a more balanced offense this season as establishing the run has been a point of emphasis.
Unlike last year, Pitt is going to be unwilling to get in a shootout with Tennessee. The home team will want to play ball control and keep Hendon Hooker on the sidelines. This will be the fourth time that Narduzzi and Josh Heupel have coached against each other, and the former has won two one-possession games in a row.
Narduzzi is familiar with Heupel’s tempo and could produce a blueprint on how to defend Tennessee. Saturday will be an important game for many in the SEC to pay attention to. A big win would be an impressive early season statement for Tennessee with a huge home tilt with Florida right around the corner.
Will Levis vs. Anthony Richardson
On Saturday in The Swamp, Kentucky and Florida will meet for a very important game in the SEC East race. The winner will emerge as an early contender with Georgia in the division race. However, it’s only Week 2.
No one should overreact too much to the result, but that will be hard with the NFL Draft implications.
Will Levis and Anthony Richardson are toolsy quarterback prospects with big-time athletic traits but not quite the playing track record yet. The scouting community will be locked into the contest to see how each quarterback plays in an early season game with some legit stakes.
The winner could take a big step in solidifying first-round status and setting their team up for a great season. Most importantly, folks will generate a ton of takes — both good and bad — from this contest.
Both teams can have good years, but Saturday’s stage with ESPN on the call in front of a sold-out crowd will be a good test for both prospects. After last week’s performance, we could be in for a good show when Levis and Richardson go head-to-head for the first time.
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