Week 2 opens for real

Miami won by 70 and Missouri pulled away from Kansas in the Border War. Now the full Saturday slate arrives with playoff seeding already on the line.

The marquee four

Oklahoma-Michigan, Arizona-BYU, Alabama-Kentucky, and above all Ohio State-Texas. Each one will shape how the committee slots teams later.

“Ohio State-Texas highlights an active second slate of games”

Glen Powell takes the desk

Desmond Howard, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee and Kirk Herbstreit are joined by actor Glen Powell as guest picker.

Powell can't pick against Texas

Arizona State at Texas A&M: Powell, a Longhorn to the core, refused to take the Aggies. Everyone else picked A&M to pass the non-conference test.

Tennessee sweeps the desk

A unanimous call for the Vols on the road at Georgia Tech, a Yellow Jackets team that already dropped one to Colorado.

Cy-Hawk goes to Iowa

Expect another grinding, low-scoring trophy game. The desk likes the Hawkeyes over a Cyclones team without Matt Campbell.

McAfee alone on Memphis

Two Group of Six playoff hopefuls meet in Boise, and McAfee is the only picker taking Memphis to win on the road.

SEC vs Big Ten, overlooked

Mississippi State at Minnesota split the room. Saban and Powell like the Bulldogs' skill talent, the rest take the Gophers.

Herbie backs the upset

Alabama at Kentucky is an SEC opener with buzz after Will Stein's solid debut. The desk stays with the Tide, except Herbstreit, who takes Kentucky.

Des rides with the road teams

He took Arizona at BYU by himself, and as a Michigan alum he took the Wolverines against Oklahoma. The rest of the desk picked the home Cougars and the visiting Sooners.

Texas, unanimously

Every picker has the Longhorns beating Ohio State under the lights, avenging last season's loss.

“It's unanimous in favor of the Longhorns to avenge last season's loss to the Buckeyes under the lights.”

Why Oklahoma covers

The Sooners are near six-point favorites, and their front seven should overwhelm a Michigan offense that generated almost nothing against a MAC team last week.

Alabama wins, but closer

Favored by 10, the Tide have the defensive edge. Stein's retooled offense with quarterback Kenny Minchey should keep Kentucky in it longer than the number suggests.

Arch Manning is the difference

Ohio State holds edges on paper, but a new-look Buckeye defense has to handle an improved Manning with elite receivers and a real backfield. Texas takes it.

“armed and dangerous with elite receiver skill and a potent backfield behind him”