It’s only Week 2, and we’re already getting some pretty exciting college football matchups.
This is what I like in two of the weekend’s most important games.
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There are two “easy” wagers for this game: take Oklahoma or take the Under.
These are based on how the game was played last season, which was a 24-13 win for Oklahoma. This is also based on how Michigan played in Week 1.
The Wolverines beat Western Michigan on the final (or second final) play of the game. Michigan scored on the opening possession and then did not even cross the Western Michigan 50-yard line until the final play of the game. The Wolverines ended up winning 13-12.
However, I’m not making those wagers because everyone is on both of those sides and it feels too simple. I’d be kicking myself if Oklahoma won 24-10, but so be it. I have another wager that I love here.
Will Bryce Underwood eclipse his rushing attempts Over/Under this weekend? (Getty Images)
Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood did not play well against Western Michigan and head coach Kyle Whittingham noted in a press conference this week that Underwood is Michigan’s starting quarterback “for now.”
Yikes.
To get the most out of Underwood against this fierce Oklahoma defense, Michigan will need to lean into what its QB does best right now, and that’s rushing the football.
Underwood had nine carries against Western Michigan, and I’d expect that number to increase against OU. Michigan had opportunities to use Underwood in the run game in Week 1 but chose not to. It will against Oklahoma.
Also, it’s worth noting that sacks count as rush attempts in college football. So if Oklahoma is able to sack Underwood, that will help this wager.
Schwartz’s Pick: Bryce Underwood Over 10.5 rushing attempts
This is another rematch from 2025, with Ohio State visiting Texas after beating the Longhorns in Week 1 of last season, 14-7.
Picking a side to win the game is something I don’t like, so I’m going to stay away.
However, I do think Ohio State will struggle to score points, and I’m going to take the Buckeyes’ team total Under.
Ohio State’s offense is so talented and features some of the best playmakers in the country. The offensive line is trending to be much better this season, but the Buckeyes didn’t score a ton of points last season against the better defenses they played.
They had 14 against Texas in Week 1, then 10 against Indiana in the Big Ten title game, followed by 14 against Miami in their Playoff loss.
Julian Sayin’s experience this year could play a role in this rematch. (Getty Images)
You can chalk up some of the low scoring to first-time starting quarterback Julian Sayin, who did not play as well in those matchups.
Ohio State did struggle at times to block in those contests. Is the offense able to scale up against Texas on Saturday night? Potentially, but I don’t buy it yet.
This is offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s first road game with this group and I could see some clunkiness with the offense early on as it figures out what works against the Texas defense.
