College Football Games To Watch: Week 2
Notre Dame and Duke are set to square off this weekend, but that’s not the only game I’ll be keeping my eye on. Here are five games that most interest me heading into the first weekend.
SYRACUSE at #18 NORTH CAROLINA
Time: 12:00 PM ET
Network: ACC Network
Line: UNC -23
North Carolina is getting a lot of preseason hype, and many believe they are legitimate challenger for the ACC title game. The Irish will play both of these teams later in the season, so there will be something to glean from both opponents.
It’s our first chance to see the sophomore version of quarterback Sam Howell and his dynamic group of pass catchers. The Tar Heel offense will be fun to watch, but I’m most curious to see if the Tar Heel defense makes any improvement.
LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE at #23 IOWA STATE
Time: 12:00 PM ET
Network: ESPN
Line: ISU -11.5
The last time we saw Iowa State they were getting dominated by Notre Dame. I’ve seen people list the Cyclones as a dark horse Big 12 title contender. We’ll see if head coach Matt Campbell can get Iowa State back on track after a 7-6 season. The Cyclones return quite a bit of talent on both sides of the ball.
Louisiana-Lafayette went 11-3 last season, losing two competitive games to Appalachian State. They could present the Cyclones with a stern test.
GEORGIA TECH at FLORIDA STATE
Time: 3:30 PM ET
Network: ABC
Line: FSU -12.5
Another matchup of two Notre Dame opponents, and two opponents looking to make big jumps. Georgia Tech enters year two of its post-triple option tenure, and Florida State has a loaded roster that has underachieved in recent seasons. What kind of progress will these teams make?
Florida State is expected to have a dominant defense, but their offense was a mess last season. Will they adapt quickly to the Mike Norvell offense? This will be our first chance to see that.
#1 CLEMSON at WAKE FOREST
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Network: ABC
Line: Clemson -33
I’m not as high on the Clemson defense as I have been in past seasons, and this will be a good first-game test for the Tigers. Wake Forest likely won’t be as good on offense in 2020 as it has in past seasons, due mainly to the loss of Sage Surratt. I’m high on Sam Hartman, and he has some quality weapons to work with, and they should at least challenge Clemson enough for us to get a sense of how good that defense will be.
Of course, Notre Dame travels to Winston-Salem in two weeks, so getting a first glance at the Deacons is also worth tuning in.
WESTERN KENTUCKY at LOUISVILLE
Time: 8:00 PM ET
Network: ACC Network
Line: Louisville -11.5
Louisville went from 2-10 in 2018 to 8-5 last season. Will the Cardinals be able to make another leap in 2020? This will be our first chance to see if the Louisville defense is improved and if the offensive line can thrive without Mekhi Becton. The Cardinals are certainly loaded from a skill player standpoint, but defensive improvement is the key to them challenging for an ACC title game berth.
Western Kentucky is a quality first opponent. The Hilltoppers went 9-5 last fall, but they were thumped at home by Louisville. I’m curious to see how these two teams look against each other this season.
———————
Become a premium Irish Breakdown member, which grants you access to all of our premium content, our premium message board and gets you a FREE subscription to Sports Illustrated! Click on the link below for more
Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time!
Join the Irish Breakdown community!
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown podcast on iTunes.
Follow me on Twitter: @CoachD178
Follow me on Parler: @BryanDriskell
Like and follow Irish Breakdown on Facebook
