6 College Football Teams On Upset Alert In Week 2

The college football season is chugging along into Week 2.

Last weekend, there were plenty of surprising scores across the sport, including UMass taking down Rutgers, Boise State pushing Oregon to the brink, and Michigan's controversial Hail Mary against Western Michigan.

There were also three programs, Tarleton State, Idaho State, and The Citadel, that pulled off FCS-FBS upsets, which are becoming rarer in college football due to the gap in resources.

With the fall just beginning to unfold, who are the six programs that are on upset alert this weekend?

*All odds via FanDuel

No. 10 Texas A&M Aggies

Sep 5, 2026; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) runs the ball during the first quarter against the Missouri State Bears at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Spread: TAMU -14.5

Texas A&M responded from a disappointing conclusion to the 2025 season with a shutout win over Missouri State. However, things are about to get a little tougher with Arizona State coming into College Station.

The Sun Devils are two seasons removed from a College Football Playoff appearance, and Kenny Dillingham is 6-7 against ranked opponents as a head coach. Five of those losses came in his first season. Dillingham is 6-2 against top-25 teams since 2024, and guided Arizona State to a 26-22 upset over No. 7 Texas Tech last year.

Though Arizona State is a 14.5-point underdog, new quarterback Cutter Boley could make things interesting. Last week, he completed 21/27 passes for 387 yards and 6 touchdowns.

The Aggies might have some problems in the trenches, but Kyle Field will be rocking, and Marcel Reed was solid in the opener.

No. 12 Alabama Crimson Tide

Spread: BAMA -10.5

Alabama is starting its third different quarterback in as many years, with former five-star prospect Keelon Russell winning the job during the preseason. Russell made a few splash plays during his debut, completing 18/30 passes for 256 yards and adding 86 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He didn't get a ton of help from his receivers.

Taking down East Carolina in a season opener is one thing, but traveling to Kentucky to begin conference play is a different beast. The Crimson Tide only has seven returning starters, and Russell has never had to step into a road environment as the guy during his college career.

This will also be new Kentucky head coach Will Stein's first challenge. The Wildcats have a different face at quarterback, turning to transfer Kenny Minchey, who threw for 301 yards and 4 touchdowns in a win over Youngstown State.

It's tough to follow a legend, and Kalen DeBoer is feeling it from Alabama fans. A loss in this game wouldn't quiet any of the noise. Four of DeBoer's eight defeats with the Crimson Tide have come against unranked opponents, including a 31-17 loss on the road to Florida State early in 2025. DeBoer needs to avoid a similar scenario.

Illinois Fighting Illini

Illinois coach Bret Bielema during the Music City Bowl against Tennessee in an NCAA college football game on Dec. 30, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Spread: ILL -5.5

Illinois is favored by a little under a touchdown ahead of a home game against the reigning ACC Champions. Both teams came away with victories in Week 1, though they weren't necessarily impressive performances. The Fighting Illini defeated UAB 42-23, while Duke beat Tulane 17-3.

While Illinois blew out Duke in 2025, each squad looks much different this time around.

Between Duke's Walker Eget and Illinois's Katin Houser, whichever quarterback rises to the occasion will have the best chance at securing a non-conference win.

Manny Diaz is 8-4 on the road in his two seasons with the Blue Devils.

Boise State Broncos

Spread: BSU -9.5

Boise State was nearly the darling of the nation last Saturday, coming up just short of upsetting Oregon and delivering the eye-opener of September. Regardless of the strong effort, the Broncos couldn't hold on as the Ducks found life in the second half, capping things off with an explosive touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Coming off the loss, Boise State can't afford to wallow in misery. Memphis is flying up to Idaho to make a statement. The Tigers are off to a 2-0 start under head coach Charles Huff, upsetting UNLV on the road in Week 0.

Memphis might not have the same level of talent, but Huff has the program playing with grit and intensity.

No. 21 Iowa Hawkeyes

Spread: IOWA -13.5

Iowa held Northern Illinois scoreless, which I'll get to in a minute, in a 40-0 victory last Saturday. The Hawkeyes scored on their first three possessions and limited the Huskies to just 120 total yards. It was a dominant showing.

Now, Iowa gets a crack at rival Iowa State. The Cyclones are 1-0 under first-year head coach Jimmy Rogers, who came over from Washington State to fill the gap after Matt Campbell left for Penn State. Rogers led South Dakota State to an FCS national championship in his debut as a head coach back in 2023.

The Hawkeyes have the advantage on paper, but Iowa State has won three of the last four meetings. The unranked Cyclones upset No. 21 Iowa during their last trip to Iowa City in 2024.

It's worth wondering how consistent Iowa's offense will be against a quality opponent, with the program planning to play both Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski.

Northern Illinois Huskies

Sep 5, 2026; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Northern Illinois Huskies quarterback Jalen Macon (14) throws a pass against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the third quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Spread: ISU -4.5

Is this cheating? Maybe it is; maybe it isn't. Northern Illinois is technically the underdog entering its home opener against FCS Illinois State. Either way, an FBS program falling to an FCS school is an upset, in my opinion.

The Huskies have been going through it ever since Charles Huff left for Southern Miss following the 2024 season. Northern Illinois lost nine of its final 11 games in 2025, finishing 3-9. Head coach Thomas Hammock departed for the NFL, and now the program is on its third different leader in as many seasons, with Rob Harley serving in an interim role. Harley was blanked by Iowa in his first game.

Illinois State is 2-0 as it prepares for the matchup. The Redbirds hold wins over St. Francis (76-0) and Western Illinois (41-10).

Northern Illinois might have too many moving parts to hold off Illinois State unless quarterback Taron Dickens can step up.

A few other potential FCS-FBS upsets to watch this weekend include Montana State-Nevada, Wofford-Kent State, and Stony Brook-Ball State.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change

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