What Are the Best College Football Games Today? What You Should Watch in Week 2

Coming out of an exciting 2026 season opening slate last weekend that already had an effect on the top of the AP poll, the incoming Week 2 schedule brings us yet more matchups that playoff selectors will almost certainly take into consideration when eventually filling their bracket.

Here’s what we’ll be watching closely today, and what you should be watching, too.

What You Should Watch on the Week 2 College Football Schedule Today

All times Eastern

Oklahoma at Michigan

College Football's Best Games on the Week 2 Schedule You Should Watch Today — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Why watch? To see a battle of blue bloods in a great college football venue and to see who comes out alive in this SEC vs. Big Ten clash between teams with some big structural questions of their own.

For the Sooners, we still need proof of concept that this offense has taken a positive turn from last season, when it was among the worst in the country blocking, passing, and rushing, even helped, as it was, that punishing playoff defense.

Michigan looked completely lost offensively against Western Michigan in the opener, enough for its coach to openly question the staying power of his own quarterback, and would have lost that game had it not been for one controversial second and a Hail Mary for the ages.

When: 12 p.m. on Fox

Arizona at BYU

Why watch? A battle of two of the most promising teams in the Big 12 could influence the shape of that conference championship race and consequentially the eventual playoff bracket.

These teams played into double overtime last season and now each are coming off easy 2026 openers looking to make an early statement, each fielding some of the Big 12’s best quarterback talent – Noah Fifita for Arizona and Bear Bachemer for BYU – and with the Wildcats looking to show they’re not just a fashionable topic of preseason conversation in a tough road test.

When: 3:30 p.m. on Fox

Alabama at Kentucky

Why watch? To get an early answer for what one of the SEC’s incoming young head coaches can do against one of the country’s toughest opponents.

There’s a lot of optimism around Will Stein after he took the Kentucky job this offseason, and the first impressions were good, a 45-13 win over Youngstown State that saw quarterback Kenny Minchey hit over 300 yards passing with no turnovers.

Now the real test comes against a hard-hitting Alabama defense that can get after the passer, and we’ll see how well the Wildcats’ new-look tacklers perform against a young but very promising Keelon Russell, the Tide’s quarterback who had 342 all purpose yards in his debut.

When: 3:30 p.m. on ABC

Memphis at Boise State

Why watch? Because what happens here could end up playing a role in what the top of the Group of Six looks like when it comes to College Football Playoff selection time.

Boise State and Memphis are two of the most impressive G6 outfits early this season, the former giving No. 2 Oregon complete fits in a 7-point loss in the opener, and the latter stacking up 335 yards on the ground a week ago following a statement win against playoff hopeful UNLV.

When: 6 p.m. on USA Network

Ohio State at Texas

Why watch? A chance at revenge. A shot being the No. 1 team in the country. And a massive vote of confidence come College Football Playoff selection time. No pressure.

Especially for Arch Manning, whose lackluster performance against the Buckeyes in his first start a year ago completely derailed the hype train the Texas quarterback was on. He’s improved massively since then, but this will be among the toughest tests he faces.

Ohio State’s defense lost a lot of the production it on the field that day last August, but still retains plenty of firepower on the offensive side of the ball, with Jeremiah Smith back going against star Texas transfer Cam Coleman in what could be a shootout.

When: 7:30 p.m. on ABC

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