It was an even-steven start to the college football season for me, as I went 1-1 in Week 0 (I was on vacation for Week 1, but I surely would have swept the board). Let’s look to go perfect this week. For my college football predictions and best bets for Week 2, we’re off to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. Let’s hit the gridiron!
College Football Predictions & Best Bets for Week 2
#18 Penn State Nittany Lions vs Temple Owls
Start Time: 12:00 PM EST
We’ll kick things off in the City of Brotherly Love, at the home of not just the Philadelphia Eagles but the Temple Owls – Lincoln Financial Field, aka The Linc. Someone is losing their zero on Saturday, as the undefeated Owls host the #18-ranked, also undefeated Penn State Nittany Lions.
Yes, 1-0 is technically undefeated, but not that impressive. Both Temple and Penn State crushed their overmatched Week 1 opponents, Rhode Island and Marshall, respectively. But for a team that routinely has won three games total in a season (they went 5-7 last year), the Owls will take any W they can get, and they’re projected to get about five of six of them this year.
This week will not be one of those weeks the home side catches a dub, however. The Nittany Lions are expected to be at least a couple of wins better than last year’s 7-6 edition, and will win on Saturday. However, I only project Penn State to win by 12-16 points, so Temple on the spread is the play.
Best Bet: Temple +24 (-109)
#1 Ohio State Buckeyes vs #5 Texas Longhorns
Start Time: 7:30 PM EST
Which brings us to our main event of the week, a clash between the #1-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes and the #5 Texas Longhorns, going down on the Longhorns’ home turf Saturday night. The two sides kicked off last season the same way, with the home side, the Buckeyes, escaping with a win (they also beat the Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl the year before that and have been victorious in three of their last four meetings).
After disappointing seasons for both schools last year, the prospect of picking up a loss this early in this season is something they both will strongly want to avoid. With both teams projected for nine or 10 wins this season, at least on paper this looks like a very even matchup.
And the bookies seem to agree with that assessment, with the spread nearly a pick ’em heading into Saturday. But I think they’re leaning in the wrong direction toward the wrong team. My line is Ohio State to win by four to eight points, so I’ll gladly take them as a slight dog on the official spread.
Best Bet: Ohio State +1.5 (-108)
2025/6 College Football Overall Record: 1-1 (50%)
Profit (based on $100/bet): -($9.09)
Return on Investment: -5%
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