2023 College Football Insider Week 2

Week 2 // 2023

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“That’s a lot of pushups. I wouldn’t be doing 500-and-something pushups. So props to him. I guess that’s the only negative on a day like today.”

Oregon quarterback Bo Nix on the Ducks’ mascot’s 546 pushups between scores following Oregon’s 81-7 victory over Portland State

TEAM OF THE WEEK

COLORADO

There was a lot of hype and unknown surrounding Deion Sanders’ Buffaloes going into 2023, but after Week 1, the college football world knows Colorado. Behind a thrilling 45-42 road upset of No. 17 TCU, Colorado earned its first top 25 ranking since 2020 coming in at No. 22 this week.

TEAM TO WATCH FLORIDA STATE

The Seminoles made the biggest statement of the opening weekend with a resounding 45-24 win over then-No. 5 LSU. Following its first win over a team ranked in the top five since 2014, Florida State jumped up four spots to No. 4 in the AP Poll – its highest regular season ranking since the Seminoles reached No. 2 in 2016.

The tandem of Jordan Travis to Keon Coleman was highly productive with the quarterback-receiver duo teaming up for three touchdowns. Travis finished the game with 342 passing yards and four touchdowns, while Coleman – a Michigan State transfer – had nine receptions for 122 yards and three scores in his Florida State debut.

After trailing 17-14 at halftime, Florida State outscored LSU 31-7 in the second half, including a 21-point fourth quarter to put the game away.

Florida State hosts Southern Miss on Saturday, September 9, at 5:30 pm PHX time on the ACC Network.

Not only was it a successful coaching debut for Sanders, but it was also Colorado’s first ranked win since 2019. The Buffaloes racked up 565 yards of total offense with a school record 510 coming through the air from quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Sanders distributed the ball to four players who each totaled at least 100 receiving yards.

The game-winning score came on a 46-yard scoring pass from Sanders to Dylan Edwards with 4:25 remaining, marking the sixth lead change of the second half alone.

The Buffaloes play their home opener on Saturday, September 9, at 9:00 am PHX time on FOX against Nebraska.

GAMES OF THE WEEK

#12 UTAH AT BAYLOR

9.9 // 9:00 AM // ESPN

NEBRASKA AT #22 COLORADO

9.9 // 9:00 AM // FOX

#20 OLE MISS AT #24 TULANE

9.9 // 12:30 PM // ESPN2

IOWA AT IOWA STATE

9.9 // 12:30 PM // FOX

STANFORD AT #6 USC

9.9 // 7:30 PM // FOX

For a full schedule of Week Two games, click here. (All times in PHX)

2023 BOWL PREDICTIONS

Vrbo

ESPN Bonagura – Utah vs. Penn State

247 Sports – Notre Dame vs. Oregon Action Network – USC vs. Alabama

CBS – Washington vs. Tulane

College Football Network – USC vs. Alabama College Football News – Boise State vs. Utah

AP WEEK 2 RANKINGS

For a full AP Top 25 Rankings,

GAME OF THE WEEK

#11 TEXAS AT #3 ALABAMA

Last year in Austin, these two teams played to a dramatic finish with then-No. 1 Alabama squeaking out a 20-19 road victory on a game-winning field goal with 10 seconds left.

Texas fans will wonder “what if” starting quarterback Quinn Ewers didn’t have to leave the game with an injury, but the 11th-ranked Longhorns will get another shot at No. 3 Alabama this Saturday in Tuscaloosa. Both teams head into Week 2 off commanding wins – 37-10 over Rice for Texas and 56-7 over Middle Tennessee for Alabama– to open the season.

Kickoff is 4:00 pm PHX time on Saturday, September 9, on ESPN.

GUARANTEED RATE BOWL

ESPN Schlabach – UCF vs. Minnesota

247 Sports – Oklahoma State vs. Michigan State

Action Network – UCF vs. Maryland

CBS – TCU vs. Purdue

College Football Network – TCU vs. Michigan State

Athlon Sports – Texas Tech vs. Maryland

1. Georgia

2. Michigan

3. Alabama

4. Florida State

5. Ohio State

6. USC

7. Penn State

8. Washington

9. Tennessee

10. Notre Dame

click here.

FIESTA BOWL

J.J. MCCARTHY

In his first game since throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for another in the 2022 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, McCarthy was efficient and productive in No. 2 Michigan’s season-opening 30-3 victory over East Carolina. McCarthy completed 26-of-30 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns – each going to wide receiver Roman Wilson.

McCarthy completed 15 consecutive passes in the first half, marking the longest streak by a Michigan quarterback since 2015.

McCarthy and his Wolverines host UNLV in the Big House on Saturday, September 9 at 12:30 pm PHX time on CBS.

The Guaranteed Rate Bowl will once again feature Bowl Season’s only Big 12 vs. Big Ten matchup. As we eagerly await the Dec. 26 kickoff, we’re bringing you weekly game highlights, player reports and other updates from the two conferences. Here’s the BIG news from Week 2:

BIG TEN

• Michigan is one of four Big Ten teams in the AP Poll with No. 5 Ohio State and No. 7 Penn State also occupying spots in the top 10. Wisconsin remained at No. 19 while Iowa is just on the outside looking in as the first team in the others receiving votes.

• Reigning Guaranteed Rate Bowl Champion Wisconsin officially opened the Luke Fickell era in the regular season with a 38-17 victory against Buffalo. Behind 157 yards from Chez Mellusi and 141 yards by Braelon Allen, with both running backs recording a pair of touchdowns, the Badgers ended Week 1 ranked eighth in the country in rushing offense.

• Ohio State defeated Indiana in a rare Week 1 league opener, 23-3. The win was the Buckeyes’ 28th consecutive over the Hoosiers in the series, which marks the longest series winning streak in the nation.

BIG 12

• Iowa State hosts in-state rival Iowa in Ames this Saturday for the 70th meeting of the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series. The Cyclones snapped a six-game losing streak in the series last season with a 10-7 victory over the Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. Last year’s win was Iowa State’s first road win in the rivalry since 2014.

• The Big 12 has three teams ranked in the top 20 of both national polls led by No. 11 Texas. Kansas State, the defending Big 12 Champion, comes in at No. 16 and Oklahoma resides at No. 18 with TCU, Iowa State, UCF and Houston also receiving votes in the AP Poll.

• Oklahoma State, last season’s Guaranteed Rate Bowl runner-up and January 2022 Fiesta Bowl Champion, returns to the state this weekend to play at future Big 12 opponent Arizona State.

MORE THAN JUST A GAME®

CHARITY SPOTLIGHT

FIESTA BOWL FRIDAY NIGHT SHOWDOWN

PRESENTED BY SUPER STAR CAR WASH

The Fiesta Bowl Friday Night Showdown presented by Super Star Car Wash is in full swing as it enters Week 3 this week with a rivalry matchup between Chaparral and Desert Mountain.

PALO VERDE FIESTA BOWL CHARITIES WISHES FOR TEACHERS

Arizona’s largest annual teacher financial support initiative will increase its impact by 25%, as the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers program will donate more money than ever to Arizona teachers for use in their classrooms. Now in its eighth year, the program will provide grants to 500 teachers, for a total of $1.25 million in donations.

Applications are now open for all Arizona K-12 public and charter school teachers through Friday, September 29, at 5 p.m. Teachers simply fill out the online application at www. WishesForTeachers.org, detailing the teacher’s school or classroom need and how the $2,500 grant would be implemented.

For more information about Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers, please click here.

Fiesta Bowl Friday Night Showdown presented by Super Star Car Wash is a strategic initiative part of the Fiesta Bowl Organization’s larger efforts to elevate youth and scholastic football in Arizona featuring on-site fan events, experiences and engagement, in addition to student-athlete and student-section highlights and recognition across non-linear and social media platforms.

The Fiesta Bowl Friday Night Showdown presented by Super Star Car Wash will run through November 3, with weekly Friday night matchups across the Valley of the Sun. The full schedule can be found below or by clicking here.