2014 College Football Picks: Week 2 Odds and Predictions – Free College Football Picks 9/6/14

2014 College Football Picks: Week 2 Odds and Predictions – Free College Football Picks 9/6/14: The 2014 college football season is only in its second week, but Saturday’s slate of gams already features some marquee matchups both in and out of conference play. This weekend’s schedule features two battles between top-15 teams, including a showdown of top-10 foes. It also includes a meeting between two of the winningest programs in college football history. With that in mind, here is how I see the big games playing out in Week 2 of the college football season.

No. 14 USC Trojans at No. 13 Stanford Cardinal

Even during USC’s down years, this game has been competitive, and last year, the Trojans pulled off the upset at home. The Cardinal are understandably favored in at home in this year’s meeting, but both teams roll into the matchup coming off dominating performances in their openers. The Trojans piled up more than 700 yards of offense in their win over Fresno State, attacking the Bulldogs with a no-huddle, up-tempo attack installed by new head coach Steve Sarkisian. Quarterback Cody Kessler shined in the win. Meanwhile, Stanford crushed lowly UC Davis, holding the Aggies to just 115 yards in a shutout win. Wide receiver Ty Montgomery was his usual explosive self, adding a 60-yard punt return touchdown to his stat line.

Looking ahead at this matchup, Sarkisian’s offensive system could hold the key to deciding this matchup. While at Washington last year, Sarkisian and the Huskies piled up nearly 500 yards of offense while pushing Stanford to the brink. Sarkisian arguably has more offensive weapons at his disposal at USC this year, and Kessler looked more than comfortable running the fast-paced attack. Meanwhile, Stanford certainly doesn’t appear to be any better than it was a year ago, at least on paper. With that in mind, the Trojans should at least be able to take this game to the wire for a third year in a row, covering the spread in the process.

Prediction: USC Trojans (+3) Cover the Spread

No. 7 Michigan State Spartans at No. 3 Oregon Ducks

It is only the second week of the college football season, but this matchup of top-10 teams is easily the biggest non-conference showdown of the year. It is also showdown of Oregon’s high-powered offense and Michigan State’s physical defense. Both sides stroll into the game on the heels of beatdowns of FCS opponents with quarterback Marcus Mariota tallying four first-half scores in the Ducks’ 62-point onslaught against South Dakota and quarterback Connor Cook completing 12-of-13 passes in the Spartans’ 45-7 win over Jacksonville State.

If you watch Oregon play, it is easy to fall in love with the Ducks’ fast-paced offensive attack. It’s also easy to think that the Ducks would simply run the Spartans and their conventional offensive system off the field, especially at home. However, Michigan State’s big, physical defense is the perfect weapon for slowing down Mariota and company as evidenced by Oregon’s struggles against Auburn, Ohio State, LSU and Stanford in recent years. Meanwhile, Cook has quietly developed into a reliable quarterback for the Spartans, topping 300 yards in the Big Ten title game and the Rose Bowl to cap last season. Granted, the Ducks have dropped just two home games since 2009 so I expect them to ultimately come out on top, but I don’t expect it to be a walkover by any means.

Prediction: Michigan State Spartans (+12) Cover the Spread

Michigan Wolverines at No. 16 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

For the fourth year in a row, Michigan and Notre Dame will play under the lights, and while Saturday’s game will mark an end to this annual rivalry for at least the foreseeable future, recent history suggests the two sides will give the series an entertaining sendoff.  After all, three of the last eight meetings between these teams were decided in the final minute. This year, Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner and Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson will be the focal points of their respective offenses in a game that could easily turn into an offensive shootout with the Wolverines’ defense rebuilding and the Fighting Irish missing multiple starters on their unit.

Recently, this series has been highlighted by big plays and wild momentum swings, and I don’t expect that to change this year given the playmaking ability of both quarterbacks and the advantage both offenses should have over the opposing defenses. Last year, Gardner and company came out on top 41-30 in Ann Arbor, but with the game in South Bend and Golson back under center to give Notre Dame’s offense that extra dynamic it lacked a year ago, the Fighting Irish should be able to flip the script

Prediction: Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-4.5) Cover the Spread