2019 College Football Week 2 Picks: Texas A&M at Clemson & LSU at Texas: The first full week of the 2019 College Football season is in the books, and while there weren’t a ton of marquee matchups, we did see the Oregon Ducks cough away a lead and their playoff chances in a loss to Auburn in the biggest game of Week 1.
The action picks up in a big way in Week 2 with a pair of matchups between ranked opponents that could have huge implications for the College Football Playoff by the time the end of the season rolls around.
First up, the 12th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies head to Death Valley to take on the top-ranked and defending national champion Clemson Tigers in a rematch of a thriller from a year ago. In the nightcap, a pair of teams that have been playing second fiddle in their respective conferences recently will try to start their march back to the top when the sixth-ranked LSU Tigers of the SEC go on the road to face the 10th-ranked Texas Longhorns of the Big 12.
No. 12 Texas A&M Aggies at No. 1 Clemson Tigers (-17.5)
These two teams met last season with the Aggies giving the Tigers one of their biggest tests of the season. Clemson eventually survived 28-26 on the road when Texas A&M couldn’t convert a late two-point conversion attempt to complete a furious comeback. It’s worth noting that Trevor Lawrence was still splitting time with Kelly Bryant under center for Clemson at that point, and Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond ended up being the star of the show, throwing for 430 yards and three touchdowns.
Mond is back to lead the Aggies, but this time around, the Tigers will be the home team with Lawrence under center from start to finish. I expect both sides to put more points on the board in this year’s meeting, but between explosive running back Travis Etienne and receivers Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross, there is no doubt that Clemson has more offensive firepower. Heck, the Tigers just hung 52 points on Georgia Tech despite Lawrence playing arguably the worst game of his collegiate career. Mond is the X-factor, and while I think he is good enough to keep this one interesting, I don’t see the Aggies going into Death Valley and pulling off the outright upset.
Prediction: Texas A&M Aggies (+17.5) Cover the Spread
No. 6 LSU Tigers (-6) at No. 10 Texas Longhorns
A pair of top-10 teams will do battle in this one, and the winner will instantly put themselves into the thick of the College Football Playoff conversation. Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger could also grab the early lead in the Heisman conversation with a big performance, and LSU quarterback Joe Burrow jumpstart a Heisman push of his own if he comes up with a clutch performance.
Given the reputation of the SEC, it would be easy to dismiss Texas in this one. However, the Longhorns took the fight to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl last year, winning the battle in the trenches in in a 28-21 win that saw Ehlinger find the end zone three times. These Longhorns are no pushovers, and they aren’t going to get run off the field Saturday night without a fight.
That being said, it’s hard to overlook the fact the Texas running game has been decimated by injuries over the spring, putting all the weight on the shoulders (and legs) of Ehlinger. As special as he can be, it is going to be hard for him to take on one of the best secondaries in the country when the Tigers can focus all of their attention on slowing him down. If LSU stays committed to a more up-tempo approach on offense, I think Burrow and company will eventually pull away from an out-manned Texas squad.
Prediction: LSU Tigers (-6) Cover the Spread
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