The welcomed hysteria of college football's triumphant return is fading into the background as Week 2 fast approaches.

And it's time to keep winning.

Fortunately for most programs, the upcoming slate is still favorable. Nonconference games—and expectedly lopsided ones, in many cases—remain the bulk of the schedule around the Football Bowl Subdivision.

There are, however, a few marquee games. The headliner is Texas at Michigan, while Tennessee and NC State play a neutral-site affair. League matchups are also tricking in; Top 25 teams Utah and Georgia Tech are preparing for conference opponents this weekend.

As always: Enough talking, more picks.

AP Nos. 25-21

Appalachian State (1-0) at No. 25 Clemson (0-1), 8 p.m. ET

Clemson, unsurprisingly, did not beat Georgia in Atlanta. But it's fair to say Clemson fans hoped for a more dangerous day from an offense that struggled in 2023. App State won't be an easy opponent, although Clemson should be able to leave its home opener with a victory.

Prediction: Clemson 34, App State 13

No. 14 Tennessee (1-0) vs. No. 24 NC State (1-0), 7:30 p.m. ET

For prediction, see No. 14 Tennessee.

No. 23 Georgia Tech (2-0) at Syracuse (1-0), Noon ET

Georgia Tech knocked off Florida State two weeks ago and then Syracuse saw Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord throw four touchdowns in his team debut. I'll narrowly lean toward the home team, but this is an ideal matchup to start shaping real expectations for 2024.

Prediction: Syracuse 29, Georgia Tech 24

Jacksonville State (0-1) at No. 22 Louisville (1-0), 3:30 p.m. ET

Last weekend, JSU surrendered 55 points in a loss to Coastal Carolina. Not a great sign before traveling to Louisville.

Prediction: Louisville 51, Jacksonville State 17

Iowa State (1-0) at No. 21 Iowa (1-0), 3:30 p.m. ET

In theory, this in-state rivalry will be a defensive slugfest—which has been the trend for a half-decade. The main question persists: Is Iowa's offense good enough? The unit looked solid in a win over Illinois State, but Iowa State is a much different story. I'll take the Cyclones in a tight one.

Prediction: Iowa State 20, Iowa 16

AP Nos. 20-16

Northern Arizona (1-0) at No. 20 Arizona (1-0), 10 p.m. ET

Don't mind me, just hoping Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan puts together a second 300-yard game in a row.

Prediction: Arizona 56, Northern Arizona 10

No. 19 Kansas (1-0) at Illinois (1-0), 7 p.m. ET

Both teams cruised in a clash with a lower-division foe in Week 1. Kansas toppled Illinois 34-23 last season, and a similar result is reasonable to expect. However, it should be far more competitive. Kansas had built a 27-point cushion before the Illini trimmed the gap in garbage time.

Prediction: Kansas 30, Illinois 22

Nicholls (0-1) at No. 18 LSU (0-1), 7:30 p.m. ET

LSU squandered a chance for a late victory over USC in Las Vegas last weekend. There shouldn't be any drama here, although Nicholls at least hung around with Louisiana Tech in a 25-17 loss.

Prediction: LSU 52, Nicholls 14

No. 17 Kansas State (1-0) at Tulane (1-0), Noon ET

Consider this the trap of the weekend. Kansas State takes on Arizona—in a nonconference game—in Week 3, but first the Wildcats need to beat Tulane on the road. Tulane blanked UT Martin in the opener and theoretically has a very balanced offense. I'm happily aboard the Avery Johnson hype train, but this is the K-State QB's first test of 2024.

Prediction: Kansas State 27, Tulane 20

Arkansas (1-0) at No. 16 Oklahoma State (1-0), Noon ET

Want to cool a hot seat? Beat a ranked team on the road. Arkansas coach Sam Pittman needs a marquee win, and traveling to Oklahoma State fits the billing. Unfortunately for the Hogs, that'll be a tough ask opposite OSU's All-American back Ollie Gordon II.

Prediction: Oklahoma State 36, Arkansas 24

AP Nos. 15-11

Houston (0-1) at No. 15 Oklahoma (1-0), 7:45 p.m. ET

Willie Fritz inherited a rebuild at Houston—and, for the record, I'm a believer in his future—but losing 27-7 at home to UNLV is not a great start. Oklahoma rolls behind its powerful offense.

Prediction: Oklahoma 47, Houston 14

No. 14 Tennessee (1-0) vs. No. 24 NC State (1-0), 7:30 p.m. ET

In classic overreaction fashion, Tennessee would be a major favorite. North Carolina State entered the fourth quarter trailing lower-division Western Carolina, but UT looked outstanding in a rout of Chattanooga. I believe that Tennessee wins and NC State isn't actually that bad.

Prediction: Tennessee 41, NC State 27

Utah State (1-0) at No. 13 USC (1-0), 11 p.m. ET

The importance of the triumph over LSU cannot be understated: Lincoln Riley pulled himself out of hot-seat conversations before USC travels to Michigan for a Sept. 21 showdown. Though his job should be secure into 2025 anyway—barring a truly horrendous meltdown—Riley and the Trojans took an important step toward a competitive year.

Prediction: USC 43, Utah State 13

Florida A&M (2-0) at No. 12 Miami (1-0), 6 p.m. ET

Cam Ward for Heisman? Cam Ward for Heisman.

Prediction: Miami 59, Florida A&M 7

Baylor (1-0) at No. 11 Utah (1-0), 3:30 p.m. ET

Utah quarterback Cameron Rising threw five touchdowns in his return, so preseason optimism about the Utes isn't going anywhere. Baylor has the talent to make it interesting, but I'm squarely in "see it to believe it" mode after the Bears struggled so much in 2023.

Prediction: Utah 31, Baylor 20

AP Nos. 10-6

No. 3 Texas (1-0) at No. 10 Michigan (1-0), Noon ET

For prediction, see No. 3 Texas.

Buffalo (1-0) at No. 9 Missouri (1-0), 7 p.m. ET

I don't mean to alarm you, but Buffalo upset Missouri when I started a dynasty in College Football 25. The game knows. In reality, it should be a comfortable win for Mizzou.

Prediction: Missouri 45, Buffalo 14

Bowling Green (1-0) at No. 8 Penn State (1-0), Noon ET

Penn State played a very impressive game in Morgantown to roll West Virginia in Week 1. If the Nittany Lions keep that up, they'll be contending for a trip to the College Football Playoff.

Prediction: Penn State 44, Bowling Green 10

Boise State (1-0) at No. 7 Oregon (1-0), 10 p.m. ET

Squeeze in a power nap, if needed, because it's worth staying up for this contest. Boise State was allergic to defense in Week 1, but Ashton Jeanty scored six touchdowns on the ground. Oregon, meanwhile, had a pair of turnovers on downs, one interception and one fumble in a forgettable win over Idaho. Oregon should win handily, but that's a nod to the roster more than its performance in the opener.

Prediction: Oregon 41, Boise State 24

Middle Tennessee (1-0) at No. 6 Ole Miss (1-0), 4:15 p.m. ET

After storming to a 21-0 lead, Middle Tennessee needed a last-second touchdown to beat Tennessee Tech. I am not of the opinion that Ole Miss will be dealing with a similar situation.

Prediction: Ole Miss 59, MTSU 10

AP Nos. 5-1

Northern Illinois (1-0) at No. 5 Notre Dame (1-0), 3:30 p.m. ET

Massive road win? Check. Return home to face a non-power opponent? Check. This is the prototypical context of a letdown game, so perhaps Notre Dame trudges out to a slow start. Northern Illinois has a sturdy defense, too. Eventually, though, the Irish will pull away.

Prediction: Notre Dame 38, NIU 14

South Florida (1-0) at No. 4 Alabama (1-0), 7 p.m. ET

You may recall that Nick Saban benched Jalen Milroe when Alabama took on USF last season. The feeling around Bama's quarterback situation has improved slightly since then, huh?

Prediction: Alabama 52, USF 17

No. 3 Texas (1-0) at No. 10 Michigan (1-0), Noon ET

Michigan's defense is probably very good, and it'll be a noisy environment in Ann Arbor. But if the Wolverines don't figure out a few answers for their offense—and if I was smart enough to have those, I'd be coaching—Texas should not find itself in much danger of an upset.

Prediction: Texas 27, Michigan 17

Western Michigan (0-1) at No. 2 Ohio State (1-0), 7:30 p.m. ET

WMU put a scare into Wisconsin, but that's more a concern for UW than Ohio State. Though the Buckeyes had a quiet opening frame against Akron, they unleashed wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and scored twice on defense in a 52-6 blowout. Figures to be comparable in Week 2.

Prediction: Ohio State 48, Western Michigan 7

Tennessee Tech (0-1) at No. 1 Georgia (1-0), 2 p.m. ET

"If I was being honest, I would tell you I'm not thrilled to be headed to Athens, Georgia, this weekend," Tennessee Tech coach Bobby Wilder told reporters. "So, I'll be dishonest and say I'm very excited to be playing Georgia at Sanford Stadium in front of 93,000." I mean, just on principle, I kinda want Tennessee Tech to win? (Chill, Dawgs fans, it's a joke.)

Prediction: Georgia 63, Tennessee Tech 0

Rest of the Slate, Part I

BYU (1-0) at SMU (2-0), Friday, 7 p.m. ET
Prediction: SMU 33, BYU 24

Western Illinois (0-1) at Indiana (1-0), Friday, 7 p.m. ET
Prediction: Indiana 45, Western Illinois 14

Duke (1-0) at Northwestern (1-0), Friday, 9 p.m. ET
Prediction: Duke 20, Northwestern 16

Pittsburgh (1-0) at Cincinnati (1-0), Noon ET
Prediction: Pitt 31, Cincinnati 26

Akron (0-1) at Rutgers (1-0), Noon ET
Prediction: Rutgers 33, Akron 13

Rhode Island (1-0) at Minnesota (0-1), Noon ET
Prediction: Minnesota 34, Rhode Island 10

Troy (0-1) at Memphis (1-0), Noon ET
Prediction: Memphis 36, Troy 24

Army (1-0) at Florida Atlantic (0-1), Noon ET
Prediction: Florida Atlantic 24, Army 21

Merrimack (0-1) at Connecticut (0-1), Noon ET
Prediction: UConn 38, Merrimack 14

McNeese (1-1) at Texas A&M (0-1), 12:45 p.m. ET
Prediction: Texas A&M 52, McNeese 7

Missouri State (0-1) at Ball State (0-0), 2 p.m. ET
Prediction: Ball State 26, Missouri State 23

St. Francis (0-1) at Kent State (0-1), 2:30 p.m. ET
Prediction: Kent State 41, St. Francis 17

Utah Tech (0-1) at UNLV (1-0), 3 p.m. ET
Prediction: UNLV 45, Utah Tech 10

Charlotte (0-1) at North Carolina (1-0), 3:30 p.m. ET
Prediction: North Carolina 33, Charlotte 13

Duquesne (0-1) at Boston College (1-0), 3:30 p.m. ET
Prediction: Boston College 42, Duquesne 10

California (1-0) at Auburn (1-0), 3:30 p.m. ET
Prediction: Auburn 34, Cal 24

Michigan State (1-0) at Maryland (1-0), 3:30 p.m. ET
Prediction: Maryland 27, Michigan State 21

South Dakota (1-0) at Wisconsin (1-0), 3:30 p.m. ET
Prediction: Wisconsin 24, South Dakota 20

Eastern Michigan (1-0) at Washington (1-0), 3:30 p.m. ET
Prediction: Washington 44, Eastern Michigan 17

South Carolina (1-0) at Kentucky (1-0), 3:30 p.m. ET
Prediction: Kentucky 31, South Carolina 16

Temple (0-1) at Navy (1-0), 3:30 p.m. ET
Prediction: Navy 24, Temple 13

Massachusetts (0-1) at Toledo (1-0), 3:30 p.m. ET
Prediction: Toledo 30, UMass 17

Idaho (0-1) at Wyoming (1-0), 3:30 p.m. ET
Prediction: Wyoming 26, Idaho 21

Rest of the Slate, Part II

UTSA (1-0) at Texas State (1-0), 4 p.m. ET
Prediction: UTSA 30, Texas State 27

Marshall (1-0) at Virginia Tech (0-1), 4:30 p.m. ET
Prediction: Virginia Tech 31, Marshall 14

Albany (1-0) at West Virginia (0-1), 6 p.m. ET
Prediction: West Virginia 48, Albany 7

East Carolina (1-0) at Old Dominion (0-1), 6 p.m. ET
Prediction: Old Dominion 27, East Carolina 24

Central Michigan (1-0) at Florida International (0-1), 6 p.m. ET
Prediction: Central Michigan 29, FIU 24

South Alabama (0-1) at Ohio (0-1), 6 p.m. ET
Prediction: Ohio 31, South Alabama 23

Gardner-Webb (0-1) at James Madison (1-0), 6 p.m. ET
Prediction: JMU 45, Gardner-Webb 14

Sam Houston (1-0) at Central Florida (1-0), 6:30 p.m. ET
Prediction: UCF 41, Sam Houston 17

Virginia (1-0) at Wake Forest (1-0), 7 p.m. ET
Prediction: Wake Forest 31, Virginia 24

Cal Poly (0-1) at Stanford (0-1), 7 p.m. ET
Prediction: Stanford 45, Cal Poly 21

Samford (0-1) at Florida (0-1), 7 p.m. ET
Prediction: Florida 42, Samford 10

UAB (1-0) at Louisiana-Monroe (1-0), 7 p.m. ET
Prediction: UAB 29, ULM 21

Tulsa (1-0) at Arkansas State (1-0), 7 p.m. ET
Prediction: Arkansas State 31, Tulsa 28

Texas Southern (1-0) at Rice (0-1), 7 p.m. ET
Prediction: Rice 34, Texas Southern 13

Eastern Kentucky (0-1) at Western Kentucky (0-1), 7 p.m. ET
Prediction: WKU 37, EKU 16

Louisiana (1-0) at Kennesaw State (0-1), 7 p.m. ET
Prediction: Louisiana 32, Kennesaw State 17

San Jose State (1-0) at Air Force (1-0), 7 p.m. ET
Prediction: Air Force 27, San Jose State 20

Georgia Southern (0-1) at Nevada (1-1), 7 p.m. ET
Prediction: Nevada 38, Georgia Southern 34

Northern Colorado (0-1) at Colorado State (0-1), 7 p.m. ET
Prediction: Colorado State 41, Northern Colorado 14

William & Mary (1-0) at Coastal Carolina (1-0), 7 p.m. ET
Prediction: Coastal Carolina 48, William & Mary 10

Chattanooga (0-1) at Georgia State (0-1), 7 p.m. ET
Prediction: Georgia State 28, Chattanooga 20

Southeastern Louisiana (0-1) at Southern Miss (0-1), 7 p.m. ET
Prediction: Southern Miss 45, SE Louisiana 17

Rest of the Slate, Part III

Colorado (1-0) at Nebraska (1-0), 7:30 p.m. ET
Prediction: Nebraska 33, Colorado 27

Alcorn State (0-1) at Vanderbilt (1-0), 7:30 p.m. ET
Prediction: Vanderbilt 44, Alcorn State 14

Stephen F. Austin (1-0) at North Texas (1-0), 7:30 p.m. ET
Prediction: North Texas 38, SFA 17

Long Island (0-1) at TCU (1-0), 8 p.m. ET
Prediction: TCU 56, Long Island 7

Southern Utah (0-1) at UTEP (0-1), 9 p.m. ET
Prediction: UTEP 36, Southern Utah 14

Texas Tech (1-0) at Washington State (1-0), 10 p.m. ET
Prediction: Texas Tech 41, Washington State 34

Sacramento State (0-1) at Fresno State (0-1), 10 p.m. ET
Prediction: Fresno State 38, Sacramento State 16

Liberty (1-0) at New Mexico State (1-0), 10:15 p.m. ET
Prediction: Liberty 42, NMSU 21

Mississippi State (1-0) at Arizona State (1-0), 10:30 p.m. ET
Prediction: Arizona State 34, Mississippi State 30

Oregon State (1-0) at San Diego State (1-0), 10:30 p.m. ET
Prediction: Oregon State 26, SDSU 23