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    • College Football Week 2 Bold Predictions: Colorado and Utah in Trouble?
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    College Football Week 2 Bold Predictions: Colorado and Utah in Trouble?

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    There were several surprises on the opening weekend of the college football season. Miami didn’t just beat Florida. The Hurricanes dominated the Gators in the Swamp. Notre Dame also went on the road and scored a big win for its playoff chances by beating Texas A&M. USC and Lincoln Riley scored a rare win against an SEC team by beating LSU in Las Vegas.

    So what should we watch for in Week 2? Which games will feature these surprises? Who could be the victim of the surprise? History has shown that these unlikely outcomes are coming – even when they are the most unexpected. But where will they happen?

    That’s why the USA TODAY Sports college football staff is here. Scooby Axson, Jordan Mendoza, Paul Myerberg, Erick Smith, Eddie Timanus and Dan Wolken make their bold predictions for Week 1 of the college football season:

    Colorado is in for a rude awakening

    Usually, you win a football game by doing what you do in the trenches and showing a little game management in the fourth quarter. Colorado failed both tests last week and still came away with a win against North Dakota State. The Buffaloes would do well to find a consistent running game against Nebraska this week and keep Shedeur Sanders from falling face first on every other play, or this game will be over before halftime. Nebraska is better equipped, more talented, and has more speed than when these teams met a year ago, and the Cornhuskers are primed for a season where they can at least sniff a bowl game. –Scooby Axson

    Texas Makes Michigan Ridiculous

    It’s clear that the Michigan Wolverines are a far cry from the team that won a national championship in January, and it makes sense that Texas would be the favorite going into the highly anticipated game at “The Big House.” But it won’t be an exciting game to watch. Texas went to Alabama last season and made a big statement with its win, and it will be even bigger this time around. The Wolverines’ offense was shaky against Fresno State and the defense bailed them out. But Michigan’s defense can only hold out for so long, as Quinn Ewers and company blow this game out of the water. If there’s any consolation for Michigan fans, it’s that at least they’ll get to see Arch Manning get some snaps. –Jordan Mendoza

    ON TAP: Week 2 Analysis and the 5 Biggest Matches to Watch

    EXPERT CHOICES: Staff Predictions for Every Top 25 Matchup in Week 2

    Michigan goes defensive after loss to Texas

    Michigan grabs two takeaways deep in Texas territory and converts both into a major upset of the Longhorns. The way to do that seems to be to slow down and win the turnover battle, two factors the Wolverines used to great success under Jim Harbaugh. It will be hard to keep UT a secret, but with the help of a couple of key turnovers, UM comes out on top 28-24. –Paul Myerberg

    Clemson must get over Georgia hangover

    We’ve seen the script before. Appalachian State enters the famous college football stadium and leaves with an unexpected victory. An upset by the Tigers in Death Valley wouldn’t be as big as when the Mountaineers upset Michigan in 2007. But it would be a significant victory that could put them in the playoff race if they can handle the rest of their business in the Sun Belt. Will it happen? Much will depend on how Clemson handles Saturday’s humiliating loss. If they don’t take Appalachian State seriously and play with the requisite emotion, it’s likely to be a long day and they could start 0-2. –Erick Smith

    Jalen Milroe finally gets his chance in South Florida

    Remember Alabama QB Jalen Milroe’s game against South Florida last season? That’s a good guess, because he was watching it from the sidelines.

    Milroe’s bankruptcy by coach Nick Saban after the loss to Texas drove the point home for all parties. The vocal fans demanding change got the message as they watched the offense slog to an ugly 17-3 win over the Bulls, but Milroe also got the memo that he needed to unlearn some bad habits if the offense was to thrive.

    There’s obviously a new coaching staff in Tuscaloosa, but Milroe is still running the show and his first impressions in Kalen DeBoer’s system were quite positive, as he scored five touchdowns in just over a half against Western Kentucky. Now that he’s finally getting on the field against USF, I expect him to be ready to show the Bulls what they missed last time around. Expect the Tide to go 17-points ahead of halftime, with Milroe producing at least four more scores before taking a different, much happier spot on the bench in the second half. –Eddie Timanus

    Baylor surprises Utah

    Utah makes its Big 12 debut at home against Baylor. The Utes were tipped to win the league, while Baylor won in 12and in the preseason media poll. Utah is about a two-touchdown favorite to win. That should be easy, right? Wrong. I think Baylor will win this game outright in Salt Lake City. The Bears are coming off a disappointing 3-9 season, and there’s no question that Dave Aranda will start the season on the hot seat. As a result, Baylor has made some significant changes this year, including Aranda taking a much more active role on defense and Jake Spavital leading the offense. Baylor beat Tarleton State 45-3 in its opener, with its defense giving up just 186 yards. Sure, it was just an FCS team, but this could be a year where Baylor is a lot better than we think. We’ll find out on Saturday when they beat Utah. — Then Clouds

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