College football Week 2: The eight best games to watch and stream

John Scheibe
·5 min read
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Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders (3) throws a pass during the first half.
Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders looks to continue the Cowboys' strong start to the season against Arizona State on Saturday. (Sue Ogrocki / Associated Press)
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The Times will highlight the top college football games worth watching each week. Here’s a rundown of eight games in Week 2 of the 2022 season that should be worth your viewing time. All times are Pacific.

No. 1 Alabama (1-0) at Texas (1-0)

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian calls a play from the sideline during a game in November 2021.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian calls a play from the sideline during a game in November 2021. Could a little insider knowledge on the Alabama program help Texas against the Crimson Tide? (Chuck Burton / Associated Press)

For Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, the past meets the future when the Crimson Tide visit the Longhorns in Austin. Sarkisian, the former offensive coordinator under Nick Saban, is in his second season of rebuilding a team that finished 5-7 last year and lost six straight games. His staff includes three former Alabama assistants and the roster has three highly recruited Alabama transfers. Alabama is favored by 20½.

How to watch: 9 a.m.; Fox, Fox Sports app

South Carolina (1-0) at No. 16 Arkansas (1-0)

Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson looks to pass.
Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson looks to pass against Cincinnati on Sept. 3. (Michael Woods / Associated Press)

The quarterbacks should be the difference-makers in this early season tilt of two SEC teams. Spencer Rattler, a transfer from Oklahoma, leads the Gamecocks, who opened with a 35-14 win against Georgia State. On the Arkansas side, K.J. Jefferson passed and ran the Razorbacks past Cincinnati, 31-24. Arkansas is favored by 8½.

How to watch: 9 a.m.; ESPN, ESPN+

No. 24 Tennessee (1-0) at No. 17 Pittsburgh (1-0)

Pittsburgh quarterback Kedon Slovis throws the ball.
Pittsburgh quarterback Kedon Slovis throws against West Virginia on Tuesday. (Keith Srakocic / Associated Press)

The Volunteers travel to Acrisure Stadium in a matchup of a strong passing SEC team against the defending ACC champion. Tennessee’s secondary will have to contend with Kedon Slovis, the former USC quarterback who led Pitt to a seven-point win over West Virginia last week. The Vols will counter with Hendon Hooker, who accounted for four touchdowns (two running and two passing) against Ball State. Tennessee is favored by 6½.

How to watch: 12:30 p.m., ABC, ESPN+

No. 20 Kentucky (1-0)  at No. 12 Florida (1-0)

Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson holds out a fist while holding the ball with the other hand.
Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson scores on a 45-yard touchdown run against Utah on Saturday. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press)

After the Gators got a last-minute interception that stopped Utah 29-26 last week, the Wildcats could bring more drama to the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams at Gainesville. Quarterback Anthony Richardson, in his second start, ran for three touchdowns to lead the Gators. Kentucky and Florida have split their last four games after the Gators had won 34 in a row. Florida is favored by 5½.

How to watch: 4 p.m., ESPN, ESPN+

No.10 USC (1-0) at Stanford (1-0)

USC quarterback Caleb Williams runs with the ball.
USC quarterback Caleb Williams runs with the ball during a blowout win over Rice at the Coliseum on Saturday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

The Trojans open Pac-12 Conference play against the Cardinal after both teams started the season with easy wins against inferior opponents. Quarterback Caleb Williams had an impressive debut for USC, completing 86.3% of his passes, the best performance since Matt Barkley’s against Colorado in 2012. USC is expecting a better result than last season’s 42-28 loss to Stanford at the Coliseum, which was Clay Helton’s last game as coach. USC is favored by 9½.

How to watch: 4:30 p.m., ABC, ESPN+

Arizona State (1-0) at No. 11 Oklahoma State (1-0)

Arizona State running back Xazavian Valladay carries the ball while running.
Arizona State running back Xazavian Valladay scores a touchdown against Northern Arizona on Sept. 1. (Rick Scuteri / Associated Press)

The Sun Devils head to Stillwater, Okla., to take on the Cowboys, who are coming off a wild 58-44 win over Central Michigan. Arizona State is led by the 1-2 punch of former Florida quarterback Emory Jones and former Wyoming running back Xazavian Valladay. The Sun Devils topped Northern Arizona in their opener 40-3. Cowboys quarterback Spencer Sanders had a brilliant first half against Central Michigan, passing for more than 400 yards and four touchdowns. Oklahoma State is favored by 10½.

How to watch: 4:30 p.m., ESPN2, ESPN+

No. 9 Baylor (1-0) at No. 21 BYU (1-0)

Baylor quarterback Blake Shapen gets ready to throw the ball.
Baylor quarterback Blake Shapen throws during the Big 12 Conference championship game last year. (Freelancer / Associated Press)

Baylor, the defending Big 12 champion, travels to Provo, Utah, for its second meeting in two seasons with Brigham Young, a future Big 12 member. Baylor’s offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes also returns to LaVell Edwards Stadium, where he ran the Cougars offense for three seasons. In an offensive show last season, the Bears beat the Cougars 38-24 at Waco. BYU is favored by 3½.

How to watch: 7:15 p.m. ESPN, ESPN+

Mississippi State (1-0) at Arizona (1-0)

Mississippi State coach Mike Leach walks on the sideline during a game.
Mississippi State coach Mike Leach walks on the sideline during a game against Memphis in September 2021. (Rogelio V. Solis / Associated Press)

A rare visit by a Southeastern Conference team to the western part of the country matches the Bulldogs against the Wildcats in a night game at Tucson. Arizona gave new coach Jedd Finch a winning debut last week with a victory at San Diego State that snapped a streak of 11 consecutive road losses. Wildcat quarterback Jayden de Laura, a transfer from Washington State, was recruited by Mississippi State’s Mike Leach when he coached the Cougars. Mississippi State is favored by 11½.

How to watch: 8 p.m. FS1, Fox Sports app

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.