Oklahoma Sooners: College Football TV Schedule & Gambling Picks - Week 2

Welcome to Week 2, Sooner fans! I hope you all enjoyed the skull-dragging we witnessed on Owen Field this past Saturday. While I don’t think OU will have too much trouble dispatching the UCLA Bruins, I’d expect a bit more resistance this time around — particularly from the opposing defense.

What else is on our plate this week? Well, top-25 matchups are scarce, but there are definitely some intriguing games out there. There’s a bit of rivalry action, as Iowa State makes it’s 2018 debut against the Hawkeyes in Iowa City. Additionally, Nebraska and Colorado renew their own rivalry — one that was always full of animosity and often came with high stakes in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s. The stakes are pretty low this time around, but it definitely pushes the nostalgia button. On a related note, Nebraska definitely deserves credit for its willingness to play old Big Eight rivals. After all, the Huskers have not one, but two home-and-homes scheduled with the Oklahoma Sooners in the near-ish future (2021-22, 2029-30).

We also have Clemson at Texas A&M, Georgia at South Carolina (Columbia), Penn State at Pitt and USC at Stanford, so we’re not completely devoid of decent television this Saturday. Will I do better with the picks than I did last week? Ehh... we’ll see. Also, make sure to check out the full weekend schedule — which includes TV and streaming info — below the picks.

UCLA at Oklahoma (-30.5) - OU shouldn’t have any real trouble here, but UCLA has some legitimate talent on defense and could keep it close for a short period of time before the OU offense finds a rhythm. Gambling pick: I’m picking a 44-17 win for the Sooners, which would put them just short of the cover. Give me UCLA by a few inches. Under 64

Mississippi State (-9) at Kansas State - Purple Kansas looked like butt against South Dakota last week, putting together a sloppy performance and pulling out a late victory. Nick Fitzgerald is back from suspension and seems primed to thrive under Joe Moorhead, but Kansas State’s defense could keep them in it. This is also a difficult one to predict because of the nature of Kansas State’s offense, which is unreliable in the passing game but could win the time-of-possession battle if the line can hold its own. Silly penalties were also a killer for K-State last week, so will they be a bit more disciplined this time around? Gambling pick: K-State could end up being a solid team at some point, but I have the Bulldogs covering in this one. Over 54

Georgia (-10) at South Carolina - USC East seems like a pretty easy pick to finish 2nd in its division, but the gap between the Gamecocks and Bulldogs is still pretty significant. I don’t picture UGA’s defense giving much ground here. Gambling pick: Georgia covers. Under 56.5

Colorado at Nebraska (-3.5) - I’m looking forward to seeing Adrian Martinez in action. Some of you may recall that he was one of OU’s primary QB targets following Cameron Rising’s flip to Texas. He committed to Tennessee before Scott Frost was able to pull off a late steal, and he has since won the starting job in Lincoln. Gambling pick: Nebraska wins by a TD and covers. Over 64

Iowa State at Iowa (-3.5) - We’ve yet to catch a glimpse of the Cyclones in 2018, but I’m confident that Matt Campbell will have them ready for this one. Although Allen Lazard is gone, 6’6” Hakeem Butler could fill that playmaking void quite admirably. Of course, David Montgomery is still on the roster, and Kyle Kempt is back after being granted a sixth season. The defense could be a concern, but come on... they’re playing Iowa. Gambling pick: Iowa State covers, and they also win in the series since 2014 (also played in Iowa City). Over 46.5

Clemson (-12) at Texas A&M - Kellen Mond vs. Clemson’s defensive front = sacks and defensive touchdowns. Gambling pick: Clemson covers and then some. Under 54.5

USC at Stanford (-6) - JT Daniels did a halfway-decent job against UNLV, but the 18-year-old QB (who reclassified and would otherwise be a senior in high school right now) might not be quite ready for a really solid Stanford defense. However, the guy did win the job against some decent competition, so maybe he’ll surprise me. Gambling pick: He’ll flash a degree a of brilliance, but not enough to beat the spread. Stanford covers. Under 56.5