All eyes will be on Austin.
No. 3 Texas will host No. 1 Ohio State in what should be the most impactful non-conference game of the season, just like last year’s 14-7 win by the Buckeyes.
Also on the Week 2 docket is an important step in the Kyle Whittingham’s era at No. 24 Michigan, which hosts No. 10 Oklahoma amid serious questions about Bryce Underwood’s status as the Wolverines quarterback.
USA TODAY Sports will help you set a plan for Week 2 of the 2026 season by splitting the slate into four tiers: must-see games that demand your attention, flipping-back games that are good for commercial breaks, scoreboard-watching games that can mostly stay in the background and games that can be ignored until one final check on scores before bedtime.
Here
is how the week shakes out in our ranking tiers:
Tier 1: Must-see TV
No. 23 Missouri at Kansas, Sept. 11 (8 p.m., Fox)
The reignited Border War will be crucial for the national reputation of the Big 12. From Missouri’s perspective, a loss would end any real chance of an at-large College Football Playoff berth.
Arizona State at No. 9 Texas A&M, Sept. 12 (noon, ABC)
A&M is still an unknown after a 50-0 swamping of Missouri State, making this our first chance at assessing just where the Aggies fall in the national picture.
No. 10 Oklahoma at No. 24 Michigan, Sept. 12 (noon, Fox)
One way to make people forget about the controversy over the 13-12 win against Western Michigan would be to beat the Sooners, though an ugly loss might also turn the page. (A win would be better.)
Arizona at No. 15 Brigham Young, Sept. 12 (3:30 p.m., Fox)
The conference game of the week will set an early benchmark for whether BYU is once again a playoff threat and if Arizona can take another step forward after a strong 2025.
Memphis at Boise State, Sept. 12 (6 p.m., USA)
This is the biggest Group of Six non-conference game of September. Boise has climbed into the top spot in the Group of Six after a narrow loss to No. 6 Oregon while the Tigers have notched good wins against UNLV and Arkansas State.
No. 18 Tennessee at Georgia Tech, Sept. 12 (7 p.m., ESPN)
While Georgia Tech flopped out of the gate against Colorado, this will be a telling test for Tennessee freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon.
No. 1 Ohio State at No. 3 Texas, Sept. 12 (7:30 p.m., ABC)
Texas will need much more from Arch Manning, who went 17 of 30 for 170 yards and tossed an interception in last year’s loss in the Horseshoe.
Iowa State at No. 21 Iowa, Sept. 12 (7:30 p.m., NBC)
Crazy things always happen in this hard-fought rivalry, though this might be the one year where one team (Iowa) delivers as a double-digit favorite.
Arkansas at No. 20 Utah, Sept. 12 (10:15 p.m., ESPN)
Think about what this would say about the SEC if bottom-feeder Arkansas scores a pretty big upset against one of the top teams in the Big 12.
Tier 2: Commercial break backups
Rutgers at Boston College, Sept. 11 (7:30 p.m., ESPN2)
Two teams that look horrendous, sure. But it’s a Friday night matchup of Power Four teams, so let’s take what we can get.
No. 6 Oregon at Oklahoma State, Sept. 12 (noon, ESPN)
Oregon blasted the Cowboys at home this season and should do the same on Saturday in Stillwater, based on the way Oklahoma State looked against Tulsa in the debut of coach Eric Morris.
Washington State at Kansas State, Sept. 12 (noon, TNT)
The Cougars were able to hang around in the Apple Cup and might have the physical play up front to make things more difficult than expected for the Wildcats.
No. 12 Alabama at Kentucky, Sept. 12 (3:30 p.m., ABC)
Alabama has the edge across the board but must make Kentucky quarterback Kenny Minchey uncomfortable after his very strong debut against Youngstown State.
Mississippi State at Minnesota, Sept. 12 (3:30 p.m., CBS)
The other matchup between the SEC and Big Ten will be used as fodder by the winning conference, especially if Mississippi State can score the road win.
California at Syracuse, Sept. 12 (3:30 p.m., ACCN)
This ACC matchup gives California the chance for a quick reboot after getting bombarded by UCLA to open the year. First test to see how the Orange fare with Steve Angeli back healthy.
Central Florida at Pittsburgh, Sept. 12 (3:30 p.m., ESPN2)
This one will be decided under center. James Madison transfer Alonzo Barnett III had two scores in his debut for the Knights. Panthers quarterback Mason Heintschel tied a school record with seven touchdown passes against Miami (Ohio).
Duke at Illinois, Sept. 12 (3:30 p.m., FS1)
Illinois is flying under the radar but can make a statement by topping Duke one week after the Blue Devils clamped down defensively against Tulane.
San Diego State at UCLA, Sept. 12 (7:15 p.m., BTN)
UCLA dropped 45 points in Week 1 at California but should be in for a more physical matchup against the Aztecs.
North Dakota State at Air Force, Sept. 12 (10 p.m., FS1)
NDSU has kicked things off with wins against Jacksonville State and Fordham by a combined 71-7 score. This will be a much harder test as the Bison open Mountain West play.
Tier 3: Track the box score
Wake Forest at Purdue, Sept. 12 (noon, FS1)
This Power Four pairing feels more important as a barometer for where Purdue stands in coach Barry Odom’s second season. The Boilermakers are 0-10 against Power Four teams since his arrival from UNLV.
South Florida at Army, Sept. 12 (noon, CBSSN)
South Florida’s offense was stuck in neutral in a 19-9 win against Florida International and must show more explosiveness to offset the high likelihood that Army dominates the time of possession.
Old Dominion at Virginia Tech, Sept. 12 (noon, CW)
It’s a Penn State reunion between James Franklin and his former Nittany Lions assistant Ricky Rahne, with the Hokies looking to expand on a strong start to the year.
No. 16 Penn State at Temple, Sept. 12 (noon, ESPN2)
The Matt Campbell era continues with what should be another lopsided win in what is a weak non-conference slate for the Nittany Lions.
Appalachian State at East Carolina, Sept. 12 (noon, ESPNU)
ECU looks to rebound after never sniffing No. 12 Alabama in last week’s 48-10 loss. Mountaineers been down for few years from their high standard. Opportunity to rebound.
Texas-San Antonio at Texas State, Sept. 12 (3:30 p.m., CW)
While not relevant nationally, this is a crucial in-state battle between a pair of Group of Six programs separated by about 50 miles.
Rice at No. 4 Notre Dame, Sept. 12 (3:30 p.m., NBC)
Notre Dame will roll, but the question is whether the Irish will start fast after playing around with Wisconsin in the first half on Sunday.
Maryland at Connecticut, Sept. 12 (3:30 p.m., CBSSN)
The Huskies are a clear threat to knock off the Terrapins, which would be utterly disastrous for already embattled coach Mike Locksley.
Tulsa at Sam Houston State, Sept. 12 (7 p.m., ESPN+)
Tulsa looks to build off the upset against Oklahoma State while Sam Houston aims to build off a competitive loss to Troy.
Louisiana Tech at No. 8 LSU, Sept. 12 (7:30 p.m., SECN+)
Every game involving Lane Kiffin and LSU is required viewing to some degree, though this one will be over quickly.
No. 13 Texas Tech at Oregon State, Sept. 12 (7:30 p.m., CBS)
You can use this game as an early gauge for the top of the Big 12 after Oregon State put up a pretty good fight before losing 33-20 to No. 22 Houston.
New Mexico State at Hawaii, Sept. 12 (11:59 p.m., MW+)
Set to kick just before midnight on the East Coast, this game will keep you going well into Sunday morning.
Tier 4: Check your phone before bed
Western Kentucky at No. 3 Georgia, Sept. 12 (12:45 p.m., SECN)
Any thought that WKU might give Georgia some trouble evaporated with the Hilltoppers’ 49-14 loss at Nevada.
Utah State at No. 19 Washington, Sept. 12 (3:30 p.m., BTN)
Likewise here, as Utah State got started with a 29-17 loss at home to Idaho State.
Eastern Michigan at Michigan State, Sept. 12 (3:30 p.m., BTN)
It’s a second MAC matchup in a row to open the Pat Fitzgerald era, but this one shouldn’t be as tight as the 30-20 win against Toledo to get things started.
Louisiana-Monroe at Alabama-Birmingham, Sept. 12 (3:30 p.m., ESPN+)
You can impress your friends – or solidify your status as a college football degenerate – by watching this one.
UNLV at North Texas, Sept. 12 (3:45 p.m., ESPNU)
UNLV needs to take this one to have any shot at the playoff. North Texas gave Indiana a bit of a fight in the first game for coach Neal Brown.
Delaware at Vanderbilt, Sept. 12 (4:15 p.m., SECN)
Importantly, this matchup should give Clark Lea the chance to put in freshman quarterback Jared Curtis, who went 7 of 9 in backup duty against Austin Peay.
Buffalo at Florida International, Sept. 12 (6 p.m., ESPN+)
A win against Buffalo would get FIU back on track to reach bowl eligibility for the second time in as many years under coach Willie Simmons.
Jacksonville State at Ohio, Sept. 12 (6 p.m., ESPN+)
Ohio showed some fight at Nebraska and Jacksonville State’s running game got back on track against Eastern Kentucky.
Bowling Green at Nebraska, Sept. 12 (7 p.m., FS1)
Nebraska pulled away with a strong second half against Ohio but should take care of things earlier than that against an opponent coming off a loss to Tarleton State.
South Alabama at Tulane, Sept. 12 (7 p.m., ESPN+)
Tulane has to win this one and look good doing so after a bellyflop of a first game for new coach Will Hall.
Georgia State at Kennesaw State, Sept. 12 (7 p.m., ESPN+)
This could be a good judge of the relative strength of the Sun Belt given where Georgia State currently falls in the conference pecking order.
Middle Tennessee at Marshall, Sept. 12 (7 p.m., ESPN+)
Marshall is still looking for the first points of 2026 after getting blanked 45-0 by No. 16 Penn State.
Navy at Florida Atlantic, Sept. 12 (7:30 p.m., ESPNU)
Navy will look to run all over FAU after the Owls gave up 281 yards and five scores on 6.9 yards per carry in the opener against No. 25 Florida.
Georgia Southern at Clemson, Sept. 12 (7:30 p.m., ACCN)
No game is safe for Clemson based on how inept the Tigers looked in the season opener against LSU.
Charlotte at No. 11 Mississippi, Sept. 12 (7:45 p.m., ESPNU)
The Rebels’ starters will be done by halftime against what might be the worst team in the country.
Southern Mississippi at Auburn, Sept. 12 (7:45 p.m., SECN)
Auburn can take a deep breath after barely surviving against Baylor in Week 1 and get the offense in gear against the overmatched Golden Eagles.
Sacramento State at Fresno State, Sept. 12 (10:30 p.m., CBSSN)
Fresno is a heavy favorite as Sacramento State continues adjusting to a higher level of competition.
Louisiana-Lafayette at No. 14 Southern California, Sept. 12 (11 p.m., BTN)
Jayden Maiava has five touchdown passes against six incompletions through two games. That ratio could improve in the Trojans’ non-conference finale.
Rest of college football schedule for Week 2
There are another 37 FBS games against Championship Subdivision competition, including four weeknight matchups featuring teams from the ACC. One to watch is the last one on this list: Montana State, the defending FCS national champions, going up against former coach Jeff Choate and Nevada, which opened things up this year with a very impressive blowout of Western Kentucky.
- Florida A&M at No. 7 Miami, Sept. 10 (8 p.m., ACCN)
- Villanova at Louisville, Sept. 11 (7 p.m., ACCN)
- Norfolk State at Virginia, Sept. 11 (7 p.m., ACCNX)
- Richmond at North Carolina State, Sept. 11 (7 p.m., ESPNU)
- Howard at No. 5 Indiana, Sept. 12 (noon, BTN)
- East Tennessee State at North Carolina, Sept. 12 (noon, ACCN)
- Wofford at Kent State, Sept. 12 (noon, ESPN+)
- Tennessee-Martin at West Virginia, Sept. 12 (1 p.m., ESPN+)
- Colgate at Central Michigan, Sept. 12 (1 p.m., ESPN+)
- Holy Cross at Miami (Ohio), Sept. 12 (1 p.m., ESPN+)
- Stony Brook at Ball State, Sept. 12 (2 p.m., ESPN+)
- Weber State at Colorado, Sept. 12 (3:30 p.m., ESPN+)
- Robert Morris at Akron, Sept. 12 (3:30 p.m., ESPN+)
- Central Connecticut at Toledo, Sept. 12 (3:30 p.m., ESPN+)
- Sacred Heart at Massachusetts, Sept. 12 (3:30 p.m., ESPN+)
- Wagner at James Madison, Sept. 12 (3:30 p.m., ESPN+)
- UC Davis at No. 17 SMU, Sept. 12 (4 p.m., ACCNX)
- Northern Colorado at Wyoming, Sept. 12 (4 p.m., MW+)
- Mercyhurst at New Mexico, Sept. 12 (4 p.m., MW+)
- Alabama State at Troy, Sept. 12 (4 p.m., ESPN+)
- Campbell at No. 25 Florida, Sept. 12 (5:30 p.m., SECN+)
- Gardner-Webb at Liberty, Sept. 12 (6 p.m., ESPN+)
- Monmouth at Western Michigan, Sept. 12 (6:30 p.m., ESPN+)
- Southern at No. 22 Houston, Sept. 12 (7 p.m., ESPN+)
- Towson at South Carolina, Sept. 12 (7 p.m., SECN+)
- Western Carolina at Cincinnati, Sept. 12 (7 p.m., ESPN+)
- Southern Utah at Colorado State, Sept. 12 (7 p.m., CBSSN)
- Illinois State at Northern Illinois, Sept. 12 (7 p.m., ESPN+)
- West Georgia at Arkansas State, Sept. 12 (7 p.m., ESPN+)
- Lindenwood at Missouri State, Sept. 12 (7 p.m., ESPN+)
- Western Illinois at Wisconsin, Sept. 12 (7:15 p.m., BTN)
- Fordham at Coastal Carolina, Sept. 12 (7:30 p.m., ESPN+)
- Prairie View A&M at Baylor, Sept. 12 (8 p.m., ESPN+)
- Grambling at TCU, Sept. 12 (8 p.m., ESPN+)
- Cal Poly at San Jose State, Sept. 12 (9 p.m., MW+)
- Texas Southern at UTEP, Sept. 12 (9 p.m., MW+)
- Montana State at Nevada, Sept. 12 (10:30 p.m., CW)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College Football Week 2 Watchability Rankings: Texas-Ohio State headlines must-see games
