College GameDay Week 2 Picks, Location & Best Bets

• College GameDay sets up in Austin for No. 1 Ohio State at No. 4 Texas
• Glen Powell joins the crew Saturday, September 12, from 9 AM to noon ET
• Keep reading for the Week 2 GameDay picks, location, TV details and my best bets

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Arch Manning gets another crack at Ohio State, and College GameDay is pulling up a chair. The show heads to Austin for Saturday’s only matchup between AP-ranked teams, with the Buckeyes trying to beat Texas for the third straight meeting.

Plenty gets settled before that 7:30 PM kickoff. Michigan needs a response after its opening-week escape, and the Cy-Hawk rivalry finally gets the primetime treatment it deserves.

Below you’ll find the College GameDay Week 2 picks tracker, the full Saturday slate and my betting card.

College GameDay Week 2 Location, Start Time & Guest Picker

Powell is back at the desk after going 7-5 as guest picker for Texas-Alabama in 2022. The Austin native is still finishing his degree at Texas, so the crowd won’t have to work too hard to sell him on the Longhorns.

Howard, Saban, McAfee and Herbstreit join Davis, with Steve Sarkisian appearing on set. Saban’s Film Room breaks down how Oklahoma stopped Michigan last year. ESPN’s digital preshow starts at 8:20 AM ET.

College GameDay Picks Today: Week 2 Crew Selections

I’ll update the crew’s picks live Saturday morning. The consensus column fills in as the selections come in.

How the Week 1 GameDay Picks Finished

Everyone on the board went 4-0. The four crew selections tracked in last week’s GameDay article all won: Auburn, Alabama, LSU and Ole Miss.

Worth remembering those are straight-up results. Auburn and Ole Miss both won without covering, which is the gap I keep coming back to further down.

Week 2 Schedule & College Football Odds

Three big ones kick off at noon, so have the remote ready. Here’s the Saturday slate and the college football odds for each matchup.

Odds from bet365’s September 10 board; lines can move. Times reflect TV windows.

My Week 2 College Football Best Bets

Ohio State vs Texas Prediction: Buckeyes +1.5

Texas has the crowd. Ohio State has Jeremiah Smith.

Smith opened with eight catches for 151 yards and two touchdowns, while Julian Sayin completed 21 of 25 passes in the 56-3 win over Ball State. Manning and the Longhorns put up 59 of their own, but neither opener tells us much about handling a defense like this one.

Colin Simmons is the real concern for Ohio State’s protection. Even so, in a game priced this tightly, I trust Smith to make the one play that flips it. Give me the points.

• My Pick: Ohio State +1.5 (-110)

Oklahoma vs Michigan Pick: Sooners -5.5

A Hail Mary saved Michigan’s opener. It didn’t fix the offense.

The Wolverines ran just 12 plays in Western Michigan territory and held the ball for under 20 minutes. Now they draw a front that allowed 77.3 rushing yards per game last season and beat them 24-13.

John Mateer has thrown multiple touchdowns in four straight games, so the Sooners have the steadier offense. Michigan has to sustain drives against a much nastier defense to keep this close, and I don’t see it.

• My Pick: Oklahoma -5.5 (-110)

Alabama vs Kentucky Best Bet: Crimson Tide -10.5

Kenny Minchey threw four touchdowns in Will Stein’s Kentucky debut. Alabama is a different problem entirely.

The Tide held East Carolina to 162 total yards, including two on the ground. Keelon Russell’s first SEC road start carries some risk, but his 86 rushing yards in the opener give Alabama a second way to move the chains.

I like the Tide to squeeze Kentucky’s running game and push Minchey into the longer passing downs he avoided last week. That’s how this becomes a two-score game.

• My Pick: Alabama -10.5 (-110)

Iowa State vs Iowa Prediction: Cyclones +13.5

Iowa gaining 507 yards will get anyone’s attention. Laying nearly two touchdowns in this rivalry gets mine for a different reason.

Eight Cy-Hawk games since 2011 were decided by a field goal or less. Jimmy Rogers inherited a rebuilt Iowa State roster, so this isn’t a lazy bet on history repeating.

Jaylen Raynor’s legs are the reason I’m comfortable. He ran for two scores in the opener and gives the Cyclones a way to extend drives when Iowa takes away the first read. In a game with a 40.5 total, I want that cushion.

• My Pick: Iowa State +13.5 (+100)

Arkansas vs Utah Pick: Utes -12.5

Save something for the late window.

Utah piled up 633 yards against Idaho, with Wayshawn Parker scoring three times and Devon Dampier throwing three touchdowns. Arkansas won its opener 31-14, but handling Dampier and Utah’s backs in Salt Lake City is a tougher assignment than anything they saw in Week 1.

The Utes have too many options on the ground. They wear this defense down and pull away after halftime.

• My Pick: Utah -12.5 (-115)

How to Bet the GameDay Picks

The crew’s selections are straight-up winners, not spread picks. Picking Texas to win doesn’t mean laying the number, which is why I check the moneyline first.

From there, compare the return at your sportsbook against prediction market apps like Polymarket and Kalshi. Line up the same outcome and factor in any trading fees.

A familiar name at the desk is never a reason to accept a worse payout.