Bold predictions for week 2 of college football: Colorado, Utah in trouble?

The opening weekend of the college football season featured several surprises. Miami didn’t just beat Florida. The Hurricanes dominated the Gators in the Swamp. Notre Dame also traveled and scored a key win for its playoff hopes by defeating Texas A&M. USC and Lincoln Riley earned a rare win against an SEC team by defeating LSU in Las Vegas.

So what should we be watching for in Week 2? Which games will offer such surprises? Who could be a victim of disappointment? History has shown that these unlikely outcomes will come – even if they are highly unexpected. But where will they take place?

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

Colorado is experiencing a rude awakening

Typically, football games are won by what you do in the trenches and having some level of game control in the fourth quarter. Colorado failed both tests last week and still managed to pull out a win against North Dakota State. It would be good for the Buffaloes to find some level of running play this week against Nebraska and prevent Shedeur Sanders from falling on his face every other play or the game will be over by halftime. Nebraska is better equipped and has more talent and speed than when these teams met a year ago, and the Cornhuskers are ready for a season where they at least have a chance at a bowl game. – Scooby-Tales

Texas embarrasses Michigan

It’s obvious that the Michigan Wolverines are a far cry from the team that won the national championship in January, and it makes sense that Texas would be the favorite heading into their highly anticipated matchup in “The Big House.” But it won’t be a thrilling contest. Texas faced Alabama last season and made a big statement with its win then, 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’t hold out for long, as Quinn Ewers and Co. 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 play a few times. — Jordan Mendoza

FROM TAP: Analysis of the second week and the five most important games

EXPERT TIPS: Staff predictions for every top 25 game in Week 2

Michigan beats Texas on defense

Michigan gets two turnovers deep in Texas territory and turns both into a pretty solid upset win over the Longhorns. The way to get there seems to be to slow down the tempo and win the battle to win the ball, two factors the Wolverines used to great effect under Jim Harbaugh. It becomes tough to keep UT under control, but with the help of some crucial turnovers, UM wins 28-24. — Paul Myerberg

Clemson must overcome Georgia hangover

We know the script. Appalachian State walks into the famous college football stadium and leaves with an unexpected victory. An upset win over the Tigers in Death Valley wouldn’t be as big as when the Mountaineers shocked 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 Sun Belt responsibilities. Will it happen? Much will depend on how Clemson handles its humiliating loss last Saturday. If they don’t take Appalachian State seriously and play with the emotion it needs, it’s likely to be a long day and they could go into the contest 0-2. — Eric Smith

Jalen Milroe finally gets his chance in South Florida

Do you remember Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe’s game against South Florida last season? You’re almost certain you did, because he watched the game from the sidelines.

When coach Nick Saban traded Milroe after the loss to Texas, it made everyone realize what was going on. The vocal fans demanding change got the message when they saw the offense fight its way to an ugly 17-3 win over the Bulls, but Milroe also understood that he had to break some bad habits for the offense to succeed.

Of course, there’s a new coaching staff in Tuscaloosa, but Milroe is still in charge and his first impression in Kalen DeBoer’s system was quite positive, scoring five touchdowns in little more than a half against Western Kentucky. Now that he’s finally allowed to take the field against USF, he’ll want to show the Bulls what they missed last time. Expect the Tide to surpass the 17-point mark by halftime, with Milroe scoring at least four more points before returning to a much happier spot on the bench in the second half. — Eddie Timanus

Baylor causes surprise in Utah

Utah makes its Big 12 debut at home against Baylor. The Utes were tipped to win the league while Baylor was seeded 12th.^th in the preseason media poll. Utah is the favorite to win by about two touchdowns. This should be easy, right? Wrong. I’m picking Baylor to be the clear winner in Salt Lake City. The Bears are coming off a disappointing 3-9 season, and there’s no doubt that Dave Aranda enters this season as a pushover. As a result, Baylor made some key changes this year — including Aranda taking a much more active role on defense and Jake Spavital running the offense. Baylor won its opener against Tarleton State 45-3, and its defense allowed just 186 yards. Sure, it was only 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. — Dan Clouds