Week 1 brought us court hearings, crazy endings, and plenty of blowouts. Let's take a look at 3 games you need to tune in to this weekend.
1. Oklahoma @ Michigan
The Sooners travel up to Ann Arbor for the second stint of a home-and-home. Thanks to Big Noon Kickoff, this game is at Noon EST, but that doesn't take away from the excitement. OU beat Michigan last year in Norman 24-13 in what was primarily a defensive battle. Bryce Underwood has decided that giving the Sooners bulletin board material is the best way to prepare for this rematch. As if Brent Venables' defense needs any sort of motivation to go into the Big House and show the world they are for real, recent comments by Michigan players have certainly raised the stakes. Michigan is coming off a dramatic and controversial last second win against Western Michigan (yes, you read that correctly) and things are only about to get tougher with OU in town. This game will be a great test for both teams and a heck of a way to start your Saturday.
2. Alabama @ Kentucky
Keelon Russell and the Crimson Tide took care of ECU last week, but this week he gets to encounter his first real test as they travel to Lexington. Will Stein and the new look Wildcats are chomping at the bit to get to a more cemented place of relevancy as Kentucky, although has caused some upsets over the years, has never established themselves as a consistent contender in the SEC. This could be the start of the change in their eyes. Meanwhile, Kalen DeBoer is continuing to do everything he can to silence the doubters that are constantly questioning his ability to replace Saban and lead Alabama back to winning National Championships. This is a great game to turn on after the OU-Michigan game concludes and you realize you may not be leaving the couch all day.
3. Ohio State @ Texas
Once you've watched OU-Michigan, then followed it with Bama-Kentucky, it's only right that you reward yourself with Ohio State-Texas. This is also the second stint of a home-and-home as Ohio State got the best of Texas last year in Columbus to open the season. It ended up being a low scoring game that included struggles for everyone offensively, especially Arch Manning. Now, with a year under his belt, he has a chance to show the country that he can live up to the hype he came into college with and try to secure a huge victory for the Longhorns. More importantly, this game feels like one that Steve Sarkisian has to have. He's got the talent, resources, and has had time to be successful, so losing this game would make fans potentially question if he can win the big one. Meanwhile, a team with the same kind of money and resources continues to reload year in and year out and is looking to walk into Texas and send everyone home disappointed. These two teams have not just playoff aspirations, but National Championship aspirations. A win in this game would surely catapult each team in the right direction.
There are other great matchups in week 2 but these three are games that you need to be locked in for. Cheers to another week of College Football.