Week 2 Nevada College Pick'em Contest Picks

Listed below are the standings through the first week of the season, and the games you can pick from for this week. One contestant went a perfect 8-0 and 10 contestants finished 7-1.

2022 College Pick'em Contest Week 2 Sheet

2022 College Pick'em Contest Standings after Week 1

Oklahoma (-11.5) vs. Nebraska

The Scott Frost era is officially over after an embarrassing 45-42 home loss against Georgia Southern last week, and the Nebraska Huskers are now 1-2. Frost was fired following the game, but at least he gets a $15 million buyout. 

Mickey Joseph has been named the team's interim head coach, but don't expect the losing to stop against Oklahoma this week. Despite losing Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams to USC, the Sooners are 2-0 and have won both their games by 30+ points. 

Is there a chance Nebraska rebounds under a new head coach? Sure there is. But that's pretty unlikely considering the state of the two programs. The Sooners have shown losing their starting QB and head coach from a year ago hasn't been an issue, and the Huskers continue to prove they simply can't put teams away. 

This game might be close for a while, but take Oklahoma -11.5. The Sooners are playing well and the Huskers just aren't. These games have been close in the past, but Nebraska simply can't be trusted.

Penn State (-3.5) vs. Auburn

The hook here could be the difference in Penn State being able to cover or not, but with how bad Auburn's offense has been so far this season, it's worth taking the Nittany Lions. The Tigers beat San Jose State by eight points last week, and if the passing game doesn't improve from the first two weeks of the season, Penn State should win this game by double digits.

Auburn starting quarterback TJ Finley has just one touchdown pass and has been picked off three times, and if he plays like he did last week against SJSU, the Tigers will be lucky to put up 14 points this week. Meanwhile, Penn State showed some resiliency with a 35-31 comeback win on the road over Purdue two weeks ago, and expect the Nittany Lions to display that road resiliency again this week at Auburn.

The home crowd might keep Auburn in this game for a while, but they just haven't shown enough offensively to make me believe they can stay within four points. Finley has simply turned the ball over too much through the first two games of the season, and Penn State's veteran quarterback Sean Clifford has shown he can go out and win the game in the fourth quarter, and more importantly, he won't lose the game with careless turnovers.

Kansas (+9.5) vs. Houston

Don't look now, but Kansas is 2-0. They're still far from being a football school, but make no mistake about it, head coach Lance Leipold has turned this program around. After turning the Buffalo football program around in a short time, the Jayhawks offered him the job, and he's proven to be the right hire. In fact, rumors have it he might be the next Nebraska head coach. 

Kansas probably won't win this game, but they should be within at least one score. The Jayhawks offense has put up 55+ points in each of their first two games, and quarterback Jalon Daniels has been one of the biggest surprises in college football. 

Both of Houston's first two games have gone to overtime, and that should make you feel even more confident this week's game will be tight too. The Cougars might get out to a fast start considering Saturday is their first home game of the season, but Kansas trailed West Virginia 14-0 last week, and still pulled out the win in overtime. Expect a close game, which is why Kansas +9.5 is the right play.

Michigan State (+3.5) vs. Washington

Michigan State is ranked 11th in the country and Washington isn't even in the top 25, yet the Huskers are 3.5-point favorites. I know Washington is at home, but still, the Spartans probably win this game. But with +3.5 on the spread, this is a no-brainer.

MSU's defense has played lights out in its first two games of the season, and the offense has done plenty in a pair of blowout wins. Star wide receiver Jayden Reed got hurt in last week's win vs. Akron, but it sounds like he's going to play this week. Even if Reed can't go, MSU +3.5 is the way to go here. 

Washington might be 2-0, but double-digit wins over Kent State and Portland State shouldn't scare you. This game might be close for a while, but don't expect the Washington offense to do a whole lot against a stout MSU defense. 

Pittsburgh vs. Western Michigan (+10.5)

Western Michigan pulled off the upset a year ago on the road against Kenny Pickett and the Pittsburgh Panthers, and don't be surprised if it happens again this week. The Pitt offense is far from where it was a year ago, and Tim Lester's Broncos looked good offensively last week in a 37-30 road win over MAC opponent Ball State.

Panthers quarterback Kedon Slovis is expected to be a game-time decision for Saturday's game after exiting last week's game against Tennessee, and even if he can go, don't expect him to be 100%. Plus, Panthers kicker Ben Salus missed a pair of kicks last week, which means getting to the red zone doesn't mean points of any kind are guaranteed. 

Even if the Broncos don't win, expect this game to be close, which is why +10.5 is worth taking. Both of Pitt's first two games have been within one score, and the Panthers have yet to play on the road. Meanwhile, WMU has yet to play at home, and don't be surprised if they come out fired up.

Nevada (+23.5) vs. Iowa

The Iowa Hawkeyes offense has simply been a joke so far, and Nevada may be far from an established program, but +23.5 on the spread is too good to pass up. The Hawkeyes haven't even scored 23 combined points this season — 14 to be exact — which is why you need to take the Wolf Pack on the spread. 

Make no mistake about it, Nevada's defense is bad — allowed 55 points last week to Incarnate Word — but the Iowa offense, especially the passing game, is just as bad as Nevada's defense. Kirk Ferentz has made it clear that quarterback Spencer Petras is still the starter, but until he shows he can consistently move the ball through the air, don't expect much better results from the Iowa passing attack. 

There's a strong possibility the Nevada offense has its worst game of the year against a stout Iowa defense, but Iowa's deplorable offense can't be trusted. The Hawkeyes have just one touchdown, and even at home as heavy favorites, take Nevada and the points.

Texas (-12.5) vs. UTSA

Texas gave No. 1 Alabama everything it could handle last week in a 20-19 last-second loss, and even without quarterback Quinn Ewers for the next several weeks, the Longhorns should have little trouble at home vs. UTSA.  First-year head coach Steve Sarkisian went to work in the transfer portal this offseason, and it's shown through the first two games of the season.

The Texas defense is legit, and backup quarterback Hudson Card showed he can handle the responsibility as the team's starting quarterback after finishing the game last week against Alabama. UTSA can put up some points — 35 points in Week 1 and 41 in Week 2, but they haven't played a defense as good as Texas'. 

The Roadrunners won 12 games last season and are 1-1 so far this season, which makes me a little weary they'll cover, but expect UTSA to trail late and be forced to be more aggressive than they want to be in the fourth quarter. That's where Texas should feast, and cover the 12.5-point line. 

Fresno State vs. USC (-12.5)

USC held on for a late cover last week on the road against Stanford, and back at home this week against Fresno State, the Trojans should have little trouble covering a 12.5-point spread. First-year head coach Lincoln Riley dominated the transfer portal, and all of a sudden, the Trojans are back. USC is ranked in the top 10 and quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Jordan Addison may just be the best QB-WR duo in all of college football. Scary thing is they've only played two games together.

The Trojans have little trouble scoring — 40+ points in each of their first two games — and the defense has five interceptions, including three pick-sixes. Fresno State has shown some flashes on offense, but they haven't played a team of USC's caliber. Expect the Trojans to get out to another fast start at home, and never look back. 

Week 1 Results: 5-3

Overall: 5-3