College football schedule, games 2021: What to watch in Week 2, TV channels, Saturday kickoff times

Week 2 of the 2021 college football season is highlighted by two top-15 nonconference matchups that could possibly alter the College Football Playoff race in a big way. No. 12 Oregon and No. 3 Ohio State will tee it up in Columbus, Ohio, while No. 10 Iowa will visit Ames, Iowa, to take on in-state rival No. 9 Iowa State in a massive showdown between Big Ten and Big 12 foes. 

Outside of those two games, there is an interesting cross-country matchups between Washington and Michigan. No. 5 Texas A&M will travel to Denver to face Colorado and No. 15 Texas will head to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to renew an old Southwest Conference rivalry with Arkansas.

Get those remotes ready. It’s going to be a fun day in the world of college football. Here’s a guide to help you navigate all of the action throughout the day and night.

All times eastern

The big games

No. 12 Oregon at No. 3 Ohio State — noon on Fox, fuboTV (Try for free): The Ducks struggled with Fresno State last week and the Buckeyes had a couple of extra days to prepare after dispatching Minnesota on a Thursday night game. The status of star Ducks defensive lineman Kayvon Thibodeaux is still up in the air after an ankle sprain, which could have a huge impact against a Buckeyes offense led by first-year starting quarterback C.J. Stroud. Keep an eye on Oregon’s rushing attack vs. Ohio State’s front seven. It will likely be the matchup that determines the outcome of this one.

No. 10 Iowa at No. 9 Iowa State — 4:30 p.m. on ABC, fuboTV (Try for free): The battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy is one of the more underrated rivalries in the country, but that won’t be the case this year. Why? This top-10 matchup features two teams with playoff aspirations. Keep an eye on Cyclones running back Breece Hall against a Hawkeyes defense that is as fundamentally sound as any in the country.

Other big games

No. 5 Texas A&M vs. Colorado (Denver) — 3:30 p.m. on Fox, fuboTV (Try for free): The Aggies have national title aspirations, but quarterback Haynes King was hit-or-miss in his first start under coach Jimbo Fisher. Still, they can run the dang ball as well as any team in the country. That’ll be the focus for a Buffaloes defense that gave up just 20 yards rushing last week vs. Northern Colorado. 

No. 15 Texas at Arkansas — 7 p.m. on ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free): These two former Southwest Conference rivals will tee it up in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in a huge game for both sides. Texas looked strong against a quality Louisiana team last week and the city of Fayetteville is pumped about the chance to upset the upstart Longhorns. Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jefferson is dynamic on the ground but didn’t look comfortable through the air last week against Rice, and the Longhorns secondary is suspect — even though it looked good against the Ragin’ Cajuns, Something has to give. 

Washington at Michigan — 8 p.m. on ABC, fuboTV (Try for free): The Huskies were stunned by Montana last week, while the Wolverines looked sharp in a win 47-14 win over Western Michigan. Coach Jim Harbaugh’s crew lost wide receiver Ronnie Bell to a season-ending injury, however, and the Huskies — though stunned by their upset — have a solid defense that will try to force mistakes from quarterback Cade McNamara. This game will give us a good gauge on where these Pac-12 and Big Ten programs stand. 

Best of the rest

• Mercer at No. 1 Alabama — 4 p.m. on SEC Network, fuboTV (Try for free)
• UAB at No. 2 Georgia — 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2, fuboTV (Try for free)  
• Western Carolina at No. 4 Oklahoma — 7 p.m. on PPV
• South Carolina State at No. 6 Clemson — 5 p.m. on ACC Network, fuboTV (Try for free)  
• Murray State at No. 7 Cincinnati — 3:30 p.m. on ESPN+
• Toledo at No. 8 Notre Dame — 2:30 p.m. on Peacock
• Ball State at No. 11 Penn State — 3:30 p.m. on FS1, fuboTV (Try for free)  
• No. 13 Florida at South Florida — 1 p.m. on ABC, fuboTV (Try for free)  
• Stanford at No. 14 USC — 10:30 p.m. on Fox, fuboTV (Try for free)  
• Eastern Michigan at No. 18 Wisconsin — 7 p.m. on FS1, fuboTV (Try for free)  
• Middle Tennessee at No. 19 Virginia Tech — 2 p.m. on ACC Network Extra, fuboTV (Try for free)  
• Austin Peay at No. 20 Ole Miss — 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network+, fuboTV (Try for free)  
• No. 21 Utah at BYU — 10:15 p.m. on ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free)  
• Appalachian State at No. 22 Miami — 7 p.m. on ESPNU, fuboTV (Try for free)  
• UNLV at No. 23 Arizona State: 10:30 p.m. on ESPN2, fuboTV (Try for free)  
• Georgia State at No. 24 North Carolina — 7: 30 p.m. on ESPN3
• Alabama State at No. 25 Auburn — noon on SEC Network, fuboTV (Try for free)