Unlock the Secret Strategy Behind Total Predictions in Only Ranked Matchups!

Week 2 kicks off with a rare gem—a single ranked showdown between Michigan and Oklahoma at 7:30 ET. After a whirlwind opening week packed with high-stakes matchups, it’s tempting to jump the gun and declare some teams king or chumps, but I’m holding back. Remember, one rough outing doesn’t make Arch Manning a bust, nor does a stumble doom Alabama or North Carolina. So what can we really expect when these two ranked squads collide? Michigan, still humming from a National Championship run last year, showed a sturdy ground game against New Mexico, with Justice Haynes carving up the turf like a pro. Meanwhile, Oklahoma dazzled a bit but didn’t quite cover the spread against Illinois State—raises an eyebrow, doesn’t it? And then there’s rookie QB Bryce Underwood stepping into the fierce Michigan crowd—can he keep cool under pressure? Honestly, I’m leaning toward Michigan to handle the spread, but my money’s on a low-scoring, defensive slugfest. Curious how it’ll all shake out? Let’s dive in and unpack what this clash might really mean. LEARN MORE.

Michigan vs. Oklahoma, 7:30 ET

In Week 1, we had a good portion of games between ranked opponents. The eventful Week 1 put a lot of thoughts in my head about certain teams, but I’m not ready to fully form opinions on teams that looked great or those that looked bad. A lot of mistakes will be made in Week 2 because people overreact. I’m going to avoid that. For example, Arch Manning isn’t a bust because he struggled against the best team in the country. Alabama and North Carolina both might be bad teams, but I won’t be fading them just because of one week. This week we have exactly one ranked matchup on Saturday, and it is the matchup between Michigan and Oklahoma.

Michigan enters the game as the 15th ranked team in the nation. They are a year removed from the National Championship, but they still put together a decent campaign even though they needed to somewhat rebuild the program. The Wolverines did open the season with a fairly easy matchup over the New Mexico Lobos. They beat them 34-17, and had really no issue with the game. They were up 10-0 after one quarter, and up 24-10 at halftime. Once again, the Wolverines were able to rely on their running game to get them a win. Justice Haynes had a great start to the season with 16 carries for 159 yards and three touchdowns. He did have one long run of 59 yards, but still chewing up 100 yards on 15 carries is great. It was a more balanced attack that I expected out of them, though. Michigan threw 31 times and rushed a total of 32 times. Their defense looked a bit shaky at times, but they did pick off Jack Layne three times in the game. 

For Oklahoma, they enter the game as the 18th ranked team in the nation. They also started the season with a convincing win over Illinois State. The Sooners took down Illinois State with a score of 35-3. The books were expecting this to be a great win for the Sooners, but they didn’t quite cover the large spread. I’m not sure that it means much of anything if you didn’t bet on it, but I try and take as much information as I can since there isn’t much data out there. Oklahoma did their damage both through the air and on the ground. They had a balanced attack as well, but it was a bit pass heavy. John Mateer went 30-for-37 with 392 yards and three touchdowns. He did have an interception, though. On the ground, they were only able to get 103 yards on 32 carries. Sure, they found two touchdowns, but I’m surprised they couldn’t be more effective. It is something to watch. 

I have some concerns for both of these teams when it comes to the spread. Oklahoma didn’t look great in the first week, but that can be ignored to a certain extent. Lots of teams are trying things out. The defense for Michigan will be a much bigger challenge than the Illinois State defense. Bryce Underwood is a rookie quarterback who is heading to his first road game. It obviously won’t be a friendly environment, so I am concerned he may not perform all that well. He’s talented, but it should be slow. I lean toward Michigan covering the spread, but I think a smarter play here is to take the under in this game. Both defenses should have the edge here. I’ll back the under. 

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