We are on to Week 2 (the third weekend of games) in the college football season. After a week of clock issues, Heisman performances, and LSU scoring at will, we have a showdown in Austin between two top-four teams and the beginning of conference play for some teams. The road to the CFP is underway, culminating in the CFP National Championship Game in Las Vegas on January 25.
Last week, we nearly nailed the Baylor upset of Auburn, losing on the failed two-point conversion at the goal line. We weren’t so close in the battle in Baton Rouge.
Week 2’s slate features a couple of non-conference rematches from last season that we are highlighting for possible upsets.
Below, we’ll break down our upset picks for Saturday’s CFB games, including Navy vs. FAU and Duke vs. Illinois, with spreads and payouts on PrizePicks Team Picks.
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Week 2 College Football Upsets to Consider: Saturday, September 12
Two games stand out as potential college football upset spots in Week 2.
Duke is hitting the road to take on Illinois at 3:30 p.m. on FS1, and Navy is traveling to Florida to face the FAU Owls later that night at 7:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
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Duke vs. Illinois: CFB Upset Watch Today
Not all scores are created equal, especially in college football. The schedule will show that Illinois beat Duke 45-19 last year on the road, but it was a 14-13 game at halftime, and Duke outgained the Illini 438-to-419. Duke committed five turnovers in the game and allowed 17 fourth-quarter points on three of the mistakes, leading to the blowout final score.
A similar story can be told about last week’s 42-23 win for Illinois over UAB. The Illini were outgained by 80 yards and scored on an end-of-first-half Hail Mary and a second-half pick-six after only leading the 27.5-point underdogs by eight at the half.
Duke looked very good in its two-TD win over Tulane last week as Nate Sheppard ran for 227 yards, the third-most in the nation, and two TDs. Duke was 6-1 last year when rushing for more than 140 yards and used that formula to start 2026. The Blue Devils held Tulane to 258 yards, stopping the Blue Wave on 14 of 17 third-down conversions.
They only managed 17 points after losing QB Darian Mensah to Miami, but also committed no turnovers, which is what crushed them in this matchup last year. Manny Diaz’s team was 6-0 last year when not giving up the ball. The unique 4-2-5 defensive scheme held Tulane in check and could do the same to an Illini team that didn’t produce as much offense as last week’s 42 points would suggest.
Make your Duke vs. Illinois picks on PrizePicks now.
Navy vs. FAU CFB Upset Watch Today
Navy beat Towson by 27, and FAU lost to Florida by 35. But those were one-game samples against very different levels of competition. This matchup poses a different scenario that could lead to an upset.
FAU had the top passing offense in the country last year in Zach Kittley’s first year as head coach, throwing for 340.2 yards per game. And even though the Owls lost 66-21 last week, they still had close to 300 yards passing and 400 overall, with returning starting QB Caden Veltkamp completing 34 passes for 276 yards. The issue last week was the defense, which could not stop Florida, allowing scores on the first six drives.
Navy’s defense finished 91st in the country last year in pass defense, allowing 230.0 yards per game. 381 of those yards, along with 4 passing TDs, came vs. this same FAU team last October. Both edge rushers and two players from the secondary are gone, which hurt the Midshipmen last week as Towson threw for two TDs and completed 14 of 19 passes (73.6%).
FAU was in this game last year on the road and now gets Navy at home in South Florida, where they covered in four of six games last season.
Make your Navy vs. FAU picks on PrizePicks now.
Make Week 2 College Football Upset Picks on PrizePicks
A full slate of college football games is on tap for Week 2, and with that, more chances for upsets. Can Duke clean up its act and get revenge for its five-turnover loss to Illinois last year? Can FAU rebound from allowing 66 points to Florida and knock off Navy?
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