College football picks: Michigan-Army, LSU-Texas, Penn State-Buffalo highlight Week 2

Here are our staff picks for college football’s Week 2.

Games are listed in standard Vegas rotational order.

Michigan left tackle Jon Runyan (St. Joe’s Prep) did not play in last week’s win over Middle Tennessee State because of an undisclosed injury. He was trending upward mid-week. This will be the schools’ first meeting since 1962.

Rutgers, in its sixth season in the Big Ten, is making its first trip to Iowa City. The Scarlet Knights beat UMass last week behind a pair of touchdowns from Texas Tech transfer McLane Carter, the first lefty to start for Rutgers in 23 years.

Syracuse opened favored by a field goal until money went on the Terps, who are coming off a 79-0 win over Howard. That’s Howard the school, not Howard the Eskin.

Luke Fickell, a longtime Ohio State assistant, brings a Cincinnati defense that held UCLA to 218 yards in Week 1 and was 11th in the nation last season.

Colorado won in Nebraska last year when Cornhuskers quarterback Adrian Martinez was injured on a hit that bothered Nebraska enough to file a complaint with the Pac-12, Colorado’s league. Almost like they’re Big 8 brothers again.

A&M lost to Clemson by just two last season, and offensive lineman Jared Hocker was still spittin’ mad about it this week. “There will be an upset,” he predicted.

Wonder if UCF, which hosts Stanford next week, might get caught looking ahead.

Game of the week, and the first regular-season meeting between the two since 1954. Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. became just the 10th true freshman to start a season opener on defense for LSU since 1986. His late grandfather, Darryl, was paralyzed in a 1978 NFL preseason game. His father, Derek, was a 1993 draft pick of the Phillies.

Auburn moved up six spots to No. 10 in the AP rankings after last week’s dramatic win over Oregon. The touchdown pass in the waning seconds also gave the Tigers an unlikely cover.

Good start last week for Sean Clifford, who has taken over for Trace McSorley as Lions quarterback. Buffalo is an upgrade in competition over Penn State’s first opponent, Idaho.

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