TEXAS, USA — Welcome to the week-two edition of The Pregame Pulse where I will be taking you through what I think are the top-five college football games to watch this upcoming weekend!
In week one, we got a great chance to look at a bunch of the teams we will be talking about in this article. With the new AP Top 25 list dropping on Tuesday, we now have a new set of unanswered questions heading into week two.
We ask ourselves -- is Colorado the real deal? -- can the Longhorns finally make the leap and defeat the all-mighty Crimson Tide? -- will the tortillas fly at Jones AT&T Stadium on Saturday night?
A lot to look forward to, with seemingly a lot on the line.
So, let's dive in!
Saturday, Sept. 9
Oh, what a delight it was to watch the Buffaloes put on a show in Fort Worth last weekend.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders set a school record as a threw for 510 yards and four touchdowns, ultimately winning the game 45-42.
Enough can't be said about Wide Receiver and Cornerback Travis Hunter as he put on, in my opinion, one of the greatest performances in college football history.
Hunter played 144 snaps and was the best player on the field at all times as he caught 11 passes for 119 yards, including some key receptions at the end of the game. If that wasn't enough, Hunter made his presence known on defense as he also recorded one interception.
That is all exceptional work from this new Colorado team, but the college football world wants to know if this success is sustainable or if they maybe just played a down TCU team.
Well, the Buffaloes are going to have a chance to go 2-0 as they get ready to host Nebraska in their home opener.
The Cornhuskers are coming off a tough loss against Minnesota, a game in which the win could've gone either way. Head Coach Matt Rhule will be sure to have the Cornhuskers ready to go in Colorado as they are looking to turn the streak of one-score losses into a streak of wins.
This matchup pits two experienced teams against each other.
Tulane continues to roll on their success from last season, which ended in a Cotton Bowl win against Heisman winner Caleb Williams and the USC Trojans.
The Green Wave are no stranger to fighting it out with tough and possibly more talented opponents. However, Ole Miss and Head Coach Lane Kiffin stand in the way of extending Tulane's win streak.
Both teams had strong showings in their week one games as both quarterbacks threw for four touchdowns, but outside of actual gameplay, I think one important thing to note is that this game is being played at Tulane. So, we will get to see if the Rebels can handle an early tough road test or if Tulane is still ready to remain top of the Group of 5 conferences.
Also, it's a top 25 matchup, so this game has potential to shake up that 15 to 25 portion of the rankings.
Them Fightin' Texas Aggies are ready to prove they are a contender in the SEC this year.
The Aggie faithful believe they have a quarterback in Conner Weigman that can bring Texas A&M football far beyond last year's 5-7 season, and this would be a great start to the season if they can defeat the Hurricanes.
Miami, also coming off of a 5-7 season, is still trying to find its identity. However, they were able to start their 2023 campaign off with a confidence-boosting win over Miami (Ohio) in week one.
This game is on the list because, although it is still very early in the season, this game really has the chance to set the tone for either one of these programs.
If the Aggies can march into Hard Rock Stadium and dominate, that will be a huge eyebrow raiser to a lot of people. On the other hand, if Miami comes in and dominates, it could signal a new era in Hurricanes football.
The message boards are on fire, you'll want to keep an eye on this one.
I'm not even going to make a joke about Texas being back, so relax.
Coming into this season I've been having my doubts about the Crimson Tide. While I would never say I think they're going to be bad, I still believe Alabama will have a down year relative to their incredibly successful runs.
Now, that may look like three losses, so again not bad, but down in comparison to the Alabama we know.
Crimson Tide Quarterback Jalen Milroe looked great in his week one game as he threw for 194 yards and three touchdowns, also rushing for 48 yards and two touchdowns.
On the other side, Texas Quarterback Quinn Ewers also played well as he threw for three touchdowns against Rice, connecting with speedy receiver Xavier Worthy seven times.
This game will be about what happens in the trenches. The Texas offensive line did not look impressive at all against Rice, and that really raises some concerns about how they will fare against the Crimson Tide.
That being said, there is absolutely no shortage of talent on both sides of this matchup, an embarrassment of riches is something both of these programs have had for a while.
However, the question remains; is Texas finally going to be able to utilize their talent properly and topple a top-five opponent.
One thing is for sure, you'll want to be locked in to this game come Saturday evening.
Here's another option if you aren't too fond of Texas or Alabama.
Heisman-hopeful Quarterback Bo Nix and his Oregon Ducks are looking to get in and out of Lubbock quickly and easily.
Unfortunately, that is easier said than done. These students will show up loud and proud, day or night, whenever and wherever if it means they get to put their #gunsup.
The Red Raiders played in a double-overtime nail biter against Wyoming last week, ultimately falling short 35-33.
While Oregon may have decimated an FCS team in its first game, I personally don't believe the Red Raiders will be so easy to put away. Texas Tech is known for always putting up a fight no matter the rankings or talent on the other side of the ball.
So, strap in because this one could have the potential to be a classic high-scoring shootout.
Zachary Yanes is a digital content producer for KCEN 6 News and an avid sports fan. He will be telling you the top games to watch every week in "The PreGame Pulse" right here on kcentv.com. You can follow Zachary on Twitter @ZacharyYanes
