National Games to Watch: Week 2

Week one offered very little in the way of exciting matchups, however things ramp up ever so slightly in week two, with a handful of matchups around the nation for Utes fans to keep an eye on.

#12 Texas A&M vs #1 Clemson Saturday 1:30 PM MT - ABC

Clemson’s cupcake schedule currently includes just two ranked teams; Texas A&M and a conference matchup with Syracuse next week. The Tigers likely won’t be pushed much this season, and if Clemson handles the Aggies as predicted (Clemson is currently a -16.5 point favorite, with an 87.5% chance to win according to ESPN’s Matchup Predictor), Utah should slide up at least one spot in the rankings if Saturday’s matchup against NIU goes according to plan.

BYU vs Tennessee Saturday 5:00 PM MT - ESPN

Both teams will be searching for their first win of 2019 when the Cougars face off against the Volunteers of Tennessee on Saturday night. The Vols were upset in week one, losing to Georgia State 38-30, while BYU’s offense struggled to move much against Utah’s defense. A BYU victory is a bit double-edged, as a win over a P5 opponent would make Utah’s week one victory look even better on paper, while a Tennessee win have fans re-evaluating just how bad BYU really is.

#6 LSU vs #9 Texas Saturday 5:30 PM MT - ABC

LSU is the heavy favorite going into this matchup between top ten programs, with ESPN Matchup Predictor giving the Tigers an 80% chance of claiming victory, with Vegas spotting Ed Ogeron’s squad -6.5 points, which would bode well for the Utes if the experts are correct, as it would likely inch Utah even closer to a top ten ranking in next week’s polls.