College Football

Texas over Alabama? Klatt's wildest possible CFB outcomes for Week 2

Updated Sep. 8, 2022 5:44 p.m. ET

Week 2 of the college football is coming up fast, and there are a handful of intriguing matchups — and some possible upsets — to keep on your radar.

Joel Klatt introduced a new segment called "What if?" during the latest episode of his new podcast, "The Joel Klatt Show," which will feature three new episodes per week and offer unique takes and analysis of the biggest games and storylines throughout the college football universe.

Heading into Week 2, Klatt broke down how this season would be shaken up if Stanford were to knock off USC, if Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy were to commit multiple turnovers against Hawaii, or if Texas were to actually upset top-ranked Alabama (Saturday, 12 p.m. ET on FOX).

Let's take a look at some of Klatt's wildest possible outcomes for Week 2 of college football.

The wildest possible outcomes for CFB Week 2

Joel Klatt introduces a brand-new segment called "What if?" on the latest episode of his new podcast, "The Joel Klatt Show."

What if … Stanford beats No. 10 USC in Lincoln Riley's second game?

Key stat: Unranked Stanford leads the Pac-12 in pass defense after allowing only 59 yards to Colgate in Week 1. On the other side, USC QB Caleb Williams, a transfer from Oklahoma, went 19-for-22 passing (86.4%) for 249 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 66-14 victory over Rice in his debut in Los Angeles last week.

Klatt's thoughts: "USC fans, if you're honest with yourself — your biggest concern is that this is all lipstick on a pig. 'Great, we got Lincoln Riley and the quarterback Caleb Williams and some of these flashy players on the outside. But are we really good enough up front to go and win on the road in conference and to be a team that can actually win 10 ballgames?' That's their fear. So, if they were to lose to Stanford, I think that that would be like a realized fear. … I don't believe that that's gonna happen though. I believe in USC. I believe in what they're doing. I think that they're a little bit better at the line of scrimmage than people give them credit. … I think they win handily."

What if… J.J. McCarthy turns it over three times on Saturday?

Key stat: Michigan's QB battle continues in Week 2 with McCarthy — a former five-star recruit who appeared in 11 games as a true freshman last season — getting his first start of the season against the Rainbow Warriors. Cade McNamara, who started all 14 games last season while leading UM to a 12-win season and a spot in the College Football Playoff, started in the No. 4 Wolverines' 51-7 Week 1 win over Colorado State.

Klatt's thoughts: "That's not what you wanna see, Michigan fans. … I know you are desperate for J.J. McCarthy to go turn in a great performance. If he turns it over three times, you're back at square one. It's basically like 2021 all over again at the quarterback position. You're probably gonna get Cade McNamara starting every game and J.J. McCarthy … at times to bring in the different dynamic of a running quarterback that can attack the edge, and Michigan fans don't want that. I don't think Jim Harbaugh wants that. By the way, that's the only thing that continues this battle. … I think that J.J. McCarthy has a higher ceiling than Cade McNamara. The problem is that J.J.'s floor is much lower than Cade McNamara's and the concern would be turnovers."

What if … Texas actually beats Alabama?

Key stat: Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young picked up right where he left off last season, throwing for 195 yards and five touchdowns, while adding 100 yards and another score on the ground in No. 1 Alabama's 55-0 shutout of Utah State. On the other side, the unranked Longhorns are led by newly minted QB Quinn Ewers — a transfer from Ohio State — who threw for 225 yards and two touchdowns in Texas' season opener last week, a dominant 52–10 win over UL Monroe. The Longhorns also have running back Bijan Robinson, a top-10 Heisman Trophy candidate according to FOX Bet, in their arsenal.