College Football

WhatIfSports 2014 College Football Week 2 Predictions

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:28 p.m. ET

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Each Monday, WhatIfSports.com's NCAA college football simulation engine provides game predictions for every D-1 FBS game that upcoming week. The college football simulation engine generates detailed information for each game including each team's chances of winning (Win%) and the average points scored for both teams.

Check out our 2014 College Football Season-to-Date page to follow our accuracy and for Upsets of the Week.

The statistical inputs to the thousands of college football simulations are based on rigorous analysis of each team's roster, depth charts and statistically based player rankings. Roster modifications are made in cases of injury or suspension and those players are removed from their team's game simulation for that week.

Game of the Week: Michigan State at Oregon

We'll get more details as we learned more about the statistical DNA of the team when they don't play little sisters of poor.

It didn't take long for Spartan Nation to hold their collective breath. Quarterback Connor Cook was forced to leave their Week 1 game on the second pass of the season (which resulted in a touchdown) after this knee bent awkwardly following a hit. He needed assistance to get off the field and most of those who saw the injury thought Cook's season was finished. It wasn't. Cook returned and torched Jacksonville State for 285 yards with three touchdown with only one incompletion. The rushing attack racked up over 200 yards on 50 carries with three more trips to the end zone.

As is the case with early-season cupcake opponents, it's hard to gauge exactly what this MSU team can do against an opponent like Oregon on the road. The Spartans' defense held Jacksonville to 244 total yards. The unit finished the 2013 season ranked inside the top three nationally in scoring and total defense.

Twenty-three hundred miles to the West, Heisman Trophy hopeful Marcus Mariota (MARR-ee-oo-tah) torched South Dakota for 267 yards through the air with three touchdowns and another score coming on the ground before passing the baton to Jeff Lockie. His favorite target on the afternoon was Byron Marshall with eight receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns.

Oregon - known more for its offense in recent years - ranked inside the top 15 in points allowed nationally last season.

One of the more enjoyable stats / trends heading into the contest comes from Andrew Greif from Oregon Live who dropped this nugget - The Spartans are 49-18 against non-conference opponents since 1999, a season that began with Michigan State -- then coached by Nick Saban -- beating Oregon, 27-20, in East Lansing, Mich. The programs are 2-2 against one another all-time.

We simulated the Spartans and Ducks 101 times and it's Oregon winning 53.5 percent of the time by an average score of 22-21.

College Football Week 2 Predictions
Matchup	Win%	Avg Score
Citadel Bulldogs	5.0	7	Boxscore
@ Florida State Seminoles	95.0	55
South Carolina State Bulldogs	5.0	7	Boxscore
@ Clemson Tigers	95.0	51
Richmond Spiders	5.0	8	Boxscore
@ Virginia Cavaliers	95.0	42
Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs	5.0	9	Boxscore
@ Wake Forest Demon Deacons	95.0	38
Murray State Racers	5.0	8	Boxscore
@ Louisville Cardinals	95.0	45
Florida A&M Rattlers	5.0	8	Boxscore
@ Miami (FL) Hurricanes	95.0	49
San Diego State Aztecs	22.8	20	Boxscore
@ North Carolina Tar Heels	77.2	27
Old Dominion Monarchs	29.7	24	Boxscore
@ North Carolina State Wolfpack	70.3	30
Pittsburgh Panthers	67.8	25	Boxscore
@ Boston College Eagles	32.2	20
McNeese State Cowboys	5.0	8	Boxscore
@ Nebraska Cornhuskers	95.0	48
Howard Bison	5.0	8	Boxscore
@ Rutgers Scarlet Knights	95.0	43
Western Illinois Leathernecks	5.0	8	Boxscore
@ Wisconsin Badgers	95.0	50
Akron Zips	23.8	18	Boxscore
@ Penn State Nittany Lions	76.2	26
Ball State Cardinals	38.1	22	Boxscore
@ Iowa Hawkeyes	61.9	26
Virginia Tech Hokies	41.6	18	Boxscore
@ Ohio State Buckeyes	58.4	21
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders	46.5	22	Boxscore
@ Minnesota Golden Gophers	53.5	23
Central Michigan Chippewas	48.5	23	Boxscore
@ Purdue Boilermakers	51.5	24
Northern Illinois Huskies	54.5	23	Boxscore
@ Northwestern Wildcats	45.5	22
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers	62.9	31	Boxscore
@ Illinois Fighting Illini	37.1	26
VMI Keydets	5.0	9	Boxscore
@ Bowling Green Falcons	95.0	46
Eastern Kentucky Colonels	5.0	9	Boxscore
@ Miami (OH) RedHawks	95.0	31
South Alabama Jaguars	65.8	27	Boxscore
@ Kent State Golden Flashes	34.2	24
Missouri Tigers	66.3	26	Boxscore
@ Toledo Rockets	33.7	22
Colorado Buffaloes	73.3	26	Boxscore
@ Massachusetts Minutemen	26.7	18
Eastern Washington Eagles	5.0	7	Boxscore
@ Washington Huskies	95.0	47
Sacramento State Hornets	5.0	9	Boxscore
@ California Golden Bears	95.0	45
Memphis Tigers	23.8	19	Boxscore
@ UCLA Bruins	76.2	28
Michigan State Spartans	46.5	21	Boxscore
@ Oregon Ducks	53.5	22
USC Trojans	47.5	22	Boxscore
@ Stanford Cardinal	52.5	24
Fresno State Bulldogs	47.0	23	Boxscore
@ Utah Utes	53.0	24
Nicholls Colonels	5.0	8	Boxscore
@ Arkansas Razorbacks	95.0	42
Sam Houston State Bearkats	5.0	8	Boxscore
@ LSU Tigers	95.0	48
Lamar Cardinals	5.0	8	Boxscore
@ Texas A&M Aggies	95.0	54
Florida Atlantic Owls	16.8	14	Boxscore
@ Alabama Crimson Tide	83.2	29
UAB Blazers	18.8	19	Boxscore
@ Mississippi State Bulldogs	81.2	29
San Jose State Spartans	19.8	21	Boxscore
@ Auburn Tigers	80.2	33
Eastern Michigan Eagles	20.8	14	Boxscore
@ Florida Gators	79.2	28
East Carolina Pirates	28.7	20	Boxscore
@ South Carolina Gamecocks	71.3	27
Arkansas State Red Wolves	34.7	19	Boxscore
@ Tennessee Volunteers	65.3	25
Ohio Bobcats	44.6	21	Boxscore
@ Kentucky Wildcats	55.4	22
Ole Miss Rebels	68.3	23	Boxscore
@ Vanderbilt Commodores	31.7	16
Michigan Wolverines	38.6	20	Boxscore
@ Notre Dame Fighting Irish	61.4	24
Buffalo Bulls	58.4	24	Boxscore
@ Army Black Knights	41.6	23
Missouri State Bears	5.0	9	Boxscore
@ Oklahoma State Cowboys	95.0	49
Northwestern State Demons	5.0	9	Boxscore
@ Baylor Bears	95.0	51
Southeast Missouri State Redhawks	5.0	8	Boxscore
@ Kansas Jayhawks	95.0	40
Towson Tigers	5.0	9	Boxscore
@ West Virginia Mountaineers	95.0	45
BYU Cougars	45.5	22	Boxscore
@ Texas Longhorns	54.5	23
Kansas State Wildcats	77.2	28	Boxscore
@ Iowa State Cyclones	22.8	18
Alcorn State Braves	5.0	8	Boxscore
@ Southern Miss Golden Eagles	95.0	38
Rhode Island Rams	5.0	9	Boxscore
@ Marshall Thundering Herd	95.0	49
Wagner Seahawks	5.0	8	Boxscore
@ FIU Golden Panthers	95.0	30
SMU Mustangs	44.6	22	Boxscore
@ North Texas Mean Green	55.4	25
Arizona Wildcats	56.9	26	Boxscore
@ UTSA Roadrunners	43.1	22
Texas Tech Red Raiders	83.2	33	Boxscore
@ UTEP Miners	16.8	23
Idaho State Bengals	5.0	9	Boxscore
@ Utah State Aggies	95.0	43
Northern Colorado Bears	5.0	7	Boxscore
@ UNLV Rebels	95.0	42
Colorado State Rams	31.7	26	Boxscore
@ Boise State Broncos	68.3	31
Air Force Falcons	49.0	27	Boxscore
@ Wyoming Cowboys	51.0	28
Washington State Cougars	53.5	29	Boxscore
@ Nevada Wolf Pack	46.5	27
Oregon State Beavers	77.2	31	Boxscore
@ Hawaii Rainbow Warriors	22.8	22
Arizona State Sun Devils	78.2	32	Boxscore
@ New Mexico Lobos	21.8	23
Campbell Fighting Camels	5.0	8	Boxscore
@ Appalachian State Mountaineers	95.0	40
Savannah State Tigers	5.0	8	Boxscore
@ Georgia Southern Eagles	95.0	39
Idaho Vandals	25.7	21	Boxscore
@ Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks	74.3	28
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs	41.6	23	Boxscore
@ Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns	58.4	27
New Mexico State Aggies	49.5	26	Boxscore
@ Georgia State Panthers	50.5	27
Duke Blue Devils	74.3	32	Boxscore
@ Troy Trojans	25.7	23
Stony Brook Seawolves	5.0	6	Boxscore
@ Connecticut Huskies	95.0	42
Grambling State Tigers	5.0	7	Boxscore
@ Houston Cougars	95.0	44
Navy Midshipmen	53.5	25	Boxscore
@ Temple Owls	46.5	24
Maryland Terrapins	57.4	23	Boxscore
@ South Florida Bulls	42.6	21
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets	64.4	24	Boxscore
@ Tulane Green Wave	35.6	17
Oklahoma Sooners	83.2	29	Boxscore
@ Tulsa Golden Hurricane	16.8	17