(UPDATED BELOW TO REFLECT THE USF-UCONN CANCELLATION DUE TO HURRICANE IRMA)
Week 1 of college football produced one legitimate upset: Maryland's 51-41 road win over Texas after entering last Saturday as double-digit dogs. All that means is college football must have been saving all its chaos for Week 2, right?
Like we always say, people are imperfect by nature. College football players between the ages of 18 and 22 (or so) are even more prone to mistakes. It's what makes this sport so fun.
With all of that in mind, we're here to give you the top five upset alert games each week of the 2017 season based on matchups, injuries/suspensions and other factors. As a general rule, we try to avoid games whose lines are well within a touchdown with exceptions being made for cases that warrant them.
Western Michigan at Michigan State
When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET | Where: East Lansing, Michigan | Opening Line: Michigan State -6.5
Why it's listed: This should be a concerning game for the Spartans. Former Western Michigan coach P.J. Fleck may be gone, but his fingerprints are still all over this exciting Broncos team. There are still lots of explosive playmakers on offense capable of winning shootouts. On the other hand, Michigan State still had some leftover problems that plagued it a season ago. Namely, defensive backs were getting beat down the field by Bowling Green wideouts.
Western Michigan wins if: Things get weird. That means big plays and lots of points. This team is built for speed and fun. Watch out for defensive back and return man Darius Phillips as well. He already has one kickoff returned for a touchdown on the year. At the very least, he's an All-MAC caliber player.
Michigan State wins if: Running back Madre London takes off. London averaged 5.4 yards per carry against Bowling Green and Western Michigan gave up nearly seven yards per carry against USC. Granted, the Trojans have higher end running backs, but London leads a steady group of runners for the Spartans. He's emerged as the leader so keeping the ball away from Michigan State and dictating the pace of the game will be critical.
UTSA at Baylor
When: Saturday, 8 p.m. ET | Where: Waco, Texas | Opening Line: Baylor -17
Why it's listed: After dropping its season opener to FCS program Liberty, no upset is off the table for the Bears. There were a lot of experience and depth concerns on defense heading into the season that weren't exactly alleviated after giving up nearly 600 yards of offense. And, well, UTSA comes to Waco with its starting receiving corps, quarterback and second-leading rusher from 2016. The Roadrunners may not be a Power Five team, but they're no stranger to being upset-minded in these types of games. We'll find out before Big 12 play if Baylor is a cohesive group or not.
UTSA wins if: It can come out firing and put together a comfortable lead. Remember: The effects of Hurricane Harvey postponed the Roadrunners' opening game against Houston, so this will be the first time they've taken the field. It can be tough to come out on the road and play well from the start.
Baylor wins if: Its defense can make a few necessary stops. After Week 1, it would be a surprise if the Bears put together a stingy defensive performance for 60 minutes. However, even a few key stops or takeaways could be a difference-maker not just in this game, but all season. Baylor still has a lot of speed and skill. That didn't go away with former coach Art Briles.
No. 14 Stanford at No. 6 USC
When: Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET | Where: Los Angeles, California | Opening Line: USC -6.5
Why it's listed: This is a series that's favored Stanford for some time now. The Cardinal have won six of the last eight against the Trojans. And after Week 1, there are some areas that appear to favor Stanford again. USC has the quarterback edge with Sam Darnold, but Stanford has the experienced and deep group to put pressure on him. There's no doubt Darnold is calm under that pressure; rather, the question is going to be whether he can push the ball downfield enough to make Stanford pay for it.
Stanford wins if: It gets Darnold out of rhythm. The redshirt sophomore is a tremendous quarterback because of his coolness under pressure and his arm talent, but he's still growing as a tactician. Putting USC behind the chains will be helpful, but Stanford can also knock this Trojans' offense off balance by getting Darnold to throw off balance or before he's ready. Running some more complex defenses would give Stanford an edge as well.
USC wins if: It slows Stanford's running game. Bryce Love and Cameron Scarlett are a brutal one-two punch because there's power and big-play ability. Love is a complete runner and Stanford's offensive line gave him enough space to work with that he could create the rest on his own. Take that away, though, and Stanford would have to win this game on the arm of Keller Chryst. There's not enough evidence to suggest it can do that yet.
Boise State at No. 20 Washington State
When: Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET | Where: Pullman, Washington | Opening Line: Washington State -7.5
Why it's listed: Whew, buddy. The #Pac12AfterDark potential here is high. It's worth noting, too, that the line has moved to -10.5 for Wazzu as of Wednesday. The Broncos survived an anticipated test from Troy while Washington State took care of business against Montana State. Will that Cougars defense show up against the Broncos? If it doesn't, we could have a wild one in Pullman at night.
Boise State wins if: Quarterback Brett Rypien and this passing offense gets back on track. The Broncos' best chance to hang with Wazzu comes if it can go point-for-point with them. Otherwise, the Cougars could pull away easily. Rypien completed about 56 percent of his passes for 160 yards against Troy while splitting time with Montell Cozart.
Washington State wins if: It creates at least two takeaways from Boise State. The over/under is around 58, and taking the over sure is tempting. If this game gets into the 30s, which it absolutely could, takeaways could be the key to the game. Anything from flipping field position to points off turnovers might turn the tide.
No. 21 South Florida at UConn -- postponed
Why it was listed: First, let's note that because of Hurricane Irma and its deadly force, USF moved up its kickoff time in East Hartford. But in things that will affect what happens on the field, the Bulls have gotten off to painfully bad starts. They were down 10-0 to San Jose State in Week 0 before stepping on the accelerator and then needed the fourth quarter to pull away from Stony Brook. The line against the Huskies is already down to -17.5 for USF from its three-touchdown opening line. Long road trips have already proven tough for this team and previous games at UConn have been tight contests for USF.
UConn advantage: Bryant Shirreffs was set to start at quarterback for the Huskies after coming in for David Pindell in Week 1 vs. Holy Cross. Keep in mind Shirreffs had his best game of the 2016 season against the Bulls. If he kick-starts the offense like he did against Holy Cross, the Huskies have a chance. Of course, they need the Bulls to shoot themselves in the foot as well.
South Florida advantage: This team has the superior talent and on paper there's no reason why it should be close. Special teams miscues and offensive consistency have been thorns, though.