Regular season continues in ESC Overwatch Week 2 Preview

After an exciting week one slate of action, we are back with week two of Esports Collegiate Conference (ESC) Overwatch 2 play! In this week two preview, we look back at all the action from week one, week two's broadcasted match of the week, and highlight other important week two matches.

Week one brought the broom out of the closet in many of the series across the conference. To no surprise, the teams that placed highly in the Overwatch Collegiate Homecoming Series ended up being victorious in week one of ESC competition. On Broadcast, Western Michigan surprised many by taking an early map off of the defending ESC champions, Ball State.

A semifinal rematch, teams seeking their first win, and a battle of underdog rosters marks this week's major storylines. Below you will find this week's broadcasted match alongside two matches you will want to keep your eyes on this Tuesday (Jan. 30).

The ESC broadcast blasts off this week with the Rockets of Toledo against the Western Michigan Broncos on the official ESC Twitch account. For the games that will not be on the broadcast, check out the individual streams from each school's broadcast channels linked below their previewed match.

A tough week one for both teams finds them winless heading into week two. Western Michigan has shown great promise after the team was able to take a map off of Ball State in week one during the featured broadcast of the week. Now heading into Toledo in Week 2, the Broncos should be confident in their ability to take the series and show off that they are a top team in the ESC this year.

Toledo got swept by Central Michigan in week one after an all-out team dominance from the Chippewas. Returning player for the Rockets, Andrew "Drew" McManus, must rally the team this week against Western Michigan. Tank player "BlueKestrel1" and DPS players "SuperNinja" and "Krispy" must step up this week and match the level the Broncos bring to the table. Tune in to see who will grab their first win of the season and who unfortunately will start 0-2 this Spring.

The revenge tour continues for Northeastern. A rematch of last year's semifinal is on slate in week two. After an extremely close 4-3 loss to Miami last time these two teams met, Northeastern is ready to rehash their memories and erase them with a win in their record column. Northeastern (1-0) and Miami (1-0) started their 2024 season strong with wins over Northern Illinois and Northern Kentucky respectively.

So far this academic year, Northeastern has outweighed Miami's accomplishments with a tied 17th standing in the Overwatch Collegiate Homecoming during the Fall. Miami placed right outside the Top 32 cutoff at 33. Both teams bring slight changes to their rosters this year and lost a few to graduation. Returning Northeastern players "Frisco" and "Hedwig" will battle it out against Miami newcomers "PootrScootr" and "BabyBackSide" in their roles respectively. Will seniority be the difference against fresh new talent for the RedHawks?

Two undefeated northern Ohio schools battle it out in week two. Bowling Green (1-0) and Akron (1-0) both found success in week one. Last year both programs missed the cutoff for the postseason. Bowling Green had a record of (4-8) while Akron struggled with a record of (2-10). This year both programs look to turn in around. Akron was able to place in the Top 50 of the Overwatch Collegiate Homecoming series in the Fall out of 350+ universities.

This week either school will collect their second win in conference play and be one step closer to clinching playoff seeding. Only the top eight teams will get the chance to compete for the ESC title this Spring. Both of these rosters are our underdog picks for the season and rosters to keep your eyes at for the remainder of the year.

Stay tuned to esports.gg for more ESC esports news and updates.

*Match times are subject to change.