Week 3 Recap

That was certainly an interesting Week 3. There wasn’t as much pure chaos as the previous weeks, but in the midst of the one-sided smack-downs and near upsets, a few gems shone through. The Florida teams (excluding Miami) are in a rough spot, Georgia finally looks mortal, Arch Manning made everyone over the age of 21 feel old, and the Big 12 is still wide open. Week 4 brings us the final round of non-conference games mixed in with a few conference opponents squaring off for the first time since the last wave of realignment.

Top 25 Matchups

Rankings are from AP Poll (CFP Poll after release)

Friday 9/20:

• Illinois @ #23 Nebraska

Saturday 9/21:

12:00-3:00PM

• Marshall @ #3 Ohio State
• NC State @ #22 Clemson
• Arkansas State @ #21 Iowa State

3:30PM-6:30PM

• Kent State @ #8 Penn State
• #11 USC @ #17 Michigan
• Miami (OH) @ #18 Notre Dame
• Georgia Tech @ #19 Louisville
• Buffalo @ #25 Northern Illinois
• UCLA @ #16 LSU
• #12 Utah @ #13 Oklahoma State
• Vanderbilt @ #6 Missouri

7:00-10:30PM

• #10 Miami @ South Florida
• #7 Tennessee @ #15 Oklahoma
• Georgia Southern @ #5 Ole Miss
• UL Monroe @ #2 Texas
• Michigan State @ #24 Boston College
• #14 Kansas State @ BYU

Most Interesting Matchups

UCLA @ LSU: The Bruins will look to replicate the success of their neighbor Trojans, which will be much more difficult down in Baton Rogue. A win for the Tigers would keep them in pace with the rest of the SEC going into conference play; a loss all but eliminates them from playoff contention.

USC @ Michigan: The last visit by a ranked team to Ann Arbor left a bad taste in Michigan’s mouth, so look for the Wolverines to take out their frustrations on the visiting Trojans. Will USC come out on top in their brutal “welcome to the Big Ten” moment?

Utah @ Oklahoma State: Utah has been the slim favorite to win the Big 12 for most of the season, but the Cowboys will certainly have something to say about that this Saturday afternoon in Stillwater. Needless to say, this one has huge potential implications for playoff seeding down the line.

Tennessee @ Oklahoma: Welcome to the SEC, Oklahoma. Can the Sooners slow down an explosive Tennessee offense, or will the Volunteers prove that a Big 12 defense can’t match up with SEC speed? I’d bet the over in this one, folks.

FCS Game of the Week

Idaho @ Abilene Christian, 9/21, 8PM

Fresh from a close game versus a very good Oregon team and a FBS win over Wyoming, the Idaho Vandals will look to continue their run of good form on the road against the Wildcats on Saturday night.

Selected Pick ATS

• Illinois (+8.5) @ Nebraska
• USC (+5.5) @ Michigan
• Utah (-1.5) @ Oklahoma State
• UCLA @ LSU (-24.5)
• Tennessee (-7) @ Oklahoma