Week 3 Recap

Well, that was certainly fun! Clemson and Notre Dame are officially on playoff life support, Tennessee still can’t get over the Georgia hurdle, and maybe it’s about time we actually start taking Vanderbilt seriously. We’ve got some hefty ranked-on-ranked matchups this week from a few unlikely contenders, so let’s close this first month of the season with something special.

Top 25 Matchups

Rankings are from AP Poll (CFP Poll after release)

Saturday 9/20:

12:00-3:00PM

• #17 Texas Tech @ #16 Utah, FOX
• UAB @ #15 Tennessee, SECN

3:30PM-6:30PM

• Oregon State @ #6 Oregon, BTN
• Kent State @ #7 Florida State, ACCN
• #22 Auburn @ #11 Oklahoma, ABC
• Tulane @ #13 Ole Miss, ESPN
• #21 Michigan @ Nebraska, CBS
• Purdue @ #24 Notre Dame, NBC
• Temple @ #18 Georgia Tech, The CW

7:00-10:00PM

• South Carolina @ #23 Missouri, ESPN
• Florida @ #4 Miami, ABC
• #9 Illinois @ #19 Indiana, NBC
• Georgia State @ #20 Vanderbilt, ESPNU
• SE Louisiana @ #3 LSU, SECN
• Sam Houston State @ #8 Texas, ESPN+
• Michigan State @ #25 USC, FOX

Most Interesting Matchups

South Carolina @ Missouri: This one is suddenly much more important to the Gamecocks than at this time this week. The Tigers look like a team on its way up, and South Carolina will hope that the loss to Vanderbilt wasn’t a backbreaker, especially with the uncertain status of QB LaNorris Sellers.

Illinois @ Indiana: Last year’s surprise Big Ten playoff team versus one who’s ranked in the Top 10 for the first time in almost 25 years. Both teams easily dispatched tune-up opponents last week and the winner of this one will be right on the heels of the Big 10’s top three teams, as well as a provisional playoff position.

Texas Tech @ Utah: Two of my picks for Big 12 dark horses collide this Saturday in Salt Lake City. This one has all the makings of a quintessential Big 12 horse race, i.e. absolute chaos with a 54-48 final score. The over looks awfully tempting here.

Auburn @ Oklahoma: Both of these teams are (somehow) ranked, and both need this win to keep pace with what has become a logjam at the top of the SEC. Auburn has been solid, if unspectacular, so far in year 3 of the Hugh Freeze experiment, and the Sooners hope that this SEC slate goes better for them than the one last year.

Tulane @ Ole Miss: USF’s playoff resume took a bit of a hit with a blowout loss to Miami, and Tulane will certainly motivated to stake their claim as the most viable Group of Five playoff team. Going into Oxford as a visitor is never easy, but weirder things have happened this season already.

FCS Game of the Week

Elon @ East Tennessee State, 5:30 PM, ESPN+

I had no real reason for picking this specific matchup other than the fact that both of these schools have stylized Es as logos. May the best vowel win! Phoenix vs Buccaneers is also a rather fun mascot matchup on its own.

Selected Pick ATS

Last Week: 2-3 Season: 6-12 (Thanks for the bad beat, Bulldogs)

• South Carolina @ Missouri (-11.5)
• Illinois (+5.5) @ Indiana
• Texas Tech @ Utah (-3.5)
• Auburn @ Oklahoma (-6.5)
• Tulane (+11.5) @ Ole Miss