Week 3 Cloud Coverage
All eyes remain centered on Boulder, while the Gators look to continue their home mastery of the Vols.
Week 2 featured Texas proclaiming it’s back after the Longhorns went into Tuscaloosa and knocked off Alabama behind the arm of Quinn Ewers and a ferocious pass rush.
The Week 3 slate kicks off with Thursday night action as No. 22 Miami (FL)—fresh off a thrilling 48-33 win over Texas A&M in which QB Tyler Van Dyke threw a career-high five TD passes—hosts Bethune-Cookman (7:30 p.m. ET, ACCN) and Navy travels to take on Memphis (7:30 PM, ESPN) in AAC action.
Friday will feature three games: Virginia at Maryland (7:00, FS1), Army at UTSA (7:00, ESPN) and Utah State at Air Force (8:00, CBSSN).
The Saturday lineup skews toward the SEC a bit (what else is new?) with showdowns between No. 11 Tennessee and Florida as well as No. 14 LSU at Mississippi State and top-ranked Georgia hosting rival South Carolina.
Of course, non-conference games are still prevalent, including Drake Maye and North Carolina hosting Minnesota, while Coach Prime and Colorado will be in the late-night spotlight—after the day kicks off with ESPN’s College GameDay (as well as FOX’s Big Noon Saturday) in town—as the Buffaloes host cross-state rival Colorado State.
As a whole, the slate may not look fantastic because there are no juicy Top 25 tilts, but we all know to expect the unexpected in this sport. With that being said, let’s take a look at what’s on tap:
Saturday’s slate
No. 7 Penn State at Illinois (Noon, FOX): The Fighting Illini have major issues defensively, especially stopping the run. They rank 119th in the FBS defending rushung attacks, and that’s a major problem against arguably the best running back duo in the Midwest. They just gave up 539 yards to Kansas last Friday, so Drew Allar and Co. could be salivating at the chance to play this unit. However, I’d expect Bret Bielema’s group to be ready as it kicks off Big Ten play.
No. 14 LSU at Mississippi State (Noon, ESPN): The Tigers haven’t exactly impressed defensively, but they haven’t had much trouble scoring. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs have shown to be balanced offensively, and Starkville will be ready to rock. Tigers QB Jayden Daniels has been a one-man wrecking crew and will face a Bulldogs defense that just allowed 340 passing yards to Arizona. Both units have had issues defending the pass, but it’s tough to bet against Daniels as the Bayou Bengals look to notch a key conference road win.
No. 15 Kansas State at Missouri (Noon, SECN): The Wildcats have looked really good thus far, while the Tigers didn’t look great last week against Middle Tennessee. But Brady Cook has been playing well, and this feels like a dangerous spot for Chris Klieman’s squad. Can the SEC notch that—up to this point—elusive win over a nationally-ranked non-conference opponent this season?
South Carolina at No. 1 Georgia (3:30, CBS): This will be the toughest test yet for Gamecocks QB Spencer Rattler, whose offensive line will need to withstand the initial storm of the Georgia defense on the road. The difference in this one will be in the trenches, where the Bulldogs have the distinct advantage. UGA has allowed only 10 points in two contests, the Gamecocks’ rushing attack isn’t very dangerous and Rattler was sacked nine times in the season-opening loss to North Carolina. The ‘Dawgs should cruise.
San Diego State at No. 16 Oregon State (3:30, FS1): Will these teams be future conference opponents in a very new-look Pac-12 or an expanded Mountain West? The Beavers have won six straight dating back to last season, and a win over the Aztecs would give them their first seven-game winning streak since 2000. Meanwhile, SDSU RB Damien Martinez is averaging 124.5 rushing yards per game and will challenge the Beavers defense. Jonathan Smith’s squad has played clean ball thus far, not turning the ball over once—one of nine teams in FBS without a giveaway.
Minnesota at No. 20 North Carolina (3:30, ESPN): The Gophers have not received the stellar QB play out of Athan Kaliakmanis that I had expected heading into the season, and that does not bode well heading into a showdown with UNC’s Drake Maye. P.J. Fleck and Co. may try to rely on the ground game and the defense, but the Tar Heels have a very balanced attack featuring Maye and RB Omarion Hampton, who is averaging 6.5 yards per carry and had 234 yards against Appalachian State.
No. 8 Washington at Michigan State (5:00, Peacock): The Spartans will be without head coach Mel Tucker, who has been suspended in the wake of sexual harassment allegations. Once again Sparty’s pass defense looks like a major weakness, which doesn’t bode well against a Huskies air attack that remains very potent. QB Michael Penix Jr. has owned the Spartans in three previous games. He has completed 82 of 120 passes for 1,003 yards and 9 TDs in his career against Sparty, and he is averaging 434 yards per game thus far this fall.
No. 11 Tennessee at Florida (7:00, ESPN): College football fans are probably well aware that the Volunteers have not won in Gainesville since 2003. This is a really big game for both teams—perhaps most so for Gators head coach Billy Napier. Expect the Gators to try to push the ball downfield because the Tennessee secondary isn’t exactly stout. UF QB Graham Mertz fared well in the opener against a very good Utah defense, but he will need to handle an active Vols front.
Georgia Tech at No. 17 Ole Miss (7:30, SECN): This is an interesting ‘timing’ game for the Rebels, who are coming off a 37-20 victory over Tulane, which saw Lane Kiffin’s squad finish the game on a 30-3 run. Ole Miss visits No. 10 Alabama next week, so the ‘overlook’ factor could be in play here—especially because Ole Miss shut out GT 42-0 in Atlanta last season. Star Rebels RB Quinshon Judkins rushed for just 48 yards on 18 carries with a score against the Green Wave, so he’s looking to get back on track. Jaxson Dart has looked very good at QB for the Rebels, while counterpart Haynes King has played very well for GT since arriving from Texas A&M.
BYU at Arkansas (7:30, ESPN2): The Cougars are ranked 111th in FBS in total offense, averaging just over 325 yards per game, while the Razorbacks are surrendering just 245.5 yards per contest, which slots them 18th in the country. But the Hogs have had some issues on offense, particularly on the O-Line. With RB Raheim Sanders injured, look for OC Dan Enos to make QB KJ Jefferson a focal point of the offense—perhaps with some more designed runs.
Pittsburgh at West Virginia (7:30, ABC): This is the 106th edition of the “Backyard Brawl,” and it’s a big one for Mountaineers head coach Neal Brown, who could use a big win over a rival. The Panthers allowed 216 rushing yards in a home loss to Cincinnati last week, while the ‘Neers galloped for 304 yards on the ground in their blowout of Duquesne. Being able to contain mobile QB Garrett Greene will be paramount for this Pitt defense, while Panthers QB Phil Jurkovec is looking to bounce back from a rough performance last week against a WVU defense that is allowing 282 passing yards per game.
TCU at Houston (8:00, FOX): The Cougars are making their Big 12 debut one week after falling to in-state rival Rice in double overtime. The Horned Frogs will have their hands full containing Cougars QB Donovan Smith, as they are allowing 343.5 passing yards per game. The Texas Tech transfer has thrown for 493 yards with 4 TDs and has 88 rushing yards and 3 more scores on the ground. Counterpart Chandler Morris is also a threat with both his arm and legs, so which team will come up with that extra stop when it matters most?
Colorado State at No. 18 Colorado (10:00, ESPN): The eyes of the college football world remain transfixed by what’s occuring in such a short amount of time in Boulder. Buffaloes QB Shedeur Sanders has acclimated very well to the FBS level, and he is surrounded by playmakers. The Rams may have had an extra week to prepare, but they were porous against the pass against Washington State in Week 1.
This week’s best bets
*Ohio +3
*Virginia Tech +7
*Purdue +2.5
Cocktail of the week: The Paper Plane
Chicago experienced some refreshingly cool weather this past week, which has me craving bourbon. It has since warmed up a bit, but I was trying to find a cocktail that is refreshing for this time of year: when warm days give way to cool nights. Enter the Paper Plane, and here is how you craft it:
-Combine .75 oz. bourbon, .75 oz. Aperol, .75 oz. Amaro liqueur and .75 oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice in a cocktail shaker with ice.
-Shake until well chilled.
-Strain into a couple glass.
-Garnish with a lemon peel.
This drink is a combination of sour, sweet, bitter and smoky. Enjoy one or three.
Week 4 look-ahead:
Boise State at San Diego State
No. 24 UCLA at No. 12 Utah
No. 16 Oregon State at No. 23 Washington State
No. 3 Florida State at Clemson
Auburn at Texas A&M
Western Kentucky at Troy
No. 17 Ole Miss at No. 10 Alabama
No. 18 Colorado at No. 13 Oregon
Arkansas at No. 14 LSU
No. 4 Texas at Baylor
No. 6 Ohio State at No. 9 Notre Dame
No. 25 Iowa at No. 7 Penn State
UCF at No. 15 Kansas State
My Top 25 after Week 2:
1. Georgia
2. Michigan
3. Florida State
4. USC
5. Texas
6. Penn State
7. Washington
8. Notre Dame
9. Ohio State
10. Utah
11. Oregon
12. Tennessee
13. Ole Miss
14. Oklahoma
15. Colorado
16. Kansas State
17. LSU
18. Alabama
19. Oregon State
20. Duke
21. Iowa
22. UCLA
23. Clemson
24. North Carolina
25. Auburn
I hope everyone enjoys all of the Week 3 action!
Follow me on X @Miller_Dave & email me at david.matthew.miller@gmail.com