At first glance, it's easy to be underwhelmed. Week 2 of the college football season gave us Alabama-Texas. Week 4 will give us Ohio State-Notre Dame, Alabama-Ole Miss and a shockingly big Colorado-Oregon game. Week 3, on the other hand, doesn't feature a single ranked versus ranked matchup, and per Caesars, the nine top-10 teams in action are favored by an average of nearly four touchdowns.
In movie parlance, it's quiet ... too quiet. The longtime college football fan knows that the most unassuming slate can be the deadliest. Seven top-15 teams play on the road Saturday, and while they might all be favored, odds are always in our favor from an entertainment perspective. My SP+ ratings give the seven road teams only a 15% chance of going 7-0 between them. There's a 36% chance that one loses, a 32% chance that two lose and a 15% chance that three lose.
You may see a lackluster slate, but chaos always lurks, and it has one hell of a sense of humor. Let's talk about everything you need to follow in Week 3.
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What happens in StarkVegas
Joe Milton's time?
Can Sparty pressure UW?
Under-the-radar Wildcats
Bring back 2021 PSU-Illinois
Worries for FSU, Bama? | Best bets
Week 3 playlist | Small school showcase
Can Mississippi State officially eliminate LSU from CFP contention?
No. 14 LSU at Mississippi State (noon, ESPN) | Upset probability, per SP+: 47%