Week 3 of the college football season is loaded with big games involving SEC teams as the league hierarchy begins sorting itself out with a series of games carrying major national title implications. The conference is diving headlong into league play, but two major nonconference showdowns are also part of the weekend’s top action.
No. 19 Alabama is hosting Wisconsin in a must-have game for the Crimson Tide before they travel to Georgia following a bye week. Later on, No. 16 Texas A&M will be seeking revenge on the road against No. 8 Notre Dame after falling to the Fighting Irish in Week 1 of last season.
A pair of league games involving highly ranked teams is also part of the day’s action. No. X Georgia will face its first real test as it heads to take on No. 15 Tennessee in a battle between teams that reached last season’s College Football Playoff. Then, in the evening, No. 3 LSU hosts Florida in a can’t-lose game for the Tigers following Florida’s stunning home loss to South Florida in Week 2.
Here is an early look at the odds for those games and many of the other Week 3 contests involving ranked teams as the season continues ramping up.
Odds via Sportsline consensus
The big games
No. 12 Clemson (-6.5) at Georgia Tech: Clemson has won nine straight over Georgia Tech by an average of 26.9 points. But this one is shaping up to be much different from the frequent lopsided outcomes that have defined this series recently. The Yellow Jackets have a warrior of a quarterback in Haynes King and a Week 1 win at Colorado in their pocket. Clemson is still trying to shake off a Week 1 loss to LSU and subsequent poor performance against Troy as it plays its first road game against a Tech that has ACC dark horse potential.
No. 19 Alabama (-20.5) vs. Wisconsin: Alabama’s long march back from an ugly Week 1 loss at Florida State continues with its second nonconference game against a Power Four opponent. The Crimson Tide crushed the Badgers 42-10 on the road last season for coach Kalen DeBoer’s first victory over a P4 foe. That win fed into a big win over Georgia two weeks later. DeBoer could use a similar sequence this season, as he is just 6-5 over his last 11 games. With the Bulldogs coming up next after a Week 4 bye, this is a must-win for Bama.
No. 6 Georgia (-7) at No. 15 Tennessee: Tennessee coach Josh Heupel’s 4-4 record against Alabama and Florida marks considerable progress for the Volunteers. He’s still searching for a win over Georgia, though. Kirby Smart has eight straight victories over Tennessee and has beaten Heupel by an average of 20 points in four meetings. But this is a brutally hostile place for UGA quarterback Gunner Stockton to make his first career road start.
No. 3 LSU (-9.5) vs. Florida: Florida vs. LSU doesn’t immediately come to mind when you think of great SEC rivalries, but this series regularly delivers the goods. Florida stomped on the Tigers when they were down last season in what turned out to be the start of a late-season surge for the Gators. But LSU put up 701 yards on Florida in 2023 in a defining performance of Jayden Daniels’ Heisman campaign. Consequential things tend to happen when these teams meet, and a quarterback matchup between LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and Florida’s DJ Lagway ought to produce some fireworks.
No. 8 Notre Dame (-6.5) vs. No. 16 Texas A&M: No serious national contenders have a tougher first two games than Notre Dame. After taking a Week 1 loss at Miami, the Fighting Irish were off in Week 2 as they head into their home opener with Texas A&M. The Aggies seeking to avenge a Week 1 loss to the Fighting Irish from last season and prove they belong in the College Football Playoff discussion under second-year coach Mike Elko.
Best of the rest
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