The first separation Saturday of the college football season is upon us, as a divide between contenders and pretenders will begin to form. High-profile in-league and nonconference games dot the day, which will culminate with a blockbuster evening slate for the SEC.
In the early window, No. 12 Clemson is traveling to Georgia Tech for a big ACC battle. At the same time, No. 19 Alabama will host Wisconsin as the Crimson Tide enter a must-win spot against a Big Ten opponent. The afternoon slate is highlighted by a showdown between No. 6 Georgia and No. 15 Tennessee and an in-state battle between No. 5 Miami and No. 18 South Florida.
Among the evening headliners is a showdown between No. 3 LSU and Florida in a matchup that often produces drama. But the headliner of the evening slate may be No. 8 Notre Dame’s showdown with No. 16 Texas A&M. The Fighting Irish were off in Week 2 following a Week 1 loss at Miami and can ill-afford an 0-2 start on their College Football Playoff quest.
On the flip side, if the Aggies can march into South Bend and come away with a marquee victory, it would send the A&M hype machine into overdrive. By night’s end, we’ll have a clearer picture of what the national hierarchy looks like.
All times Eastern
Noon | ESPN fubo (Try for free) This pick is contingent upon King suiting up for Georgia Tech, which seems to be the case as of now. Philo’s a capable backup, but Georgia Tech is going to need King’s edge if it wants to pull off an upset. So far, regardless of who’s playing quarterback, the Yellow Jackets have looked like the better team. They beat Colorado on the road and handled business against an obviously overmatched Gardner-Webb team. Clemson lost at home to LSU and then struggled at home against what should have been an obviously overmatched Troy team. Georgia Tech may not have enough gas to fully pull off the upset, but it will keep it within a field goal. Pick: Georgia Tech +3.5 (-110) — Will Backus
Noon | ABC Fubo (Try for free) Wisconsin’s offense has not looked great in either of its first two games but managed to hit a few big plays in the passing game last week against Middle Tennessee. For some reason I don’t think the Middle Tennessee team that lost to Austin Peay is in the same weight class as Alabama, so it’s hard for me to imagine the Badgers having a lot of fun on offense here unless Alabama turns the ball over frequently. Pick: Alabama -20.5 — Tom Fornelli
USC at Purdue
3:30 p.m. | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App, Paramount+ Premium Purdue pulling off the outright upset would be one of the biggest surprises of Week 3, but the rebuilt Boilermakers could have enough to keep this Big Ten opener to a respectable margin. Their path is clear: shorten the game and limit USC’s possessions. Purdue ranks 23rd nationally in called run play percentage (57.0%), while USC’s defense has struggled against the run, sitting tied for 80th in success rate (60.8%). If Purdue controls the tempo on the ground, it can hang around longer than expected. Pick: Purdue +20.5 — Cody Nagel
3:30 p.m. | ABC Fubo (Try for free) Georgia has been inconsistent on offense, but the Bulldogs are demolishing their opponents on defense. Kirby Smart has historically done a solid job locking down Josh Heupel’s offense. Vols quarterback Joey Aguilar will have some moments, but will falter during his first appearance on the big stage. Georgia will pull away at the end, but the under also could be a smart play. Pick: Georgia -3.5 — Shehan Jeyarajah
4:30 p.m. | CW Fubo (Try for free) USF has done great work to set itself up for a College Football Playoff run should the Bulls be able to win the American, but that giant-killer mentality will be put to the test against a Miami team that is an upgrade on both lines of scrimmage. As long as Miami can do a better job of applying pass rush to Byrum Brown and limit the explosive plays that powered each of the last two USF wins, the Hurricanes should be able to defend home turf and win handily. Pick: Miami -17.5 — Chip Patterson
No. 3 LSU vs. Florida
7:30 p.m. | ABC Fubo (Try for free) Florida is limping in after a loss to South Florida, but the defeat was about poor game management, lapses in discipline and substandard execution. The Gators have plenty of talent, and it’s way too soon to put them on quit watch. LSU’s offense is still finding its way and has yet to illustrate the explosive gear that will likely be required to pull away in SEC games. LSU should win, but Florida’s defense can keep it close. Pick: Florida +7.5 — David Cobb
7:30 p.m. | NBC Fubo (Try for free) It’s been 11 years since Texas A&M defeated a ranked team on the road. Avenging a 10-point loss at home to Notre Dame last season with a win Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium sure would be a nice break from the trend. Marcel Reed provides the Aggies’ offense a different dynamic that the Irish did not have to contend against last season, and for as much as Marcel Reed wants to be known for his passing, the key for him is sparking the rushing attack, which means he needs to tuck the ball and run for hard yards. Notre Dame has the better rushing attack with Jeremiyah Love and has a quarterback, CJ Carr, who proved himself a capable runner when needed. The feeling here is that the Irish run the ball more than the 28 times for 93 yards they had against Miami. Pick: Notre Dame Money line -258 — Brandon Marcello
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