Week 3 Recap
If going 13-7 is the new normal. I'm here for it.
It was another great week for us, going 13-7. While the slate was filled with many exciting upsets and close dogfights, Week 3 revealed more and more about team identities across the college football landscape as we move away from out-of-conference play and into the start of conference matchups.
We are 41-29 through four weeks of action.
Per usual, here are my key takeaways from Week 3:
Hot seat hell: UCLA and Virginia Tech firing both head coaches this early into the season is a departure from how college programs have previously handled sensitive coaching situations. If coaches on the hot seat don’t perform, prepare for more early firings.
Defense is optional: Between Arkansas-Ole Miss fireworks and 81 points from Texas A&M at Notre Dame, shootouts ruled the weekend.
Fraud alert: Iowa State’s opponents, LSU and Florida’s offenses, and Notre Dame’s defense raised big red flags. Adjust your priors.
Game Notes
Kansas State 17 - Arizona 23
Friday, September 12, 9:00 PM EDT / 6:00 PM PDT | Arizona Stadium, Tucson, AZ
Arizona -105 ✅
This game was hard on the eyes and probably one of the worst games I’ve ever watched. It’d be way too challenging to describe the exact twists and turns in this one, but neither team really wanted to win. Arizona should have literally run away with this one, but kept calling boneheaded trick plays and forcing their quarterback to throw on first down when their running back, Ismail Mahdi, was averaging 8.9 yards per carry and gashing Kansas State’s defense. He finished with 189 yards on the ground on 22 carries. At the night’s end, the Wildcats got it done, and that’s all that matters.
New Mexico 35 - UCLA 10
Friday, September 12, 10:00 PM EDT / 7:00 PM PDT | Rose Bowl — Pasadena, CA
New Mexico +15.5 ✅
This one was a classic PAC-12 After Dark game. UCLA didn’t just look unprepared; they were flat-out bullied in this one. New Mexico ran the ball. And they ran the ball again. And they ran the ball again. They possessed the ball for 37 minutes and finished with 298 rushing yards to UCLA’s 109. The score was a bit closer than how the game actually played out. The Lobos should have scored two more touchdowns, but failed to convert two short-yardage 4th down situations inside the Bruins’ 10-yard line. This isn’t just UCLA being bad; I have to give New Mexico Head Coach Jason Eck a lot of credit. He’s done a fantastic job after moving up from coaching the University of Idaho Vandals for the past several years. The future is looking bright.
For UCLA, they just fired Head Coach DeShaun Foster and are staring down a potentially winless season. They must win at Northwestern next week to prevent that. After next week, they play Penn State, Michigan State, Maryland, Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio State, Washington, and USC to finish the year. It’ll be a long, dark tunnel until they see the light on the other side.
Oregon 34 - Northwestern 14
Saturday, September 13, 12:00 PM EDT / 9:00 AM PDT | Martin Stadium — Evanston, IL
Oregon 2nd Quarter -9.5 ✅
In last week’s preview, I mentioned that the early kickoff time would cause Oregon to come off the starting blocks slow, and lo and behold! Oregon managed only seven points in the 1st quarter before ripping off 10 in the 2nd. The full score indicated a far closer game than it was, as Northwestern scored all its points in 4th quarter garbage time. However, seeing how Northwestern could sustain drives on the ground when in heavier 12-personnel packages was slightly concerning. This isn’t a huge red flag, but it’s something to keep track of when they play teams with prolific ground attacks like Penn State.
Clemson 21 - Georgia Tech 24
Saturday, September 13, 3:30 PM EDT / 12:30 PM PDT | Bobby Dodd Stadium — Atlanta, GA
Georgia Tech +124 ✅
Georgia Tech’s Head Coach, Brent Key, is now 7-1 against ranked ACC opponents. If you are a regular reader, you’ll remember that we also had Georgia Tech ranked above Clemson leading into last week. Georgia Tech looks like a bona fide playoff contender if quarterback Haynes King stays healthy this season.
Georgia 44 - Tennessee 41
Saturday, September 13, 3:30 PM EDT / 12:30 PM PDT | Neyland Stadium — Knoxville, TN
Georgia -3.5 ❌
First Half O 24.5 ✅
I’ll eat my crow here. Tennessee came out swinging in this one. These teams beat the first-half total in the first quarter, and the Volunteers got us by the half-point hook. Heupel seemed sick and tired of losing to Kirby Smart. Too bad their kicker, Max Gilbert, wasn’t of the same mindset because that missed field goal at the end of regulation sucked the entire life out of Neyland Stadium. This was a brutal loss for Tennessee, but they should be fine. With this win, Georgia should have an easy road back to the SEC Championship game, but I am concerned about their pass defense, which allowed 371 yards through the air. Much of that came on explosive plays.
Oregon State 14 - Texas Tech 45
Saturday, September 13, 3:30 PM EDT / 12:30 PM PDT | Jones AT&T Stadium — Lubbock, TX
O 61.5 ❌
At first glance, this final score looks like a game total that went over, but then you do the actual math, which reminds you why you liked social sciences in school. Maybe I just had a couple too many after this game wrapped Saturday night, before the Canelo vs Crawford fight.
On the topic of the actual game, it appears that this Texas Tech defense and its billion-dollar NIL bankroll are for real. They absolutely shut down Oregon State’s passing attack, forcing Maalik Murphy to throw two interceptions. The Beavers' offense could only score two touchdowns in garbage time.
USC 33 - Purdue 17
Saturday, September 13, 3:30 PM EDT / 12:30 PM PDT | Ross-Ade Stadium — West Lafayette, IN
O 59.5 ❌
USC finally gets its first road win in the Big Ten! I’m mostly going to blame this miss on the four-hour rain delay. However, it also had a lot to do with USC’s offense being unable to finish drives on Purdue’s end of the field. While the Trojan defense was able to force three interceptions, including a 70-yard “Thiccc Six” by 360-pound Jamaal Jarrett, they settled for an uncharacteristic four field goals. It’s great to know that we finally have a competent kicker, but USC needs to show the ability to finish drives in crucial moments. On the other sideline, Purdue looks like a competent team under Barry Odom. They should be able to realistically push for a four- or five-win season, a marked improvement from 1-11 last year.
Iowa State 24 - Arkansas State 16
Saturday, September 13, 4:00 PM EDT / 1:00 PM PDT | Centennial Bank Stadium — Jonesboro, AR
Arkansas State +21.5 ✅
Arkansas State was robbed of an upset in this game. I’m almost positive that the Big 12 refs were staging some sort of coup here with the penalties they called on the Red Wolves.
Iowa State heads into its bye week as one of the most fraudulent 4-0 teams in college football. None of the Cyclones’ opponents has registered a Power Four win yet.
Arkansas 35 - Ole Miss 41
Saturday, September 13, 7:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM PDT | Vaught-Hemingway Stadium — Oxford, MS
Arkansas +6.5 ✅
O 62.5 ✅
It’s September 2025, and the Razorbacks just need to fix their defense to compete in the SEC. It’s September 2024, and the Razorbacks just need to fix their defense to compete in the SEC. It’s September 2023, and the Razorbacks just need to fix their defense to compete in the SEC.
We nailed the script for this game, but, man, is it tough to watch a quarterback with Taylen Green’s talent go to waste. They allowed Ole Miss’s backup quarterback, Trinidad Chambliss (yes, that’s his real name), to have 353 yards, a touchdown through the air with 62 yards, and two more touchdowns on the ground. The only way Arkansas can win games this season is in a shootout, and that means sometimes taking tough losses. We saw that on Saturday. The Razorbacks had the win in their grasp with under two minutes to go and driving in opposing territory when their receiver fumbled the game away. Pretty miserable ending, but I’ll be tuning into more Arkansas games if every Saturday they’re putting up 30+ points.
Jacksonville State 34 - Georgia Southern 41
Saturday, September 13, 7:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM PDT | Allen E. Paulson Stadium — Statesboro, GA
O 58.5 ✅
This pick cashed very easily in the 3rd quarter, as the teams went back and forth for 55 points in the first frame. These teams combined for 804 yards of total offense, and that’s not because they have exceptional athletes or offensive schemes. It’s just bad tackling and bad defense. Keep Jacksonville State and Georgia Southern in mind to go over game totals going forward.
Florida 10 - LSU 20
Saturday, September 13, 7:30 PM EDT / 4:30 PM PDT | Tiger Stadium — Baton Rouge, LA
U 47.5 ✅
Everyone wants to pick on Florida for DJ Lagway’s five (!) interceptions and this horrendous start under Billy Napier, but wow, LSU’s offense looks tepid. Frankly, I was shocked at the Tiger’s ability to convert points off Lagway’s delusion that he was playing a game of “Three Flags Up.” This offensive line looks problematic, and they still can’t run the football. I’ve given them praise for their defensive turnaround, but, in my eyes, their offense is on fraud watch. Brian Kelly’s temper tantrums won’t disabuse me of that notion.
Texas A&M 41 - Notre Dame 40 (🚨BAD BEAT ALERT🚨)
Saturday, September 13, 7:30 PM EDT / 4:30 PM PDT | Notre Dame Stadium — South Bend, IN
Notre Dame -6.5 ❌
Jeremiyah Love 80+ yards rushing ✅
Marcel Reed 40+ yards rushing ❌
This Notre Dame team is a mess, and we paid for it. Their secondary has been cooked like barbecue chicken against Texas A&M and Miami, and their pass rush looks non-existent. It’s hard to believe that losing former Defensive Coordinator Al Golden has made as much of a difference as it has so far, but it’s apparent that he was an elite hire. They allowed Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed to pass for 360 yards despite going 17 for 37, which means they allowed 21 yards per completion (!). Many people will blame this loss on the missed extra point, but you can’t give up 41 points at home. I don’t see how Notre Dame is a playoff team if they continue to play defense like this, and the fact that they are winless and still ranked 25th in the country is absurd.
For Texas A&M, this was a great win, and I think Head Coach Mike Elko might have a dark horse bid to make the SEC Championship in this squad. I just wish Marcel Reed had run for three more yards instead of dropping back every play.
East Carolina 38 - Coastal Carolina 0
Saturday, September 13, 7:30 PM EDT / 4:30 PM PDT | Brooks Stadium — Conway, SC
East Carolina -7 ✅
I mentioned that East Carolina would give Coastal Carolina “No Quarter,” but I didn’t see the Pirates pitching a shutout. ECU’s defense completely dominated the Chanticleers, leading to ECU nearly doubling Coastal Carolina in total yards, 497-239. Coastal Carolina has been outscored 20-86 in their three outings. Tim Beck’s seat is approaching boiling temperature.
Vanderbilt 31 - South Carolina 7
Saturday, September 13, 7:45 PM EDT / 4:45 PM PDT | Williams-Brice Stadium — Columbia, SC
Vanderbilt +124 ✅
What will it take for college football media to recognize that Vanderbilt is playing like a Top 10 program right now? Back-to-back weeks, they have gone into two of the toughest road environments and blown their opponents out. Now, both Virginia Tech and South Carolina may prove to be frauds, but it has to count for something. I’m very much looking forward to their Week 6 game against Alabama.
Akron 28 - UAB 31
Saturday, September 13, 8:30 PM EDT / 5:30 PM PDT | Protective Stadium — Birmingham, AL
UAB Team Total O 33.5 ❌
I’m pretty dumbstruck that this didn’t cash. Akron is officially now 135th in SP+, and UAB couldn’t put 34 points up at home? Pathetic. Let’s just fast forward to later in the season when the athletic director finally figures out that Trent Dilfer is a bad head coach.
Boston College 20 - Stanford 30 (🤦♂️BET REGRET🤦♂️)
Saturday, September 13, 10:30 PM EDT / 7:30 PM PDT | Stanford Stadium — Stanford, CA
Boston College -13.5 ❌
I should have applied the same body clock logic from the Oregon-Northwestern game to this one. That’s on me. Boston College definitely looked like they were playing late on a Saturday night, as they were unable to overcome three critical turnovers. Someone also needs them to teach the Eagles how to tackle. Cardinal running back Micah Ford averaged 9.2 yards per carry.
Top 25 Rankings
Here are my updated rankings after this week’s action. TCU, South Florida, BYU, Arizona State, Ole Miss, Navy, Houston, and Mizzou barely missed the cut.
