NCAAF · 20 minutes ago

Ranking the Top Five Potential Upsets for College Football Week 3

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

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5. Colorado at Northwestern (-3.5) - Saturday at 7:30
Northwestern is one of the few teams that have played only one game thus far, as they had a Week 2 bye. The Wildcats beat South Dakota State 34-18, but now host the 2-0 Colorado Buffaloes. Colorado upset Georgia Tech 14-13 behind a surprisingly physical offense, then followed up by beating Weber State. The Buffaloes are now underdogs on the road again, and I really like Colorado’s running game against Northwestern and the control it gives them. Colorado will have the more dynamic athletes, and playing an extra game will put them ahead of the Wildcats and allow them to pull off the upset.
1. Houston at Texas Tech (-7.5) - Friday at 8:00
The Houston Cougars struggled against the Oregon State Beavers in Week 1 of the season, and many people wrote off Willie Fritz’s squad as not ready to compete for the Big 12 crown. In Week 2, Texas Tech got all they could handle from the very same Oregon State Beavers before eventually winning by 11 points. Perhaps Oregon State is just better than expected, and Houston should not be discarded. The Cougars have the better quarterback in this matchup, and veteran Conner Weigman is no stranger to playing in hostile atmospheres. I trust Willie Fritz to have his team ready to play, and they have a team capable of giving Texas Tech a real game. The Red Raiders' defense is not playing at the same level as the 2025 version did, at least not yet.
2. North Carolina at Clemson (-3.5) - Saturday at Noon
The North Carolina Tar Heels followed up their successful trip to Ireland with a win in Chapel Hill over East Tennessee State, and the defense looks like a legitimately good unit. I don’t trust the offense at all, but how many points will they need to knock off Clemson? The Tigers only scored 22 points, and starting quarterback Christopher Vizzina is out with an elbow injury. The new starter is a freshman and, while talented, going against Bill Belichick with Chad Morris as the offensive coordinator is not a recipe for success for the home team. Death Valley can be a tough place to play, but it’s hardly a fortress when the fan base is already mostly out on this team. The wrong team is favored here, and North Carolina should win outright.
3. Arizona State (-6) vs. Kansas - Saturday at Noon (in Wembley Stadium)
Arizona State was impressive for one half in College Station before falling apart in the second thirty minutes. The Sun Devils are now favorites against Kansas, but this Big 12 game is being played in Wembley Stadium. That is not a typo; Arizona State and Kansas are playing in London. Kenny Dillingham’s team flew straight from College Station to London, and we have very recent examples of how international travel can mess with games. Kansas needs more consistent play from quarterback Isaiah Marshall, but the Jayhawks have some weapons, and Arizona State’s defense looked awfully susceptible last week against Texas A&M.
4. Mississippi State at South Carolina (-4) - Saturday at 4:15
The Mississippi State Bulldogs and South Carolina Gamecocks square off in a very fun afternoon matchup in Columbia. This game features two of the more dynamic quarterbacks in the country as Kamario Taylor and LaNorris Sellers take center stage. South Carolina has beaten up on two patsies, but you have to like what you’ve seen from the offense with new offensive coordinator Kendal Briles. Mississippi State has an advantage, though, because they’ve already gotten sixty minutes against power-conference opposition under their belt, and I think that makes a big difference in this game. Kamario Taylor is the best quarterback in this contest, and I like Mississippi State’s skill group better than USC’s.
5. Colorado at Northwestern (-3.5) - Saturday at 7:30
Northwestern is one of the few teams that have played only one game thus far, as they had a Week 2 bye. The Wildcats beat South Dakota State 34-18, but now host the 2-0 Colorado Buffaloes. Colorado upset Georgia Tech 14-13 behind a surprisingly physical offense, then followed up by beating Weber State. The Buffaloes are now underdogs on the road again, and I really like Colorado’s running game against Northwestern and the control it gives them. Colorado will have the more dynamic athletes, and playing an extra game will put them ahead of the Wildcats and allow them to pull off the upset.
1. Houston at Texas Tech (-7.5) - Friday at 8:00
The Houston Cougars struggled against the Oregon State Beavers in Week 1 of the season, and many people wrote off Willie Fritz’s squad as not ready to compete for the Big 12 crown. In Week 2, Texas Tech got all they could handle from the very same Oregon State Beavers before eventually winning by 11 points. Perhaps Oregon State is just better than expected, and Houston should not be discarded. The Cougars have the better quarterback in this matchup, and veteran Conner Weigman is no stranger to playing in hostile atmospheres. I trust Willie Fritz to have his team ready to play, and they have a team capable of giving Texas Tech a real game. The Red Raiders' defense is not playing at the same level as the 2025 version did, at least not yet.

NFL

Sep 17 8:15 PM

SpreadMoneyTotal

DET

+5.5

+198

O 54.5

BUF

-5.5

-240

U 54.5

Sep 20 1:00 PM

SpreadMoneyTotal

PHI

-7

-350

O 39.5

TEN

+7

+280

U 39.5

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