Today marks the start of the third week of college football’s schedule, with several top matchups that could have a direct impact on the early conference standings and play a role in the final playoff situation. Now we’re laying out our final picks for the most important games.
There’s a matchup of top-ranked teams on the same field, a notable SEC vs. ACC game that sees a resurgent Boston College on the road taking on playoff contender Missouri to see if the Eagles are truly one of the top-ranked teams or if they’re just an early-season fluke.
In the SEC, we’ll see undefeated South Carolina host LSU, who already has one loss and can’t afford another, and will have a strong defense against a powerful Tigers offense.
And for the first time in more than a decade, Alabama will venture north of the Mason-Dixon Line to face Big Ten challenger Wisconsin in an SEC-versus-Big Ten matchup. For Kalen DeBoer, it’s the first away test in the days leading up to the Crimson Tide’s clash with Georgia.
Looking ahead to the upcoming matches of week three, we set out our final tips for the most important encounters across the country.
Percentage predictions come from the College Football Power Index
Texas A&M: 59.2%
Florida: 40.8%
College Football Headquarters’ picks: Florida. The game could go either way, especially because the Aggies are relatively strong on the defensive line. However, the Gators could have more skilled opponents in the secondary and also take advantage of the home field advantage.
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Oklahoma: 77.8%
Tulane: 22.2%
College Football HQ’s picks: Oklahoma. There are some concerns about the Sooners’ ability to protect their offense, coupled with some injuries on that side of the ball, especially after a close game against Houston, and Tulane can test that defense with a battery of talent.
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Oregon: 68.5%
State of Oregon: 31.5%
College Football HQ’s pick: Oregon. The Beavers have the fifth-best offense in the country and will have home advantage against a Ducks team that has won its games by 13 points overall and has problems on both offensive lines, but Oregon’s talent should prevail.
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Georgia: 92.4%
Kentucky: 7.6%
College Football HQ’s picks: Georgia. Kentucky has lost the last 15 meetings with the Bulldogs by an average of 19 points, and Brock Vandagriff was only able to complete 3 of 10 passes last week, which is not a good sign given Georgia’s deadly pass rush and overwhelming offensive speed.
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Notre-Dame: 73.6%
Purdue: 26.5%
College Football HQ’s pick: Notre Dame. The Irish are under a lot of pressure after their loss to Northern Illinois, but this secondary should ultimately be superior to Purdue quarterback Hudson Card, who can barely keep up, especially as the Boilers test Notre Dame’s defense.
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Missouri: 76.5%
Boston College: 23.5%
The selection of college football headquarters…Missouri. BC can run the ball with confidence, has a solid dual-threat quarterback, and can defend against the run game, but Mizzou is more balanced and has the tools to test the deeper field in ways the Eagles currently lack.
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Alabama: 92.2%
Wisconsin: 7.8%
College football headquarters’ pick: Alabama. Don’t let a trip to Big Ten country fool you: SEC speed is still lethal and the Crimson Tide have it all over the field, even if the Badgers were able to find some angles against Bama’s offensive line, which struggled early on.
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LSU: 50.6%
South Carolina: 49.4%
College Football HQ’s pick…LSU. While the Gamecocks have the bodies to put pressure on the passer, the quality of LSU’s blockers should keep Garrett Nussmeier clean even without the benefit of a consistent running attack.
More … College football week 3 betting tips against the spread
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