Wayne Staats | NCAA.com | September 14, 2019 College football Week 3 preview: Top games, what to watch, rankings Check out these 5 college football games to watch in Week 3 Share It's Week 3 of the college football season. It's not time to get comfortable if you're a ranked team. Even though there are no ranked vs. ranked games, that's a perfect opportunity for true shockers. Check out our Week 3 preview below. Along with UCF getting a visit from Stanford and Kentucky trying for a rare win streak vs. Florida, two rivalries have another edition: Penn State vs. Pitt and Iowa vs. Iowa State. College football Week 3 preview: Top games Here's where this week's potential drama could come from: No. 13 Penn State vs. Pitt | 12 p.m. Saturday | ABC The two longtime rivals meet for the 100th time — though this is the last currently scheduled meeting. Penn State has won the past two seasons and again comes in with a ranking. The Nittany Lions outscored Pitt 37-0 in the second half last year to win by 45. But don't ever count out rivalry surprises. LATEST COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF: Georgia wins 2021 CFP national title RANKINGS: AP Top 25 Poll | USA Today Coaches | CFP top 25| Every poll, explained | AP Poll accuracy MORE: Longest active road winning streaks | 15 of the most successful walk-ons HISTORY: National champs | Winningest teams | Coaches with most titles No. 6 Ohio State at Indiana | 12 p.m. Saturday | FOX Make it 23 in a row officially for Ohio State (the Buckeyes have vacated the 2010 win) against IU. The last time the two played in Bloomington, Indiana, the Hoosiers led at halftime — so another hot start is more than possible. Both teams are 2-0, but Ohio State QB Justin Fields should have another big game and a win. No. 2 Alabama at South Carolina | 3:30 p.m. Saturday | CBS The two haven't played since 2010, when South Carolina shocked defending national champion and No. 1 'Bama, 35-21, behind three touchdown passes from Stephen Garcia. A win this year would be even more shocking. Through two games, Tide QB Tua Tagovailoa has 563 passing yards and seven touchdowns without an interception. SCOREBOARD: Follow every Week 3 game here with live stats No. 17 UCF vs. Stanford | 3:30 p.m. Saturday | ESPN Stanford's blowout loss to USC might have taken some excitement out of this one, but UCF is still amped for a visit from a Power 5 school. The two haven't played since 2015, when UCF lost 31-7 and slumped to an 0-12 season. After going 6-7 in 2016, the Knights are on a 27-1 run. No. 24 Southern California at BYU | 4 p.m. Saturday | ABC Funny how much can change in a week. The Trojans got by Fresno State in Week 1 but lost QB JT Daniels for the season. BYU lost its ninth consecutive game to rival Utah in Week 1. But last week, freshman Kedon Slovis passed for 337 yards and beat No. 23 Stanford in his first start while the Cougars shocked Tennessee in 2OT. The BYU fans will be ready. No. 19 Iowa at Iowa State | 4 p.m. Saturday | FS1 ESPN's "College GameDay" will be in Ames, Iowa, for the first time for the Cy-Hawk Trophy. This almost became the week's lone ranked vs. ranked game, with Iowa No. 19 in the AP (20th in the Coaches) and Iowa State dropping out of the AP Poll from No. 25 to what is essentially 26th (most receiving votes). Iowa leads the rivalry 44-22 all-time. COLLEGE GAMEDAY: Every location and game in the show's history No. 9 Florida at Kentucky | 7 p.m. Saturday | ESPN The Gators had won 31 in a row vs. the Wildcats. Until last year. UK's 26-17 win was ignitor of a big 10-3 season for the Wildcats that saw them end No. 12 in the country with a bowl win against Penn State. Kentucky hasn't won two in a row against Florida since 1976-77. The Wildcats could end that drought on Saturday. No. 1 Clemson at Syracuse | 7:30 p.m. Saturday | ABC This one looked primed to be a huge test for Clemson just one week ago. But then-No. 21 Syracuse allowed 650 yards and lost to Maryland by 43. Still, the No. 1 Tigers also don't need to be reminded how dangerous the Orange can be. In 2017, Syracuse beat No. 2 Clemson, 27-24. Last season, the Orange lost by only 4 in what ended up being, by far, Clemson's closest game of the season. TV SCHEDULE: All the channels and times for Week 3 No. 25 Virginia vs. Florida State | 7:30 p.m. Saturday | ACC Network Virginia will forever be known as the first ACC team to beat Florida State after the Seminoles joined the league. FSU was 29-for-29 until UVA stopped Warrick Dunn on the final play of the game for the 33-28 upset. This year, the Cavaliers are looking like more of a conference contender, as they're ranked No. 25. Florida State barely avoided a stunning 0-2 start after UL Monroe missed an extra point in overtime. College football Week 3 preview: What to watch out for, big questions Where could this week's shocker come from? Oct. 14, 2017. That's the last time there were no Top 25 vs. Top 25 matchups for a week — until now. But before thinking that means there won't be drama, where's what happened that week almost two years ago: Syracuse upset No. 2 Clemson (Oct. 13) California upset No. 8 Washington State (Oct. 13) Arizona State upset No. 5 Washington LSU upset No. 10 Auburn Boise State upset No. 19 San Diego State West Virginia upset No. 24 Texas Tech Memphis upset No. 25 Navy College football likes to surprise fans with upsets when we least expect them. So what are this week's top candidates? There are possibilities toward the end of the Top 25: Temple vs. No. 21 Maryland, BYU vs. No. 24 Southern California and Florida State vs. No. 25 Virginia. #RockScott Last Friday night was electric. 👊😍 Let's really turn it up this Saturday! 🔊🔊🔊#GoHoos #TheStandard pic.twitter.com/NRZprWDFi5 — Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) September 10, 2019 If we go inside the top 20, Stanford might be a tough out for UCF. But look to Ames for the most likely "upset." Iowa State is nearly ranked itself and wants to end the four-game slide to the No. 19 Hawkeyes. This one will be close. If you're eyeing a top-10 upset, start by looking at Kentucky at home against No. 9 Florida. How will early season surprises handle the accolades? Both Southern California and Maryland started the season unranked. They both went a combined 5-7 last season. Yet as we hit Week 3, USC overcame the loss of JT Daniels, might have found a spark in QB Kedon Slovis, crushed No. 23 Stanford and is now No. 24 in the AP Poll. Maryland, under first-year coach Mike Locksley leads the country with 71 points per game through two weeks and is averaging 637 yards. Now the expectations are setting in. USC must visit BYU and Maryland travels to play a Temple team it lost to by 21 points last year — and the Terrapins were 2-0 for that, too. Life can be a little different when you're the one with the spotlight. WEEK 3 POLLS: AP Poll Top 25 | Coaches Poll Which teams will earn in-state bragging rights in popular rivalry series? Penn State and Pitt meet for the 100th time. Iowa State gets "College GameDay" for the first time as Iowa comes to town. The PSU-Pitt comes before the Nittany Lions start Big Ten play. And the first league game now seems much more difficult: Maryland on Friday, Sept. 27 in College Park. However, the Lions' offense has looked potent with Sean Clifford taking over for Trace McSorley, who's now in the NFL. Pitt is hoping for some consistency — and to end what Penn State hopes is a special season before it really gets started. Over in Iowa, the Cyclones-Hawkeyes winner will feel much more confident in their conference races with a win. The Nate Stanley vs. Brock Purdy QB watch will be a treat. For fun, here are other in-state nonconference games this week: North Carolina at Wake Forest | 6 p.m. Friday | ESPN (this is officially a nonconference game) Miami (OH) at Cincinnati | 12 p.m. Saturday | ESPNU Chattanooga (FCS) at Tennessee | 12 p.m. Saturday | SEC Network Air Force at Colorado | 1 p.m. Saturday | Pac-12 Network Oklahoma State at Tulsa | 3:30 p.m. Saturday | ESPN2 Louisville at Western Kentucky (in Nashville, Tennessee) | 4 p.m. | Stadium Bethune-Cookman (FCS) at Miami | 4 p.m. | ACC Network Lamar (FCS) at No. 16 Texas A&M | 7 p.m. | ESPNU Texas State at SMU | 7 p.m. | ESPN3 Northwestern State (FCS) at No. 4 LSU | 7:30 p.m. | SEC Network Southeast Missouri State (FCS) at Missouri | 7:30 p.m. | SEC Network No. 12 Texas vs. Rice (NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas) | 8 p.m. | CBSSN The @CoIIegeGameDay set site has been established! #CollegeAmesDay #ProveIt 🌪🚨🌪 pic.twitter.com/NmsLhbz0SW — Cyclone Football (@CycloneFB) September 8, 2019 College football rankings: Week 3 The top 3 is the same for both the AP and Coaches Poll. But there are differences as No. 4, with LSU rising there in the AP and Oklahoma holding the spot for the Coaches. Of teams ranked in both Top 25 polls, Maryland has the biggest discrepancy. The Terrapins are No. 21 in the AP and No. 25 in the Coaches. RANK ASSOCIATED PRESS Coaches Poll 1. Clemson (56) Clemson (60) 2. Alabama (6) Alabama (3) 3. Georgia Georgia 4. LSU Oklahoma 5. Oklahoma LSU 6. Ohio State Ohio State 7. Notre Dame Notre Dame 8. Auburn Florida 9. Florida Auburn 10. Michigan Michigan 11. Utah Penn State 12. Texas Utah 13. Penn State Texas 14. Wisconsin Wisconsin 15. Oregon Texas A&M 16. Texas A&M UCF 17. UCF Oregon 18. Michigan State Iowa 19. Iowa Michigan State 20. Washington State Washington State 21. Maryland Washington 22. Boise State Boise State 23. Washington Mississippi State 24. Southern California Southern California 25. Virginia Maryland Week 3 college football schedule All times Eastern. All schedules and networks subject to change. Click or tap here for a live scoreboard. Saturday, Sept. 14 Miami (OH) at Cincinnati | 12 p.m. | ESPNU Pitt at No. 13 Penn State | 12 p.m. | ABC Chattanooga at Tennessee | 12 p.m. | SEC Network Arkansas State at No. 3 Georgia | 12 p.m. | ESPN2 Kansas State at Mississippi State | 12 p.m. | ESPN Furman at Virginia Tech | 12 p.m. | ACC Network N.C. State at West Virginia | 12 p.m. | FS1 Eastern Michigan at Illinois | 12 p.m. | Big Ten Network No. 6 Ohio State at Indiana | 12 p.m. | FOX No. 21 Maryland at Temple | 12 p.m. | CBSSN The Citadel at Georgia Tech | 12 p.m. | ACC Network Extra Air Force at Colorado | 1 p.m. | Pac-12 Network Florida Atlantic at Ball State | 2 p.m. | ESPN+ Norfolk State at Coastal Carolina | 2 p.m. | ESPN3 New Mexico at No. 7 Notre Dame | 2:30 p.m. | NBC Akron at Central Michigan | 3 p.m. | ESPN+ East Carolina at Navy | 3:30 p.m. | CBSSN Memphis at South Alabama | 3:30 p.m. | ESPNU Army at UTSA | 3:30 p.m. | NFL Network Stanford at No. 17 UCF | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN No. 24 Southern California at BYU | 3:30 p.m. | ABC Georgia Southern at Minnesota | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network UNLV at Northwestern | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network No. 2 Alabama at South Carolina | 3:30 p.m. | CBS Oklahoma State at Tulsa | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN2 Southeastern Louisiana at Ole Miss | 4 p.m. | SEC Network Colorado State at Arkansas | 4 p.m. | SEC Network No. 19 Iowa at Iowa State | 4 p.m. | FS1 Arizona State at No. 18 Michigan State | 4 p.m. | FOX Louisville at Western Kentucky | 4 p.m. | Stadium Bethune-Cookman at Miami | 4 p.m. | ACC Network North Texas at California | 4:15 p.m. | Pac-12 Networks Idaho State at No. 11 Utah | 4:15 p.m. | Pac-12 Networks Cal Poly at Oregon State | 4:15 p.m. | Pac-12 Networks Louisiana Tech at Bowling Green | 5 p.m. | ESPN+ Idaho at Wyoming | 5 p.m. | ESPN3 UMass at Charlotte | 6 p.m. | ESPN+ Southern Miss at Troy | 6 p.m. | ESPN+ Buffalo at Liberty | 6 p.m. | ESPN+ South Carolina State at South Florida | 6 p.m. | ESPN3 Ohio at Marshall | 6:30 p.m. | Facebook New Hampshire at Florida International | 7 p.m. | ESPN3 Texas State at SMU | 7 p.m. | ESPN3 Georgia State at Western Michigan | 7 p.m. | ESPN+ Murray State at Toledo | 7 p.m. | ESPN3 Duke at Middle Tennessee | 7 p.m. | Facebook Kent State at No. 8 Auburn | 7 p.m. | ESPN2 No. 9 Florida at Kentucky | 7 p.m. | ESPN Lamar at No. 16 Texas A&M | 7 p.m. | ESPNU Weber State at Nevada | 7 p.m. | ESPN3 TCU at Purdue | 7:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network Northwestern State at No. 4 LSU | 7:30 p.m. | SEC Network Southeast Missouri State at Missouri | 7:30 p.m. | SEC Network Florida State at No. 25 Virginia | 7:30 p.m. | ACC Network No. 1 Clemson at Syracuse | 7:30 p.m. | ABC Texas Southern at Louisiana | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN3 Hawai'i at No. 23 Washington | 7:30 p.m. | Pac-12 Network Missouri State at Tulane | 8 p.m. | ESPN3 Northern Illinois at Nebraska | 8 p.m. | FS1 San Diego State at New Mexico State | 8 p.m. No. 12 Texas at Rice (NRG Stadium) | 8 p.m. | CBSSN No. 5 Oklahoma at UCLA | 8 p.m. | FOX Portland State at No. 22 Boise State | 10:15 p.m. | ESPN2 Texas Tech at Arizona | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN Montana at No. 15 Oregon | 10:45 p.m. | Pac-12 Network Way-too-early 2022 FCS playoff bracket predictions It's May and the FCS playoffs aren't until November, but that doesn't matter because we predicted the 24-team 2022 FCS playoff field anyway. 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