Breaking down the top storylines and matchups for Week 3 of the college football season with predictions for every top 25 matchup.
College football has really cornered the American sports market on drama and theatrics.
As compelling as the NFL is week to week, as internationally famous as the NBA’s biggest stars are these days, as captivating as the MLB postseason will be in a few weeks, only college football has this.
Lane Kiffin returning to Oxford, Mississippi, as Public Enemy No. 1 in the state, coaching rival LSU against the Ole Miss program he jilted just ahead of the College Football Playoff less than a year ago.
Simply incredible scripting.
Last week brought one of the most anticipated matchups of the entire season schedule with Texas rallying from 20 points down in the fourth quarter to stun then-No. 1 Ohio State, 24-23, in a historic comeback. And Saturday night delivers another absolutely must-see matchup between the No. 7 Tigers and No. 8 Rebels (7:30 p.m. ET on ABC).
Not bad for mid-September!
Kiffin is the top provocateur in sports, though, and he happens to be at the peak of his powers at the moment (for better and worse). So this is set to be an unparalleled spectacle Saturday night in the SEC.
Only Lane Kiffin Could Rile Up A Rival Fan Base Like This
Really, try to picture literally any other coach doing what he did last year.
Is it understandable that Kiffin couldn’t turn down the chance to take over LSU, one of college football’s most powerful and historic programs with every resource imaginable to contend at the stop of the sport? Absolutely.
But to do so at the cost of abandoning and undercutting not only the greatest season of his own coaching career but the most significant season for Ole Miss football in six decades?
To try to frame that it was purely the fault and choice of Ole Miss leadership that he wasn’t going to coach the program’s first playoff games, when he already had started work on building up coaching staff and identifying transfer targets (including a number of Rebels players) for one of their biggest rivals?
To then even raise the possibility that he in turn wouldn’t let Ole Miss’ assistants coach in the playoff games if they wanted to join him at LSU, ultimately (mostly) relenting?
To then take shots at his former school, the one he sold to recruits and their families for six years, by telling Vanity Fair in the spring that recruiting at Ole Miss came with inherent disadvantages due to past racism in the area and a lack of diversity?
Only Kiffin …
“There’s just going to be so much attention, hatred, everything on me. I said, you just get to go play,” Kiffin said this week, relaying the message he gave his team. “The pressure’s on them.”
Of course, Ole Miss and its fans aren’t the only ones with ire toward Kiffin.
He’s already riled up the sport this season by trying to add players from NFL training camps onto LSU’s roster before the first game, drawing a lawsuit and aggressive public rebuke from the SEC toward the school and its lightning-rod coach.
And, of course, this week the story has been almost all Kiffin rather than much talk about the actual on-field dynamics of this showdown between the No. 7-ranked Tigers and No. 8 Rebels — a matchup that should be the talk of college football on its own merits.
Lane Kiffin Causes A Stir With QB Sam Leavitt Injury Designation
On top of all the buzz about how Kiffin will be received by the Ole Miss fans in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday night, he couldn’t help but draw yet more attention his way by adding LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt to the official injury report — with a mysterious ailment nobody is aware or (or believes) — first as doubtful and then later upgraded to questionable.
Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, Kiffin’s defensive coordinator the last three seasons who took control of the program in Kiffin’s wake and led the Rebels to the CFP semifinals, shared that his former boss texted him about Leavitt’s status before the official SEC injury report came out.
“I got the text before the report went out from Lane,” Golding said on The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN. “Like, ‘Hey, our quarterback’s out.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, buddy, I bet he is. I’ve been around here a lot of Wednesdays with you for three and a half years.’ I think our first one, we had 42 on the first-ever SEC injury report on a Wednesday. So, I was like, ‘Yeah, man, see you Saturday. Tell Sam good luck.’”
Even Kiffin’s former boss at Alabama and mentor Nick Saban had to call out his distrust in that injury report, saying on The Pat McAfee Show, “If I was a betting man, I would say there’s absolutely nothing wrong with Sam Leavitt.”
Meanwhile, USA Today reported that horse-mounted officers from the Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans police departments are being brought into Oxford to help with crowd control and maintaining peace.
Ole Miss has also banned any fans in the student section from wearing LSU apparel, threatening expulsion from the stadium.
And Ole Miss also is formally suing two of its former players now at LSU — edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen and offensive lineman Devin Harper — in an attempt to recoup almost $1 million in NIL buyouts owed after the players followed Kiffin to Baton Rouge.
Only Kiffin could rile up a fan base to such a zenith. (Just as Tennessee fans …)
And only college football could create a sporting spectacle on par with a South American or European soccer rivalry.
As for the game itself …
What To Expect From No. 7 LSU Vs. No. 8 Ole Miss On The Field
Ah, yes, at the center of this Lane Kiffin Media Circus is ultimately a football game — a big one between two top 10 teams.
LSU opened the Kiffin Era with a dominant statement-making 51-10 win over Clemson and then took care of business in a 45-14 victory over Louisiana Tech.
But there is still plenty to prove for the Tigers. Assuming he’s healthy and active Saturday night, Leavitt has gotten off to an uneven start as the high-profile transfer from Arizona State handpicked by Kiffin to lead his offense.
Leavitt has passed for 574 yards, 2 touchdowns and already 4 interceptions while taking 5 sacks. He’s also rushed for 135 yards and 5 TDs.
Wisconsin transfer Dilin Jones leads the Tigers backfield, rushing for 179 yards and 2 TDs, while Ole Miss transfer Winston Watkins Jr. (12 catches for 153 yards and 1 TD), Florida transfer Eugene Wilson III (10-128-0) and tight end Trey’Dez Green (10-162-1) have been Leavitt’s top targets.
The Tigers defense, meanwhile, is tied for the FBS lead with 12 sacks through two games with 5 of those coming from Ole Miss transfer Princewill Umanmielen.
On the other side, Kiffin couldn’t bring all of his top players with him to LSU and left a lot of star power behind in Oxford.
Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, a top Heisman Trophy candidate, might be the best player in the country after his breakout 2025 season, emerging from off the radar as a transfer from Division II Ferris State and initially opening last season as Ole Miss’ backup before going on to throw for 3,937 yards, 22 TDs and 3 INTs while rushing for 527 yards and 8 scores.
Ole Miss opened the season winning a 41-38 shootout with Louisville and then taking care of Charlotte 41-9 last week. Chambliss has passed for 561 yards, 5 TDs and 1 INT plus a rushing TD.
Most of the Rebels’ receiving corps from last year vacated, with exception to Deuce Alexander, who has stepped into the WR1 role with 13 catches for 235 yards and 2 TDs.
And running back Kewan Lacy, who had the third-most rushing yards (1,567) and second-most touchdowns (24) in the entire FBS last year, has picked up where he left off. Through two games, Lacy has 148 rushing yards and 3 scores.
Lacy added to the buzz around Kiffin’s return to Oxford this week by saying he “[I] really don’t have a relationship with him.”
LSU is a 3-point favorite on the road in Oxford.
Prediction: Ole Miss 34, LSU 31
This game just simply means too much to Ole Miss, its fans and surely its head coach and players. Home field advantage is a major factor when the emotions are at a fever pitch between two fairly even teams.
LSU has the better defense, but Chambliss is the ultimate X-factor. Not only is he the much better quarterback in this matchup, but he might be the best QB in all of college football. He’s played in plenty of big games, including Ole Miss’ playoff run, and he makes the difference in this one in the end.
Other Top 25 Matchups And Predictions
(All game times ET, all point spreads via DraftKings Sportsbook)
Friday Night
No. 5 Miami (2-0, 1-0 ACC) at Wake Forest (2-0, 0-0): In progress — check back for update after game.
No. 22 Houston (2-0, 0-0 Big 12) at No. 13 Texas Tech (2-0, 0-0): In progress — check back for update after game.
Portland State (0-2) at No. 21 Oregon (1-1), 10:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network
Saturday
No. 2 Georgia (2-0, 0-0 SEC) at Arkansas (1-1, 0-0), 12 p.m. on ABC: The Bulldogs have had arguably the lightest schedule of any Power 4 team in the country so far, pasting Tennessee State (63-3) and Western Kentucky (70-20). And unfortunately, their SEC opener probably won’t reveal much more about how good this Georgia team truly is, as Arkansas got blown out 43-10 by Utah last week and could well be the worst team in the conference. Georgia is a 24.5-point favorite. Prediction: Georgia 54, Arkansas 17
Kent State (1-1) at No. 6 Ohio State (1-1), 12 p.m. on FOX: The Buckeyes will bounce back from their heartbreaking loss at Texas last week, blowing a 20-point fourth quarter lead, as they return home as 52.5-point favorites over Kent State. Prediction: Ohio State 60, Kent State 6
Buffalo (1-1) at No. 14 Penn State (2-0), 12 p.m. on Big Ten Network: Nothing to see here either. Penn State is a 40.5-point favorite as it looks to continue building momentum in coach Matt Campbell’s first season after comfortable wins over Marshall and Temple. Prediction: Penn State 45, Buffalo 14
Kentucky (1-1, 0-1 SEC) at No. 9 Texas A&M (2-0, 0-0), 3:30 p.m. on ESPN: The Wildcats put a scare into Alabama in the first half last week, taking a four-point lead into halftime, but the end result was a humbling 45-17 loss. Kentucky made a good hire at head coach in former Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein, but the rebuild looks to still have a ways to go. Texas A&M was a playoff team last year and returns plenty of talent, including quarterback Marcel Reed, running back Rueben Owens II and Mario Craver while Alabama transfer Isaiah Horton leads the team with 109 receiving yards and 3 TDs. The Aggies blew out Missouri State (50-0) and Arizona State (48-20) and simply have too much firepower for Kentucky to match. Texas A&M is a 16.5-point favorite. Prediction: Texas A&M 41, Kentucky 24
Florida State (1-1) at No. 10 Alabama (2-0), 3:30 p.m. on ABC: It has to be noted that Florida State stunned Alabama with a 31-17 win in the teams’ 2025 season opener. Embattled Seminoles coach Mike Norvell could sure use another such upset as a 1-1 start — with a too-close-for-comfort 34-17 win over New Mexico State and a 27-24 loss to SMU has not assuaged a frustrated fan base. Florida State QB Ashton Daniels has struggled to get star wide receiver Duce Robinson going this season with just 5 catches for 75 yards in two games. Alabama is riding the ebbs and flows of redshirt-freshman QB Keelon Russell’s learning curve in his first season as a starter. The former five-star prospect has thrown for 444 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs while rushing for 77 yards and a TD. The Crimson Tide is a 19.5-point favorite. Prediction: Alabama 33, Florida State 28
No. 12 USC (3-0, 0-0 Big Ten) and Rutgers (0-2, 0-0), 3:30 p.m. on CBS: The Trojans have had their way with a light non-conference schedule against the likes of San Jose State, Fresno State and Louisiana and their Big Ten opener might not be much more of a challenge. Rutgers has lost to UMass (37-21) and Boston College (28-21) while already making a change at quarterback. USC has no such concerns with Heisman Trophy hopeful Jayden Maiava passing for 896 yards, 10 TDs and 1 INT so far. The Trojans are 21.5-point favorites. Prediction: USC 44, Rutgers 17
No. 16 SMU (2-0, 1-0 ACC) at No. 23 Louisville (1-1, 0-0), 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2: One of the better matchups on the Week 3 slate. Veteran SMU QB Kevin Jennings (767 passing yards, 8 TDs and 2 INTs) and Louisville QB Lincoln Kienholz (639 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs and 3 rushing TDs), the Ohio State transfer, both rank among the top 10 passing leaders in college football so far. Louisville nearly toppled Ole Miss in Week 1 before losing 41-38. Both of these teams have legitimate CFP hopes — for now. Louisville is a 1.5-point favorite at home. Prediction: Louisville 36, SMU 34
Utah State (0-2) at No. 17 Utah (2-0), 3:30 p.m. on FOX: The Utes keep rolling on in their first season without longtime coach Kyle Whittingham, with his longtime defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley taking over. QB Devon Dampier is back for the Utes, passing for 437 yards, 5 TDs and an INT while rushing for 80 yards and 2 scores. Utah is a 27.5-point favorite. Prediction: Utah 31, Utah State 14
UTEP (1-1) at No. 19 Michigan (2-0), 3:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network: This is a good opportunity for embattled Michigan sophomore QB Bryce Underwood to build some confidence. Through two games, he’s completed just 53.8% of his passes for 281 yards, 1 TD or 1 INT with a team-high 134 rushing yards and 2 TDs. The Wolverines are 34.5-point favorites. Michigan 35, UTEP 7
Western Kentucky (0-2) at No. 4 Indiana (2-0), 4 p.m. on Peacock: This one could get ugly. Western Kentucky has lost 49-14 to Nevada and 70-20 to Georgia, while the defending national champion Hoosiers have blown out North Texas 52-16 and FCS-level Howard 54-0. Indiana is a 44.5-point favorite. Prediction: Indiana 66, Western Kentucky 10
Northern Iowa (1-1) at No. 18 Iowa (2-0), 4 p.m. on FS1: Iowa got a challenge from rival Iowa State in a 16-13 win last week, but the Hawkeyes shouldn’t be able to control this one at home as a 38.5-point favorite. Prediction: Iowa 34, Northern Iowa 6
Troy (2-0) at No. 20 Missouri (2-0), 7 p.m. on SEC Network+: Missouri hasn’t yet had star running back Ahmad Hardy, who continue to work back from a gunshot wound to the leg in May, but the Tigers are rolling nonetheless with new quarterback Austin Simmons. The Ole Miss transfer has passed for 544 yards, 7 TDs and 0 INTs while Jamal Roberts has stepped up with 172 rushing yards and 2 TDs. Troy has opened with wins over Sam Houston and FCS-level Alabama State. Missouri is a 27.5-point favorite. Prediction: Missouri 41, Troy 18
Michigan State (2-0) at Notre Dame (2-0), 7:30 p.m. on NBC: Michigan State has started 2-0 under new coach Pat Fitzgerald with wins over Toledo and Eastern Michigan, led by running back Cam Edwards (250 yards and 3 TDs). But this will be a much different challenge for the Spartans as they head to South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame has blown out Wisconsin (41-13) and Rice (52-0), led by QB and Heisman candidate CJ Carr (492 passing yards, 6 TDs and 0 INT). The Fighting Irish are 29.5-point favorites. Prediction: Notre Dame 35, Michigan State 19
No. 11 BYU (2-0) at Colorado State (2-0), 7:30 p.m. on CBS: Colorado State has looked good under new coach Jim Mora, the former Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons, UCLA and UConn coach. The Rams beat Wyoming 35-13 and Southern Utah 58-24, led by QB Hauss Hejny (539 passing yards, 9 TDs and 1 INT; 124 rushing yards, 1 TD) and RB Mel Brown, who is averaging an incredible 13.4 yards per carry (17 carries for 228 yards and 2 TDs). Can the Rams put a scare into BYU, which has picked up right where it left off last season with QB Bear Bachmeier (415 yards, 6 TDs, 0 INT, 2 rushing TDs) and RB LJ Martin (152 rushing yards)? BYU is a 17.5-point favorite. Prediction: BYU 38, Colorado State 24
New Mexico (2-0) at No. 24 Oklahoma (1-1), 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2: Oklahoma is trying to shake off a deflating 17-10 loss at Michigan and now has to face a good Mountain West team. Coach Jason Eck led the Lobos to a 9-4 finish last year and his well-balanced New Mexico squad has started this season beating Central Michigan 38-7 and then FCS-level Mercyhurst 70-7. the Sooners might face a tougher test than many expect here. Oklahoma is a 21.5-point favorite. Prediction: Oklahoma 27, New Mexico 21
West Virginia (2-0) at No. 25 Virginia (2-0), 7:30 p.m. on ACC Network: Virginia, coming off a breakthrough 11-win season, has looked incredible so far with a 34-8 win over NC State back in Week 0 and a 59-3 win over Norfolk State. QB Beau Pribula, the Missouri transfer, has thrown for an efficient 317 yards, 5 TDs and 1 INT with 102 rushing yards. He’s one of three 100-yard rushers through two games for the Cavaliers along with Xay Davis (120 yards, 1 TD) and Noah Vaughn (102 yards) while Jekail Middlebrook opened the season as the starter and has 79 rushing yards. West Virginia is 2-0 as well, but the Mountaineers had a tough test from Coastal Carolina (31-24) and then piled on UT Martin. They also have a dynamic ground attack with dual-threat QB Michael Hawkins Jr. (287 passing yards, 3 TDs and 0 INT; 199 rushing yards and 3 TDs) and Cam Cook (194 yards and 3 TDs), who led the entire FBS with 1,659 rushing yards at Jacksonville State last year. Virginia is a 10.5-point favorite. Prediction: Virginia 29, West Virginia 20
Kennesaw State (1-1) at No. 15 Tennessee (2-0), 7:45 p.m. on SEC Network: The Vols are an entertaining team with true freshman QB Faizon Brandon, who has thrown for 374 yards, 5 TDs and 0 INT while rushing for 90 yards and 2 scores in two games. Tennessee is a 35.5-point favorite. Prediction: Tennessee 58, Kennesaw State 20
UTSA (2-0) at No. 1 Texas (2-0), 8 p.m. on SEC Network+: Don’t expect any letdown from the new No. 1 team in the country. The Longhorns and QB Arch Manning are 30.5-point favorites. Prediction: Texas 45, UTSA 13
