Week 3 college football viewer's guide: It's LSU vs. Ole Miss, and then everything else

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Hey, did you know that Lane Kiffin is returning to Ole Miss this weekend?

The biggest September game of the year is here after Kiffin's messy departure to LSU came as the Rebels were heading to the College Football Playoff.

Both LSU and Ole Miss are 2-0 and while the loser of Saturday night's game won't be eliminated from College Football Playoff contention by any means, a trip to the SEC title game will be a far smaller possibility.

Here are the games to watch in Week 3. And yes, there are actually other matchups between ranked opponents outside of the one in Oxford.

Oddly enough, these teams already have a common opponent. Houston beat Oregon State 33-20 in Week 1, while Texas Tech traveled to Corvallis in Week 2 and got a 35-24 win after outscoring the Beavers 14-3 in the fourth quarter. The winner will have a massive early advantage in the race to the Big 12 title game.

Oregon State QB Braden Atkinson threw for 413 yards against the Red Raiders as freshman receiver Jesse Legree had eight grabs for 240 yards and two scores. Just one opponent had more than 300 yards passing against the Red Raiders all season in 2025. And that came in Tech's loss to Arizona State.

If this is a much shakier pass defense, Houston QB Conner Weigman is a great candidate to exploit it. The former Texas A&M transfer threw for 305 yards and averaged 10 yards an attempt against the Beavers before throwing three TDs on just 12 passes in a Week 2 rout of Southern.

Texas Tech's Will Hammond is 46-of-60 passing for 487 yards so far this season, as former Boston College QB Thomas Castellanos saw playing time in sub-packages. Castellanos threw an 8-yard TD in his Tech debut against Oregon State and rushed five times for 15 yards and a score.

Perhaps no game is more suited for broad sweeping judgments than the Tar Heels' visit to Clemson.

A win for North Carolina would be seen as exactly the type of victory Bill Belichick was hired to provide when he replaced Mack Brown. It'd also be a sign for many that the Week Zero victory UNC had over TCU was less of a fluke and more that the program is trending toward contender status in the ACC. The perception of a loss would also change based on how the game plays out. Close? Maybe North Carolina is a middling team. A blowout? Maybe Belichick will never get it done in Chapel Hill.

A Clemson loss would be further proof in a lot of fans' eyes that Dabo Swinney's empire is in a state of irreparable decline. A win? Well, these are the types of games Clemson should win.

OK, we're done with the hyperbole. Clemson is giving true freshman QB Tait Reynolds his first start after he saw playing time in each of the first two games. Reynolds was 16-of-27 passing for 178 yards in the Tigers' storm-delayed win over Georgia Southern in Week 2.

UNC easily took care of business against East Tennessee State and has allowed just 13 points through its first two games of the season.

If you're a strong believer that Miami, SMU and Louisville are the three best teams in the ACC, then this could end up as an elimination game for the ACC title.

SMU was incredibly sloppy in its 27-24 win over Florida State to cap Week 1. The Mustangs turned the ball over four times and missed a field goal yet needed a 20-yarder with 21 seconds to go to get the victory. Louisville lost 41-38 to Ole Miss in Week 1 as nine penalties helped prevent the Cardinals from capitalizing on two Ole Miss first-half turnovers.

Both teams waxed FCS opponents in Week 2. There wasn't much to learn from either of those wins. Louisville's ability to run the football could ultimately be the deciding factor. Florida State rushed for 199 yards against the Mustangs and Lincoln Kienholz gives coach Jeff Brohm a running threat from the quarterback position that he hadn't had in recent seasons.

The opponents have been Florida Atlantic and Campbell, but Gators fans have to love what they've seen from the Florida offense so far this season. Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo is 32-of-42 passing for 517 yards and five touchdowns, while Jadan Baugh has rushed for 296 yards and five scores on just 28 carries. Right behind him, CJ Hester has 42 carries for 271 yards and three scores.

Can that pace even remotely keep up against an Auburn defense that held Baylor to just 103 rushing yards on 45 carries?

It's also a chance for Auburn QB Byrum Brown to bounce back from a rough opener against the Bears. Brown, who came with coach Alex Golesh to Auburn, was 26-of-35 passing but threw three interceptions and rushed 21 times for just 27 yards and a score. He was much more productive on the ground against Southern Miss in Week 2 with 13 carries for 88 yards.

It's a bit of a shame the first SEC game between Golesh and new Florida coach Jon Sumrall is on at the same time as the game everyone has had circled on their calendars for months. The outcome is going to have a big effect on two fan bases desperate for a successful season.

What more can be said about this matchup? It's got about everything you could ask for from a college football game … and then some. The Oxford Police Department is getting assistance from from New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, police as it boosts its gameday efforts. Oh, and LSU edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen was served with lawsuit papers at LSU's facility on Tuesday as part of Ole Miss' suit against him and Devin Harper following their January transfers to LSU.

Calling the atmosphere "hostile" in Oxford on Saturday night is an understatement, and don't be surprised if both teams are especially amped up early.

Could that lead to a Sam Leavitt interception or two? He's thrown four picks already this season and he surprisingly popped up as doubtful on LSU's injury report Wednesday with a reported sore shoulder.

Wisconsin transfer Dilin Jones has emerged as LSU's No. 1 back through the first two weeks of the season, but LSU also rushed for just 147 yards on 43 carries in Week 2.

Ole Miss RB Kewan Lacy looked healthy after an injury scare in Week 1. After missing the end of the Rebels' win over Louisville in Week 1 with a thigh issue, Lacy had 13 carries for 87 yards and two scores against Charlotte in Week 2.

No. 5 Miami (-21) at Wake Forest (7:30 p.m. ET Friday, ESPN): The line doesn't reflect it, but there's always a chance of a Friday night home upset. Even if you don't think Miami has much of a chance of losing, it's still worth checking to see if QB Darian Mensah and WR Malachi Toney can continue their torrid start to the season.

Arizona State (-5.5) vs. Kansas (Noon ET, Fox Sports 1): The Big 12 opener for both teams is in London, as the conference is having the game at Wembley Stadium. Both teams are coming off big Week 2 losses, too. Kansas lost at home to rival Missouri by 17, and Arizona State fell apart in the second half against Texas A&M in a 48-20 defeat.

Florida State at No. 10 Alabama (-19.5) (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC): There doesn't seem to be much optimism at FSU that the Seminoles can repeat their Week 1 upset of the Crimson Tide from 2025. Alabama bounced back from a rough start at Kentucky in Week 2 for a 45-17 win. The Crimson Tide outscored the Wildcats 32-0 in the second half.

Mississippi State at South Carolina (-4) (4:15 p.m. ET, SEC Network): Kamario Taylor's emergence at Mississippi State feels a bit like how LaNorris Sellers burst onto the scene at South Carolina. An upset win for the Bulldogs will be a sign that they could be this year's surprise team in the SEC.

Virginia Tech (-1.5) at Maryland (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1): Virginia Tech coach James Franklin and Maryland coach Mike Locksley were both assistants on Ralph Friedgen's Terrapins staff over two decades ago. Franklin was even once the coach in waiting at Maryland. Now, the winner will be halfway to bowl eligibility. In a make-or-break season for Locksley at Maryland, a win would be absolutely massive.

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