An upsetting Saturday in the SEC? Bold predictions for Week 3 in college football
The sport of college football is all about highs and lows. You beat a rival and you're on cloud nine. Lose that same game and you're down in the dumps. What's great about the sport is that there's another opportunity the following weekend to either make amends or continue momentum.
That brings us to Week 3. There's lots of opportunities for unexpected outcomes and surprising performances. They're hard to forecast. That doesn't mean we won't try.
The USA TODAY Sports college football staff — Scooby Axson, Jace Evans, Paul Myerberg, Erick Smith, Eddie Timanus and Dan Wolken — weigh in with their bold predictions for this weekend.
A college football weekend without a surprise? That's an upset
In weeks like this in college football where there isn’t a single game matching Top 25 teams against each other, there is expected to be a certain amount of chaos in terms of upsets. Not this weekend. Every single Top 25 team that is in action will win their games, with at least half of them covering their point spread, setting up a possible Week 4 that will weed out the pretenders and clear a lot of the national championship picture before October rolls around. — Scooby Axson
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Billy Napier to feel heat after Florida's game with Tennessee
The heat is about to get turned up on Florida coach Billy Napier. Big time. No. 9 Tennessee comes to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium riding a rare winning streak in the series. Florida’s defense has been one of the best in the nation to this point, but it also hasn’t faced an offense like Tennessee’s, either. Though the Vols muddled through last week’s game against Austin Peay, the bet is they were looking ahead to this matchup. They will drop Napier to 0-5 vs. Florida’s four biggest rivals as the Vols win back-to-back vs. the Gators for the first time since 2003 and 2004 (which, Napier should note, were the final two years of Ron Zook’s tenure). — Jace Evans
Minnesota takes down North Carolina in only Top 25 loss
There are 24 ranked teams in action this weekend and just one will lose. After barely sneaking past Appalachian State last weekend, North Carolina struggles with a very good defense and drops a close one to Minnesota. The Golden Gophers have given up 447 yards in two games against pretty good competition, Nebraska and Eastern Michigan. In comparison, UNC allowed 494 yards to the Mountaineers alone. While Minnesota would need to establish the run to keep Drake Maye on the sideline, it matches up well with the Tar Heels’ offense and is comfortable in a low-scoring, four-quarter environment. — Paul Myerberg
More Cowbell? Mississippi State tops LSU in SEC opener
LSU entered the season with high hopes and a ranking in the top five of the US LBM Coaches Poll. But after the Tigers were throttled by Florida State in Week 1, there are serious questions about how good this team is. We'll find out more this week because a trip to Mississippi State isn't a pushover and the environment in Starkville can be difficult even for the best teams. Behind the passing of Will Rogers and a solid defense, look for the Bulldogs to pull off a surprise that could send LSU's season spiraling the wrong direction. — Erick Smith
Expect tight Backyard Brawl between Pittsburgh, West Virginia
It’s not a Top 25 showdown and as such might not be on your radar, but the prime-time clash between West Virginia and Pittsburgh should be worth a look. Last year’s return of the "Backyard Brawl" did not disappoint, providing one of the craziest games of the season’s opening weekend. Pitt prevailed at home 38-31, rallying in the fourth quarter with a 92-yard touchdown drive and taking the lead on a pick six. It’s Pitt’s turn to make the 75-mile trip to Morgantown for this year’s renewal of the long-standing rivalry, and the contest gives both programs an opportunity to overcome some early setbacks. The Mountaineers weren’t really expected to win at Penn State in Week 1, of course, but the Panthers' offensive struggles in last week’s home loss to Cincinnati didn’t instill confidence in their own fan base. So who wins this round? Honestly, we have no idea. But on a day in which drama might be in short supply, this one may at least have some. — Eddie Timanus
Tennessee could get swamped in Florida
It’s astonishing how much steam was taken out of the Florida-Tennessee game because of how badly the Gators flopped at Utah. In other words, if Florida had simply scheduled an FCS team or some other overmatched opponent in the season opener, this would have been the game of the week. Now it’s getting zero hype and attention. And that could be dangerous for the Vols. Tennessee as a favorite on the road at Florida hasn’t been the historical norm, and yet it’s hard to gauge so far how good the Vols really are after beating a poor Virginia team and then struggling a bit to put away Austin Peay in a pretty messy performance. Florida can’t be as bad as they showed against Utah, can they? This is a great spot for the Gators to pull an upset in the Swamp. — Dan Wolken
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