College football Week 3: The most intriguing game in each conference
Each week, On3 takes a look at the most intriguing matchup in each Power 5 conference along with a Group of 5 game worth keeping an eye on. Here’s our Week 3 edition, excluding Alabama-Florida because it is our game of the week.
All times are Eastern.
ACC: Virginia (2-0) at No. 21 North Carolina (1-1)
Time/TV: 7:30 p.m., ACC Network
Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud ranks first among Power 5 quarterbacks in passing yards with 778. I’m willing to bet that there aren’t many people who can name the guy who ranks second. It’s Virginia’s Brennan Armstrong, who has thrown for 744 yards and seven touchdowns while leading UVA to wins over FCS William & Mary and Illinois. North Carolina QB Sam Howell ranks second in the ACC (behind Armstrong) with 280 passing yards per game. The Tar Heels followed up their season-opening loss to Virginia Tech with a 59-17 win over Georgia State. Can either secondary hold up in this ACC Coastal Division matchup?
Big Ten: No. 22 Auburn (2-0) at No. 10 Penn State (2-0)
Time/TV: 7:30 p.m., ABC
Alabama-Florida is the highest-profile game of Week 3; this is second. Penn State, which opened the season with a win over then-No. 12 Wisconsin, gets another chance to prove it’s deserving of being mentioned among the nation’s best. Auburn, meanwhile, will get its first real test under new coach Bryan Harsin after beginning the season with routs of Akron and Alabama State. Penn State is 4-0 in its past four home games against ranked teams other than Ohio State. This is the annual “White Out” game for the Nittany Lions.
Big 12: No. 15 Virginia Tech (2-0) at West Virginia (1-1)
Time/TV: Noon, FS1
Even with Virginia Tech 2-0 and ranked in the top 15, West Virginia enters this matchup as a 2.5-point favorite. It will be just the second meeting between the two since 2005 and the first since 2017, when Virginia Tech won 31-24. If Virginia Tech can win, the Hokies should be 4-0 heading into a home matchup with Notre Dame on October 9. Virginia Tech hosts FCS Richmond next week, then is off for a week before the game against the Fighting Irish.
Pac 12: No. 19 Arizona State (2-0) at No. 23 BYU (2-0)
Time/TV: 10:15 p.m., ESPN
Is Arizona State ready to compete for a Pac-12 title? We’ll have a much better feel after Saturday. This will be by far the biggest test thus far for the Sun Devils, whose first two games have been wins over FCS Southern Utah and UNLV (which lost in Week 1 to FCS Eastern Washington). BYU already has beaten two Pac-12 teams — Arizona in Week 1 and then-No. 21 Utah in Week 2. Among the eight FBS teams that already have played multiple Power 5 opponents, the Cougars rank second (behind Iowa) in scoring defense (16.5 points allowed per game).
SEC: Tulane (1-1) at No. 17 Ole Miss (2-0)
Time/TV: 8 p.m., ESPN 2
This could be an interesting test for Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss. Tulane nearly got a win at Oklahoma in Week 1 (falling 40-35) and will provide a challenge for Ole Miss’ improved defense. That said, it likely will be tough for Tulane to keep up with Matt Corral and the Rebels. Corral, a budding Heisman candidate, has thrown for 662 yards and accounted for seven touchdowns in Ole Miss’ first two games (wins over Louisville and Austin Peay).
Group of 5: No. 8 Cincinnati (2-0) at Indiana (1-1)
Time/TV: Noon, ESPN
This is the beginning of a massive two-game stretch for Cincinnati to make an impression on the College Football Playoff selection committee. The Bearcats face Indiana on Saturday, then travel to play Notre Dame following an off week. While this game has lost some luster because of Indiana’s blowout loss to Iowa in Week 1, wins in these next two games would put Cincinnati firmly in the early Playoff discussion. Led by QB Desmond Ridder, who is a Heisman candidate, the Bearcats have outscored two overmatched opponents — Miami (Ohio) and FCS Murray State — 91-21 en route to a 2-0 start.