College Football: 5 Teams on Upset Alert in Week 3

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Oct 4, 2014; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels fans tear down the goal posts after a win against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The Rebels won 23-17. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /

Looking ahead to Week 3 of the 2015 college football season, there are several potential upsets lurking around the corner. What five teams should be on upset alert?

The college football season is a grind. Even early in the year, injuries can take their toll and teams can crumble under high expectations. Just ask the Arkansas Razorbacks, who entered last week’s game with Toledo ranked No. 18 in the nation.

The Hogs, who closed 2014 strongly with shutout victories over LSU and Ole Miss and a dominating performance over Texas in the bowl game, spent the bulk of the offseason hearing how good they were. They then lost star running back Jonathan Williams in the preseason. Injury then struck offensive lineman Denver Kirkland and wide receiver Keon Hatcher and others in a 16-12 loss to the Rockets.

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Many fans and analysts expected Arkansas to compete for the SEC West title, and almost no one predicted the game with Toledo to be close. The same can be said for Auburn, who needed overtime to escape with a win over FCS Jacksonville State. But upsets happen on a weekly basis, which is why we take a regular look at five matchups that could spell trouble for ranked and favored squads.

Last week we put Missouri, LSU, Michigan State, Arizona, and Boise State on upset alert. Mizzou struggled with Arkansas State before winning 27-20, LSU narrowly avoided the upset in Starkville when Mississippi State missed a 52-yard field goal as time expired, and Michigan State outlasted a tough Oregon squad in East Lansing. We missed the mark on Arizona, as they disposed of Nevada with relative ease, 44-20, but BYU came through with 21 points in the fourth quarter to upset No. 20 Boise State 35-24.

One common denominator in four of those five games was a ranked and favored team playing a true road game, which is always a recipe for upset potential. There are only a couple of such games this week, but two occur in an even more dangerous environment: a primetime weeknight clash on national television.

Plus, let’s not forget there’s a rematch of one of last season’s biggest upsets – Ole Miss and Alabama. Simply, it should be another wild week.

Note: Point spreads listed in the following pages come via VegasInsider.com as of Tuesday, September 15, 2015.

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