College football Week 3: 5 teams on upset alert

1. Clemson Tigers

Rank: 3, Opponent: (14) Louisville Cardinals, Spread: Clemson -3.5

The Clemson Tigers and Louisville Cardinals facing off in primetime is the indubitable marquee matchup of Week 3 in college football. There are other quality matchups, but these are two of the country’s elite going toe-to-toe. What’s more, it’s also a game that could have massive implications in terms of how the ACC plays out in 2017. Thus, it’s a certainty that this matchup will be both exciting and fun.

With that in mind, it would seem that Clemson has the advantage in this matchup across the board. Ostensibly, Louisville has the better offense between the two teams as Tigers starting quarterback Kelly Bryant appears to still be gaining his footing at the helm of the offense and while the running game has been lackluster. However, the important note there is that the offense vs. defense matchups both favor Clemson.

Dabo Swinney’s defense may well be the best in the country, which they put on full display with a big win last week against Auburn. They boast NFL level talent at every level and have the potential to shut down any offense, even one as potent as Louisville’s. On the opposite side, Clemson’s offense may not be on the level of the Cardinals’, but the Louisville defense has been uninspiring to this point after surrendering 28 points to Purdue and then 35 points to North Carolina.

Thus, it would seem like the Tigers should run away with this game.

Next: Heisman Watch 2017: Week 3

Lamar Jackson is the type of player, however, that changes everything. The 2016 Heisman Trophy winner has picked up right where he left off last season, and may be even better and more polished as a passer. Even with the quality of the Clemson defense, Jackson is dynamic and talented enough to still beat them almost single-handedly. If there’s a recipe for an upset, it’ll be the Louisville quarterback taking over and putting the Cardinals on his back at home.