Week 3 of the college football season brings some marquee games to televisions nationwide. Here is your guide to catching all the action.
Outside of the Texas A&M-Clemson thriller and Herm Edwards putting Arizona State on the map, Week 2 of the college football season was rather uneventful, but don’t expect the same heading into Week 3.
SEC play kicked off last weekend but really comes full circle this week. The SEC West will be the focal point of college football on Saturday, with multiple games that will have a lasting impact on the 2018 season.
While the SEC may dominate the storylines this week, fans shouldn’t forget about a rematch of arguably the greatest National Championship game of all time and a huge Big Ten/Big 12 showdown.
So expect to be glued to the couch, beer in hand, and enjoy everything great about Saturday’s in the Fall.
(17) Boise State at (24) Oklahoma State – 3:30 p.m. ET – ESPN
The Boise State Broncos will head to T. Boone Pickens Stadium to face off against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. With neither team being tested to date, this game will show whether or not the Broncos have what it takes to run the table and secure a New Year’s Six bowl game or if the Cowboys are a legit Big 12 contender.
The Broncos enter the game coming off back-to-back victories against lesser opponents but have outscored the competition 118-27 this season. Quarterback Brett Rypien has gotten off to a hot start, putting up 667 yards and seven touchdowns in two games, but don’t expect Boise to simply try to beat teams through the air. This Bryan Harsin offense is incredibly balanced, with running backs Alexander Mattison and Andrew Van Buren leading the ground attack.
The Cowboys have also taken care of business early in the season, but I don’t believe fans are satisfied with the results. Quarterback Taylor Cornelius put up plenty of yards against South Alabama last weekend but struggled to take care of the ball, finishing the game by going 25-40 with one touchdown and two interceptions. That said, Oklahoma State utilized a stable of running backs, led by Justice Hill, who was a first-team All-Big 12 preseason selection, to finish the game with 4 rushing touchdowns as a team.
With the feel of a wild west showdown, this game will be a huge test for both teams before entering conference play. The Broncos have consistently been one of the best Group of Five conference teams in the country, while Oklahoma State continues to impress under head coach Mike Gundy. The Cowboys will enter the game as a 3.5-point favorite, but don’t expect the Broncos to break easily on Saturday.