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College football Week 3: 5 bold predictions sure to come true

By Cody Williams

PALO ALTO, CA - SEPTEMBER 08: USC Trojans quarterback JT Daniels (18) throws the ball aggressively during the football game between the Stanford Cardinal and USC Trojans on September 8, 2018, at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, CA. (Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PALO ALTO, CA - SEPTEMBER 08: USC Trojans quarterback JT Daniels (18) throws the ball aggressively during the football game between the Stanford Cardinal and USC Trojans on September 8, 2018, at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, CA. (Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The third week of the 2018 college football season is here with a number of juicy matchups, and here are five bold predictions for the slate of action.

There was certainly some excitement to be had last week in college football. Most notably, we saw the emergence of the Arizona State Sun Devils under Herm Edwards as a potential dark horse on a national scale, which came at the detriment of the Michigan State Spartans, who were upset in the process. However, the thing about last week is that, despite some good games being played, there weren’t many big-time matchups on the docket.

That’s not the case, however, for Week 3 of the college football season. From the Ohio State Buckeyes taking on the TCU Horned Frogs in Arlington to the USC Trojans and Texas Longhorns renewing a fascinating rivalry, to even the Alabama Crimson Tide facing their first test of 2018 in the form of the Ole Miss Rebels, there is palpable excitement about this week. It’s one of those Saturdays fans long for in the doldrums of the offseason.

With such a big slate of games for Saturday — even with some top-25 teams having their games canceled due to Hurricane Florence — there also comes the chance of ensuing madness. Whenever you have so many big-name teams being put to the test, it sets the stage for what makes college football great: Anything can happen.

There may not be a crystal ball on my desk, but looking at what we know with the slate of games ahead of us, let’s try and make calls about some calamity that could transpire. Here are five bold predictions for Week 3 of the 2018 college football season.

5. USC beats Texas by four touchdowns

A rematch of possibly the greatest National Championship Game that many have ever seen back in 2006, the Texas Longhorns welcoming the USC Trojans to Austin this week is certainly one of the marquee matchups on the slate. These are two of the most prestigious programs in the history of college football and, with their shared history, that makes for a nice narrative coming into this game.

Having said that, when you look at the actual football that these two teams have played in the young 2018 season, it’s honestly hard to get too excited about the Longhorns and Trojans doing battle. On one side you have Texas, who again lost to Maryland in their season-opener and then only beat Tulsa by a single touchdown last week. As for USC, they put up a complete dud last week in a 17-3 loss to Stanford, a chance for them to prove themselves.

Subsequently, it’s clear that both of these teams are trying to determine their identity. And, on some level, that could seemingly make for an exciting game, albeit maybe with not the highest quality of football being played amidst the excitement. However, I don’t even see that happening.

USC may not be a top-10 caliber team this season, but they are a good football team. Texas, however, may not be. Their defense looks downright awful to this point and their offense isn’t as potent as some had hoped. With that being the case, I think the Trojans go on the road and beat the Longhorns into the dust of Austin.

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