College football Week 3 Top 25 schedule and predictions

Here’s your college football Week 3 schedule, featuring the times and predictions for every Top 25 game.

We’ve got nine ranked teams playing this weekend, including a high-profile one in primetime.

Week 3 of the 2020 college football season is rapidly approaching. With the SEC beginning play on Sept. 26 and the Big Ten now rejoining the party on Oct. 23-24, it’s starting to almost sort of feel normal again. Fall Saturdays are the best for so many reasons. Though you may have to wait to see your favorite team play, here is the schedule for all the Top 25 teams playing this weekend.

Here is when all the AP Top 25 teams are playing this weekend in Week 3.

Saturday, Sept. 19 (12:00 p.m. ET)

• Tulsa Golden Hurricane at No. 11 Oklahoma State Cowboys
• Austin Peay Governors at No. 13 Cincinnati Bearcats
• Syracuse Orange at No. 25 Pittsburgh Panthers

Saturday, Sept. 19 (2:30 p.m. ET)

• South Florida Bulls at No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Saturday, Sept. 19 (3:30 p.m. ET)

• No. 14 UCF Knights at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
• No. 23 Appalachian State Mountaineers at Marshall Thundering Herd

Saturday, Sept. 19 (4:00 p.m. ET)

• The Citadel Bulldogs at No. 1 Clemson Tigers

Saturday, Sept. 19 (7:30 p.m. ET)

• No. 17 Miami Hurricanes at No. 18 Louisville Cardinals

Against my better judgment, yes, we’re looking at chalk again for the most part. While I have the No. 18 Louisville Cardinals defeating the No. 17 Miami Hurricanes, the home team is the slightest of favorites. Expect Louisville’s Scott Satterfield to put on a coaching clinic, while Manny Diaz’s team will make a few too many mental errors on the road to not come out of Week 3 with a win.

While we shouldn’t expect any upsets in the early window, keep an eye on the Syracuse Orange vs. the No. 25 Pittsburgh Panthers game. Syracuse looked rough against the North Carolina Tar Heels in Chapel Hill last week. Pittsburgh is essentially ranked in the top 25 out of a technicality because the Big Ten and Pac-12 teams aren’t factored into the rankings. That one could be an upset.

Though the No. 1 Clemson Tigers, the No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the No. 14 UCF Knights should roll in their mid-afternoon games, the potential upset might be the one between the No. 23 Appalachian State Mountaineers and the Marshall Thundering Herd. We know App State is good, but Marshall could be the best team out of Conference USA this year.

Will any ranked teams besides one of the two playing in Louisville on Saturday lose in Week 3?

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