College football picks and predictions for all 75 games in Week 3, straight-up and ATS

All eyes are on Oxford as Lane Kiffin leads the LSU Tigers on the road to face his former team, the Ole Miss Rebels. Not only is this a matchup between Top 10-ranked teams, but the emotion and virtiol might be at levels we've never seen before. But that's not all we have on tap in college football Week 3 as North Carolina-Clemson, SMU-Louisville, Houston-Texas Tech and a bevy of fascinating matchups have us digging deep with our picks and predictions this week.

We've stayed hot through the first two weeks of the season, both straight-up and against the spread. Let's keep that going with 75 picks to get through as we have predictions for every FBS game on the schedule.

2026 College Football picks record — Straight-Up: 151-23 (Last Week: 72-11) | Against-the-Spread: 93-81 (Last Week: 44-39)

College football picks for every Week 3 game, straight-up and ATS

Editor's Note: No line is available for Wagner vs. California, so we only have a straight-up pick.

Expert picks and analysis for the biggest Week 3 CFB games

Houston +8.5 at Texas Tech

I can’t help but feel as though the market hasn’t quite adjusted to this Red Raiders team, which entered the season as clear Big 12 favorites but has slogged through the first two weeks. Sleepwalking against FCS Abilene Christian was one thing, but getting solidly outgained by Oregon State in a game that was tied entering the fourth quarter is quite another, and raises questions both about Will Hammond’s viability at QB and about a defense that’s trying to replace a ton of NFL talent on the fly. 

Yes, Texas Tech will be at home in this game, and yes, they handled the Coogs in Houston last year. But that was a much different team with much different talent, and Houston’s Conner Weigman is another year wiser with lots of skill-position talent at his disposal. Willie Fritz’s team was more in control in its own win over Oregon State, for one thing, and +8.5 is simply too much for what I perceive to be the gap between these two teams. — Chris Landers

Louisville -2.5 vs. SMU

All eyes are on Oxford as Lane Kiffin leads the LSU Tigers on the road to face his former team, the Ole Miss Rebels. Not only is this a matchup between Top 10-ranked teams, but the emotion and virtiol might be at levels we've never seen before. But that's not all we have on tap in college football Week 3 as North Carolina-Clemson, SMU-Louisville, Houston-Texas Tech and a bevy of fascinating matchups have us digging deep with our picks and predictions this week.

Of course, Louisville QB Lincoln Kienholz isn’t exactly proven, either. But he’s been awfully good in his first two starts with the Cards, and I think they have slightly more impact talent on the defensive side of the ball as well. Jennings nearly threw the Florida State game away, and until his penchant for picks changes, I can’t back him in this spot. — Chris Landers

Alabama -20.5 vs. Florida State

That’s a very big number to lay, but I think it’s warranted here. Whatever questions you might have about Keelon Russell’s development, Alabama’s defense is unquestionably one of the very best in the country, and they should have no problem throttling Ashton Daniels and a very one-dimensional Seminole attack. After the way the Tide handled Kentucky’s burly offensive line in Lexington last week, I don’t think Ousmane Kromah will have much of anywhere to run; and if you put this game in Daniels’ hands in the pocket, things could get ugly in a hurry. 

Bama has some QB questions of their own, of course, but Keelon Russell emerged from his first road start unscathed, and this FSU defense has looked decidedly underwhelming against both New Mexico State and SMU. I think the Tide win the battle up front on both sides of the ball here, and once the Noles get down, do you really trust Daniels to play catch-up without making everything worse? — Chris Landers

Florida -2.5 vs. Auburn

This game could absolutely go either way as Auburn has not necessarily done anything to this point to separate itself and Florida's level of competition has been middling at best through two games. Throw in the fact that Aaron Philo will be making his first road start, both in the SEC and overall, with the Gators on Saturday and that further complicates the matter at hand. And oh by the way, let's not forget that a good portion of this Auburn team sent Billy Napier and Co. spiraling last year when USF beat Florida.

But I'm still taking the Gators in this game. Not only has Byrum Brown been uninspiring for the Tigers to start the season, but the Florida offense looks like it's completely bought in. On a neutral field or in Gainesville, I would probably say that we see Florida take this by more than a touchdown. I'll give Jordan-Hare some respect, but what we've seen from Auburn's defense lends itself to Jon Sumrall, and specifically Buster Faulkner and Jadan Baugh, being able to slow the game down for Philo and the offense and firmly take control of this game. — Cody Williams

LSU (-2.5) vs. Ole Miss

LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt being listed as Doubtful on the Wednesday injury report throws a wrench into all of this, though it's worth wondering, given this game specifically, if that's real or just a bit of gamesmanship from Lane Kiffin as he makes his return to Oxford. However, it's also worth noting that the Tigers have a highly regarded depth chart behind Leavitt even if he doesn't play. And for all the respect that I have for Trinidad Chambliss and Ole Miss, I think the game actually comes down to the other side of the ball.

Let's not forget that Louisville hung 38 points on the Rebels defense two weeks ago. I remain worried about the Ole Miss secondary, and LSU, even if it's Husan Longstreet instead of Leavitt at quarterback, might still be a more dangerous passer than Lincol Kienholz. More importantly, though, this Tigers defense has underrated dominance potential. Ole Miss isn't Clemson, so I don't think there's any world where the Rebs are completely shut down, but it does feel like LSU will have more answers on that side of the ball on Saturday night. — Cody Williams

New Mexico (+22.5) vs. Oklahoma

I promise this isn't just an overreaction to Oklahoma coming up empty on the road in Ann Arbor last week. If that was the case, I might've gotten even bolder and taken the Lobos outright. However, that game does have something to do with taking New Mexico as the underdog against the spread because of where this matchup falls on the schedule for the Sooners. Not only are they coming off of the emotional loss to Michigan, but they also have to prepare for a road game at No. 2-ranked Georgia next week as well.

New Mexico under Jason Eck runs a unique offense that can be hard to prepare for and the defense is no slouch either. For an Oklahoma team that I expect is peeking ahead on the schedule slightly in terms of preparation — even with a defensive coach like Brent Venables that deserves all his respect on that side of the ball — and a John Mateer-led offense that won't be facing hapless UTEP every week, I think that spells a game that is closer than some people expect, namely with the Lobos keeping this one within three touchdowns. — Cody Williams

Note: All odds are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Odds change periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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