They say you can't judge a college football team until after Week 3. Well, with the crucial benchmark approaching, there are several teams that are going to be under the microscope.
A good portion of them are College Football Playoff hopefuls. There are six ranked teams that could all be in danger of seeing their postseason hopes go up in smoke if they cannot handle business on Saturday. Let's examine them here.
6 teams on upset alert in Week 3
No. 12 Clemson Tigers
Head coach Dabo Swinney will likely have made his team run sprints most of the week after needing to erase a 16-point deficit to lowly Troy in Week 2. They now head to Atlanta to face a scrappy Georgia Tech team that is no stranger to upsets. Last year they took out a Top 10-ranked Florida State squad in Ireland and have been known to use homefield advantage to take down some of the top teams in the nation before. Clemson has little room for error if they want to avoid falling below .500 for the second time this year.
No. 6 Georgia Bulldogs
The Bulldogs have flown slightly under the radar to start the year, but they get their first major test against No. 15 Tennessee on the road at Knoxville. It's the same place the Volunteers took out Alabama last season and practically ended their postseason dreams. Georgia needs a dominant win Saturday to keep its name in the discussion of title contenders, lest the selection committee begins to deduct style points as the season progresses.
No. 5 Miami Hurricanes
After knocking off Notre Dame in Week 1, Miami now has a target on its back. Its next challenger has rattled off two straight upset victories over ranked foes and it's looking for three in a row. No. 18 South Florida clearly leads the way for the Group of Five in the CFP race and a win over a Top 5-ranked Miami squad would surely lock its place in the postseason field barring a major collapse the rest of the way. South Florida is playing with house money while Miami is trying to maintain expectations after the disappointment of last year.
No. 3 LSU Tigers
Despite Florida being knocked down a peg or two, there's no dismissing the Gators even in Baton Rouge. They'll be looking for revenge after being embarrassed by South Florida in Week 2 and head coach Billy Napier is back on the hot seat. Florida is a team with its back against the wall and trapped animals are the most dangerous to handle. LSU and head coach Brian Kelly will be feeling the pressure for sure.
No. 8 Notre Dame
After a much-needed bye post-Miami loss, Notre Dame has yet another ranked foe to deal with. No. 16 Texas A&M wants to show the college football world it's for real and sending the Irish to 0-2 would definitely send that message. Notre Dame prides itself on schedule independence, but with no ranked matchups left on its schedule, for now, this is the last opportunity for head coach Marcus Freeman to get a resume-building win. This is a must win game for both teams.
No. 11 South Carolina
Boasting a dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate in QB LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina has a lot to be confident in. But lest they forget the giant killers of yesteryear in Vanderbilt, vanquishers of Alabama. The Commodores squashed Virginia Tech in Week 2 and look to carry that momentum into Columbia on Saturday. The Gamecocks need a top-notch performance to prevent an unnecessary loss at a critical inflection point for their season.