Welcome to Week 3, everybody. After a Week 2 slate that didn't necessarily look great on paper (but still managed to give us plenty of chaos all the same), the beginning of conference play gives us plenty of juicy matchups to look forward to this weekend. Oh, and Texas A&M travels to South Bend for a top-20 matchup with Notre Dame, in case non-conference showdowns are more your thing. Georgia-Tennessee? Florida-LSU? Clemson-Georgia Tech? Sign us up.
But of course, the real connoisseurs among us know that the top of the card is always just the tip of the iceberg. We have a feast of football action starting on Thursday and taking us all the way thorugh late on Saturday night. Want to make sure you're staying on top of it all? We've got you covered with this hour-by-hour viewing guide.
Thursday, Sept. 11
Main screen: NC State @ Wake Forest (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
This is the only game in town on Thursday, and we're skeptical that Wake will be able to keep it particularly close with the well-traveled Robby Ashford at quarterback. Then again, road games on a Thursday night in the ACC have a long and storied history of getting wacky, and if nothing else, consider this your chance to catch a glimpse of the Wolfpack's dynamic dual-threat QB CJ Bailey — one of the most entertaining players you haven't heard of yet. NC State could surprise some people this year if they can just find enough defense to get by.
Friday, Sept. 12: Early games
Main screen: Colorado @ Houston (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
What a wild season it's been for Colorado already. Expectations were high for marquee QB transfer Kaidon Salter, only for him to struggle in a season-opening loss to Georgia Tech and then get benched in Week 2 against Delaware. Third-stringer Ryan Staub came off the bench and thrived, and now it seems like that was enough to make him the starter moving forward.
If that seems like bad process and a bad place to be before we even hit October, well, you're probably right. Is Staub really the answer? Could this season get ugly for the Buffs? A trip to Houston and a very salty Cougars defense might tell us all we need to know.
Second screen: Indiana State @ No. 22 Indiana (6:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)
Most of your attention will be on the Colorado-Houston game, but if that one gets ugly or you get restless during a commercial, watching Indiana overwhelm an overmatched opponent is always a good time. Few coaches keep their foot on the gas like Curt Cignetti, and that goes double with a big-time showdown against Illinois looming next week.
Friday, Sept. 12: Late games
Main screen: Kansas State @ Arizona (9 p.m. ET, FOX)
It's getting late shockingly early for K State, one of the highest-floor programs in the country under Chris Klieman that now finds itself at 1-2 after an upset loss to Army on Saturday. And that one win? A nailbiter over FCS North Dakota.
It's not what you want for a team that most had pegged as a legit Big 12 contender, and both QB Avery Johnson and this defense need to find it in a hurry. The good news is there's still time to right the ship as conference play gets rolling. The bad news is that Noah Fifita and Arizona are awfully plucky and a pain to play against.
Second screen: New Mexico @ UCLA (10 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)
New Mexico is in a true year zero situation under first-year head coach Jason Eck, but Eck is one of the true mad scientists of the sport, a man willing to try anything and everything to pull an upset. As if that weren't appealing enough after dark, this will also give us the chance to see whether Nico Iamaleava has any chance of salvaging things at UCLA — or whether this season could go truly off the rails for the Bruins after a rough 0-2 start.
Saturday, Sept. 13: Early games
Main screen: No. 12 Clemson @ Georgia Tech (noon ET, ESPN)
All the vibes here appear to be pointing to the Yellow Jackets. Tech is hell to play against thanks to a physical rushing attack led by QB Haynes King, and few coaches get their team up for a big game quite like Brent Key — just ask Cam Ward and Miami, who fell in Atlanta last season. Clemson, meanwhile, is still trying to get out of second gear on offense; QB Cade Klubnik was bad in the loss to LSU and even worse while digging a 16-0 hole last weekend against Troy, and his Heisman campaign is officially on life support.
Then again ... man, it's hard to avoid feeling like the Tigers are a wounded dog here. What was billed as a potential dream season is at risk of going under completely, and this offense is still awfully talented. It'll be fascinating to see whether they can get it together in time to get their College Football Playoff push back on track, or whether Tech has eyes on an ACC title run of its own.
Second screen: Wisconsin @ No. 19 Alabama (noon ET, ABC)
I'll be honest: I don't have a ton of faith in Wisconsin to keep this one close, especially not with starting QB Billy Edwards still banged up. These aren't your older brother's Badgers, even as they try to get back to grounding and pounding under Luke Fickell.
That said, it's still a fun helmet game, and it'll be worth tuning in just to see whether Kalen DeBoer can finally deliver in a marquee spot after his team fell so flat at Florida State to start the year. If Ty Simpson and this offense can parlay their momentum from Week 2 into another big performance, it'll go a long way to putting the FSU loss in the rearview mirror. If this is a slog, though, the pitchforks will well and truly be out.
For the sickos: No. 4 Oregon at Northwestern (noon ET, FOX)
Wanna see a dead body? After the Ducks opened up a historic can on Oklahoma State last weekend, this one is just on here to see what records Dante Moore and this offense might be able to break next.
Saturday, Sept. 13: Mid-afternoon games
Main screen: No. 6 Georgia @ No. 15 Tennessee (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
This rivalry is always worth the price of admission, and this year's version should be particularly fascinating. In one corner: Georgia, which very quietly had a little too much trouble putting Austin Peay away last weekend. The questions around QB Gunner Stockton and this offense have yet to be answered, and fans are once again calling for the head of OC Mike Bobo. The Dawgs are looking as vulnerable as they have under Kirby Smart in a long, long time.
Tennessee, meanwhile, is riding high, with QB Joey Aguilar quickly becoming a folk hero in impressive wins over Syracuse and East Tennessee State. The Vols are once again physical up front on both sides of the ball, and Aguilar is hitting far more of the shots Josh Heupel's system creates than Iamaleava ever did.
That said, Georgia has a habit of showing up in spots like this, no matter how drab they look against lesser opponents. Is everything fine in Athens? Just how legit an SEC contender is this Tennessee team? We'll find out everything we need to know on Saturady afternoon at a raucous Neyland Stadium.
Second screen: USC @ Purdue (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS) then No. 18 South Florida @ No. 5 Miami (4:30 p.m. ET, The CW)
Yes, really: One of the games of the weekend is on ... The CW, as USF looks to make it three ranked wins in a row to start the year as they head down to Miami. Can the Bulls do it again? Big QB Byrum Brown and this running game are a bear to deal with, and this defense sure looks legit right now. Miami needs to be very, very careful here, or all the good vibes from the win over Notre Dame will go up in smoke.
And if you're looking for a place to put your second screen in the hour between when noon games end and when USF-Miami gets going at 4:30 p.m. ET, might we suggest USC traveling to take on Purdue? The Trojans are resurgent on offense with Jayden Maiava at the helm, but the competition has been less than stiff; Purdue won't be much better, but they're at least a Power 4 team that has looked friskier than expected amid a 2-0 start.
For the sickos: Pittsburgh at West Virginia (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
I won't sugarcoat it: This game will likely not be pretty on the eyes. West Virginia is tearing things down to the studs in Rich Rodriguez's first year back in Morgantown, and the loss of do-everything running back Jahiem White to injury removes the one source of explosiveness this offense had. It's going to get worse before it gets better for the Mountaineers.
That said, any opportunity to enjoy the Backyard Brawl is one well worth taking advantage of. This is one of the greatest and saltiest rivalries in the entire sport, one in which anything and everything is liable to happen. Plus, Eli Holstein and Desmond Reid form among the more underrated backfields out there.
Saturday, Sept. 13: Primetime
Main screen: No. 16 Texas A&M @ No. 8 Notre Dame (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC)
It might not be a loaded week overall, but this is a sneaky fun primetime slate — headlined by a smashmouth rematch between two Playoff hopefuls. Notre Dame came into College Station and slugged its way to an ugly win last September; then again, that was a whole year and a change at quarterback ago. CJ Carr battled admirably in the opening loss to Miami, but he'll need to be a bit steadier — and get much more help from star RB Jeremiyah Love — to help the Irish avoid an 0-2 start.
A&M is a road dog here and the lower-ranked team, but you can never underestimate a Mike Elko defense, and OC Collin Klein has the offensive line (and the dual-threat quarterback in Marcel Reed) to make life miserable for Marcus Freeman. There won't be a ton of points in this one, but these teams are going to be hitting from the opening kickoff.
Second screen: Florida @ No. 3 LSU (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Is this Billy Napier's last stand? Patience is wearing very thin after that ugly home loss to USF last weekend, as all the optimism from the Gators' close to 2024 has evaporated in 2025. If Florida can't turn it around soon, Napier could be out of a job; then again, this roster remains plenty talented, and I still have some questions for LSU despite the Week 1 win at Clemson. Garrett Nussmeier sleepwalked through last weekend's win over Louisiana Tech, and while the Tigers defense looks much improved from last season, I just can't bring myself to fully trust Brian Kelly yet. We might as well rename this one the Anxiety Bowl, because whoever loses is going to face some incredible heat.
Third and fourth screens: Arkansas @ No. 17 Ole Miss (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) and Vanderbilt @ No. 11 South Carolina (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
That's right: We're busting out the quadbox, baby. These games might not rise to the level of the ones above them on this list, but they hardly fit in the sickos category and are well worth your time. Taylen Green is doing his best Lamar Jackson impression in year two under Arkansas OC Bobby Petrino, with 11 total TDs across the Hogs' first two games. If Ole Miss isn't careful, he can absolutely pull off this upset, especially if young QB Austin Simmons can't stop throwing the ball to the other team.
Vandy quarterback Diego Pavia likely needs no introduction after what he did to Alabama last season. Can he pull off something similar in Columbia on Saturday night? LaNorris Sellers and the Gamecocks haven't gotten off to the smoothest start, especially on offense. If they leave the door open to the Commodores, Pavia could make their lives miserable.
For the sickos: No. 20 Utah @ Wyoming (8 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network)
War Memorial Stadium is one of the most picturesque venues in the entire country, and this is a fun regional matchup that we don't see very often. Will the game itself live up to all of that? It remains to be seen, but this Cowboys defense will be by far the toughest test that Utes QB Devon Dampier has faced so far. If Dampier and this option attack really is as devastating as they've seemed over two comfortable wins against UCLA and Cal Poly, they'll have no trouble. But they wouldn't be the first ones to come to Laramie and get more than they bargained for. Don't be surprised if this one is surprisingly low-scoring into the second half.
Sunday, Sept. 13: Nightcap
Main screen: Minnesota @ Cal (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Cal seems to have really found something in five-star true freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who's led the Golden Bears to two straight comfortable wins. With all due respect to Oregon State and Texas Southern, though, now comes a different kind of test, as Minnesota has consistently churned out above-average defenses under PJ Fleck. The Gophers are here to run the ball and punch you in the mouth, and it remains to be seen whether this Cal team is up for it. Both of these teams figure to make life hell on their more talented conference opponents, and the winner here could use it as a springboard to a special season.
Second screen: Texas State @ Arizona State (10:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
The Sun Devils are reeling after falling on the road against Mississippi State last week. There's still time for Kenny Dillingham and Co. to right the ship ahead of conference play, but they better not overlook Texas State coming to town. The Bobcats gave ASU all they could handle in the first leg of this home-and-home last season, and GJ Kinne has once again found a dynamic passing attack centered on QB Brad Jackson and wide receiver Beau Sparks. If Arizona State is the Big 12 contender we thought in preseason, they should be fine here. If not ... well, don't say you weren't warned.
For the sickos: BC @ Stanford (10:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network)
Let's all pause and reflect on the absurdity of this being a conference game televised on the ACC Network. Stanford might well be the worst team in the Power 4 this season, as Frank Reich just tries to hold things together after Troy Taylor's abrupt firing over the offseason. But watching Andrew Luck do his best to keep morale high while frantically pacing the sideline is worth checking in on by itself, and if you haven't gotten to watch BC quarterback Dylan Lonergan yet, you probably should. He followed Bill O'Brien from Alabama and has been lighting it up so far in the early going. The Eagles might be surprisingly frisky this season.