Week 3’s top 10 college football games: Pac-12 ghosts and Friday Night Lights

Let’s be honest: It isn’t the most tantalizing, blockbuster slate of games this weekend, with only two ranked matchups. But there are some rivalries and pairings that should help to define (or expose?) a number of teams that have been tough to pin down through the first couple of games. And as we see just about every week in college football, there’s always something unexpected on the menu.

Here are the top 10 games of Week 3, starting with a few honorable mentions and counting down.

Honorable Mention: UNLV at Kansas (Fri.), No. 18 Notre Dame at Purdue, No. 1 Georgia at Kentucky, Colorado at Colorado State, UCF at TCU

(All point spreads come from BetMGM; click here for live odds. All kickoff times are Eastern and on Saturday unless otherwise noted.)

10. Washington State (2-0) at Washington (2-0), 3:30 p.m., Peacock

So …. the Pac-12 is back? Sort of? Still, this game is a too-soon reminder of those realignment scars. The Apple Cup is supposed to be played after Thanksgiving, with some Pac-12 implications on the line. Saturday won’t be that, though at least we’re still getting the rivalry. Quarterback Will Rogers and running back Jonah Coleman have looked solid under new Washington coach Jedd Fisch, but beware of a meaningful upset for Wazzu. Quarterback John Mateer has been a dual-threat dynamo (467 passing yards, 252 rushing yards, 8 total TDs) and should give the Cougars a chance on the road.

Line: Washington -4.5

9. Tulane (1-1) at No. 15 Oklahoma (2-0), 3:30 p.m., ESPN

The Green Wave almost took down Kansas State last weekend in New Orleans, derailed by a controversial offensive pass interference that wiped out a late touchdown. The Sooners labored to a 16-12 win over a Houston squad that lost 27-7 at home to UNLV in Week 1. Oklahoma was outgained on offense and needed a late safety to stave off the Coogs, with quarterback Jackson Arnold completing 19 of 32 passes for just 174 yards. The Sooners enter the weekend a top 15 team, but start a stacked SEC schedule next weekend when they host Tennessee and can’t afford a nonconference letdown. Tulane isn’t out of the race for that Group of 5 Playoff spot just yet, but probably needs to run the table.

Line: Oklahoma -13.5

8. No. 16 LSU (1-1) at South Carolina (2-0), noon, ABC

Everyone focused on the misleading Alabama–South Florida final score, but it also took LSU until midway through the fourth quarter to put away Nicholls. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier put up strong numbers (302 yards, 6 TDs), but the offense struggled to establish the run with John Emery Jr. hurt, and the defense gave up back-to-back 13-play touchdown drives and a 67-yard touchdown run. The Tigers need to find a rhythm against a similarly confounding South Carolina. The Gamecocks scraped past Old Dominion in Week 1 then dominated Kentucky on the road last Saturday, allowing under 200 yards. So … good luck predicting this one.

Line: LSU -7

7. Texas A&M (1-1) at Florida (1-1), 3:30 p.m., ABC

Billy Napier’s hot seat got some time off in a 45-7 win over Samford, a game that presented Napier’s best shot at salvaging things in Gainesville. True freshman quarterback DJ Lagway set a school record with 456 passing yards and three touchdowns, starting in place of the injured Graham Mertz. The five-star prospect and top-three recruit in the 2024 class has injected a ray of hope into a season and program that felt derailed by the opening loss to Miami. Napier said this week that both quarterbacks will play (a Florida tradition!), so watch how the snaps get distributed against A&M. Because any chance of Napier having a future in The Swamp likely depends on Lagway being the real deal, right away.

Line: Texas A&M -4.5

6. West Virginia (1-1) at Pitt (2-0), 3:30 p.m., ESPN2

Neither team is ranked. Neither is among the top contenders in their respective conference. But we love a spicy rivalry, and the Backyard Brawl certainly qualifies. The teams split this matchup the past two years, and WVU needs a road win to avoid a disappointing 1-2 start. West Virginia ran all over FCS Albany last week in a 49-14 victory, but the Mountaineers did allow 306 passing yards after struggling to contain Drew Allar and Penn State. Pitt threw for 302 yards in a wild 21-point second-half comeback victory at Cincinnati.

Line: West Virginia -2

5. No. 24 Boston College (2-0) at No. 6 Missouri (2-0), 12:45 p.m., SEC Network

An unexpected ranked showdown, at the SEC Network’s quirky kickoff time. Credit to new BC head coach Bill O’Brien, who followed the upset of Florida State with a 56-0 shutout of Duquesne and has breathed new life into the Eagles. It’s a coach-program pairing that makes all sorts of sense. But the headliner is a Mizzou squad that has climbed to No. 6 after outscoring its opponents 89-0 across two games. The Tigers’ schedule is manageable by SEC standards — no Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee or LSU — but they now have a surprise chance at a Top-25 win before entering league play. It’s also a chance to get wide receiver Luther Burden III going after seven catches for 64 yards through two blowout wins.

Line: Missouri -17

4. No. 9 Oregon (2-0) at Oregon State (2-0), 3:30 p.m., Fox

A more interesting rivalry matchup than we anticipated a couple of weeks ago. The Beavers and new head coach Trent Bray are coming off a 21-0 win over San Diego State, and Idaho transfer QB Gevani McCoy has shown promise. The Ducks, after slogging through a 10-point win over Idaho, McCoy’s former team, needed a fourth-quarter comeback and last-second field goal to beat Boise State and Ashton Jeanty at home. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel has been very efficient — he’s completed 84.3 percent of his passes through two games — but allowing 221 rushing yards to Jeanty and the Broncos may have exposed some defensive issues that could hinder the Ducks once Big Ten play ratchets up.

Line: Oregon -16.5

3. Memphis (2-0) at Florida State (0-2), noon, ESPN

This was supposed to be a tilt between one of the top Group of 5 teams and an ACC contender. Memphis has held up its end of the bargain, but FSU desperately needs a win to hold the sky in place. Unfortunately for the Tigers, a win or close loss no longer burnishes that G5 Playoff resume in any significant way. The Seminoles are coming off an idle week and still have plenty of time to turn the vibes around, but very little about the performances against Georgia Tech and BC suggest they will have their way with Memphis and QB Seth Henigan. The Tigers can either make a statement with a resounding win or bruise those Playoff hopes with a loss.

Line: Florida State -6.5

2. No. 4 Alabama (2-0) at Wisconsin (2-0), noon, Fox

Bama, a 30.5-point favorite over USF last week, did end up winning by 26. But the 42-16 final score was a deceptive margin of victory for what was a 14-13 game entering the fourth quarter. The Tide have some things to clean up, but so does Wisconsin, which hasn’t exactly inspired in wins over Western Michigan and South Dakota. The Badgers are still finding their way in year two under Luke Fickell, and how they fare on Saturday, win or lose, could reveal a lot about the vibes in Madison. Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke (60.3 percent completion, 6.4 yards per attempt, 1 passing TD) and the Wisconsin offense need to be far more explosive for what our Wisconsin writer Jesse Temple writes could be “the most significant nonconference home clash in program history.” Jesse has you covered on the 1928 matchup, too.

Line: Alabama -16.5

1. No. 20 Arizona (2-0) at No. 14 Kansas State (2-0), Friday, 8 p.m., Fox

We’ve got Wildcats against Wildcats under the Friday night lights. And even though this is the first leg of a nonconference series that was scheduled prior to realignment, it should help set the tone for Big 12 play. After hanging 61 points on New Mexico while Tetairoa McMillan hauled in 304 receiving yards, Zona then had some trouble in a 22-10 win over Northern Arizona, including just two catches for 11 yards for TMac. Regardless, the special connection between him and quarterback Noah Fifita should keep Arizona in the Big 12 title race. Kansas State is in that mix too, though the close call against Tulane highlighted a group that hasn’t totally found its groove. Dual-threat quarterback Avery Johnson looked more comfortable throwing the ball last Saturday, but the main concern is a defense that gave up 342 passing yards to the Green Wave and now has to defend one of the best receivers in college football.

Line: Kansas St. -7.5

 (Photo of Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson: Peter Aiken / Getty Images)