Last week, just a few games outside of a showdown between Oklahoma and Michigan popped off the page before kickoff, but Saturday’s thrilling results told a different story about the caliber of play. South Florida earned a second marquee win against Florida, Iowa State and Iowa delivered another classic CyHawk slugfest and Mississippi State overcame a furious Arizona State comeback to score a major upset.
All of that is to say that the best moments in college football come when you least expect them.
Still, it’s difficult to not get excited about a slate like the one awaiting on Saturday in Week 3. Georgia and Tennessee meet in what will be the first of many SEC showstoppers this season. Successful underdog South Florida will try to keep the good times rolling against Miami. Plus, Texas A&M and Notre Dame square off in a game that may already have College Football Playoff ramifications.
A host of other games make this Saturday the kind of day when getting up from your couch isn’t an option. Here’s where you should focus your TV efforts, and what experts Pat Forde and Bryan Fischer think about the best games:
No. 12 Clemson Tigers (1–1) at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (2–0)
It’s not the start to the season Dabo Swinney and the Tigers envisioned, following up a disappointment against LSU with a lethargic two-score victory over Troy. Cade Klubnik hasn’t looked the part of Heisman contender, completing less than 60% of his passes and throwing an interception in each game to go with his two touchdowns against the Trojans. The Yellow Jackets anticipate having starting QB Haynes King back from injury after he gashed Deion Sanders’s Colorado team for 299 yards, including 156 on the ground, and three scores in the opener.
What SI’s experts say:
Forde: “Clemson has owned this rivalry, similar to the way Georgia has owned Tennessee, but it also feels like we’re verging on an expiration date. The Georgia Tech program has gotten incrementally better under Brent Key and I think they’re going to be ready when Clemson comes to the Flats in Atlanta.”
No. 6 Georgia Bulldogs (2–0) at No. 15 Tennessee Volunteers (2–0)
Few expected the Vols to upgrade at quarterback following the Nico Iamaleava offseason saga and subsequent departure, but Joey Aguilar has more than fit the bill. Tennessee hasn’t been tested much against Syracuse and East Tennessee State, and yet the UCLA transfer has stood out, posting a 170.2 passer rating (26th in FBS) through two starts. (For what it’s worth, Iamaleava has labored, ranking 86th in the country with a 119.8 passer rating in two losses.) A different task awaits in Week 3, as the untested Bulldogs come to Knoxville, Tenn., eager to win a ninth straight against their neighbors to the North.
What SI’s experts say:
Forde: “I’m taking Tennessee. I think Tennessee can win outright. I know they have the cornerback injuries. I’m not sure Gunner Stockton is capable of fully exploiting that. I’ve been super impressed with Joey Aguilar so far. I think Tennessee’s defense is good as well. I fully anticipate Tennessee finally breaking that streak against the Dawgs and getting a victory here at home.”
Fischer: “[Having] the two corners being out for Tennessee, they’re also a little bit light on both lines in terms of some of the injuries … I’m very curious to see what Gunner Stockton does in this game. The microscope is going to be on him. He’s got a better wide receiving corps. He’s got some offensive linemen that are coming back … Overall, state of the program and how these two teams come into this matchup, I am gonna lean with Georgia in this one.”
Pittsburgh Panthers (2–0) at West Virginia Mountaineers (1–1)
Rich Rodriguez’s second stint at West Virginia hit an early snag last week as the Mountaineers lost on the road to Ohio. But the chance for redemption looms large in the Backyard Brawl. The last time RichRod was the coach against Pitt in 2007, his Mountaineers lost as 28.5-point favorites, derailing hopes of a national championship coming home to Morgantown, W.Va. The stakes may not be quite as high in Week 3, but a win would go a long way in reassuring West Virginia that a reunion with Rodriguez was the right choice.
No. 18 South Florida Bulls (2–0) at No. 5 Miami Hurricanes (2–0)
An early Group of 5 darling was crowned last week when the Bulls shocked in-state foe Florida on a last-second field goal. Room was made in the Top 25 to adequately celebrate the accomplishment—at least by most AP poll voters—and set the stage for a battle for Southern Florida supremacy. A different caliber of defense awaits head coach Alex Golesh and dual-threat quarterback Byrum Brown, who seek a third straight win over a ranked opponent.
What SI’s experts say:
Forde: “I’m taking South Florida and the points. Block Rueben Bain Jr. That would be my first piece of advice for USF, because that dude has wrecked a couple of games already at defensive tackle for the Hurricanes. I like what USF is made of. If they’re not flat from the emotion of winning in the Swamp, I think they’re going to come in and at least be competitive.”
Fischer: “I’m going with Miami in this one. I think the physicality of Mario Cristobal’s team is going to pay off in a game like this. But shout-out to USF … a lot of momentum. The issue is you get up to those highs for two weeks. What happens when you get punched back in the face down in Miami? I think the Hurricanes, because of those USF wins, they’re going to have this game circled. They’re going to be prepared for this.”
Florida Gators (1–1) at No. 3 LSU Tigers (2–0)
Billy Napier finds himself in a familiar situation going into Week 3: under fire after losing a game his team shouldn’t have early in the season. And yet, he’ll again have a chance to get right back off the hot seat as Florida gets a shot to upset a top-three team. The Gators were undisciplined against South Florida, committing 11 penalties for 103 yards, the most devastating of which, for spitting, allowed the Bulls to stay alive on their final drive. The responsibility for cleaning that up lies with Napier and the coaching staff before going into a hostile Death Valley.
What SI’s experts say:
Forde: “Quite clearly, we gotta see ’em play this game. Florida-LSU has been a wild series, crazy things have happened. It would not shock me completely if Florida regroups and goes into Tiger Stadium and wins. It would surprise me, but it wouldn’t shock me. So, you gotta let that cake bake a little bit, but in the interest of stoking the speculation, which is what we do, [Florida] is the kind of job that if it comes open will attract the greatest coaches in the game and the hottest names.”
No. 16 Texas A&M Aggies (2–0) at No. 8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (0–1)
Give credit to Notre Dame for challenging itself right out of the gate, but Marcus Freeman again finds his Irish with their backs against the wall in September. Though it may be better received to have a loss to Miami on the books than it was to drop a game to Northern Illinois, Freeman & Co. don’t want to dig a bigger hole. Aggies dual-threat QB Marcel Reed has been sharp against lesser competition thus far, meaning the Irish will have to lean heavily on their own balanced attack, led by Jeremiyah Love and CJ Carr, to keep pace.
What SI’s experts say:
Forde: “I’m going to take Notre Dame. I think they are a good team and a good program in a good spot and at home. I think that they get business done and keep their playoff path on track.”
Fischer: “I’m gonna go with the Aggies [to cover]. I do think Notre Dame wins the game … It’s going to be interesting to see with that bye week for Notre Dame, did they discover some things with [offensive coordinator] Mike Denbrock, not only just handing the ball off to Jeremiyah Love a little bit more, but can they get that downfield passing game going? CJ Carr in that Miami game, when they were operating more in that two-minute offense, he impressed me with what he’s able to do. I think he’s going to have a good game here in the home opener.”
Vanderbilt Commodores (2–0) at No. 11 South Carolina Gamecocks (2–0)
Vanderbilt needed until the first week of October last year to put the SEC on notice with an upset of No. 1 Alabama, but will get its shot to send a message in Week 3 of the 2025 season. The Dores defense has been stifling through two weeks, ranking 11th in yards allowed per play and fifth in yards allowed per game. But the dynamic LaNorris Sellers will put Clark Lea’s unit to the test, with the winner of the game perhaps emerging as a real threat to the league’s upper-middle class.
Forde: “Commodores, I am intrigued by them. I am entertained by them. They absolutely destroyed Virginia Tech on the road in the second half last week. They’ve got some moxie to them … I’m saying they can win outright. I’m a believer right now in what Vandy’s doing, give me Diego Pavia and send me into battle. Bring it.”
Fischer: “I’ll go with the Dores [to cover] as well. The physical nature of this team, they’re going to remain in a lot of these battles against these like-minded SEC programs. I still don’t have a good sense of where South Carolina is. I think there’s been progress with LaNorris Sellers and he’s just a guy you want to watch every time he takes a snap, but overall as a team, especially defensively trying to stop a guy like Diego Pavia, I’m just not sure.”
