As usual, all times Eastern and all predictions wrong.

Noon:

• Alabama @ Wisconsin (FOX): I’m hardly new to to this observation, but get ready for a very front-loaded day of games. We start off early in Madison, Wisconsin, where the main issue for Alabama fans will likely be misguided attempts to out-drink the locals. Otherwise, barring something surprising from the Badger offense, I think the Tide have this.
• Louisiana State @ South Carolina (ABC): South Carolina may not be terrible, but I have a hard time entertaining them keeping a lid on LSU.
• Memphis @ Florida State (ESPN): Okay, so while I don’t expect Memphis to win this game, I sort of expect them to? The Tigers aren’t appreciably worse than the two teams FSU has already lost to. The main thing is just that I’m assuming maybe FSU has figured some things out, especially on defense.
• Oklahoma State @ Tulsa (ESPN2): I think this is going to be mostly Pokes.
• North Texas @ Texas Tech (FS1): In another plains-state game with non-traditional rivals, this figures to be a bit closer, but it’s still at home for Tech.
• Arkansas State @ Michigan (BTN): Michigan gets-right in a game where their lack of top-tier offensive playmakers (i.e., all the guys who got them the title last season) won’t matter at all.
• Cincinnati @ Miami (“Battle for the Bell”; ESPNU): Did you know… this is a long-standing rivalry game? And yeah, Cincy has dominated as of late, but guess what, Miami won last year, and it’s back up in their stadium. Plus, the Bearcats blew a three-touchdown lead to Pitt last week. Factor all that in, and it’s not hard to see the Redhawks doing it again.
• Louisiana Tech @ North Carolina State (ACCN): NC State will be fine in this one.
• Central Michigan @ Illinois (Peacock)

12:45: Boston College @ Missouri (SEC): So… this is the only ranked vs. ranked match of the day, an observation that usually is then followed by “wait, how is Missouri ranked sixth?” Who can say, really. If BC can keep it close they’ve got a chance, but while I don’t agree with Mizzou being ranked 6th, I can definitely buy they have a significantly better idea of what they’re doing on offense than say, oh, Florida State.

1:00: Massachusetts @ Buffalo (CBSS): If Buffalo doesn’t roll here there are severe problems there.

2:00: Coastal Carolina @ Temple (ESPN+)

3:30:

• Texas A&M @ Florida (ABC): I know why this is on national broadcast television, but I’m not sure I know why. TAMU I guess?
• Oregon @ Oregon State (“Civil War”; FOX): And so, weird Week 3 Rivalry Saturday begins in earnest. You had better believe Corvallis is going to be rocking in this one, and for good reason. The Beavers, despite a major exodus after last season, have had a good start to the year. Oregon is 2-0, but that comes with some major caveats in a pair of games the Ducks could have easily lost. And this is their biggest challenge yet. On paper, the Beavers stand no chance. But on the field with 50,000 jilted fans in the stands, it’s easy to see how it could go south quick for them. I like the Beavers here.
• Notre Dame @ Purdue (CBS): Meanwhile, Notre Dame suffered what will likely go down as the biggest upset for the year: losing to Northern Illinois. That said, unlike the scenario I described above and even despite that, unlike Oregon, the Irish actually lost… I’m still going to pick them.
• Tulane @ Oklahoma (ESPN): Yes, I’m aware Oklahoma isn’t in the Big 12 anymore, but for starters Tulane absolutely should have beaten Kansas State last weekend. And unlike K-State, Oklahoma has some severe issues on offense right now. Sure, the defense is good, but I can definitely see how Tulane scores early and keeps it close into the 4th quarter. After that, anything goes. I’ll take the Wave.
• West Virginia @ Pittsburgh (“Backyard Brawl”; ESPN2): This is about as evenly matched of a Backyard Brawl as there’s maybe ever been. I want this to be a good game so bad after last year’s opening weekend banger, but something tells me Pitt just keeps the Cincy vibes rolling and just paves over the ‘Neers.
• Prairie View A&M @ Michigan State (BTN)
• Nevada @ Minnesota (BTN): Gophers.
• Ball State @ Miami (ACCN): Canes.
• Virginia Military @ Georgia Tech (ACCNX): Well, we finally got got last weekend. Think maybe there’s a few programs though that are trying to figure how Kyle McCord wound up at Syracuse instead of, say, Florida State, Michigan, Oklahoma… maybe he’ll get that NIL bag after this season. Any rate, as far the Jackets go, there were definitely some issues that cropped with the first good offense they had to play against, and boy howdy the rushing attack picked an incredibly bad time to vanish into thin air. At any rate, this is a good week to figure some things out.
• Washington State vs. Washington (“Apple Cup” @ Seattle, WA; Peacock): I’ll join the chorus of commentators pointing out that the neutral site is good, actually. Yes, they played in Seattle last season, but that was at Husky Stadium. Playing at Lumen Field means this thing is going to be 50/50, and I can tell you from first hand experience, it’s going to be 50/50. This could be a legit cool Apple Cup. That said, though, I’m not as confident about the Cougs as I am the Beavers.
• Morgan State @ Ohio (ESPN+)

4:00:

• Troy @ Iowa (FS1): You’ll probably want to take the under in this one, which also means Iowa is going to win.
• Appalachian State @ East Carolina (ESPNU): There’s probably some in-state beef here, and I’m not sure I have much of a read on this one. If ECU is actually turning a corner, this would be a great time to do it. Otherwise, I like App.

4:15: Alabama-Birmingham @ Arkansas (SEC): Yeah, so UAB got vaporized by Louisiana-Monroe last week. I don’t think they stand much of a chance here.

4:30: Utah @ Utah State (“Battle of the Brothers”; CBSS): Utah has some severe issues on offense without Cam Rising, but… the Aggies lost by like 60 to USC last week, I think the Utes will be fine.

6:00:

• Connecticut @ Duke (ACCNX)
• North Carolina Central @ North Carolina (ACCNX)
• Florida International @ Florida Atlantic (“Shula Bowl”; ESPN+)
• Gardner-Webb @ Charlotte (ESPN+)
• Colgate @ Akron (ESPN+)
• Texas-El Paso @ Liberty (ESPN+)
• South Carolina State @ Georgia Southern (ESPN+)
• Virginia Tech @ Old Dominion (ESPN+)

6:30:

• Mississippi @ Wake Forest (CW): Lane will presumably name his own score in Winston-Salem.
• Bethune-Cookman @ Western Michigan (ESPN+)

7:00:

• Texas-San Antonio @ Texas (ESPN): The fallout from last week’s loss to Texas State is that I can’t really come up with a plausible way UTSA stands a chance in this game.
• Kennesaw State @ San Jose State (truTV): This is your reminder that Kennesaw State is now FBS, and they also terrible.
• Vanderbilt @ Georgia State (ESPN+)
• South Florida @ Southern Mississippi (ESPN+)
• Western Kentucky @ Middle Tennessee State (ESPN+)
• Jacksonville State @ Eastern Michigan (ESPN+)

7:30:

• Georgia @ Kentucky (ABC): Georgia. Next!
• Colorado @ Colorado State (“Rocky Mountain Showdown”; CBS): Colorado has two awesome skill players. Otherwise, they absolutely cannot block or beat blocks. They are terrible, and they’re going to lose this game, and it’s going to be hilarious.
• Central Florida @ Texas Christian (FOX): We’re going to find out a lot about these teams, provided anyone can keep their eyes off what’s going in Fort Collins. UCF has played no one, but at least blown them out, while TCU has a close win over Stanford. I’ll flip a weighted coin to account for TCU being at home and take the Frogs.
• Indiana @ California-Los Angeles (NBC): Well, Indiana can at least play offense, so provided they aren’t distract by the sun setting over the San Gabriels around the start of the fourth quarter, I like the Hoosiers in their first (sigh) conference game.
• New Mexico @ Auburn (ESPN2): I would love to believe that Hugh Freeze is forever destined to lose to teams from New Mexico (after losing to their cousins from Los Cruces two years in a row) but there’s nothing about the Lobos’ losses (including to a (good) FCS team) that says that it’s going to happen.
• Air Force @ Baylor (FS1): Baylor will be fine in this one.
• Northern Iowa @ Nebraska (BTN)
• Eastern Illinois @ Northwestern (BTN)
• Toledo @ Mississippi State (ESPNU): I’d love to predict another big MAC upset this week, but teams that only beat UMass by two scores don’t exactly scream “rolling into cowbell territory and winning” to me.

7:45: Kent State @ Tennessee (SEC): Kent lost to something called “St Francis PA” last week. This does not bode well for their chances in Knoxville. The Vols may put up a 100-spot.

8:00:

• Maryland @ Virginia (ACCN): Of course Maryland is on the ACC Network, why wouldn’t they be? “Jokes” aside, we don’t have to worry about September Maryland this year, it seems. It’s probably for the best. I don’t anticipate their trip to Charlottesville changing that either.
• Rice @ Houston (ESPN+)

9:00: Brigham Young @ Wyoming (CBSS): There are plenty of years were this game would’ve been extremely compelling. Unfortunately, this doesn’t appear to be one of them. I’ll give a slight edge to BYU.

10:30:

• San Diego State @ California (ESPN): Cal can score. San Diego State amply demonstrated last week that they cannot. I think this one is pretty open and shut.
• New Mexico State @ Fresno State (truTV): New Mexico State may have a pulse this year, which was not a given considering they lost their coach and quarterback. But it’s hard to see them prevailing against Fresno.