Week 3 college football schedule features five unheralded teams that you should watch
Any college football is better than no college football at all. Having said that, let’s agree: There have been better weekends.
The Week 3 schedule has zero games between teams in the US LBM AFCA Coaches Poll. There are as many matchups between Power Five and Championship Subdivision opponents as there are non-conference games between two teams from the Power Five. Overall, 19 teams are facing off against FCS competition.
And while every team in the Top 25 but No. 5 Southern California is in action, No. 15 Kansas State's road trip to erstwhile conference rival Missouri is the only game with a spread under a touchdown.
It does seem like college football craziness happens when you least expect it − like during a week when no craziness is expected to occur at all. But given Saturday's schedule, this would be a good weekend to catch up on teams that have flown under the radar through the first three weekends of the regular season.
Here are five unbeaten teams to watch Saturday that might be worth your time:
Rutgers
MATCHUP/TIME/TV: vs. Virginia Tech (3:30 p.m. ET, BTN)
Despite finishing the 2021 regular season with a losing record, Rutgers played in and lost the Gator Bowl against Wake Forest after Texas A&M was forced to back out of the game due to an outbreak of COVID-19 cases. But the Scarlet Knights haven't earned a true postseason bid since 2014, under former coach Kyle Flood. Given what's ahead in Big Ten play, getting to six wins in the fourth year of Greg Schiano's second tenure requires a win as roughly a touchdown underdog against Virginia Tech. With games bridging September and October against Wagner, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Indiana, getting to 3-0 could leave Rutgers on the doorstep of bowl eligibility heading into the home stretch of the regular season.
No. 17 Oregon State
MATCHUP/TIME/TV: vs. San Diego State (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1)
Both members of the Pac-2 are getting it done: Oregon State has looked the part of a genuine New Year's Six contender and Washington State just knocked off Wisconsin for the second year in a row. The Beavers have landed terrific early play from Clemson quarterback transfer DJ Uiagalelei, who has barely been needed in the fourth quarter of two blowout wins but has accounted for eight total touchdowns while leading an offense that has yet to commit a turnover. San Diego State has the physical style to provide a tougher test, though the Aztecs struggled to get anything going in last weekend's 35-10 loss to No. 25 UCLA.
No. 8 Washington
MATCHUP/TIME/TV: at Michigan State (5:00 p.m. ET, Peacock)
This might be the best offense in the Pac-12 and the entire country − yeah, even better than Caleb Williams-led Southern California. Quarterback Michael Penix has thrown eight touchdowns and completed 73.1% of his throws as the Huskies have picked up right where they left off last season, racking up 568 yards against Boise State and another 563 yards against Tulsa while ranking second in the Bowl Subdivision at 9.2 yards per play. Michigan State will be without suspended coach Mel Tucker, making it hard to predict what the Spartans will bring to the table. But the matchup will be Washington's toughest to date and provide a glimpse into how the offense will fare once the schedule begins to heat up with a date with rival Oregon in the middle of October.
Arkansas
MATCHUP/TIME/TV: vs. Brigham Young (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
Early results from the season suggest the top of this year's SEC West might not be up to the normal standard, providing a glimmer of hope that Arkansas might surpass preseason expectations and rise from fifth in last year's division standings into the top three. More realistically, the SEC's sudden unpredictability raises the odds the Razorbacks could surpass seven wins in the regular season for just the second time since 2011. That would demand a win against BYU in a pairing of two scuffling offenses. The Razorbacks rank 84th in the FBS in yards per play despite playing Western Carolina and Kent State, while the Cougars are tied for 92nd after facing Sam Houston State and Southern Utah. From here, Arkansas enters an unholy four-game stretch against No. 14 LSU, Texas A&M, No. 19 Mississippi and No. 10 Alabama.
Kansas
MATCHUP/TIME/TV: at Nevada (10:30 p.m. ET, CBSSN)
One year after returning to bowl play for the first time since 2008, Kansas is surging back toward the postseason after last week's impressive 34-23 win against Illinois. That victory saw the return of quarterback Jalon Daniels, who threw for 277 yards and two scores after missing the opener against Missouri State. The Jayhawks' offensive potency was never in doubt after finishing sixth nationally last season in yards per play. There are still some question marks about the defense, though, and growth on that side of the ball will determine whether KU takes another step forward under coach Lance Leipold. The defense yielded 6.1 yards per play against Illinois, basically in line with last year's average against Power Five competition, but did force two turnovers. This week's opponent, Nevada, is perhaps the worst team in the country and shouldn't pose too much of a challenge before the Jayhawks turn to conference play against BYU on Sept. 23.
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