The third full weekend of college football action is approaching, following a thrilling Week 2 slate. The upcoming schedule includes several high-profile conference games that will shape the early-season landscape of the College Football Playoff race. Additionally, there are out-of-conference matchups that will challenge the favored road teams.
In an SEC East rivalry, No. 1 Georgia will face South Carolina, two teams that have had exciting contests in the last decade. Despite dominant wins in their first two games, Georgia hasn’t been operating at peak performance. On the other hand, South Carolina had a wild loss to North Carolina in their season opener. The Bulldogs have a strong and physical defense that the Gamecocks will struggle against.
No. 8 Washington, which has flown under the radar in the first two games, is set for an interesting test against Michigan State, requiring them to travel across the majority of the country. Additionally, No. 10 Alabama aims to bounce back after a loss to No. 4 Texas, facing South Florida on the road.
Looking ahead to Week 3, let’s take a look at the odds set by sportsbooks.
Odds via SportsLine consensus
The key matchups
South Carolina at No. 1 Georgia -27: Georgia’s defense has been dominant so far, but they will face their greatest challenge yet in South Carolina’s quarterback, Spencer Rattler. However, Rattler has not received much support from his offensive line. Oddsmakers expect Georgia to disrupt the experienced signal-caller due to the large point spread.
No. 7 Penn State -15 at Illinois: Penn State has performed well in their first two games with Drew Allar at quarterback. This game was anticipated to be a competitive matchup before the season, as Illinois’ defense was projected to perform above average. However, that has not been the case, giving Penn State an opportunity to strengthen their claim as a Big Ten title contender.
No. 8 Washington -14.5 at Michigan State: Washington will travel across the country to face Michigan State, and oddsmakers believe the public has not fully recognized Washington’s potential. Washington is a well-rounded team, but the point spread suggests that there may be less confidence in their quarterback, Michael Penix Jr, and the rest of the team.
No. 10 Alabama -33.5 at South Florida: After a heartbreaking loss to Texas last weekend, Alabama aims to regain momentum against South Florida. Oddsmakers expect that the road game against the Bulls will not be too challenging. However, this game holds great significance for South Florida, which might affect the outcome.
No. 11 Tennessee -7 at Florida: In the next installment of this historic rivalry, the game will take place in Florida’s home stadium, after the Gators’ offense had an explosive performance in a win over McNeese. Meanwhile, Tennessee struggled against Austin Peay in their last game. Oddsmakers appear to have more faith in Florida, despite their offensive struggles in their Week 1 loss against Utah.
No. 14 LSU -9 at Mississippi State: LSU’s first conference game will be a tough road test against Mississippi State in one of the loudest stadiums in the country. LSU had a dominant win over Grambling in their last game, but their previous outing against Florida State resulted in a blowout loss. Mississippi State, on the other hand, won an overtime thriller against Arizona and would love to make a statement in their first conference game under first-year coach Zach Arnett.
Colorado State at No. 22 Colorado -20.5: In the Rocky Mountain Showdown on Saturday night, the Buffaloes will host their rival, Colorado State. Colorado has won the past five matchups between the two teams, but they haven’t faced each other since 2019.
