Sep 15, 2026 · 1h 32m
Week Three tests conference contenders and upset candidates
BIG GAME BREAKDOWN: LSU-Ole Miss, Florida State-Alabama, Houston-Texas Tech, SMU-Louisville & MORE!
The slate offers early evidence about which teams can contend for conference titles, survive road tests, or expose weaknesses against stronger opposition.
- 1LSU–Ole Miss turns on explosive plays, vulnerable secondary play, and whether LSU’s scoring reflects sustainable offensive efficiency.
- 2SMU–Louisville carries major ACC-title implications, with quarterback play, pressure defense, and tackling shaping each team’s path.
- 3Florida State, West Virginia, and other underdogs face sharply different routes to covering large spreads or creating genuine upsets.
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The hosts outline the unlikely chain of events Florida State would need to keep Alabama close or pull an upset.
The brief
Tom Fornelli, Danny Kanell, Chip Patterson, and Bud Elliott open with LSU–Ole Miss, where quarterback play, defensive improvement, and explosive plays outweigh raw scoring totals.
Houston–Texas Tech and SMU–Louisville shift the focus to conference stakes, quarterback uncertainty, pressure defense, line play, and the late-game details that could decide close contests.
Florida State–Alabama presents a steep spread and a narrow upset path, requiring trusted quarterback play, productive skill players, and a defense capable of changing the game.
The crew flags West Virginia–Virginia as an upset or cover candidate, then examines Florida–Auburn, Mississippi State–South Carolina, and several potential letdown spots.
The sprawling survey ends with Michigan State–Notre Dame, where a competitive performance could raise fresh questions about Notre Dame’s playmakers and early-season standing.