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SALT LAKE CITY — The mayhem of the college football season is just getting started, and we have another full slate of surefire bangers for you in Week 3 of KSL.com College Football Pick'em.
No. 22 Penn State at Auburn
Sept. 17 at 1:30 p.m. MDT (CBS)
It's the Big Ten meets SEC in an afternoon fight between undefeated teams Saturday. No. 22 Penn State is favored on the road, despite the 87,000-strong likely to be in attendance at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Why Penn State will win:
The Nittany Lions won a close one with Purdue, 35-31 in Week 1, and blew out Ohio 46-10 last week. Quarterback Sean Clifford has five touchdowns to one interception, while running back Nicholas Singleton and wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley have two touchdowns each.
The Lions look to keep up the offensive growth against a potent Tigers defense that gave up just 16 points to each of its first two opponents.
Why Auburn will win:
The defense has been excellent, albeit against non-Power Five opponents, but the offense scored just 24 points against San Jose State and quarterback T.J. Finley has three interceptions to just one touchdown pass.
Junior running back Tank Bigsby will surely be leaned on more against the Lions after averaging less than 15 carries per game over the first two games. Bigsby put up 1,099 yards and 10 touchdowns a season ago.
Betting line: Penn State -3
Over/under: 47.5
No. 12 BYU at No. 25 Oregon
Sept. 17 at 1:30 p.m. MDT (FOX)
The Cougars look for an unlikely 3-0 start to a gauntlet season, while Oregon must defend its Top-25 spot after an up-and-down start to the season.
Why BYU will win:
Remember those "BYU Pac-12 Champs" signs after BYU beat USC last season? I'm sure the Pac-12 does. The Cougars went undefeated against Pac-12 teams in 2021 and can keep the streak alive this week in Oregon.
Jaren Hall led the Cougars both on and off the field last week in an emotional victory over No. 9 Baylor, giving them a nine-spot jump in the polls. The quarterback hopes to have one or both of Gunner Romney and Puka Nacua back this week in the battle with the Ducks. It's hard to imagine Jake Oldroyd will miss many more field goals after a tough outing against the Bears.
Why Oregon will win:
The Ducks were the team to beat out west in 2021 before losing twice to the Utes, including in the Pac-12 title game. Starting the 2022 season with a 49-3 defeat at the hands of the Georgia Bulldogs didn't help, but a dominant 70-14 win against Eastern Washington has the Ducks right back in the Associated Press Top 25, squeaking in at No. 25.
Despite a 13-spot disparity in the rankings, the oddsmakers have Oregon favored at home in Autzen Stadium. If the Ducks can limit BYU's talented offense — which seems to gain a new weapon every week (see: Roberts, Chase) — and Bo Nix can keep up the efficient passing he showed last week (28-33, 277 yards, 5 TD), Oregon might just be able to cover.
Betting line: Oregon -3.5
Over/under: 57.5
No. 11 Michigan State at Washington
Sept. 17 at 5:30 p.m. MDT (ABC)
The Spartans and Huskies both come into Week 3 undefeated but are yet to face a Power Five opponent. Both teams scored 52 points last time out, with Michigan State shutting out Akron 52-0 and Washington defeating Portland State 52-6.
Why Michigan State will win:
Junior quarterback Payton Thorne threw for 3,240 yards and 27 touchdowns last season when the Spartans went 11-2 en route to a Peach Bowl victory over No. 12 Pittsburgh and a No. 9 AP ranking.
Thorne returns to lead the Spartans this season, but his knack for turnovers is already creeping up on him; he's thrown three picks to four touchdowns through two games. If the Spartans can limit turnovers and score efficiently, a win on the road seems more than likely.
Why Washington will win
After sustained growth and success under Chris Petersen, the Huskies struggled over the last two seasons. Washington went 3-1 during the COVID-shortened 2020 season and 4-8 last season, including home losses to unranked UCLA, Arizona State and Washington State.
The Huskies will have to combine their impressive offensive output from last week's 52-point performance with an improved defensive effort to have a chance at stopping the always-stout Spartans. Washington allowed 20 points at home to Kent State in Week 1 and could use some tightening up on that side of the ball, including possibly forcing a turnover against the pick-prone Thorne.
Betting line: Washington -3.5
Over/under: 56.5
No. 13 Miami at No. 24 Texas A&M
Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. MDT (ESPN)
A primetime Top-25 matchup at Kyle Field? Say yes. The 2-0 and No. 13-ranked Hurricanes come to College Station to challenge an Aggies squad looking to bounce back from last week's upset at the hands of Appalachian State.
Why Miami will win:
Miami has a better record and a better ranking. Oh, how we wish it was that easy. The Hurricanes have yet to be truly tested this year, rolling past Bethune-Cookman and Southern Miss in the first two weeks. But then again, App State wasn't supposed to be a huge test for the then-No. 6 Aggies either.
Led by sophomores at the quarterback and running back positions, the Hurricanes are still quite young, but certainly growing. Star back Henry Parrish Jr. already surpassed his 2021 touchdown total with four scores in two games, and quarterback Tyler Van Dyke is off to another efficient start with three touchdown passes and one interception following his 25-score, six interceptions season last year.
Why Texas A&M will win:
Perhaps more alarming than the fact that the Aggies lost to the Sun Belt's App State is the fact that Texas A&M only scored 14 points at home. The A&M offense will have to find its form fast against the Hurricanes for any chance of escaping two losses in a row at Kyle Field.
Sophomore quarterback Haynes King's reign is off to a rough start with just three touchdowns to two interceptions. He'll have to build chemistry quickly with leading receiver Ainias Smith and running back Devon Achane to put together some successful drives and avoid another embarrassing result.
Betting line: Texas A&M -5.5
Over/under: 45
San Diego State at No. 14 Utah
Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. MDT (ESPN2)
Aztecs and Utes meet in a clash between former Mountain West Conference foes. Both teams are looking for their second win of the year.
Why San Diego State will win:
SDSU defeated Idaho State 38-7 last week following a season-opening 38-20 loss to Arizona. The Aztecs went 12-2 last season, including a 33-31 win over Utah in California. Braxton Burmeister is now the quarterback of the Aztecs after two years each at Virginia Tech and Oregon, giving SDSU some Power Five experience.
Senior running back Jordan Byrd was the difference maker last week against Idaho State where he returned a punt 66 yards for a touchdown and scored on a 53-yard run.
Why Utah will win:
Utah has come a long way since last year's triple-overtime loss in California. For starters, last year's meeting was quarterback Cam Rising's first opportunity to lead the offense after Charlie Brewer was benched midway through the game. Rising threw for three touchdowns and the Utes went on to win 10 of their last 12 games of the season en route to a Pac-12 championship and Rose Bowl appearance.
Rising had three touchdown passes in Utah's 73-7 win last week over Southern Utah, including two to tight end Dalton Kincaid. Chris Curry was the real winner of the FCS matchup, however, with 60 yards on six carries and a touchdown in what could be a breakout season for the junior from LSU.
Betting line: Utah -21
Over/under: 49
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