- Week 3 of college football features key matchups, including Georgia vs. Tennessee.
- Georgia aims for a National Championship; Tennessee seeks to end Heupel's losing streak.
- Other notable games: Pittsburgh vs. West Virginia, Texas A&M vs. Notre Dame, Utah vs. Wyoming.
SALT LAKE CITY — Week 3 of the college football season brings a slate loaded with rivalry games, ranked showdowns, and opportunities for contenders to separate themselves from the pack.
Here's a preview of this week's matchups as we enter week three.
No. 6 Georgia (2-0) vs. No. 15 Tennessee (2-0)
Saturday, Sept. 13, 1:30 p.m. MDT – Neyland Stadium (ABC)
Two SEC powerhouses meet up for an early-season top-15 matchup as the Georgia Bulldogs travel to Knoxville to take on the Tennessee Volunteers.
Why Georgia will win:
The Bulldogs look to contend for a national championship once again under head coach Kirby Smart in 2025. Georgia reloaded this offseason after falling short to Notre Dame in the playoffs a season ago.
Quarterback Gunner Stockton is now the starter, with Carson Beck in Miami, while USC transfers and brothers, Zion and Zachariah Branch, bring elite athleticism to the team.
Zachariah Branch leads the Bulldogs in receiving yards through the first two games with 112 yards and will look to continue to be a reliable option for Stockton after the Georgia receiving corps struggled with drops a season ago.
Even on the road, defense travels and Smart has been one of the best defensive minds in the sport since working as an assistant under Nick Saban. Smart also leads all of college football in ranked wins since 2016 with 37, nine more than Dabo Swinney's 28 with Clemson.
Now arguably the best coach in the SEC, Kirby Smart will look to improve to 8-0 against Tennessee this Saturday.
Why Tennessee will win:
The Vols have looked great to begin the 2025 season but they face their biggest challenge yet on Saturday. With two blowout wins against Syracuse and East Tennessee State, Tennessee has taken care of business while doing it in dominating fashion.
The same can't be said about their foe on Saturday. Georgia defeated FCS Austin Peay 28-6 in what should have been a more lopsided victory for the Bulldogs. Maybe Georgia didn't want to show much of their playbook heading into this week's matchup but the Volunteers obliterated ETSU 72-17.
New Tennessee starting quarterback Joey Aguilar has looked like the perfect fit in head coach Josh Heupel's offense, providing a potential upgrade to a team that reached the College Football Playoff a year ago.
Heupel has won four top-25 matchups at home against SEC opponents with two of those wins being against top 10 teams. Heupel is 0-4 against Georgia in his career but if there is a time to snap that streak it would be this week with the Bulldog's offense still trying to figure things out.
Line: UGA -3.5
Over/Under: 49.5
Pittsburgh (2-0) vs. West Virginia (1-1)
Saturday, Sept. 13, 1:30 p.m. MDT – Milan Puskar Stadium (ESPN)
Saturday marks the 108th meeting of Pitt and West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl with the Mountaineers looking to avenge last year's loss.
Why Pittsburgh will win:
The Panthers have looked good through two games this season, while West Virginia suffered a miserable road loss to Ohio on Saturday.
Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi is a great defensive coach and his defense has already accounted for eight sacks to begin the season.
With Mountaineer running back Jahiem White expected to miss the rest of the season, more pressure falls on quarterback Nicco Marchiol, who struggled to get the offense going against the Bobcats last season.
Pittsburgh Quarterback Eli Holstein is 9-3 as a starter at Pitt and has already accounted for 519 passing yards and eight touchdowns. The West Virginia defense has looked good so far, but if Holstein can outduel his counterpart, the Panthers should be looking at their second straight Backyard Brawl win.
Why West Virginia will win:
This isn't the start head coach Rich Rodriguez envisioned for his team after a disappointing loss to Ohio last week; however, the Mountaineers can get back on track with a huge rivalry win on the road.
Rodriguez knows all about this rivalry from his first stint as West Virginia head coach when he won four games against Pitt and brought the Mountaineers to national relevance. He'll have the chance to avenge West Virginia's 2007 loss to the Panthers that derailed a potential national championship season when he faces them for the first time since that game.
Marchiol will have to be better this week at commanding the offense if the Mountaineers have a chance at the upset at home.
Line: PITT -6.5
Over/Under: 58.5
No. 16 Texas A&M (2-0) vs. No. 6 Notre Dame (0-1)
Saturday, Sept. 13, 5:30 p.m. MDT – Notre Dame Stadium (NBC)
The Aggies travel to South Bend to face the Fighting Irish in a rematch of last year's season opener as both teams look to boost their resume with an early-season ranked matchup.
Why Texas A&M will win:
Texas A&M's offense has been dynamic to begin the season despite head coach Mike Elko coming from a defensive background. The Aggies have scored 40 or more points in consecutive games and show no signs of slowing down under offensive coordinator Collin Klein.
Quarterback Marcel Reed has accumulated 614 total yards and eight total touchdowns through the team's first two games, while the team's run game has been effective with multiple running backs sharing the load.
If A&M can put pressure on Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr just as Miami did, the Aggies could force the inexperienced quarterback into mistakes. The team will have to account for Jeremiyah Love, who is due for a bounce-back performance after just rushing for 33 yards against the Hurricanes.
Why Notre Dame will win:
The Irish have had two weeks to prepare for this game and fix the issues that plagued them in their season opener against Miami.
Notre Dame went on a 10-game winning streak a year ago after an early-season loss to Northern Illinois and head coach Marcus Freeman will have to have the Irish ready Saturday as they get ready to replicate that success.
Jeremiyah Love totalled just 10 carries in the loss to Miami, while Carr had 11. Notre Dame will have to get back to their identity and give their talented back more carries and attack a run defense that has allowed 281 yards on the ground through two games.
If the Irish can bottle up Texas A&M's Marcel Reed and force him to make big throws consistently, Notre Dame should have a great chance to get their first win of the season Saturday.
Line: ND -6.5
Over/Under: 49.5
No. 20 Utah (2-0) vs. Wyoming (2-0)
Saturday, Sept. 13, 6 p.m. MDT – War Memorial Stadium (CBSSN)
The Utes face the Cowboys for the first time since October 10, 2010, when they defeated Wyoming 30-6 in Laramie.
Why Utah will win:
Utah has been dominant to start the season, scoring 40 or more points in their first two games, including 63 last week against Cal Poly. The Utes have also allowed 10 or less in both games. Wyoming struggled to put up points against Akron in Week 1, but scored 31 last week against FCS Northern Iowa.
The Wyoming defense looks to be the best defense that Utah has faced this season, allowing just 7 points through their first two games. The Utes' offense, led by Devon Dampier, will be a much greater test for the Cowboys and should put up some points Saturday.
If Utah can play their style of game, they should face little threat from this Wyoming team despite playing on the road.
Why Wyoming will win:
The Cowboys have started the 2025 season 2-0 after starting last season 0-2. That is the type of improvement fans would like to see in Year 2 of head coach Jay Sawvel's tenure; however, Sawvel and his team face their biggest challenge yet, and maybe the best team Wyoming will face all season.
It is going to take an all-out effort from the Cowboys to pull off their first upset since October 7, 2023, when they beat No. 24 Fresno State. If their defense can rise to the occasion and stop Utah's run game while their offense takes advantage of turnovers, Wyoming could have a shot at the upset.
Line: Utah -23.5
Over/Under: 48.5
Air Force (1-0) vs. Utah State (1-1)
Saturday, Sept. 13, 7:45 p.m. MDT – Maverik Stadium (FS1)
Utah State hosts Air Force in a Mountain West showdown in Logan as the Aggies look to bounce back from last week's loss.
Why Air Force will win:
The Falcons dominated Bucknell in Week 1 of the college football season before having an early bye week last week. Air Force put up 49 points against the Bison, totalling 426 yards of offense. Typically known for being a team that only runs the triple option, the Falcons were able to throw for 159 yards between two quarterbacks.
If Air Force starting quarterback Josh Johnson can be as effective throwing the ball as well as leading a balanced rushing attack, the Faclons could create similar matchup problems as to what Texas A&M did last week against Utah State.
Why Utah State will win:
The Aggies are headed back home looking to get back on track after suffering a loss in College Station last week. Utah State showed fight in the loss, and if they clean up some things and play more like they did in Week 1, they should have a chance at their first conference win of the season.
The Aggies have already punted it 16 times this season. Bryson Barnes will have to lead the offense on more scoring drives and put points on the board against the team that can hold onto possession for a long time. More consistency by the offense is a must if Utah State can pull off the home upset.
Line: AFA -3.5
Over/Under: 50.5
